Still Under Threat: On Harvey Milk Day, Leading Activist Says LGBTQ+ Leaders Face Dangers Decades After Assassination
"Tales of the Town" | CA Housing Deadline | Castro District
Fight Over Seats Could Define Future of Iconic San Francisco Movie Theater
'Acts of Great Love': How the Marijuana Minister of the Castro Helped His Flock Endure the AIDS Epidemic
‘Never Take It Down’: The Original 1978 Rainbow Flag Returns to SF
Home Baked: How Pot Brownies Brought Some Relief During the AIDS Epidemic
Gentrification is Changing Iconic Gay Neighborhoods in L.A. and S.F.
Meet the Flower Guy Who's Watched the Castro Change Over 38 Years
Sponsored
window.__IS_SSR__=true
window.__INITIAL_STATE__={"attachmentsReducer":{"audio_0":{"type":"attachments","id":"audio_0","imgSizes":{"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background0.jpg"}}},"audio_1":{"type":"attachments","id":"audio_1","imgSizes":{"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background1.jpg"}}},"audio_2":{"type":"attachments","id":"audio_2","imgSizes":{"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background2.jpg"}}},"audio_3":{"type":"attachments","id":"audio_3","imgSizes":{"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background3.jpg"}}},"audio_4":{"type":"attachments","id":"audio_4","imgSizes":{"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background4.jpg"}}},"placeholder":{"type":"attachments","id":"placeholder","imgSizes":{"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-160x96.jpg","width":160,"height":96,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"medium":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-800x478.jpg","width":800,"height":478,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-1020x610.jpg","width":1020,"height":610,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"fd-lrg":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-1920x1148.jpg","width":1920,"height":1148,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"fd-med":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-1180x705.jpg","width":1180,"height":705,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"fd-sm":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-960x574.jpg","width":960,"height":574,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-672x372.jpg","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"twentyfourteen-full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-1038x576.jpg","width":1038,"height":576,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"xxsmall":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-240x143.jpg","width":240,"height":143,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"xsmall":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-375x224.jpg","width":375,"height":224,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"small":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-520x311.jpg","width":520,"height":311,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"xlarge":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-1180x705.jpg","width":1180,"height":705,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-1920x1148.jpg","width":1920,"height":1148,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-32":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-32x32.jpg","width":32,"height":32,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-50":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-50x50.jpg","width":50,"height":50,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-64":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-64x64.jpg","width":64,"height":64,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-96":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-96x96.jpg","width":96,"height":96,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-128":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-128x128.jpg","width":128,"height":128,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"detail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-150x150.jpg","width":150,"height":150,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-e1514998105161.jpg","width":1920,"height":1148}}},"news_11903117":{"type":"attachments","id":"news_11903117","meta":{"index":"attachments_1591205162","site":"news","id":"11903117","found":true},"title":"194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n","publishDate":1643394827,"status":"inherit","parent":11902998,"modified":1643403729,"caption":"Rev. Jim Mitulski at Lake Merritt in Oakland in 2021.","credit":"Courtesy of Todd Atkins-Whitley","altTag":"A man sitting outside on a chair by a lake.","description":null,"imgSizes":{"medium":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n-800x600.jpg","width":800,"height":600,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n-1020x765.jpg","width":1020,"height":765,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n-160x120.jpg","width":160,"height":120,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"1536x1536":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n-1536x1152.jpg","width":1536,"height":1152,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"2048x2048":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n-2048x1536.jpg","width":2048,"height":1536,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n-672x372.jpg","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"twentyfourteen-full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n-1038x576.jpg","width":1038,"height":576,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n-1920x1440.jpg","width":1920,"height":1440,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1920}},"fetchFailed":false,"isLoading":false},"news_11950275":{"type":"attachments","id":"news_11950275","meta":{"index":"attachments_1591205162","site":"news","id":"11950275","found":true},"title":"Mourning for Harvey Milk and George Moscone","publishDate":1684612474,"status":"inherit","parent":11950268,"modified":1684790138,"caption":"Mourners hold a candlelight vigil for Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk after they were assassinated at San Francisco City Hall, on Nov. 27, 1978.","credit":"Roger Ressmeyer/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images","altTag":"A white man and a Black man hold candles with another white man to the side and a sign above and behind them that says \"In Memoriam George Moscone Harvey Milk\"","description":null,"imgSizes":{"medium":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2030/05/GettyImages-685195553-800x538.jpg","width":800,"height":538,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2030/05/GettyImages-685195553-1020x686.jpg","width":1020,"height":686,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2030/05/GettyImages-685195553-160x108.jpg","width":160,"height":108,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2030/05/GettyImages-685195553-672x372.jpg","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"twentyfourteen-full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2030/05/GettyImages-685195553-1024x576.jpg","width":1024,"height":576,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2030/05/GettyImages-685195553.jpg","width":1024,"height":689}},"fetchFailed":false,"isLoading":false},"news_11940149":{"type":"attachments","id":"news_11940149","meta":{"index":"attachments_1591205162","site":"news","id":"11940149","found":true},"title":"002_KQED_OaklandTyreNicholsRally_01292023","publishDate":1675469530,"status":"inherit","parent":11940144,"modified":1675469530,"caption":"A crowd gathers on 14th St and Broadway in Oakland on Jan. 29, 2023, for a rally to protest the Memphis police killing of Tyre Nichols.","credit":null,"altTag":null,"description":null,"imgSizes":{"medium":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/002_KQED_OaklandTyreNicholsRally_01292023-800x533.jpg","width":800,"height":533,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/002_KQED_OaklandTyreNicholsRally_01292023-1020x680.jpg","width":1020,"height":680,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/002_KQED_OaklandTyreNicholsRally_01292023-160x107.jpg","width":160,"height":107,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"1536x1536":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/002_KQED_OaklandTyreNicholsRally_01292023-1536x1024.jpg","width":1536,"height":1024,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/002_KQED_OaklandTyreNicholsRally_01292023-672x372.jpg","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"twentyfourteen-full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/002_KQED_OaklandTyreNicholsRally_01292023-1038x576.jpg","width":1038,"height":576,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/002_KQED_OaklandTyreNicholsRally_01292023.jpg","width":1920,"height":1280}},"fetchFailed":false,"isLoading":false},"news_11934112":{"type":"attachments","id":"news_11934112","meta":{"index":"attachments_1591205162","site":"news","id":"11934112","found":true},"title":"Exterior of the Castro Theatre in San Francisco. Live concert and comedy company, Another Planet Entertainment (APE), recently took over the historic movie theater's lease.","publishDate":1670264989,"status":"inherit","parent":11934111,"modified":1686083792,"caption":"The grand entrance to the Castro Theatre, the venue for 65th SFFILM Festival Press Conference on March 30, 2022 in San Francisco.","credit":"Miikka Skaffari/Getty Images","altTag":"The front of the Castro Theater. On the marquee says: 'APE Concerts.'","description":null,"imgSizes":{"medium":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/gettyimages-1388628812-2-b3a5acc543f89f12a17a9183c2a0b75ada335fb2-800x600.jpg","width":800,"height":600,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/gettyimages-1388628812-2-b3a5acc543f89f12a17a9183c2a0b75ada335fb2-1020x765.jpg","width":1020,"height":765,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/gettyimages-1388628812-2-b3a5acc543f89f12a17a9183c2a0b75ada335fb2-160x120.jpg","width":160,"height":120,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"1536x1536":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/gettyimages-1388628812-2-b3a5acc543f89f12a17a9183c2a0b75ada335fb2-1536x1152.jpg","width":1536,"height":1152,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"2048x2048":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/gettyimages-1388628812-2-b3a5acc543f89f12a17a9183c2a0b75ada335fb2-2048x1536.jpg","width":2048,"height":1536,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/gettyimages-1388628812-2-b3a5acc543f89f12a17a9183c2a0b75ada335fb2-672x372.jpg","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"twentyfourteen-full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/gettyimages-1388628812-2-b3a5acc543f89f12a17a9183c2a0b75ada335fb2-1038x576.jpg","width":1038,"height":576,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/gettyimages-1388628812-2-b3a5acc543f89f12a17a9183c2a0b75ada335fb2-1920x1440.jpg","width":1920,"height":1440,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/gettyimages-1388628812-2-b3a5acc543f89f12a17a9183c2a0b75ada335fb2-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1920}},"fetchFailed":false,"isLoading":false},"news_11903295":{"type":"attachments","id":"news_11903295","meta":{"index":"attachments_1591205162","site":"news","id":"11903295","found":true},"title":"MARIJUANA/C/18AUG96/MN/LS-Rev. Jim Mitulski (right) pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of SF hands Chuck Jones, a CBC volunteer, a bag of marijuana during a medical marijuana relief effort sponsored by the church. BY LEA SUZUKI/THE CHRONICLE","publishDate":1643413448,"status":"inherit","parent":11902998,"modified":1643413921,"caption":"Rev. Jim Mitulski (right), pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of SF, hands a volunteer a bag of marijuana after church services as part of a relief effort in the summer of 1996 to help people suffering from AIDS. ","credit":"Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images","altTag":"One man gives another man a small bag of marijuana. A group of people stand behind them, including someone with a video camera.","description":null,"imgSizes":{"medium":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/GettyImages-1322405018-800x547.jpg","width":800,"height":547,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/GettyImages-1322405018-1020x698.jpg","width":1020,"height":698,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/GettyImages-1322405018-160x109.jpg","width":160,"height":109,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/GettyImages-1322405018-672x372.jpg","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"twentyfourteen-full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/GettyImages-1322405018-1038x576.jpg","width":1038,"height":576,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/GettyImages-1322405018.jpg","width":1200,"height":821}},"fetchFailed":false,"isLoading":false},"news_11876858":{"type":"attachments","id":"news_11876858","meta":{"index":"attachments_1591205162","site":"news","id":"11876858","found":true},"title":"Rainbow Flag SF 1","publishDate":1622854755,"status":"inherit","parent":11876846,"modified":1622858762,"caption":"The original 1978 Rainbow Flag returned to San Francisco on June 4, 2021. It's being housed at the GLBT Historical Society Museum and Archive in the city’s Castro District.","credit":"Ezra David Romero/KQED","altTag":null,"description":"The original 1978 Rainbow Flag returned to San Francisco on June 4, 2021. It's being housed at the GLBT Historical Society Museum and Archive in the city’s Castro District.","imgSizes":{"medium":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-1-800x600.jpg","width":800,"height":600,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-1-1020x765.jpg","width":1020,"height":765,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-1-160x120.jpg","width":160,"height":120,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"1536x1536":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-1-1536x1152.jpg","width":1536,"height":1152,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-1-672x372.jpg","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"twentyfourteen-full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-1-1038x576.jpg","width":1038,"height":576,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-1.jpg","width":1920,"height":1440}},"fetchFailed":false,"isLoading":false},"news_11810556":{"type":"attachments","id":"news_11810556","meta":{"index":"attachments_1591205162","site":"news","id":"11810556","found":true},"title":"RS42514_Mer logo pic1-qut","publishDate":1585949382,"status":"inherit","parent":11810441,"modified":1585950075,"caption":"Meridy Volz eats her Sticky Fingers Brownies.","credit":"Courtesy of Meridy Volz","description":null,"imgSizes":{"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42514_Mer-logo-pic1-qut-1-160x126.jpg","width":160,"height":126,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"medium":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42514_Mer-logo-pic1-qut-1-800x632.jpg","width":800,"height":632,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42514_Mer-logo-pic1-qut-1-1020x806.jpg","width":1020,"height":806,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42514_Mer-logo-pic1-qut-1-672x372.jpg","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"twentyfourteen-full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42514_Mer-logo-pic1-qut-1-1038x576.jpg","width":1038,"height":576,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_landscape_9_7":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42514_Mer-logo-pic1-qut-1-1334x1032.jpg","width":1334,"height":1032,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_landscape_5_5":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42514_Mer-logo-pic1-qut-1-1044x783.jpg","width":1044,"height":783,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_landscape_4_7":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42514_Mer-logo-pic1-qut-1-632x474.jpg","width":632,"height":474,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_landscape_4_0":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42514_Mer-logo-pic1-qut-1-536x402.jpg","width":536,"height":402,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_portrait_12_9":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42514_Mer-logo-pic1-qut-1-1122x1054.jpg","width":1122,"height":1054,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_portrait_9_7":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42514_Mer-logo-pic1-qut-1-840x1054.jpg","width":840,"height":1054,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_portrait_5_5":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42514_Mer-logo-pic1-qut-1-687x916.jpg","width":687,"height":916,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_portrait_4_7":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42514_Mer-logo-pic1-qut-1-414x552.jpg","width":414,"height":552,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_portrait_4_0":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42514_Mer-logo-pic1-qut-1-354x472.jpg","width":354,"height":472,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_square_9_7":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42514_Mer-logo-pic1-qut-1-1104x1054.jpg","width":1104,"height":1054,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_square_5_5":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42514_Mer-logo-pic1-qut-1-912x912.jpg","width":912,"height":912,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_square_4_7":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42514_Mer-logo-pic1-qut-1-550x550.jpg","width":550,"height":550,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_square_4_0":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42514_Mer-logo-pic1-qut-1-470x470.jpg","width":470,"height":470,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42514_Mer-logo-pic1-qut-1.jpg","width":1334,"height":1054}},"fetchFailed":false,"isLoading":false},"news_11768137":{"type":"attachments","id":"news_11768137","meta":{"index":"attachments_1591205162","site":"news","id":"11768137","found":true},"title":"Block-Party-WeHo","publishDate":1565998064,"status":"inherit","parent":11768015,"modified":1565998199,"caption":"Larry Block owns Block Party, one of a handful of gay-owned and gay-centric shops left on Santa Monica Blvd in West Hollywood. He worries the neighborhood is changing too much with all of the new mainstream businesses coming in. He’s lived in WeHo since 1985.","credit":"Elizabeth Aguilera/KPCC","description":"Larry Block owns Block Party, one of a handful of gay-owned and gay-centric shops left on Santa Monica Blvd in West Hollywood. He worries the neighborhood is changing too much with all of the new mainstream businesses coming in. He’s lived in WeHo since 1985.","imgSizes":{"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/Block-Party-WeHo-160x95.jpg","width":160,"height":95,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"medium":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/Block-Party-WeHo-800x474.jpg","width":800,"height":474,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/Block-Party-WeHo-1020x604.jpg","width":1020,"height":604,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"complete_open_graph":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/Block-Party-WeHo-1200x711.jpg","width":1200,"height":711,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/Block-Party-WeHo-672x372.jpg","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"twentyfourteen-full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/Block-Party-WeHo-1038x576.jpg","width":1038,"height":576,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/Block-Party-WeHo-1920x1137.jpg","width":1920,"height":1137,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_landscape_12_9":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/Block-Party-WeHo-1832x1137.jpg","width":1832,"height":1137,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_landscape_9_7":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/Block-Party-WeHo-1376x1032.jpg","width":1376,"height":1032,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_landscape_5_5":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/Block-Party-WeHo-1044x783.jpg","width":1044,"height":783,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_landscape_4_7":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/Block-Party-WeHo-632x474.jpg","width":632,"height":474,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_landscape_4_0":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/Block-Party-WeHo-536x402.jpg","width":536,"height":402,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_portrait_12_9":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/Block-Party-WeHo-1122x1137.jpg","width":1122,"height":1137,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_portrait_9_7":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/Block-Party-WeHo-840x1120.jpg","width":840,"height":1120,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_portrait_5_5":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/Block-Party-WeHo-687x916.jpg","width":687,"height":916,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_portrait_4_7":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/Block-Party-WeHo-414x552.jpg","width":414,"height":552,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_portrait_4_0":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/Block-Party-WeHo-354x472.jpg","width":354,"height":472,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_square_12_9":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/Block-Party-WeHo-1472x1137.jpg","width":1472,"height":1137,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_square_9_7":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/Block-Party-WeHo-1104x1104.jpg","width":1104,"height":1104,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_square_5_5":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/Block-Party-WeHo-912x912.jpg","width":912,"height":912,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_square_4_7":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/Block-Party-WeHo-550x550.jpg","width":550,"height":550,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_square_4_0":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/Block-Party-WeHo-470x470.jpg","width":470,"height":470,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/Block-Party-WeHo.jpg","width":1920,"height":1137}},"fetchFailed":false,"isLoading":false},"news_11758027":{"type":"attachments","id":"news_11758027","meta":{"index":"attachments_1591205162","site":"news","id":"11758027","found":true},"title":"RS37783__M6A0688-qut","publishDate":1561755095,"status":"inherit","parent":11758014,"modified":1561831328,"caption":"After 38 years on the same corner, Guy Clark has become a neighborhood fixture in San Francisco's Castro District; he's won the community over with his daily blooms and bubbles.","credit":"Stephanie Lister/KQED","description":null,"imgSizes":{"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37783__M6A0688-qut-160x107.jpg","width":160,"height":107,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"medium":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37783__M6A0688-qut-800x533.jpg","width":800,"height":533,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37783__M6A0688-qut-1020x680.jpg","width":1020,"height":680,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"complete_open_graph":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37783__M6A0688-qut-1200x800.jpg","width":1200,"height":800,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37783__M6A0688-qut-672x372.jpg","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"twentyfourteen-full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37783__M6A0688-qut-1038x576.jpg","width":1038,"height":576,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37783__M6A0688-qut-1920x1280.jpg","width":1920,"height":1280,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_landscape_12_9":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37783__M6A0688-qut-1832x1280.jpg","width":1832,"height":1280,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_landscape_9_7":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37783__M6A0688-qut-1376x1032.jpg","width":1376,"height":1032,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_landscape_5_5":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37783__M6A0688-qut-1044x783.jpg","width":1044,"height":783,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_landscape_4_7":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37783__M6A0688-qut-632x474.jpg","width":632,"height":474,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_landscape_4_0":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37783__M6A0688-qut-536x402.jpg","width":536,"height":402,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_portrait_12_9":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37783__M6A0688-qut-1122x1280.jpg","width":1122,"height":1280,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_portrait_9_7":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37783__M6A0688-qut-840x1120.jpg","width":840,"height":1120,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_portrait_5_5":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37783__M6A0688-qut-687x916.jpg","width":687,"height":916,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_portrait_4_7":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37783__M6A0688-qut-414x552.jpg","width":414,"height":552,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_portrait_4_0":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37783__M6A0688-qut-354x472.jpg","width":354,"height":472,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_square_12_9":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37783__M6A0688-qut-1472x1280.jpg","width":1472,"height":1280,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_square_9_7":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37783__M6A0688-qut-1104x1104.jpg","width":1104,"height":1104,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_square_5_5":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37783__M6A0688-qut-912x912.jpg","width":912,"height":912,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_square_4_7":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37783__M6A0688-qut-550x550.jpg","width":550,"height":550,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"apple_news_ca_square_4_0":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37783__M6A0688-qut-470x470.jpg","width":470,"height":470,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37783__M6A0688-qut.jpg","width":1920,"height":1280}},"fetchFailed":false,"isLoading":false}},"audioPlayerReducer":{"postId":"stream_live"},"authorsReducer":{"byline_news_11934111":{"type":"authors","id":"byline_news_11934111","meta":{"override":true},"slug":"byline_news_11934111","name":"Chloe Veltman","isLoading":false},"byline_news_11768015":{"type":"authors","id":"byline_news_11768015","meta":{"override":true},"slug":"byline_news_11768015","name":"\u003ca href= \"https://calmatters.org/author/elizabeth-aguilera/\"> Elizabeth Aguilera \u003ca/>","isLoading":false},"kqed":{"type":"authors","id":"236","meta":{"index":"authors_1591205172","id":"236","found":true},"name":"KQED News Staff","firstName":"KQED News Staff","lastName":null,"slug":"kqed","email":"faq@kqed.org","display_author_email":false,"staff_mastheads":[],"title":null,"bio":null,"avatar":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ef0e801a68c4c54afa9180db14084167?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twitter":null,"facebook":null,"instagram":null,"linkedin":null,"sites":[{"site":"arts","roles":["contributor"]},{"site":"news","roles":["editor"]},{"site":"futureofyou","roles":["author"]}],"headData":{"title":"KQED News Staff | KQED","description":null,"ogImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ef0e801a68c4c54afa9180db14084167?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ef0e801a68c4c54afa9180db14084167?s=600&d=blank&r=g"},"isLoading":false,"link":"/author/kqed"},"lmorehouse":{"type":"authors","id":"3229","meta":{"index":"authors_1591205172","id":"3229","found":true},"name":"Lisa Morehouse","firstName":"Lisa","lastName":"Morehouse","slug":"lmorehouse","email":"morehouse.lisa@gmail.com","display_author_email":false,"staff_mastheads":[],"title":"KQED Contributor","bio":"Lisa Morehouse is an award-winning public radio and print journalist, who has filed for National Public Radio, American Public Media, KQED Public Radio, Edutopia, and McSweeney’s. Her reporting has taken her from Samoan traveling circuses to Mississippi Delta classrooms to the homes of Lao refugees in rural Iowa. In addition to reporting, she teaches radio production to at-risk youth in the Bay Area. Her series \u003ca href=\"http://afterthegoldrushradio.com/\">After the Gold Rush\u003c/a> featured the changing industries, populations and identities of rural towns throughout California. She’s now producing \u003ca href=\"http://www.californiafoodways.com/\">California Foodways\u003c/a>, a series exploring the intersections of food, culture, economics, history and labor. Follow along on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/californiafoodways?ref=hl\">Facebook page\u003c/a> or on Twitter @cafoodways.","avatar":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/dae74b002a6e256f39abb19d6f5acaea?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twitter":null,"facebook":null,"instagram":null,"linkedin":null,"sites":[{"site":"","roles":["editor"]},{"site":"news","roles":["author"]}],"headData":{"title":"Lisa Morehouse | KQED","description":"KQED Contributor","ogImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/dae74b002a6e256f39abb19d6f5acaea?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/dae74b002a6e256f39abb19d6f5acaea?s=600&d=blank&r=g"},"isLoading":false,"link":"/author/lmorehouse"},"afont":{"type":"authors","id":"8637","meta":{"index":"authors_1591205172","id":"8637","found":true},"name":"Amanda Font","firstName":"Amanda","lastName":"Font","slug":"afont","email":"afont@kqed.org","display_author_email":false,"staff_mastheads":["news"],"title":"KQED Contributor","bio":"Amanda Font is a producer on the \u003cem>Bay Curious\u003c/em> podcast, and the host and co-producer of the series \u003cem>Audible Cosmos\u003c/em>. She previously worked as director of \u003cem>The California Report Magazine\u003c/em>. She grew up in the deserts of Southern California and moved north for the trees. Amanda earned a B.A. from the BECA program at San Francisco State, where she worked in the university's radio station.","avatar":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d9e81cf0117d5849b9cfb7ab4b1422f1?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twitter":null,"facebook":null,"instagram":null,"linkedin":null,"sites":[{"site":"arts","roles":["editor"]},{"site":"news","roles":["editor","add_users","create_users"]},{"site":"science","roles":["editor"]},{"site":"forum","roles":["administrator"]},{"site":"perspectives","roles":["administrator"]},{"site":"radio","roles":["administrator"]}],"headData":{"title":"Amanda Font | KQED","description":"KQED Contributor","ogImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d9e81cf0117d5849b9cfb7ab4b1422f1?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d9e81cf0117d5849b9cfb7ab4b1422f1?s=600&d=blank&r=g"},"isLoading":false,"link":"/author/afont"},"aehsanipour":{"type":"authors","id":"11580","meta":{"index":"authors_1591205172","id":"11580","found":true},"name":"Asal Ehsanipour","firstName":"Asal","lastName":"Ehsanipour","slug":"aehsanipour","email":"aehsanipour@kqed.org","display_author_email":false,"staff_mastheads":[],"title":"Reporter and Producer","bio":"\u003cp class=\"p1\">Asal Ehsanipour is a producer and reporter for Rightnowish, Bay Curious and The California Report Magazine. She is also a producer for \u003ca href=\"https://www.thedoubleshift.com/\">The Double Shift\u003c/a>, a podcast about a new generation of working mothers. In 2018, Asal was named an Emerging Journalist Fellow by the Journalism and Women’s Symposium. Her work has appeared on KQED, KALW, PRI’s The World, and in several food and travel publications.\u003c/p>","avatar":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c0e210438f5dca1b76921ff9f0eada52?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twitter":null,"facebook":null,"instagram":null,"linkedin":null,"sites":[{"site":"arts","roles":["editor"]},{"site":"news","roles":["author","edit_others_posts"]}],"headData":{"title":"Asal Ehsanipour | KQED","description":"Reporter and Producer","ogImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c0e210438f5dca1b76921ff9f0eada52?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c0e210438f5dca1b76921ff9f0eada52?s=600&d=blank&r=g"},"isLoading":false,"link":"/author/aehsanipour"},"eromero":{"type":"authors","id":"11746","meta":{"index":"authors_1591205172","id":"11746","found":true},"name":"Ezra David Romero","firstName":"Ezra David","lastName":"Romero","slug":"eromero","email":"eromero@kqed.org","display_author_email":true,"staff_mastheads":["news","science"],"title":"Climate Reporter","bio":"Ezra David Romero is a climate reporter for KQED News. He covers the absence and excess of water in the Bay Area — think sea level rise, flooding and drought. For nearly a decade he’s covered how warming temperatures are altering the lives of Californians. He’s reported on farmers worried their pistachio trees aren’t getting enough sleep, families desperate for water, scientists studying dying giant sequoias, and alongside firefighters containing wildfires. His work has appeared on local stations across California and nationally on public radio shows like Morning Edition, Here and Now, All Things Considered and Science Friday. ","avatar":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9c15bb8bab267e058708a9eeaeef16bf?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twitter":"ezraromero","facebook":null,"instagram":null,"linkedin":null,"sites":[{"site":"news","roles":["editor"]},{"site":"science","roles":["editor"]}],"headData":{"title":"Ezra David Romero | KQED","description":"Climate Reporter","ogImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9c15bb8bab267e058708a9eeaeef16bf?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9c15bb8bab267e058708a9eeaeef16bf?s=600&d=blank&r=g"},"isLoading":false,"link":"/author/eromero"},"cbeale":{"type":"authors","id":"11749","meta":{"index":"authors_1591205172","id":"11749","found":true},"name":"Christopher Beale","firstName":"Christopher","lastName":"Beale","slug":"cbeale","email":"cbeale@kqed.org","display_author_email":true,"staff_mastheads":["news"],"title":"Engineer/Producer/Reporter","bio":"\u003ca href=\"https://linktr.ee/realchrisjbeale\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Christopher J. Beale\u003c/a> is an award winning journalist, audio engineer, and media host living in San Francisco. \r\n\r\nChristopher works primarily as an audio engineer at KQED and serves as the sound designer for both the Bay Curious and Rightnowish podcasts. He is the host and producer of the LGBTQIA podcast and radio segment \u003ca href=\"https://stereotypespodcast.org\">Stereotypes\u003c/a>.","avatar":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/dc485bf84788eb7e7414eb638e72407e?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twitter":"realchrisjbeale","facebook":null,"instagram":"http://instagram.com/realchrisjbeale","linkedin":null,"sites":[{"site":"arts","roles":["contributor"]},{"site":"news","roles":["editor"]},{"site":"forum","roles":["editor"]}],"headData":{"title":"Christopher Beale | KQED","description":"Engineer/Producer/Reporter","ogImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/dc485bf84788eb7e7414eb638e72407e?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/dc485bf84788eb7e7414eb638e72407e?s=600&d=blank&r=g"},"isLoading":false,"link":"/author/cbeale"}},"breakingNewsReducer":{},"campaignFinanceReducer":{},"firebase":{"requesting":{},"requested":{},"timestamps":{},"data":{},"ordered":{},"auth":{"isLoaded":false,"isEmpty":true},"authError":null,"profile":{"isLoaded":false,"isEmpty":true},"listeners":{"byId":{},"allIds":[]},"isInitializing":false,"errors":[]},"navBarReducer":{"navBarId":"news","fullView":true,"showPlayer":false},"navMenuReducer":{"menus":[{"key":"menu1","items":[{"name":"News","link":"/","type":"title"},{"name":"Politics","link":"/politics"},{"name":"Science","link":"/science"},{"name":"Education","link":"/educationnews"},{"name":"Housing","link":"/housing"},{"name":"Immigration","link":"/immigration"},{"name":"Criminal Justice","link":"/criminaljustice"},{"name":"Silicon Valley","link":"/siliconvalley"},{"name":"Forum","link":"/forum"},{"name":"The California Report","link":"/californiareport"}]},{"key":"menu2","items":[{"name":"Arts & Culture","link":"/arts","type":"title"},{"name":"Critics’ Picks","link":"/thedolist"},{"name":"Cultural Commentary","link":"/artscommentary"},{"name":"Food & Drink","link":"/food"},{"name":"Bay Area Hip-Hop","link":"/bayareahiphop"},{"name":"Rebel Girls","link":"/rebelgirls"},{"name":"Arts Video","link":"/artsvideos"}]},{"key":"menu3","items":[{"name":"Podcasts","link":"/podcasts","type":"title"},{"name":"Bay Curious","link":"/podcasts/baycurious"},{"name":"Rightnowish","link":"/podcasts/rightnowish"},{"name":"The Bay","link":"/podcasts/thebay"},{"name":"On Our Watch","link":"/podcasts/onourwatch"},{"name":"Mindshift","link":"/podcasts/mindshift"},{"name":"Consider This","link":"/podcasts/considerthis"},{"name":"Political Breakdown","link":"/podcasts/politicalbreakdown"}]},{"key":"menu4","items":[{"name":"Live Radio","link":"/radio","type":"title"},{"name":"TV","link":"/tv","type":"title"},{"name":"Events","link":"/events","type":"title"},{"name":"For Educators","link":"/education","type":"title"},{"name":"Support KQED","link":"/support","type":"title"},{"name":"About","link":"/about","type":"title"},{"name":"Help Center","link":"https://kqed-helpcenter.kqed.org/s","type":"title"}]}]},"pagesReducer":{},"postsReducer":{"stream_live":{"type":"live","id":"stream_live","audioUrl":"https://streams.kqed.org/kqedradio","title":"Live Stream","excerpt":"Live Stream information currently unavailable.","link":"/radio","featImg":"","label":{"name":"KQED Live","link":"/"}},"stream_kqedNewscast":{"type":"posts","id":"stream_kqedNewscast","audioUrl":"https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/RDnews/newscast.mp3?_=1","title":"KQED Newscast","featImg":"","label":{"name":"88.5 FM","link":"/"}},"news_11966125":{"type":"posts","id":"news_11966125","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"news","id":"11966125","score":null,"sort":[1698919241000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"marijuana-minister-of-the-castro","title":"The Marijuana Minister of the Castro","publishDate":1698919241,"format":"standard","headTitle":"The Marijuana Minister of the Castro | KQED","labelTerm":{"term":33523,"site":"news"},"content":"\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When people talk about San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood in the late 1970s, they describe it as a place of freedom for gay people. A place where you could be who you were in public and feel safe. Where love bloomed for many who thought they might never find it.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But by the early 80s, death started to move in to that joyful space. During the height of the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco, in a small church a few blocks from the heart of the Castro, one pastor changed the experience of communion and committed felonies to comfort his flock. Reporter Christopher Beale brings us this story, which he originally produced for his podcast “Stereotypes: Straight Talk from Queer Voices,” and later aired on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11902998/the-marijuana-minister-of-the-castro\">The California Report Magazine.\u003c/a>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> When people talk about San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood in the late 1970s, they describe it as a place of freedom for gay people. A place where you could be who you were in public and feel safe. Where love bloomed for many who thought they might never find it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But by the early 80s, death started to move in to that joyful space. San Francisco’s gay community was hit early and hard by HIV and AIDS. People watched friends turn from vibrant to emaciated in a matter of weeks. At the height of the AIDS crisis, close to half the city’s gay men were dying.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This was a time before the treatments we have today, of course. and for some, the one thing that helped ease their pain – was marijuana.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But pot either medical or recreational, wasn’t legal back then, and state politicians were beginning to crack down on it’s use.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> At the expense of people with HIV\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>I’m Olivia Allen-Price. This week on Bay Curious: how a San Francisco pastor changed the experience of communion, and committed felonies to comfort his flock…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> I took a risk. I used my body. I acted on a belief that was motivated by my desire to provide healing and comfort for my friends. And I didn’t know what else to do, that I could do. But this was something I could do. And I did it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>This story was first produced by KQED’s Christopher Beale for his podcast Stereotypes: Straight Talk from Queer Voices … and later aired on The California Report Magazine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We’re sharing it this week ahead of our theatrical walking tours of the AIDS Memorial Grove in San Francisco .. taking place Nov. 4 and 5. I was just at rehearsals last week and trust me, you don’t want to miss these tours. They feature live music from cellist, El Beh. Very moving dance performances and a ritual with the Sisters of Perpetual indulgence. I’ll be kicking off each tour and I hope to see you. We’ll put a link in the show notes, or you can find your way to KQED.org/live for details.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After this quick break, we return with the Marijuana Minister. I’m Olivia Allen-Price.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>Before we get started: just a heads up this story includes frank discussions of death, sex, religion and drugs. KQED’s Christopher Beale takes it from here…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>STORY\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale:\u003c/strong> Cities all across America have gay neighborhoods, I like to call them “gayborhoods.” In San Francisco, ours is called the Castro.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m a few blocks away from the rainbow crosswalk, and the gay bars of The Castro, here on Eureka Street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m surrounded by row houses and fourplexes. This block is mostly residential and quiet. The uniformity broken only by this boarded up church building with a lavender sign. It says “a house of prayer for all people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This was the home of the Castro’s gay church. Where LGBTQIA people came to celebrate their faith, and pray for hope.\u003cbr>\nIt was this amazing energy place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The man at the pulpit in the 80s and 90s…was a gay pastor named Jim Mitulski.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> I did always love going to church. And, that was the place that it was quiet. It was pretty, people were nice to each other,\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale:\u003c/strong> Jim grew up in a little town northwest of Detroit called Royal Oak, Michigan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski: \u003c/strong>My family life was rather unhappy, and it was a respite, frankly. And I looked forward to it every week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale:\u003c/strong> Can you recall the first time you actually felt the presence of God?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> Uh, it definitely happened for me during music in church. my earliest survival skill in church was don’t listen, if they’re talking, just pay attention when they’re singing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I don’t think I’ve ever met a piece of music. I didn’t like and especially in a religious setting. It wasn’t until later that I came to understand that you could actually use the pulpit part for something positive or useful. That didn’t come till college.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>Jim went to Columbia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> It was a men’s college at that time in New York City. So who do you think goes to a men’s college in New York? In the seventies? Gay guys.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale:\u003c/strong> Did that ring out to be true?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> It turned out to be totally true.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[Music} \u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>Jim had come out in high school, and even dated a little. In 1970s New York he discovered a love of queer activism. \u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski: \u003c/strong>I was a political gay and I was very involved in gay politics and by politics, I mean in the streets politics. And my grades reflected it by the way, I was a terrible student. I found myself in those activities. I found my voice. I found my vocation. I found my sense of self, my identity. I found my friends. I found my sexuality, You know, the people you’ve protested with in addition to being friends, we were all lovers. And that was a word we used by the way, an army of lovers can not be defeated, which is a classical phrase but we meant it. I probably had sexual adventures every day. From the time I was 18 until I was 25, with different people. And I wasn’t particularly more promiscuous than anyone in my peer group. It was several thousand people. And I know these numbers are horrifying to the post AIDS person. \u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>By 1979 – Jim had dropped out of college. \u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> This was not unusual in my class, as it turns out \u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>And it was around this time Jim discovered a gay church in Greenwich Village. The MCC, or Metropolitan Community Church had been founded just a year earlier on the west coast by a Gay Reverend named Troy Perry. The “denomination” was hardly even that at this stage, but it was designed by Gay Christians, for Gay Christians. \u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> It was church, not like church. We were anti-church. We were deconstructing Christianity church. We were out in the streets protesting church. We were wear t-shirts not wear vestments church. We wore ragged jeans and pink triangles on our shirts church and it was magical. \u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>One day Jim had this kind of epiphany. \u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> I didn’t occur to me that you could be gay and be a priest. Now, this was hilarious to the gay priests that I met eventually. \u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>Jim went back to school to become a pastor, and after serving at the MCC in New York for a few years he got his first senior pastor job offer in San Francisco. \u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> I got off the plane just to interview, even. It was like, are you kidding me? It’s beautiful here. It’s so much lighter here. It’s so much brighter. The quality of the sun was something I noticed and people are happier here. And, they’re friendlier, you know, New Yorkers will cut, you dead if you say hello or smile or something, you know, the Castro was hi. Hi. \u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>So Jim, now in his twenties, packed up and moved to San Francisco. \u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> Gay heaven. It was was so gay (gay gay gay) we had a gay bank (gay gay gay), we had a gay church (gay gay gay) or gay drug store. We had a gay supermarket, you know, everything was gay, gay, gay. We loved it. And it was a protest every Friday night, which turned into a dance party. you know, we got our news from the BAR \u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>The Bay Area Reporter, still active in San Francisco today. \u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski: \u003c/strong>And we did read the Chronicle and the examiner, but mostly, to get the latest installment of the Armistead Maupin column. \u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>You might know that column, it spawned several books and a few TV series, it’s called “Tales of the City.” \u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> And that was the mood, that was the feel, that was the San Francisco I came to. And it was a great community in the midst of a terrible tragedy unfolding. And that was evident, but still it was a cool place to be. It was still happy. (gay gay gay) \u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>Jim began hosting Sunday services at the little Metropolitan Community Church on Eureka St in 1986. And immediately the congregation began to grow. The community was in need, and eventually the church added a second, and then a third service to accommodate all of the people. [beeping sound]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>A lot of those parishioners were visibly dying of AIDS and they were on delicately timed medications…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> They had to take it every four hours and people had timers. like if you were in church, you’d hear, ‘ding ding’ all the time or anywhere, if you’re at a restaurant anywhere, you kept, always heard the ding ding go off. It became a sound like crickets all the time chirping, which is a weird soundtrack in the background.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>Over the next few years the MCC in the Castro became the de facto LGBTQIA community center, the doors were pretty much always open. Church services, community meetings…weddings…and an ever-increasing number of funerals took place there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> I just was not equipped for the sheer numbers of it. Now the part of me that is good in crises, just dug right in and did it. I found that I’ll listen to anybody and nothing freaks me out. In fact I found that I was good at going with someone to a difficult topic. I could be with dying people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>After a while, hospital visits just became a normal part of the week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> The people that I saw were emaciated. They were dying and in great pain. And in some instances, barely able to talk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each and every person I talked to was convinced they had brought this on themselves. They were worried about going to hell. Many of them were experiencing rejection from friends, family, and loved ones, including gay friends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>The LA Times wrote, in 1988, that about 4% of San Francisco’s population, including an astonishing half of the cities estimated 60+ thousand gay men had AIDS. Without an effective cure, most of those men would die within the next 10 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> Here’s what I remember of this guy who said, “Will you hold my hand and pray with me?” Which of course I did. And he said that the only person who would hold his hand and pray with him was that one of the nurses on the night shift who always prayed that he would be delivered of his sin of homosexuality before he died.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I do honestly believe she meant what she was praying. She wanted him to be saved. He was so alone there. That’s what really shook me to my core. This is why we have a gay church. This is why we do this because people should not have to be in this circumstance. And the only person who will pray with them as someone who also wants them to be cured of homosexuality. That made me angry, that’s how I became an activist, the anger part, it wasn’t the sad part that became the activist. It was the angry part.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>Jim’s work was taking a physical and emotional toll on him. He gained 80 pounds, then started working out furiously to lose it. He got a therapist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> There was a group of us who connected that summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>He made some new friends. Started going out more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> We used to call ourselves class of 95.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[Music]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> We might’ve known each other from around. I mean The Castro’s a small town. We found ourselves dancing on Sunday nights at the pleasure dome. And most of us had been pretty good boys until then. And after a while, a lot of people had slept with a lot of people. And I don’t mean that in a disdainful way. I mean, that respectfully it was part of how we connected. It was part of how we were with each other.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the time anyone realized AIDS was sexually transmitted the damage was widespread. The disease could strike a fit, healthy, young guy, and he’d be dead in months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our moods became darker, our hope dissipated. And I became kind of nihilistic. My capacity to sustain an interior sense of self-preservation waned. And I became less protective of my own sexual behavior. I didn’t care. I didn’t care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We felt like our world was dying and this is impossible to communicate to people who weren’t there. But you asked and I’m going to tell you, we just didn’t care. We did care about our friends. We did care about those who are dying. We didn’t remember what it meant to care anymore, necessarily about not becoming part of this.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that was the summer. We discovered separately, individually that we were not that we were no longer HIV negative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And we started, doing the things that good boys never did…dancing all night, doing recreational drugs that were related to that activity. Using our bodies we felt like we belonged. We were in something together. And we had regrets, but we also weren’t, we weren’t gonna just give up on our lives either.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s the truth. I’m telling you the truth, because I think my story is different from others, but my story is not unusual.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MUSIC FADES\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>Today there are medications that make it possible to live with HIV, but in 1995 everything that seemed to work was experimental…Jim says he tried a drug called Crixivan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> 36 pills a day. Uh, 36? Yeah. Big pills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong> Can I ask you to compare that to your pill regimen for HIV today?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> My, uh, for just, just treating HIV? One.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>In the 90s those early medications managed to prolong lives, but they could make AIDS patients desperately ill. Those patients quickly discovered that cannabis, or marijuana actually helped with the symptoms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> It did two things. One, it suppressed nausea, so people would eat and they wouldn’t eat otherwise because they just felt sick all the time. And the other thing is it took the pain away or enough away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>In the 80s and 90s San Francisco was pretty progressive on marijuana when compared to the rest of the country, even the rest of the state. That had a lot to do with the city’s dying gay population.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Medical Marijuana clubs, kind of the 90s equivalent of a dispensary, were where patients got their pot, the government looked the other way and everything was fine. That is until politicians got involved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> Dan Lungren who was running for attorney general. No he was attorney general, he wanted to run for governor, saw this as an issue that he thought could be a popular enforcement issue as a law and order guy. And without consulting with city officials, exercised his authority as a state official, probably with the support of the federal government to one day overnight, crack down on and close without warning, all of the marijuana outlets and distributors in San Francisco. At the expense of people with HIV.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>One day a friend named Allen White approached Jim…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> And he was a character no other word for it, but he was the journalist of the gay community in the seventies, eighties, nineties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>White had been talking with a few politicians and had an idea of how to help those AIDS patients get their much-needed medication.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> They wondered who could they get to distribute marijuana that the government would think twice about arresting. The risk was high because at that time, the government could seize your asset. They came to me though and said, ‘We want you to do a public distribution of marijuana from the church building to people with HIV.’ So it was a little loosey goosey, but, you know, In a general way. I understood what was at stake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>Jim thought about if for a bit, then reached out to his friend Phyllis Nelson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> She shared my heart for social justice and also she kind of ran the church administratively.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>She came to the church for a variety of reasons. She and her husband, they wanted a place where he could come out. We didn’t know he was gay at first. Also they had a gay son who, uh, had AIDS, so they needed a community of support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their son’s name was Glenn. Jim officiated his wedding to a man named Rob.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> Then sadly, Glenn dies, then Rob dies. And until scenario through all this together, we were standing outside together, I still remember Saturday afternoon after Rob’s funeral sometimes you don’t need words, but we were definitely bonded.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>After being approached by Allen White about distributing medical marijuana at church, Jim called Phyllis and said…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> It’s not without risks. And I don’t know if I should or not. And, um, she said to me, of course he will. And I’ll stand right next to you if you do it because, how can you not?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And I knew what she was referring to that moment when we had stood outside. It’s the sunset, uh, just sort of being in that, uh, kind of painful silence, um, after her son and son-in-law had died.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This was after my own diagnosis. This was a change in me facing my own mortality made me realize we’re only here as long as we’re here. What are you, what are you being so cautious about? My ministry changed right after that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>Do you have a lighter? Cuz I don’t know if I have one. \u003cem>[sound of someone lighting a joint]\u003c/em> In your experience, when someone experiencing, HIV or AIDS would smoke a joint, what do you think was happening for those AIDS patients that was so medically necessary?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> AIDS is in itself a disease, right? It’s a— it’s a susceptibility to any number of physical symptoms, including those which are painful to the stomach or to your skin or other kinds of nerve damage. I saw this happen. They would actually feel pain relief and your whole body would just, you know, then it also, and this is something that is something I have experienced the stress around worrying about mortality or about, uh, your circumstances and whether or not you’re going to get everything done that you want to get done while you still can do it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And things like that becomes so overwhelming that it’s all you can think about. just, uh, a period of release from that. And fortunately with this, uh, it’s, it lasts for half an hour, an hour or whatever, not all day, not all night. Um, right. But sometimes the freedom from the omnipresent anxiety, uh, is, is important…it’s welcome.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>Alright, it’s the summer of 1996, and Jim is getting ready to begin giving out pot to AIDS patients in church.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> We had rules, no money could be exchanged. The pot had to be donated. People had to provide a note. We did have security and we were promised by the supervisors and the health department that the city would protect us as much as they could. There would be no city prosecution, and they would try to protect us from any state or federal prosecution, which they couldn’t guarantee wouldn’t happen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>That first Sunday, it seemed like everyone was watching. The media was there in the back row.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> I preached on, if you want to have an increase in your spiritual growth or spiritual life, act on your conscience. That was my sermon. I took a risk. I used my body. I acted on a belief that was motivated by my desire to provide healing and comfort for my friends. And I didn’t know what else to do that I could do, but this was something I could do. And I did it. When you talk about did you experience God? I experienced God then.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MUSIC UP\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> And the risk was real and the spiritual intensity was real. And the tangible relief for the people who, who used it was real.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And here’s what Phyllis said that I still remember.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said, “If the attorney general had to spend a whole morning trying to get his son to eat a half a bowl of cereal, like I did, \u003cem>[tearing up]\u003c/em> he would understand what we’re doing right now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After church patients would come forward, presented their notes, and left with a small baggie of marijuana. And that first Sunday the police and officials, the they all stayed away. In fact the entire length of the ministry there were no arrests, and no harassment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I swear angels protected us I still believe that and many people were praying for us. They could have arrested us. They could have, but they didn’t. And whether it was optics or whether it was, I think that a lot of people knew we were doing the right thing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This was in the summer and by the fall, there was a proposition on the state ballot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>Proposition 215, which permitted the use of medical cannabis in California was passed by voters on November 5, 1996.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> Yup. And then we just stopped.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong> How many people would you say you reached with that ministry\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski: \u003c/strong> Oh, a couple of thousand, probably. Not all of them, gay or people with AIDS, but many of them were, but other people too, that was interesting to me that there was this whole other kind of community that had been that benefited from the gay community’s model of using community, organizing around HIV to achieve a shift in policy around health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[music]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> What’s my regret? That we did all that activism on health care on AIDS healthcare on AIDS care in the eighties and nineties, and somehow did not end up with universal healthcare. Crazy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>A few months ago I took Jim back to Eureka St.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the caretaker unlocked the now abandoned church Jim walked down the sidewalk examining these memorial plaques honoring church members, and other allies in the community…many of whom have died.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Can you read some of them to me?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> In a minute… \u003cem>[sounds of crying]\u003c/em> I remember all these people. Good Lord. People whose both weddings and funerals I did. Good God.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>There’s your name on this plaque of senior pastors…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> Yeah, I still rode that horse longer than anybody else.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>So can we go in?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> Let me get the other door.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>Jim left the Metropolitan Community Church in the Castro in 2000, and hasn’t been back in the church in over a decade..\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> So of course in my mind, this was the size of grace cathedral but I can see now it really isn’t very big is it? But it seemed bigger and I will say, we used every square inch of it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sunday nights in the Castro was a thing. Seven o’clock this room filled, it sometimes filled early. And it was all about singing, we sang gospel music. Sometimes for two hours, two-and-a-half hours. It started and it built. And you know there was the sermon and there was communion and then it just kept going.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We’d try and end the service and people wouldn’t stop because it was just a release of energy that we had to have. But to see it now you can’t tell maybe but it was this amazing energy place!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>I asked Jim what he learned from his time as the Marijuana Minister?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> Let you let your acts of love guide you, even if it means great risk, the greater love, the greater the risk, and you will never regret acts of great love.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>HOST OUTRO\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>That was reporter, producer and Bay Curious sound engineer Christopher Beale. He also hosts Stereotypes, the podcast where he first aired this documentary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Special thanks to Reverend Jim Mitulski, Todd and Miguel Atkins Whitley, the Castro Patrol, Kyana Moghadam and Josh Taylor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Curious is made in San Francisco at member-supported KQED. Our show is produced by Amanda Font, Christopher Beale and me, Olivia Allen-Price. With support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Cesar Saldana, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I hope to see you at our AIDS Memorial Grove Walking Tours this weekend. Again, find details and tickets at KQED.org/LIVE.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m Olivia Allen-Price. Have a great week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriousquestion]\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"In a small church a few blocks away from the Castro — during the height of the AIDS epidemic — one pastor fought to provide comfort to his dying congregation.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1700531198,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":true,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":119,"wordCount":4597},"headData":{"title":"The Marijuana Minister of the Castro | KQED","description":"In a small church a few blocks away from the Castro — during the height of the AIDS epidemic — one pastor fought to provide comfort to his dying congregation.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":""},"audioUrl":"https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/chrt.fm/track/G6C7C3/traffic.megaphone.fm/KQINC7361009986.mp3?updated=1698881142","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/news/11966125/marijuana-minister-of-the-castro","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When people talk about San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood in the late 1970s, they describe it as a place of freedom for gay people. A place where you could be who you were in public and feel safe. Where love bloomed for many who thought they might never find it.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But by the early 80s, death started to move in to that joyful space. During the height of the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco, in a small church a few blocks from the heart of the Castro, one pastor changed the experience of communion and committed felonies to comfort his flock. Reporter Christopher Beale brings us this story, which he originally produced for his podcast “Stereotypes: Straight Talk from Queer Voices,” and later aired on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11902998/the-marijuana-minister-of-the-castro\">The California Report Magazine.\u003c/a>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> When people talk about San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood in the late 1970s, they describe it as a place of freedom for gay people. A place where you could be who you were in public and feel safe. Where love bloomed for many who thought they might never find it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But by the early 80s, death started to move in to that joyful space. San Francisco’s gay community was hit early and hard by HIV and AIDS. People watched friends turn from vibrant to emaciated in a matter of weeks. At the height of the AIDS crisis, close to half the city’s gay men were dying.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This was a time before the treatments we have today, of course. and for some, the one thing that helped ease their pain – was marijuana.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But pot either medical or recreational, wasn’t legal back then, and state politicians were beginning to crack down on it’s use.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> At the expense of people with HIV\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>I’m Olivia Allen-Price. This week on Bay Curious: how a San Francisco pastor changed the experience of communion, and committed felonies to comfort his flock…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> I took a risk. I used my body. I acted on a belief that was motivated by my desire to provide healing and comfort for my friends. And I didn’t know what else to do, that I could do. But this was something I could do. And I did it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>This story was first produced by KQED’s Christopher Beale for his podcast Stereotypes: Straight Talk from Queer Voices … and later aired on The California Report Magazine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We’re sharing it this week ahead of our theatrical walking tours of the AIDS Memorial Grove in San Francisco .. taking place Nov. 4 and 5. I was just at rehearsals last week and trust me, you don’t want to miss these tours. They feature live music from cellist, El Beh. Very moving dance performances and a ritual with the Sisters of Perpetual indulgence. I’ll be kicking off each tour and I hope to see you. We’ll put a link in the show notes, or you can find your way to KQED.org/live for details.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After this quick break, we return with the Marijuana Minister. I’m Olivia Allen-Price.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>Before we get started: just a heads up this story includes frank discussions of death, sex, religion and drugs. KQED’s Christopher Beale takes it from here…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>STORY\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale:\u003c/strong> Cities all across America have gay neighborhoods, I like to call them “gayborhoods.” In San Francisco, ours is called the Castro.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m a few blocks away from the rainbow crosswalk, and the gay bars of The Castro, here on Eureka Street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m surrounded by row houses and fourplexes. This block is mostly residential and quiet. The uniformity broken only by this boarded up church building with a lavender sign. It says “a house of prayer for all people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This was the home of the Castro’s gay church. Where LGBTQIA people came to celebrate their faith, and pray for hope.\u003cbr>\nIt was this amazing energy place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The man at the pulpit in the 80s and 90s…was a gay pastor named Jim Mitulski.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> I did always love going to church. And, that was the place that it was quiet. It was pretty, people were nice to each other,\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale:\u003c/strong> Jim grew up in a little town northwest of Detroit called Royal Oak, Michigan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski: \u003c/strong>My family life was rather unhappy, and it was a respite, frankly. And I looked forward to it every week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale:\u003c/strong> Can you recall the first time you actually felt the presence of God?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> Uh, it definitely happened for me during music in church. my earliest survival skill in church was don’t listen, if they’re talking, just pay attention when they’re singing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I don’t think I’ve ever met a piece of music. I didn’t like and especially in a religious setting. It wasn’t until later that I came to understand that you could actually use the pulpit part for something positive or useful. That didn’t come till college.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>Jim went to Columbia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> It was a men’s college at that time in New York City. So who do you think goes to a men’s college in New York? In the seventies? Gay guys.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale:\u003c/strong> Did that ring out to be true?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> It turned out to be totally true.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[Music} \u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>Jim had come out in high school, and even dated a little. In 1970s New York he discovered a love of queer activism. \u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski: \u003c/strong>I was a political gay and I was very involved in gay politics and by politics, I mean in the streets politics. And my grades reflected it by the way, I was a terrible student. I found myself in those activities. I found my voice. I found my vocation. I found my sense of self, my identity. I found my friends. I found my sexuality, You know, the people you’ve protested with in addition to being friends, we were all lovers. And that was a word we used by the way, an army of lovers can not be defeated, which is a classical phrase but we meant it. I probably had sexual adventures every day. From the time I was 18 until I was 25, with different people. And I wasn’t particularly more promiscuous than anyone in my peer group. It was several thousand people. And I know these numbers are horrifying to the post AIDS person. \u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>By 1979 – Jim had dropped out of college. \u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> This was not unusual in my class, as it turns out \u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>And it was around this time Jim discovered a gay church in Greenwich Village. The MCC, or Metropolitan Community Church had been founded just a year earlier on the west coast by a Gay Reverend named Troy Perry. The “denomination” was hardly even that at this stage, but it was designed by Gay Christians, for Gay Christians. \u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> It was church, not like church. We were anti-church. We were deconstructing Christianity church. We were out in the streets protesting church. We were wear t-shirts not wear vestments church. We wore ragged jeans and pink triangles on our shirts church and it was magical. \u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>One day Jim had this kind of epiphany. \u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> I didn’t occur to me that you could be gay and be a priest. Now, this was hilarious to the gay priests that I met eventually. \u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>Jim went back to school to become a pastor, and after serving at the MCC in New York for a few years he got his first senior pastor job offer in San Francisco. \u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> I got off the plane just to interview, even. It was like, are you kidding me? It’s beautiful here. It’s so much lighter here. It’s so much brighter. The quality of the sun was something I noticed and people are happier here. And, they’re friendlier, you know, New Yorkers will cut, you dead if you say hello or smile or something, you know, the Castro was hi. Hi. \u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>So Jim, now in his twenties, packed up and moved to San Francisco. \u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> Gay heaven. It was was so gay (gay gay gay) we had a gay bank (gay gay gay), we had a gay church (gay gay gay) or gay drug store. We had a gay supermarket, you know, everything was gay, gay, gay. We loved it. And it was a protest every Friday night, which turned into a dance party. you know, we got our news from the BAR \u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>The Bay Area Reporter, still active in San Francisco today. \u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski: \u003c/strong>And we did read the Chronicle and the examiner, but mostly, to get the latest installment of the Armistead Maupin column. \u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>You might know that column, it spawned several books and a few TV series, it’s called “Tales of the City.” \u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> And that was the mood, that was the feel, that was the San Francisco I came to. And it was a great community in the midst of a terrible tragedy unfolding. And that was evident, but still it was a cool place to be. It was still happy. (gay gay gay) \u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>Jim began hosting Sunday services at the little Metropolitan Community Church on Eureka St in 1986. And immediately the congregation began to grow. The community was in need, and eventually the church added a second, and then a third service to accommodate all of the people. [beeping sound]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>A lot of those parishioners were visibly dying of AIDS and they were on delicately timed medications…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> They had to take it every four hours and people had timers. like if you were in church, you’d hear, ‘ding ding’ all the time or anywhere, if you’re at a restaurant anywhere, you kept, always heard the ding ding go off. It became a sound like crickets all the time chirping, which is a weird soundtrack in the background.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>Over the next few years the MCC in the Castro became the de facto LGBTQIA community center, the doors were pretty much always open. Church services, community meetings…weddings…and an ever-increasing number of funerals took place there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> I just was not equipped for the sheer numbers of it. Now the part of me that is good in crises, just dug right in and did it. I found that I’ll listen to anybody and nothing freaks me out. In fact I found that I was good at going with someone to a difficult topic. I could be with dying people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>After a while, hospital visits just became a normal part of the week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> The people that I saw were emaciated. They were dying and in great pain. And in some instances, barely able to talk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each and every person I talked to was convinced they had brought this on themselves. They were worried about going to hell. Many of them were experiencing rejection from friends, family, and loved ones, including gay friends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>The LA Times wrote, in 1988, that about 4% of San Francisco’s population, including an astonishing half of the cities estimated 60+ thousand gay men had AIDS. Without an effective cure, most of those men would die within the next 10 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> Here’s what I remember of this guy who said, “Will you hold my hand and pray with me?” Which of course I did. And he said that the only person who would hold his hand and pray with him was that one of the nurses on the night shift who always prayed that he would be delivered of his sin of homosexuality before he died.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I do honestly believe she meant what she was praying. She wanted him to be saved. He was so alone there. That’s what really shook me to my core. This is why we have a gay church. This is why we do this because people should not have to be in this circumstance. And the only person who will pray with them as someone who also wants them to be cured of homosexuality. That made me angry, that’s how I became an activist, the anger part, it wasn’t the sad part that became the activist. It was the angry part.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>Jim’s work was taking a physical and emotional toll on him. He gained 80 pounds, then started working out furiously to lose it. He got a therapist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> There was a group of us who connected that summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>He made some new friends. Started going out more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> We used to call ourselves class of 95.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[Music]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> We might’ve known each other from around. I mean The Castro’s a small town. We found ourselves dancing on Sunday nights at the pleasure dome. And most of us had been pretty good boys until then. And after a while, a lot of people had slept with a lot of people. And I don’t mean that in a disdainful way. I mean, that respectfully it was part of how we connected. It was part of how we were with each other.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the time anyone realized AIDS was sexually transmitted the damage was widespread. The disease could strike a fit, healthy, young guy, and he’d be dead in months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our moods became darker, our hope dissipated. And I became kind of nihilistic. My capacity to sustain an interior sense of self-preservation waned. And I became less protective of my own sexual behavior. I didn’t care. I didn’t care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We felt like our world was dying and this is impossible to communicate to people who weren’t there. But you asked and I’m going to tell you, we just didn’t care. We did care about our friends. We did care about those who are dying. We didn’t remember what it meant to care anymore, necessarily about not becoming part of this.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that was the summer. We discovered separately, individually that we were not that we were no longer HIV negative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And we started, doing the things that good boys never did…dancing all night, doing recreational drugs that were related to that activity. Using our bodies we felt like we belonged. We were in something together. And we had regrets, but we also weren’t, we weren’t gonna just give up on our lives either.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s the truth. I’m telling you the truth, because I think my story is different from others, but my story is not unusual.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MUSIC FADES\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>Today there are medications that make it possible to live with HIV, but in 1995 everything that seemed to work was experimental…Jim says he tried a drug called Crixivan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> 36 pills a day. Uh, 36? Yeah. Big pills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong> Can I ask you to compare that to your pill regimen for HIV today?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> My, uh, for just, just treating HIV? One.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>In the 90s those early medications managed to prolong lives, but they could make AIDS patients desperately ill. Those patients quickly discovered that cannabis, or marijuana actually helped with the symptoms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> It did two things. One, it suppressed nausea, so people would eat and they wouldn’t eat otherwise because they just felt sick all the time. And the other thing is it took the pain away or enough away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>In the 80s and 90s San Francisco was pretty progressive on marijuana when compared to the rest of the country, even the rest of the state. That had a lot to do with the city’s dying gay population.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Medical Marijuana clubs, kind of the 90s equivalent of a dispensary, were where patients got their pot, the government looked the other way and everything was fine. That is until politicians got involved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> Dan Lungren who was running for attorney general. No he was attorney general, he wanted to run for governor, saw this as an issue that he thought could be a popular enforcement issue as a law and order guy. And without consulting with city officials, exercised his authority as a state official, probably with the support of the federal government to one day overnight, crack down on and close without warning, all of the marijuana outlets and distributors in San Francisco. At the expense of people with HIV.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>One day a friend named Allen White approached Jim…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> And he was a character no other word for it, but he was the journalist of the gay community in the seventies, eighties, nineties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>White had been talking with a few politicians and had an idea of how to help those AIDS patients get their much-needed medication.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> They wondered who could they get to distribute marijuana that the government would think twice about arresting. The risk was high because at that time, the government could seize your asset. They came to me though and said, ‘We want you to do a public distribution of marijuana from the church building to people with HIV.’ So it was a little loosey goosey, but, you know, In a general way. I understood what was at stake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>Jim thought about if for a bit, then reached out to his friend Phyllis Nelson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> She shared my heart for social justice and also she kind of ran the church administratively.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>She came to the church for a variety of reasons. She and her husband, they wanted a place where he could come out. We didn’t know he was gay at first. Also they had a gay son who, uh, had AIDS, so they needed a community of support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their son’s name was Glenn. Jim officiated his wedding to a man named Rob.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> Then sadly, Glenn dies, then Rob dies. And until scenario through all this together, we were standing outside together, I still remember Saturday afternoon after Rob’s funeral sometimes you don’t need words, but we were definitely bonded.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>After being approached by Allen White about distributing medical marijuana at church, Jim called Phyllis and said…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> It’s not without risks. And I don’t know if I should or not. And, um, she said to me, of course he will. And I’ll stand right next to you if you do it because, how can you not?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And I knew what she was referring to that moment when we had stood outside. It’s the sunset, uh, just sort of being in that, uh, kind of painful silence, um, after her son and son-in-law had died.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This was after my own diagnosis. This was a change in me facing my own mortality made me realize we’re only here as long as we’re here. What are you, what are you being so cautious about? My ministry changed right after that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>Do you have a lighter? Cuz I don’t know if I have one. \u003cem>[sound of someone lighting a joint]\u003c/em> In your experience, when someone experiencing, HIV or AIDS would smoke a joint, what do you think was happening for those AIDS patients that was so medically necessary?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> AIDS is in itself a disease, right? It’s a— it’s a susceptibility to any number of physical symptoms, including those which are painful to the stomach or to your skin or other kinds of nerve damage. I saw this happen. They would actually feel pain relief and your whole body would just, you know, then it also, and this is something that is something I have experienced the stress around worrying about mortality or about, uh, your circumstances and whether or not you’re going to get everything done that you want to get done while you still can do it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And things like that becomes so overwhelming that it’s all you can think about. just, uh, a period of release from that. And fortunately with this, uh, it’s, it lasts for half an hour, an hour or whatever, not all day, not all night. Um, right. But sometimes the freedom from the omnipresent anxiety, uh, is, is important…it’s welcome.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>Alright, it’s the summer of 1996, and Jim is getting ready to begin giving out pot to AIDS patients in church.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> We had rules, no money could be exchanged. The pot had to be donated. People had to provide a note. We did have security and we were promised by the supervisors and the health department that the city would protect us as much as they could. There would be no city prosecution, and they would try to protect us from any state or federal prosecution, which they couldn’t guarantee wouldn’t happen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>That first Sunday, it seemed like everyone was watching. The media was there in the back row.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> I preached on, if you want to have an increase in your spiritual growth or spiritual life, act on your conscience. That was my sermon. I took a risk. I used my body. I acted on a belief that was motivated by my desire to provide healing and comfort for my friends. And I didn’t know what else to do that I could do, but this was something I could do. And I did it. When you talk about did you experience God? I experienced God then.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MUSIC UP\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> And the risk was real and the spiritual intensity was real. And the tangible relief for the people who, who used it was real.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And here’s what Phyllis said that I still remember.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said, “If the attorney general had to spend a whole morning trying to get his son to eat a half a bowl of cereal, like I did, \u003cem>[tearing up]\u003c/em> he would understand what we’re doing right now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After church patients would come forward, presented their notes, and left with a small baggie of marijuana. And that first Sunday the police and officials, the they all stayed away. In fact the entire length of the ministry there were no arrests, and no harassment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I swear angels protected us I still believe that and many people were praying for us. They could have arrested us. They could have, but they didn’t. And whether it was optics or whether it was, I think that a lot of people knew we were doing the right thing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This was in the summer and by the fall, there was a proposition on the state ballot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>Proposition 215, which permitted the use of medical cannabis in California was passed by voters on November 5, 1996.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> Yup. And then we just stopped.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong> How many people would you say you reached with that ministry\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski: \u003c/strong> Oh, a couple of thousand, probably. Not all of them, gay or people with AIDS, but many of them were, but other people too, that was interesting to me that there was this whole other kind of community that had been that benefited from the gay community’s model of using community, organizing around HIV to achieve a shift in policy around health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[music]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> What’s my regret? That we did all that activism on health care on AIDS healthcare on AIDS care in the eighties and nineties, and somehow did not end up with universal healthcare. Crazy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>A few months ago I took Jim back to Eureka St.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the caretaker unlocked the now abandoned church Jim walked down the sidewalk examining these memorial plaques honoring church members, and other allies in the community…many of whom have died.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Can you read some of them to me?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> In a minute… \u003cem>[sounds of crying]\u003c/em> I remember all these people. Good Lord. People whose both weddings and funerals I did. Good God.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>There’s your name on this plaque of senior pastors…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> Yeah, I still rode that horse longer than anybody else.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>So can we go in?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> Let me get the other door.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>Jim left the Metropolitan Community Church in the Castro in 2000, and hasn’t been back in the church in over a decade..\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> So of course in my mind, this was the size of grace cathedral but I can see now it really isn’t very big is it? But it seemed bigger and I will say, we used every square inch of it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sunday nights in the Castro was a thing. Seven o’clock this room filled, it sometimes filled early. And it was all about singing, we sang gospel music. Sometimes for two hours, two-and-a-half hours. It started and it built. And you know there was the sermon and there was communion and then it just kept going.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We’d try and end the service and people wouldn’t stop because it was just a release of energy that we had to have. But to see it now you can’t tell maybe but it was this amazing energy place!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Christopher Beale: \u003c/strong>I asked Jim what he learned from his time as the Marijuana Minister?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Mitulski:\u003c/strong> Let you let your acts of love guide you, even if it means great risk, the greater love, the greater the risk, and you will never regret acts of great love.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>HOST OUTRO\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>That was reporter, producer and Bay Curious sound engineer Christopher Beale. He also hosts Stereotypes, the podcast where he first aired this documentary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Special thanks to Reverend Jim Mitulski, Todd and Miguel Atkins Whitley, the Castro Patrol, Kyana Moghadam and Josh Taylor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Curious is made in San Francisco at member-supported KQED. Our show is produced by Amanda Font, Christopher Beale and me, Olivia Allen-Price. With support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Cesar Saldana, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I hope to see you at our AIDS Memorial Grove Walking Tours this weekend. Again, find details and tickets at KQED.org/LIVE.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m Olivia Allen-Price. Have a great week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"baycuriousquestion","attributes":{"named":{"label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11966125/marijuana-minister-of-the-castro","authors":["8637"],"programs":["news_33523"],"series":["news_17986"],"categories":["news_8","news_33520"],"tags":["news_30596","news_21534","news_29548","news_102"],"featImg":"news_11903117","label":"news_33523"},"news_11950268":{"type":"posts","id":"news_11950268","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"news","id":"11950268","score":null,"sort":[1684790988000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"still-under-threat-on-harvey-milk-day-leading-activist-says-lgbtq-leaders-face-dangers-decades-after-assassination","title":"Still Under Threat: On Harvey Milk Day, Leading Activist Says LGBTQ+ Leaders Face Dangers Decades After Assassination","publishDate":1684790988,"format":"standard","headTitle":"Still Under Threat: On Harvey Milk Day, Leading Activist Says LGBTQ+ Leaders Face Dangers Decades After Assassination | KQED","labelTerm":{"site":"news"},"content":"\u003cp>Beginning in 1977, for nearly a year, Harvey Milk served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors — the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California. He authored a bill banning discrimination in public places, housing and employment based on sexual orientation. He also promoted free public transportation, cheaper child care facilities and public oversight of the police.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In November of 1978, Milk and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone were assassinated. The city mourned the loss of two of its most outspoken political leaders. Over the years, Harvey Milk became a martyr for causes of equality and social justice, and in 2009, the state of California designated May 22, Milk’s birthday, as Harvey Milk Day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a time when LGBTQ+ rights are under attack nationwide, with a string of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation introduced in dozens of state legislatures, the significance of Harvey Milk as a politician and activist resonates more than ever.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cleve Jones, author and longtime activist, talked to KQED’s Brian Watt about Milk as a person, a politician and an icon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brian Watt: Can you take us back to when you met Harvey Milk? What was that like?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cleve Jones:\u003c/strong> Well, Harvey was quite a character. When I first met him, he was still emerging from his hippie phase, and he struck me as being entirely too old to be wearing a ponytail. But he and his partner, Scott Smith, had opened a little camera store on Castro Street, and I met him on Castro Street as he was registering voters. And that was our first conversation. I was struck by his warmth, though, and he ran for office a few times before he was elected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And with each campaign, I could see that he became more serious, more grounded in the issues and more thoughtful in his approach, which was never a single-issue thing. He cared, of course, about gay rights, the community we now call LGBTQ+. But he cared about unions, he cared about seniors, he cared about kids. He was a very astute coalition builder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What are some of the things he taught you about coalition building and government and advocacy?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=\"news_11933264,arts_13845645,arts_13814550\" label=\"Related Posts\"]I got to work with Harvey on the Coors beer boycott, which was one of the first, if not the very first, real alliance between the LGBTQ movement and the labor movement, specifically the Teamsters, who were on strike at the brewery in Golden, Colorado.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harvey saw an opportunity to get jobs for gay people, to support the union and to build a relationship that ended up being incredibly valuable, because just a couple of years later, we in California faced the Briggs Initiative, which was Proposition 6 of the 1978 November ballot. Prop. 6 would have essentially made it illegal for LGBT people and their supporters to work in any capacity in the public school system. And so those initial alliances with labor through the Teamsters then grew to a powerful alliance with the teachers union, the service workers union, and all the unions who saw that not just as an attack on gay people, but as an attack on workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11950270\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1408991899.jpg\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11950270\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1408991899-800x578.jpg\" alt=\"A bespectacled white man with white hair and a green sweater smiles at the camera with arms crossed and a blurry city street behind him.\" width=\"800\" height=\"578\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1408991899-800x578.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1408991899-1020x737.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1408991899-160x116.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1408991899.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cleve Jones, in the Castro District in San Francisco, on Feb. 16, 2017. \u003ccite>(Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Milk also taught me a lot. He took me with him to City Hall when he got elected and I was a student intern in his office until he was shot. So I got to work on the inside and saw the nuts and bolts of creating legislation, the hearings, the committee work, all of that. But I will say one kind of overarching lesson I learned from him that has really stuck with me is the importance of communicating with plain language, and always trying to find common ground. He was really a genius at that. He could meet anybody, a worker in a union hall, a society lady on Nob Hill, cute street kids. He could talk to anybody, find the common ground, and create a deeper conversation about shared values and shared aspirations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>You have been open about this before: You found Milk on the night that he was gunned down. What was going through your mind then? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was Nov. 27, 1978. It was horrifying. I’d never seen a dead person before. I’d never seen close up what bullets do. I was maybe the third person to walk in. Dianne Feinstein was there. I just kept thinking, “Well, it’s all over now.” He was our leader. And also for me personally. Harvey had become, for me, very much a father figure. And I just kept thinking, everything’s over. I mean, how can we move forward without him? And it was a real personal loss.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that night was so extraordinary. As word spread, people began to gather, gay and straight, young and old, Black and brown and white, immigrant and native-born, and it was just thousands and then tens of thousands and tens of thousands more. And that enormous silent candlelight procession filled Market Street from Castro to City Hall. It was just the most extraordinary thing. And I think I realized that night that I was wrong. It wasn’t over. It was just beginning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11950274\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11950274\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2030/05/GettyImages-517285578.jpg\" alt=\"A white man in a suit and tie leans back in his chair behind a desk in his office and smiles at the camera.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"687\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2030/05/GettyImages-517285578.jpg 1024w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2030/05/GettyImages-517285578-800x537.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2030/05/GettyImages-517285578-1020x684.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2030/05/GettyImages-517285578-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, Dec. 4, 1977. \u003ccite>(Bettmann/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>We often just hear about these highlights with major figures, the tragic ones. But I want to know about moments of joy. Like maybe a time when Milk made people laugh or some other act of kindness.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harvey was very funny. He loved being a clown. He would dress up as a clown. He really had an amazing ability to connect with kids and make them laugh. He also had a real big place in his heart for senior citizens. At his campaign office, his camera store and his City Hall office, I was always struck by how many kids and seniors were there. He was very empathetic and he had all these funny little rituals. Like one of the rituals was that every year on his birthday, he would receive a pie in the face.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He was very good at self-deprecating humor, and this was part of a strategy, because at that point in time most heterosexual people had yet to encounter an out-loud-and-proud gay politician. So there was fear, there was anxiety, there were all sorts of preconceptions. And Harvey would disarm people with humor that would then open the door for more serious conversations to happen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>You have dedicated your career to fighting for LGBTQ rights. In what way did being close to Milk help you reach this point where you realized that this was the work that you wanted to do? \u003c/strong>[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Cleve Jones, author and activist\"]‘I have no doubt that if Harvey were here with us today, he would be warning people that there is peril ahead, that we are in dangerous times.’[/pullquote]You know, I was always interested in politics. I was always interested in the movement. I’m a product of the Vietnam War era and the Civil Rights Movement and the feminist movement. I graduated from high school in 1972, just as the war in Vietnam was winding down. Certainly Nov. 27, finding Harvey’s body, kind of set my course permanently. But I’m not just an LGBTQ activist. In fact, for the last 17 years or so, I’ve worked with Unite Here, the hospitality workers union in the Bay Area. We’re Local 2, and we’re a fighting union of people, immigrants, native-born, people of all colors, faiths, backgrounds, genders and orientations. We take on some of the biggest corporations in the world, and we fight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We win contracts that provide workers with better pay, safer working conditions, access to health care and more respect on the job. And so my work for the last almost two decades now focused on labor as well as LGBTQ. It really goes directly back to Harvey Milk and the Teamsters and a Teamster organizer named Allan Baird, who gave Harvey a bullhorn and built that coalition to get Coors beer out of all the gay bars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How do you see Milk’s legacy today, particularly in San Francisco and the Bay Area?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I think about Harvey almost every day, and I wonder what he could have accomplished had he not been killed. I wonder if he would have survived the AIDS pandemic, which took so many of us. I think he might possibly have become mayor. I think he might have ended up in Congress. Maybe he would have ended up being just another disappointing politician who made big promises. But being cut down as he was, he gave a people and a community a shared martyr. Now, there are a lot of martyrs in the LGBTQ community. A lot of people have been taken by violence or by suicide or have lost their way to drugs and alcohol, with which we suffer a lot of tragedies. But Harvey’s death brought us together in a powerful way that continues to reverberate through the generations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And at the core of his message is the importance of coming out and being true to yourself. Being honest and open about who we are, and also about understanding that none of us goes through our lives alone, that all of our lives and our communities are intertwined and interconnected, and that what we do matters. The decisions that we make have consequences, and we need to support each other and do our best to build a world that is free from war in which we can live with justice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11950269\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1298867563.jpg\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11950269\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1298867563-800x589.jpg\" alt=\"Black and white photo in which a white man screams with joy and pumps his fist in the air with his right hand while holding a sign that says "I'm from Woodmere NY" with the other, seated on the back of a convertible with a parade of people holding signs and flags behind him on a city street lined with people and buildings.\" width=\"800\" height=\"589\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1298867563-800x589.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1298867563-1020x751.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1298867563-160x118.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1298867563.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Harvey Milk at the Gay Pride Parade, San Francisco, June 23, 1978. \u003ccite>(Terry Schmitt/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>This is a pretty fraught time for LGBTQ rights around the U.S. We’re seeing state legislatures introducing bills that ban books focused on queerness and others targeting drag performances. How do you think Harvey Milk would have tried to address this moment? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Well, I don’t need to speculate at all. I know exactly what he would do. He would be organizing people and he would be encouraging people to take responsibility for fighting these fights. You know, when Harvey was coming of age back in New York and as he was becoming aware of his sexual orientation and figuring out who he was going to be, the Holocaust was unfolding in Europe. As a Jewish gay person, Harvey was extremely aware of what could happen, and he spoke of it often.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And there’s this very famous quote from Dr. King about how the moral arc of the universe bends toward justice. And I believe that that is true. But when we step back and look at that arc, we see that there are a lot of twists and turns. And I have no doubt that if Harvey were here with us today, he would be warning people that there is peril ahead, that we are in dangerous times, that not only are the advances made by LGBTQ people threatened, but our very democracy is threatened. And if he were here today, I know he would be speaking out against that every single day with every breath he could find.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"Cleve Jones is an LGBTQ+ activist, author and friend of Harvey Milk. He talked to KQED's Brian Watt about Milk as a person, a politician and an icon whose legacy remains more pertinent than ever in a time of increased attacks against LGBTQ+ rights across the US.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1685134319,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":28,"wordCount":1951},"headData":{"title":"Still Under Threat: On Harvey Milk Day, Leading Activist Says LGBTQ+ Leaders Face Dangers Decades After Assassination | KQED","description":"Cleve Jones is an LGBTQ+ activist, author and friend of Harvey Milk. He talked to KQED's Brian Watt about Milk as a person, a politician and an icon whose legacy remains more pertinent than ever in a time of increased attacks against LGBTQ+ rights across the US.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":""},"audioUrl":"https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-4[…]f-aaef00f5a073/f600cab3-a117-43f8-9477-b00a015f8bc0/audio.mp3","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/news/11950268/still-under-threat-on-harvey-milk-day-leading-activist-says-lgbtq-leaders-face-dangers-decades-after-assassination","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Beginning in 1977, for nearly a year, Harvey Milk served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors — the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California. He authored a bill banning discrimination in public places, housing and employment based on sexual orientation. He also promoted free public transportation, cheaper child care facilities and public oversight of the police.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In November of 1978, Milk and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone were assassinated. The city mourned the loss of two of its most outspoken political leaders. Over the years, Harvey Milk became a martyr for causes of equality and social justice, and in 2009, the state of California designated May 22, Milk’s birthday, as Harvey Milk Day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a time when LGBTQ+ rights are under attack nationwide, with a string of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation introduced in dozens of state legislatures, the significance of Harvey Milk as a politician and activist resonates more than ever.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cleve Jones, author and longtime activist, talked to KQED’s Brian Watt about Milk as a person, a politician and an icon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brian Watt: Can you take us back to when you met Harvey Milk? What was that like?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cleve Jones:\u003c/strong> Well, Harvey was quite a character. When I first met him, he was still emerging from his hippie phase, and he struck me as being entirely too old to be wearing a ponytail. But he and his partner, Scott Smith, had opened a little camera store on Castro Street, and I met him on Castro Street as he was registering voters. And that was our first conversation. I was struck by his warmth, though, and he ran for office a few times before he was elected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And with each campaign, I could see that he became more serious, more grounded in the issues and more thoughtful in his approach, which was never a single-issue thing. He cared, of course, about gay rights, the community we now call LGBTQ+. But he cared about unions, he cared about seniors, he cared about kids. He was a very astute coalition builder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What are some of the things he taught you about coalition building and government and advocacy?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"news_11933264,arts_13845645,arts_13814550","label":"Related Posts "},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>I got to work with Harvey on the Coors beer boycott, which was one of the first, if not the very first, real alliance between the LGBTQ movement and the labor movement, specifically the Teamsters, who were on strike at the brewery in Golden, Colorado.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harvey saw an opportunity to get jobs for gay people, to support the union and to build a relationship that ended up being incredibly valuable, because just a couple of years later, we in California faced the Briggs Initiative, which was Proposition 6 of the 1978 November ballot. Prop. 6 would have essentially made it illegal for LGBT people and their supporters to work in any capacity in the public school system. And so those initial alliances with labor through the Teamsters then grew to a powerful alliance with the teachers union, the service workers union, and all the unions who saw that not just as an attack on gay people, but as an attack on workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11950270\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1408991899.jpg\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11950270\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1408991899-800x578.jpg\" alt=\"A bespectacled white man with white hair and a green sweater smiles at the camera with arms crossed and a blurry city street behind him.\" width=\"800\" height=\"578\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1408991899-800x578.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1408991899-1020x737.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1408991899-160x116.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1408991899.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cleve Jones, in the Castro District in San Francisco, on Feb. 16, 2017. \u003ccite>(Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Milk also taught me a lot. He took me with him to City Hall when he got elected and I was a student intern in his office until he was shot. So I got to work on the inside and saw the nuts and bolts of creating legislation, the hearings, the committee work, all of that. But I will say one kind of overarching lesson I learned from him that has really stuck with me is the importance of communicating with plain language, and always trying to find common ground. He was really a genius at that. He could meet anybody, a worker in a union hall, a society lady on Nob Hill, cute street kids. He could talk to anybody, find the common ground, and create a deeper conversation about shared values and shared aspirations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>You have been open about this before: You found Milk on the night that he was gunned down. What was going through your mind then? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was Nov. 27, 1978. It was horrifying. I’d never seen a dead person before. I’d never seen close up what bullets do. I was maybe the third person to walk in. Dianne Feinstein was there. I just kept thinking, “Well, it’s all over now.” He was our leader. And also for me personally. Harvey had become, for me, very much a father figure. And I just kept thinking, everything’s over. I mean, how can we move forward without him? And it was a real personal loss.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that night was so extraordinary. As word spread, people began to gather, gay and straight, young and old, Black and brown and white, immigrant and native-born, and it was just thousands and then tens of thousands and tens of thousands more. And that enormous silent candlelight procession filled Market Street from Castro to City Hall. It was just the most extraordinary thing. And I think I realized that night that I was wrong. It wasn’t over. It was just beginning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11950274\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11950274\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2030/05/GettyImages-517285578.jpg\" alt=\"A white man in a suit and tie leans back in his chair behind a desk in his office and smiles at the camera.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"687\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2030/05/GettyImages-517285578.jpg 1024w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2030/05/GettyImages-517285578-800x537.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2030/05/GettyImages-517285578-1020x684.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2030/05/GettyImages-517285578-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, Dec. 4, 1977. \u003ccite>(Bettmann/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>We often just hear about these highlights with major figures, the tragic ones. But I want to know about moments of joy. Like maybe a time when Milk made people laugh or some other act of kindness.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harvey was very funny. He loved being a clown. He would dress up as a clown. He really had an amazing ability to connect with kids and make them laugh. He also had a real big place in his heart for senior citizens. At his campaign office, his camera store and his City Hall office, I was always struck by how many kids and seniors were there. He was very empathetic and he had all these funny little rituals. Like one of the rituals was that every year on his birthday, he would receive a pie in the face.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He was very good at self-deprecating humor, and this was part of a strategy, because at that point in time most heterosexual people had yet to encounter an out-loud-and-proud gay politician. So there was fear, there was anxiety, there were all sorts of preconceptions. And Harvey would disarm people with humor that would then open the door for more serious conversations to happen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>You have dedicated your career to fighting for LGBTQ rights. In what way did being close to Milk help you reach this point where you realized that this was the work that you wanted to do? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"‘I have no doubt that if Harvey were here with us today, he would be warning people that there is peril ahead, that we are in dangerous times.’","name":"pullquote","attributes":{"named":{"align":"right","size":"medium","citation":"Cleve Jones, author and activist","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>You know, I was always interested in politics. I was always interested in the movement. I’m a product of the Vietnam War era and the Civil Rights Movement and the feminist movement. I graduated from high school in 1972, just as the war in Vietnam was winding down. Certainly Nov. 27, finding Harvey’s body, kind of set my course permanently. But I’m not just an LGBTQ activist. In fact, for the last 17 years or so, I’ve worked with Unite Here, the hospitality workers union in the Bay Area. We’re Local 2, and we’re a fighting union of people, immigrants, native-born, people of all colors, faiths, backgrounds, genders and orientations. We take on some of the biggest corporations in the world, and we fight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We win contracts that provide workers with better pay, safer working conditions, access to health care and more respect on the job. And so my work for the last almost two decades now focused on labor as well as LGBTQ. It really goes directly back to Harvey Milk and the Teamsters and a Teamster organizer named Allan Baird, who gave Harvey a bullhorn and built that coalition to get Coors beer out of all the gay bars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How do you see Milk’s legacy today, particularly in San Francisco and the Bay Area?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I think about Harvey almost every day, and I wonder what he could have accomplished had he not been killed. I wonder if he would have survived the AIDS pandemic, which took so many of us. I think he might possibly have become mayor. I think he might have ended up in Congress. Maybe he would have ended up being just another disappointing politician who made big promises. But being cut down as he was, he gave a people and a community a shared martyr. Now, there are a lot of martyrs in the LGBTQ community. A lot of people have been taken by violence or by suicide or have lost their way to drugs and alcohol, with which we suffer a lot of tragedies. But Harvey’s death brought us together in a powerful way that continues to reverberate through the generations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And at the core of his message is the importance of coming out and being true to yourself. Being honest and open about who we are, and also about understanding that none of us goes through our lives alone, that all of our lives and our communities are intertwined and interconnected, and that what we do matters. The decisions that we make have consequences, and we need to support each other and do our best to build a world that is free from war in which we can live with justice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11950269\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1298867563.jpg\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11950269\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1298867563-800x589.jpg\" alt=\"Black and white photo in which a white man screams with joy and pumps his fist in the air with his right hand while holding a sign that says "I'm from Woodmere NY" with the other, seated on the back of a convertible with a parade of people holding signs and flags behind him on a city street lined with people and buildings.\" width=\"800\" height=\"589\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1298867563-800x589.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1298867563-1020x751.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1298867563-160x118.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1298867563.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Harvey Milk at the Gay Pride Parade, San Francisco, June 23, 1978. \u003ccite>(Terry Schmitt/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>This is a pretty fraught time for LGBTQ rights around the U.S. We’re seeing state legislatures introducing bills that ban books focused on queerness and others targeting drag performances. How do you think Harvey Milk would have tried to address this moment? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Well, I don’t need to speculate at all. I know exactly what he would do. He would be organizing people and he would be encouraging people to take responsibility for fighting these fights. You know, when Harvey was coming of age back in New York and as he was becoming aware of his sexual orientation and figuring out who he was going to be, the Holocaust was unfolding in Europe. As a Jewish gay person, Harvey was extremely aware of what could happen, and he spoke of it often.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And there’s this very famous quote from Dr. King about how the moral arc of the universe bends toward justice. And I believe that that is true. But when we step back and look at that arc, we see that there are a lot of twists and turns. And I have no doubt that if Harvey were here with us today, he would be warning people that there is peril ahead, that we are in dangerous times, that not only are the advances made by LGBTQ people threatened, but our very democracy is threatened. And if he were here today, I know he would be speaking out against that every single day with every breath he could find.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11950268/still-under-threat-on-harvey-milk-day-leading-activist-says-lgbtq-leaders-face-dangers-decades-after-assassination","authors":["236"],"categories":["news_8"],"tags":["news_21534","news_370","news_1682","news_20004","news_20003","news_19345","news_38"],"featImg":"news_11950275","label":"news"},"news_11940144":{"type":"posts","id":"news_11940144","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"news","id":"11940144","score":null,"sort":[1675470747000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"tales-of-the-town-ca-housing-deadline-castro-district","title":"\"Tales of the Town\" | CA Housing Deadline | Castro District","publishDate":1675470747,"format":"video","headTitle":"KQED Newsroom | KQED News","labelTerm":{"term":7052,"site":"news"},"content":"\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Tales of the Town\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nA new film titled Tales of the Town travels 100 years in Oakland's political and cultural history. The creators are the hosts of Hella Black Podcast, who have been engaged in social activism in Oakland for many years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Guests:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Abbas Muntaqim, Hella Black Podcast co-host\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Delency Parham, Hella Black Podcast co-host\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>CA Housing Deadline\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nCalifornia has a goal to build 440,000 new housing units by 2030. Cities and counties were supposed to submit their plans for how they're going to build all those houses, apartments and condominiums this week, but most didn't turn in their homework. In the Bay Area, 80% of agencies missed the deadline. We talk to KQED housing reporter Adhiti Bandlamudi about the consequences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What Is Going on in SF's Castro District?\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nIn recent years, the Castro neighborhood has seen changes: The population is aging, the neighborhood's demographic is changing, and several landmark establishments have closed down. This week, the city's Historic Preservation Commission decided that the Castro Theatre's balcony seats should receive historic landmark designation but did not include the theater's floor seats in its ruling. This comes after a longstanding debate over whether the theater's seats should be preserved or changed once the venue is taken over by Another Planet Entertainment. We interview Bay Area Reporter assistant editor John Ferrannini.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Something Beautiful: The Book Club of California\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nFounded in San Francisco in 1912, the Book Club of California is a nonprofit organization that celebrates the history of the book and book arts. Today, its lectures and library showcase fine printing, book design, literature, California history and more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":null,"status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1675471383,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":7,"wordCount":280},"headData":{"title":"\"Tales of the Town\" | CA Housing Deadline | Castro District | KQED","description":"Tales of the Town A new film titled Tales of the Town travels 100 years in Oakland's political and cultural history. The creators are the hosts of Hella Black Podcast, who have been engaged in social activism in Oakland for many years. Guests: Abbas Muntaqim, Hella Black Podcast co-host Delency Parham, Hella Black Podcast co-host","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":""},"videoEmbed":"https://youtu.be/CJqxGzakhbU","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/news/11940144/tales-of-the-town-ca-housing-deadline-castro-district","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Tales of the Town\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nA new film titled Tales of the Town travels 100 years in Oakland's political and cultural history. The creators are the hosts of Hella Black Podcast, who have been engaged in social activism in Oakland for many years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Guests:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Abbas Muntaqim, Hella Black Podcast co-host\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Delency Parham, Hella Black Podcast co-host\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>CA Housing Deadline\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nCalifornia has a goal to build 440,000 new housing units by 2030. Cities and counties were supposed to submit their plans for how they're going to build all those houses, apartments and condominiums this week, but most didn't turn in their homework. In the Bay Area, 80% of agencies missed the deadline. We talk to KQED housing reporter Adhiti Bandlamudi about the consequences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What Is Going on in SF's Castro District?\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nIn recent years, the Castro neighborhood has seen changes: The population is aging, the neighborhood's demographic is changing, and several landmark establishments have closed down. This week, the city's Historic Preservation Commission decided that the Castro Theatre's balcony seats should receive historic landmark designation but did not include the theater's floor seats in its ruling. This comes after a longstanding debate over whether the theater's seats should be preserved or changed once the venue is taken over by Another Planet Entertainment. We interview Bay Area Reporter assistant editor John Ferrannini.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Something Beautiful: The Book Club of California\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nFounded in San Francisco in 1912, the Book Club of California is a nonprofit organization that celebrates the history of the book and book arts. Today, its lectures and library showcase fine printing, book design, literature, California history and more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11940144/tales-of-the-town-ca-housing-deadline-castro-district","authors":["236"],"programs":["news_7052"],"categories":["news_29992","news_223","news_31795","news_1758","news_18540","news_6266","news_28250","news_8","news_13"],"tags":["news_21077","news_3921","news_29602","news_18880","news_20472","news_21534","news_31456","news_19374","news_18"],"featImg":"news_11940149","label":"news_7052"},"news_11934111":{"type":"posts","id":"news_11934111","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"news","id":"11934111","score":null,"sort":[1670266839000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"fight-over-seats-could-define-future-of-iconic-san-francisco-movie-theater","title":"Fight Over Seats Could Define Future of Iconic San Francisco Movie Theater","publishDate":1670266839,"format":"standard","headTitle":"NPR | KQED News","labelTerm":{"term":253,"site":"news"},"content":"\u003cp>If the \u003ca href=\"https://apeconcerts.com/venues/castro-theatre/\">Castro Theatre\u003c/a> didn't exist, then neither would Sophia Padilla.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I always joke that I was conceived at the Castro Theatre,\" said the San Francisco resident, who happened to be passing by the iconic, one-hundred-year-old movie palace on a recent afternoon while out walking her dog.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Padilla said her parents first met in line to see a movie at the theater, 27 years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Both of them were on dates with other people, actually,\" Padilla said. \"They fell in love right here. And I've been coming to the Castro to see movies for my entire 26-year life.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Padilla also said the Castro Theatre helped to forge her queer identity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The Castro really helped me find who I was,\" she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11934113\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/sophiapadilla-772b04087ecf02b3dd7e016b4374740bef8f659c-scaled.jpe\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11934113\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/sophiapadilla-772b04087ecf02b3dd7e016b4374740bef8f659c-800x600.jpe\" alt=\"a woman in a green jacket poses with her dog in front of a historic movie theater\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/sophiapadilla-772b04087ecf02b3dd7e016b4374740bef8f659c-800x600.jpe 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/sophiapadilla-772b04087ecf02b3dd7e016b4374740bef8f659c-1020x765.jpe 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/sophiapadilla-772b04087ecf02b3dd7e016b4374740bef8f659c-160x120.jpe 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/sophiapadilla-772b04087ecf02b3dd7e016b4374740bef8f659c-1536x1152.jpe 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/sophiapadilla-772b04087ecf02b3dd7e016b4374740bef8f659c-2048x1536.jpe 2048w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/sophiapadilla-772b04087ecf02b3dd7e016b4374740bef8f659c-1920x1440.jpe 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco resident and movie fan Sophia Padilla poses outside the Castro Theatre with her dog. \u003ccite>(Chloe Veltman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Located in the heart of one of the country's most high-profile LGBTQ neighborhoods, the Castro Theatre has played a prominent role in San Francisco's cultural and social evolution for decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label=\"Related Stories\" postID=\"arts_13917362,forum_2010101890364,news_11922643\"]Besides hosting major film festivals like the San Francisco International Film Festival and the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, the venue has long been a bastion of queer cinema and community events. Highlights include the first ever public screening of the 2008 movie \u003cem>Milk\u003c/em> about the pioneering openly gay politician Harvey Milk, the annual Frameline queer movie festival, and an abundance of drag performance nights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The Castro Theatre is like a sacred temple for the community,\" said \u003ca href=\"https://castrolgbtq.org/\">Castro LGBTQ Cultural District \u003c/a>board member Jesse Sanford. \"It's where we gather to laugh together, cry together, learn our history, and mourn our losses.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the recent purchase of the theater's lease by \u003ca href=\"https://apeconcerts.com/\">Another Planet Entertainment\u003c/a>, which operates a handful of mostly music-oriented venues and festivals around the San Francisco Bay Area, has led to a struggle for the theater's future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Another Planet's plan will mean that films rarely get shown, and community events rarely happen,\" said Sanford.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Conservationists push back\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Castro LGBTQ Cultural District is one of several local groups pushing back against Another Planet's plans to refocus the venue's programming and make sweeping renovations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"This is a hundred-year-old theater. You can't just change it any way you want,\" said Peter Pastreich, executive director of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.savethecastrotheatre.org/\">Castro Theatre Conservancy\u003c/a>, a group that was formed three years ago to address concerns about the increasingly dilapidated state of the building.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11934114\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/img_7616-320ab002f413ff743466e70ddc947dff99d2c84d-scaled.jpe\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11934114\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/img_7616-320ab002f413ff743466e70ddc947dff99d2c84d-800x600.jpe\" alt=\"an older man in a dark blue suit with a white beard and glasses smiles in front of a theater\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/img_7616-320ab002f413ff743466e70ddc947dff99d2c84d-800x600.jpe 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/img_7616-320ab002f413ff743466e70ddc947dff99d2c84d-1020x765.jpe 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/img_7616-320ab002f413ff743466e70ddc947dff99d2c84d-160x120.jpe 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/img_7616-320ab002f413ff743466e70ddc947dff99d2c84d-1536x1152.jpe 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/img_7616-320ab002f413ff743466e70ddc947dff99d2c84d-2048x1536.jpe 2048w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/img_7616-320ab002f413ff743466e70ddc947dff99d2c84d-1920x1440.jpe 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Castro Theatre Conservancy executive director Peter Pastreich at the Castro Theatre. \u003ccite>(Chloe Veltman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Pastreich said his group welcomes some of the proposed upgrades, such as putting in wheelchair access and a new HVAC system, and touching up the interior's grand mural'd walls, chandeliers and leather-effect ceiling. He estimates renovating the theater would cost $20-30 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We aren't opposed to Another Planet or anybody else who will renovate the theater and keep it open,\" Pastreich said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>It all comes down to the seating\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The activists' main point of contention is the leaseholder's plans for the theater's seating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The plans are to take out the seats and level the floor, which would make the theater no longer appropriate for movies,\" Pastreich says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thousands of people, including many celebrities like Francis Ford Coppola, Alice Waters and Tilda Swinton, have signed the conservancy's petition to prevent Another Planet's renovations from going ahead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The building is already in-part protected. The City of San Francisco gave landmark status to the exterior in 1977. Now these activists are trying to get the city to expand the designation to include the building's interior. If that happens, it will be much harder for the leaseholder to rip out the theater's 1400 seats, and flatten the floor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11934115\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/castro_2.8.22_rosasandrew_23-copy_custom-54d51f69ab1b36290c8f6c747b6061b3de0f0c3d-scaled.jpe\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11934115\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/castro_2.8.22_rosasandrew_23-copy_custom-54d51f69ab1b36290c8f6c747b6061b3de0f0c3d-800x534.jpe\" alt=\"the interior of an ornate historic movie theatre with red seats and a chandelier\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/castro_2.8.22_rosasandrew_23-copy_custom-54d51f69ab1b36290c8f6c747b6061b3de0f0c3d-800x534.jpe 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/castro_2.8.22_rosasandrew_23-copy_custom-54d51f69ab1b36290c8f6c747b6061b3de0f0c3d-1020x680.jpe 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/castro_2.8.22_rosasandrew_23-copy_custom-54d51f69ab1b36290c8f6c747b6061b3de0f0c3d-160x107.jpe 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/castro_2.8.22_rosasandrew_23-copy_custom-54d51f69ab1b36290c8f6c747b6061b3de0f0c3d-1536x1025.jpe 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/castro_2.8.22_rosasandrew_23-copy_custom-54d51f69ab1b36290c8f6c747b6061b3de0f0c3d-2048x1366.jpe 2048w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/castro_2.8.22_rosasandrew_23-copy_custom-54d51f69ab1b36290c8f6c747b6061b3de0f0c3d-1920x1281.jpe 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Castro Theatre's interior. \u003ccite>(Andrew Rosas)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\"Changing the seating is a big deal,\" said \u003ca href=\"http://www.mlambrosphotography.com/\">Matt Lambros\u003c/a>, a Boston-based photographer of historic movie theaters who has written several books on the topic. \"You could ruin the sight-lines.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are a few thousand old, single-screen movie palaces like the Castro still in operation in the U.S. today, down from tens of thousands in their pre-World-War-II heyday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lambros said in order for these cinemas to survive, the seating has to do more than accommodate movie-goers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"There's interest in restoring these places,\" he said. \"The issue is, you have to find something that will bring people. For the most part, unfortunately, a 1500-or 2000-seat theater showing films, that's just not viable.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those who want the theater's seating plan to remain intact point out that the Castro has hosted all kinds of non-movie events over the years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It is possible to have the theater be conducive to movie-going and concert-going and comedy and spoken word presentations and community meetings,\" said \u003ca href=\"https://silentfilm.org/\">San Francisco Silent Film Festival\u003c/a> director Anita Monga. \"All of that is possible with the existing seats and same configuration.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Another Planet pushes ahead\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Another Planet spokesman Alex Tourk said that despite its plan to remove the movie-style seating, the company is committed to honoring the theater's legacy. \"They absolutely want to continue to show film,\" Tourk said. \"They committed to making sure that 25% of programming would be dedicated to the LGBTQ community.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said the company has been shocked by all the pushback, given its solid reputation as a concert and festival producer, and its plan to put $15 million towards renovating the theater. \"Another Planet did expect some opposition,\" he said. \"But the level of vitriol has been beyond the pale.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tourk said even if the landmark designation for the theater's interior goes ahead next year, Another Planet will not, at least for now, be deterred.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Another Planet will continue to work with the city to find consensus and move the vision forward.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003cimg src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Fight+over+seats+could+define+future+of+iconic+San+Francisco+movie+theater+&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"Conservationists' objections to proposed renovation plans for the 100-year-old Castro Theatre in San Francisco illustrate an ongoing debate about the future of historic theaters.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1670284777,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":31,"wordCount":1008},"headData":{"title":"Fight Over Seats Could Define Future of Iconic San Francisco Movie Theater | KQED","description":"Conservationists' objections to proposed renovation plans for the 100-year-old Castro Theatre in San Francisco illustrate an ongoing debate about the future of historic theaters.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":""},"nprByline":"Chloe Veltman","nprImageAgency":"Miikka Skaffari/Getty Images","nprStoryId":"1140463039","nprApiLink":"http://api.npr.org/query?id=1140463039&apiKey=MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004","nprHtmlLink":"https://www.npr.org/2022/12/05/1140463039/castro-san-francisco-movie-theater-fight-over-seats?ft=nprml&f=1140463039","nprRetrievedStory":"1","nprPubDate":"Mon, 05 Dec 2022 07:07:00 -0500","nprStoryDate":"Mon, 05 Dec 2022 05:02:16 -0500","nprLastModifiedDate":"Mon, 05 Dec 2022 05:02:16 -0500","nprAudio":"https://ondemand.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/me/2022/12/20221205_me_fight_over_seats_could_define_future_of_iconic_san_francisco_movie_theater_.mp3?orgId=1&topicId=1008&d=227&p=3&story=1140463039&ft=nprml&f=1140463039","nprAudioM3u":"http://api.npr.org/m3u/11140671271-b469f0.m3u?orgId=1&topicId=1008&d=227&p=3&story=1140463039&ft=nprml&f=1140463039","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","showOnAuthorArchivePages":"No","path":"/news/11934111/fight-over-seats-could-define-future-of-iconic-san-francisco-movie-theater","audioUrl":"https://ondemand.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/me/2022/12/20221205_me_fight_over_seats_could_define_future_of_iconic_san_francisco_movie_theater_.mp3?orgId=1&topicId=1008&d=227&p=3&story=1140463039&ft=nprml&f=1140463039","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>If the \u003ca href=\"https://apeconcerts.com/venues/castro-theatre/\">Castro Theatre\u003c/a> didn't exist, then neither would Sophia Padilla.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I always joke that I was conceived at the Castro Theatre,\" said the San Francisco resident, who happened to be passing by the iconic, one-hundred-year-old movie palace on a recent afternoon while out walking her dog.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Padilla said her parents first met in line to see a movie at the theater, 27 years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Both of them were on dates with other people, actually,\" Padilla said. \"They fell in love right here. And I've been coming to the Castro to see movies for my entire 26-year life.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Padilla also said the Castro Theatre helped to forge her queer identity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The Castro really helped me find who I was,\" she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11934113\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/sophiapadilla-772b04087ecf02b3dd7e016b4374740bef8f659c-scaled.jpe\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11934113\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/sophiapadilla-772b04087ecf02b3dd7e016b4374740bef8f659c-800x600.jpe\" alt=\"a woman in a green jacket poses with her dog in front of a historic movie theater\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/sophiapadilla-772b04087ecf02b3dd7e016b4374740bef8f659c-800x600.jpe 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/sophiapadilla-772b04087ecf02b3dd7e016b4374740bef8f659c-1020x765.jpe 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/sophiapadilla-772b04087ecf02b3dd7e016b4374740bef8f659c-160x120.jpe 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/sophiapadilla-772b04087ecf02b3dd7e016b4374740bef8f659c-1536x1152.jpe 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/sophiapadilla-772b04087ecf02b3dd7e016b4374740bef8f659c-2048x1536.jpe 2048w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/sophiapadilla-772b04087ecf02b3dd7e016b4374740bef8f659c-1920x1440.jpe 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco resident and movie fan Sophia Padilla poses outside the Castro Theatre with her dog. \u003ccite>(Chloe Veltman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Located in the heart of one of the country's most high-profile LGBTQ neighborhoods, the Castro Theatre has played a prominent role in San Francisco's cultural and social evolution for decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"label":"Related Stories ","postid":"arts_13917362,forum_2010101890364,news_11922643"},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Besides hosting major film festivals like the San Francisco International Film Festival and the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, the venue has long been a bastion of queer cinema and community events. Highlights include the first ever public screening of the 2008 movie \u003cem>Milk\u003c/em> about the pioneering openly gay politician Harvey Milk, the annual Frameline queer movie festival, and an abundance of drag performance nights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The Castro Theatre is like a sacred temple for the community,\" said \u003ca href=\"https://castrolgbtq.org/\">Castro LGBTQ Cultural District \u003c/a>board member Jesse Sanford. \"It's where we gather to laugh together, cry together, learn our history, and mourn our losses.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the recent purchase of the theater's lease by \u003ca href=\"https://apeconcerts.com/\">Another Planet Entertainment\u003c/a>, which operates a handful of mostly music-oriented venues and festivals around the San Francisco Bay Area, has led to a struggle for the theater's future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Another Planet's plan will mean that films rarely get shown, and community events rarely happen,\" said Sanford.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Conservationists push back\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Castro LGBTQ Cultural District is one of several local groups pushing back against Another Planet's plans to refocus the venue's programming and make sweeping renovations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"This is a hundred-year-old theater. You can't just change it any way you want,\" said Peter Pastreich, executive director of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.savethecastrotheatre.org/\">Castro Theatre Conservancy\u003c/a>, a group that was formed three years ago to address concerns about the increasingly dilapidated state of the building.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11934114\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/img_7616-320ab002f413ff743466e70ddc947dff99d2c84d-scaled.jpe\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11934114\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/img_7616-320ab002f413ff743466e70ddc947dff99d2c84d-800x600.jpe\" alt=\"an older man in a dark blue suit with a white beard and glasses smiles in front of a theater\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/img_7616-320ab002f413ff743466e70ddc947dff99d2c84d-800x600.jpe 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/img_7616-320ab002f413ff743466e70ddc947dff99d2c84d-1020x765.jpe 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/img_7616-320ab002f413ff743466e70ddc947dff99d2c84d-160x120.jpe 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/img_7616-320ab002f413ff743466e70ddc947dff99d2c84d-1536x1152.jpe 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/img_7616-320ab002f413ff743466e70ddc947dff99d2c84d-2048x1536.jpe 2048w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/img_7616-320ab002f413ff743466e70ddc947dff99d2c84d-1920x1440.jpe 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Castro Theatre Conservancy executive director Peter Pastreich at the Castro Theatre. \u003ccite>(Chloe Veltman/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Pastreich said his group welcomes some of the proposed upgrades, such as putting in wheelchair access and a new HVAC system, and touching up the interior's grand mural'd walls, chandeliers and leather-effect ceiling. He estimates renovating the theater would cost $20-30 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We aren't opposed to Another Planet or anybody else who will renovate the theater and keep it open,\" Pastreich said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>It all comes down to the seating\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The activists' main point of contention is the leaseholder's plans for the theater's seating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The plans are to take out the seats and level the floor, which would make the theater no longer appropriate for movies,\" Pastreich says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thousands of people, including many celebrities like Francis Ford Coppola, Alice Waters and Tilda Swinton, have signed the conservancy's petition to prevent Another Planet's renovations from going ahead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The building is already in-part protected. The City of San Francisco gave landmark status to the exterior in 1977. Now these activists are trying to get the city to expand the designation to include the building's interior. If that happens, it will be much harder for the leaseholder to rip out the theater's 1400 seats, and flatten the floor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11934115\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/castro_2.8.22_rosasandrew_23-copy_custom-54d51f69ab1b36290c8f6c747b6061b3de0f0c3d-scaled.jpe\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11934115\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/castro_2.8.22_rosasandrew_23-copy_custom-54d51f69ab1b36290c8f6c747b6061b3de0f0c3d-800x534.jpe\" alt=\"the interior of an ornate historic movie theatre with red seats and a chandelier\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/castro_2.8.22_rosasandrew_23-copy_custom-54d51f69ab1b36290c8f6c747b6061b3de0f0c3d-800x534.jpe 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/castro_2.8.22_rosasandrew_23-copy_custom-54d51f69ab1b36290c8f6c747b6061b3de0f0c3d-1020x680.jpe 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/castro_2.8.22_rosasandrew_23-copy_custom-54d51f69ab1b36290c8f6c747b6061b3de0f0c3d-160x107.jpe 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/castro_2.8.22_rosasandrew_23-copy_custom-54d51f69ab1b36290c8f6c747b6061b3de0f0c3d-1536x1025.jpe 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/castro_2.8.22_rosasandrew_23-copy_custom-54d51f69ab1b36290c8f6c747b6061b3de0f0c3d-2048x1366.jpe 2048w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/castro_2.8.22_rosasandrew_23-copy_custom-54d51f69ab1b36290c8f6c747b6061b3de0f0c3d-1920x1281.jpe 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Castro Theatre's interior. \u003ccite>(Andrew Rosas)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\"Changing the seating is a big deal,\" said \u003ca href=\"http://www.mlambrosphotography.com/\">Matt Lambros\u003c/a>, a Boston-based photographer of historic movie theaters who has written several books on the topic. \"You could ruin the sight-lines.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are a few thousand old, single-screen movie palaces like the Castro still in operation in the U.S. today, down from tens of thousands in their pre-World-War-II heyday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lambros said in order for these cinemas to survive, the seating has to do more than accommodate movie-goers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"There's interest in restoring these places,\" he said. \"The issue is, you have to find something that will bring people. For the most part, unfortunately, a 1500-or 2000-seat theater showing films, that's just not viable.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those who want the theater's seating plan to remain intact point out that the Castro has hosted all kinds of non-movie events over the years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It is possible to have the theater be conducive to movie-going and concert-going and comedy and spoken word presentations and community meetings,\" said \u003ca href=\"https://silentfilm.org/\">San Francisco Silent Film Festival\u003c/a> director Anita Monga. \"All of that is possible with the existing seats and same configuration.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Another Planet pushes ahead\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Another Planet spokesman Alex Tourk said that despite its plan to remove the movie-style seating, the company is committed to honoring the theater's legacy. \"They absolutely want to continue to show film,\" Tourk said. \"They committed to making sure that 25% of programming would be dedicated to the LGBTQ community.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said the company has been shocked by all the pushback, given its solid reputation as a concert and festival producer, and its plan to put $15 million towards renovating the theater. \"Another Planet did expect some opposition,\" he said. \"But the level of vitriol has been beyond the pale.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tourk said even if the landmark designation for the theater's interior goes ahead next year, Another Planet will not, at least for now, be deterred.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Another Planet will continue to work with the city to find consensus and move the vision forward.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003cimg src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Fight+over+seats+could+define+future+of+iconic+San+Francisco+movie+theater+&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11934111/fight-over-seats-could-define-future-of-iconic-san-francisco-movie-theater","authors":["byline_news_11934111"],"categories":["news_29992","news_223","news_8"],"tags":["news_21534","news_31456","news_5541","news_28548","news_38","news_32093"],"affiliates":["news_253"],"featImg":"news_11934112","label":"news_253"},"news_11902998":{"type":"posts","id":"news_11902998","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"news","id":"11902998","score":null,"sort":[1643414516000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"the-marijuana-minister-of-the-castro","title":"'Acts of Great Love': How the Marijuana Minister of the Castro Helped His Flock Endure the AIDS Epidemic","publishDate":1643414516,"format":"standard","headTitle":"The California Report Magazine | KQED News","labelTerm":{"term":26731,"site":"news"},"content":"\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545?mt=2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545?mt=2\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\" data-remove-tab-index=\"true\">Listen to this and more in-depth storytelling by subscribing to The California Report Magazine podcast.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When you think of gay activists and icons in San Francisco history, leaders like Supervisor Harvey Milk and Sally Miller Gearhart or recording artist — and Castro staple — Sylvester might first come to mind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These pioneers did their work in the public eye and are recognized for their achievements, but they weren’t the only ones on the front lines fighting for the rights of the city’s queer community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a small church a few blocks away from the Castro — during the height of the AIDS epidemic — a much lesser-known activist was fighting to provide comfort to a dying congregation of LGBTQIA Christians.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Not your average pastor\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>“My earliest survival skill in church was: Don't listen if they're talking, just pay attention when they're singing,” said Rev. Jim Mitulski, the former senior pastor at the Metropolitan Community Church in San Francisco’s Castro district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11903193\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272669153_3156595744556727_3278188865832847024_n-scaled.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11903193\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272669153_3156595744556727_3278188865832847024_n-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Two little boys sitting on the lap of their grandfather.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272669153_3156595744556727_3278188865832847024_n-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272669153_3156595744556727_3278188865832847024_n-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272669153_3156595744556727_3278188865832847024_n-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272669153_3156595744556727_3278188865832847024_n-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272669153_3156595744556727_3278188865832847024_n-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272669153_3156595744556727_3278188865832847024_n-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272669153_3156595744556727_3278188865832847024_n-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jim Mitulski (left), his grandfather Jack Downs, and cousin Jan. \"I dressed gay then, too,\" Mitulski said. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Jim Mitulski)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Growing up in northern Michigan, Mitulski, now 63, was immediately drawn to church: the ritual, the kindness and, most of all, the music. “I don't think I've ever met a piece of music I didn't like, especially in a religious setting,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mitulski attended New York’s Columbia College in the 1970s (then an all-men's school) and immediately felt at home there. “Who do you think goes to a men’s college in the '70s?” he said. “Gay guys.”[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Rev. Jim Mitulski\"]'The greater the love, the greater the risk, and you will never regret acts of great love.'[/pullquote]While in New York, Mitulski says he was focused more on political activism and sex than on his schoolwork, “and my grades reflected it.” He eventually dropped out of college and continued to pursue his activism work. “I was a political gay,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After discovering the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, Mitulski began considering a new career path. In this new gay denomination — founded in 1968 by and for LGBTQIA people — Jim found a spiritual family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It didn’t occur to me that you could be gay and be a priest,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mitulski went back to school to become a pastor, and would help lead the MCC in New York for several years, a time he recalls as magical.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was church, not like church. We were anti-church,” he said. “We were 'deconstructing Christianity' church. We were 'out in the streets protesting' church. We were 'wear T-shirts, not wear vestments' church.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>San Francisco in crisis\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>In the mid 1980s, Mitulski moved to San Francisco to become the senior pastor of an MCC congregation in the historic Castro District. He arrived to find a city “in the midst of a terrible tragedy unfolding.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But still, it was a cool place to be,” he said. “It was still happy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Located a few blocks from the shops and gay bars of Castro Street, the church served as a de facto LGBTQIA community center, hosting meetings, same-sex weddings (which would not be legal for two more decades) and an ever-increasing number of funerals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1988, \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-08-22-mn-551-story.html\">The LA Times\u003c/a>, under the headline \"City Under Siege,\" reported that about 4% of San Francisco’s population, including an astonishing half of the city's estimated more than 60,000 gay men, had AIDS. Without a cure or effective treatment, most would end up dying within the next 10 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By 1992, HIV infection had become \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00022174.htm\">the No. 1 cause of death\u003c/a> among 25- to 44-year-old men in the United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11903196\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 1036px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272445169_651379669343066_1985915600313202814_n.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-11903196 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272445169_651379669343066_1985915600313202814_n.jpg\" alt=\"Three pastors wearing church garb sit near a microphone.\" width=\"1036\" height=\"1548\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272445169_651379669343066_1985915600313202814_n.jpg 1036w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272445169_651379669343066_1985915600313202814_n-800x1195.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272445169_651379669343066_1985915600313202814_n-1020x1524.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272445169_651379669343066_1985915600313202814_n-160x239.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272445169_651379669343066_1985915600313202814_n-1028x1536.jpg 1028w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1036px) 100vw, 1036px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left, Rev. Ron Russell-Coons, Rev. Jim Mitulski and Rev. Kit Cherry at the MCC of SF in 1989. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Jim Mitulski)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I just wasn't prepared for the sheer numbers of it,” Mitulski said. Seemingly healthy young men in his neighborhood, he recalled, would simply just disappear and be assumed dead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1995, Mitulski received his own HIV diagnosis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Facing my own mortality made me realize we're only here as long as we're here. 'What are you being so cautious about?'” he said he asked himself. “My ministry changed right after that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Marijuana and AIDS\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Marijuana is known to help ease the nausea and pain associated with HIV and AIDS. The drug also enables many patients to eat by helping to increase their appetites, while providing pain relief and aiding in sleep.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They would actually feel pain relief and relief from the stress around worrying about mortality,” Mitulski said. “It lasts for half an hour, an hour or whatever, not all day, not all night. But sometimes the freedom from the omnipresent anxiety is important. ... It’s welcome.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In California, marijuana is now legal for adult use, both recreationally and medically. But in the 1980s and early 1990s, things worked a bit differently. Medical marijuana clubs, the underground predecessors of dispensaries, provided the drug to people in need — and law enforcement generally looked the other way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Enter California Attorney General Dan Lungren, the state’s top cop for much of the 1990s. In anticipation of his (ultimately unsuccessful) bid for governor in 1998, Lungren “saw [marijuana] as an issue that he thought could be a popular enforcement issue as a law-and-order guy,” Mitulski said. “And without consulting with city officials, [he] exercised his authority as a state official — probably with the support of the federal government — to crack down on and close, without warning, all of the marijuana outlets and distributors in San Francisco.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Almost overnight, marijuana patients across the city, including those with HIV/AIDS, lost access to one of the few treatments that had been available. It wasn’t long before the gay community sprang into action.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>'Acts of great love'\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Within a few days of the crackdown, Allen White — a queer journalist — approached Mitulski with the idea of distributing marijuana from his church to patients in need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They wanted to see who could they get to distribute marijuana that the government would think twice about arresting,” Mitulski said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11903216\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2049px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/08130841-DEC3-4E56-84A6-EA6C0BF39A3D.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11903216\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/08130841-DEC3-4E56-84A6-EA6C0BF39A3D.jpg\" alt=\"A man wearing a face mask stares up to the ceiling of a large vacant room.\" width=\"2049\" height=\"1536\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/08130841-DEC3-4E56-84A6-EA6C0BF39A3D.jpg 2049w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/08130841-DEC3-4E56-84A6-EA6C0BF39A3D-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/08130841-DEC3-4E56-84A6-EA6C0BF39A3D-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/08130841-DEC3-4E56-84A6-EA6C0BF39A3D-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/08130841-DEC3-4E56-84A6-EA6C0BF39A3D-1536x1151.jpg 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/08130841-DEC3-4E56-84A6-EA6C0BF39A3D-1920x1439.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2049px) 100vw, 2049px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rev. Jim Mitulski in 2021 revisiting the now-vacant Metropolitan Community Church building in the Castro District. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Todd Atkins-Whitley)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The risks were high: The federal government could seize the property of people found to be participating in a federal crime — including the distribution of marijuana.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the summer of 1996, Mitulski began distributing small bags of marijuana to HIV/AIDS patients after his church services. The pot was all donated, no money could be exchanged, and the patients were required to have a doctor's note.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label=\"Related Coverage\" tag=\"aids\"]Mitulski said the media reported on it when he first started distributing marijuana in his church, but the police never cracked down on him. “I think they knew we were doing the right thing,” he said. “I think angels protected us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite Lungren’s campaign to stop it, voters in 1996 passed Proposition 215, legalizing medical marijuana statewide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mitulski shut down his marijuana ministry right after the results were announced. But the impact of his efforts was evident: In just over a few months, he had used prayer, music and marijuana to serve a few thousand people in dire need of comfort.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He has only one regret from that period of his life: “That we did all that activism on AIDS care in the '80s and '90s, and somehow did not end up with universal health care. Crazy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2000, Mitulski left the MCC in the Castro where he had served for more than two decades. He is now interim senior pastor of Peace United Church of Christ in Duluth, Minnesota, where he continues to push for marijuana legalization and gay rights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Let your acts of love guide you, even if it means great risk,” Mitulski said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11903117\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n-scaled.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11903117\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A man sitting outside on a chair by a lake.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rev. Jim Mitulski at Lake Merritt in Oakland in 2021. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Todd Atkins-Whitley)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He’s still proud, he says, of the work he did at that little church in San Francisco more than 25 years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I took a risk. I used my body. I acted on a belief that was motivated by my desire to provide healing and comfort for my friends,” he said. “And I didn't know what else to do that I could do, but this was something I could do. And I did it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mitulski says he wouldn’t hesitate to do it all again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The greater the love, the greater the risk, and you will never regret acts of great love,” he said.\u003cbr>\n[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"In the summer of 1996, Rev. Jim Mitulski began distributing small bags of marijuana to HIV/AIDS patients at the ends of the services he led from his small church in the Castro district. ","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1643415446,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":39,"wordCount":1536},"headData":{"title":"'Acts of Great Love': How the Marijuana Minister of the Castro Helped His Flock Endure the AIDS Epidemic | KQED","description":"In a small church a few blocks away from the Castro — during the height of the AIDS epidemic — one pastor fought to provide comfort to a dying congregation of LGBTQIA Christians.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":""},"disqusIdentifier":"11902998 https://ww2.kqed.org/news/?p=11902998","disqusUrl":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2022/01/28/the-marijuana-minister-of-the-castro/","disqusTitle":"'Acts of Great Love': How the Marijuana Minister of the Castro Helped His Flock Endure the AIDS Epidemic","audioUrl":"https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.megaphone.fm/KQINC8035844417.mp3?updated=1643325568","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","path":"/news/11902998/the-marijuana-minister-of-the-castro","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545?mt=2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545?mt=2\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\" data-remove-tab-index=\"true\">Listen to this and more in-depth storytelling by subscribing to The California Report Magazine podcast.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When you think of gay activists and icons in San Francisco history, leaders like Supervisor Harvey Milk and Sally Miller Gearhart or recording artist — and Castro staple — Sylvester might first come to mind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These pioneers did their work in the public eye and are recognized for their achievements, but they weren’t the only ones on the front lines fighting for the rights of the city’s queer community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a small church a few blocks away from the Castro — during the height of the AIDS epidemic — a much lesser-known activist was fighting to provide comfort to a dying congregation of LGBTQIA Christians.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Not your average pastor\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>“My earliest survival skill in church was: Don't listen if they're talking, just pay attention when they're singing,” said Rev. Jim Mitulski, the former senior pastor at the Metropolitan Community Church in San Francisco’s Castro district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11903193\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272669153_3156595744556727_3278188865832847024_n-scaled.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11903193\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272669153_3156595744556727_3278188865832847024_n-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Two little boys sitting on the lap of their grandfather.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272669153_3156595744556727_3278188865832847024_n-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272669153_3156595744556727_3278188865832847024_n-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272669153_3156595744556727_3278188865832847024_n-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272669153_3156595744556727_3278188865832847024_n-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272669153_3156595744556727_3278188865832847024_n-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272669153_3156595744556727_3278188865832847024_n-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272669153_3156595744556727_3278188865832847024_n-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jim Mitulski (left), his grandfather Jack Downs, and cousin Jan. \"I dressed gay then, too,\" Mitulski said. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Jim Mitulski)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Growing up in northern Michigan, Mitulski, now 63, was immediately drawn to church: the ritual, the kindness and, most of all, the music. “I don't think I've ever met a piece of music I didn't like, especially in a religious setting,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mitulski attended New York’s Columbia College in the 1970s (then an all-men's school) and immediately felt at home there. “Who do you think goes to a men’s college in the '70s?” he said. “Gay guys.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"'The greater the love, the greater the risk, and you will never regret acts of great love.'","name":"pullquote","attributes":{"named":{"align":"right","size":"medium","citation":"Rev. Jim Mitulski","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>While in New York, Mitulski says he was focused more on political activism and sex than on his schoolwork, “and my grades reflected it.” He eventually dropped out of college and continued to pursue his activism work. “I was a political gay,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After discovering the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, Mitulski began considering a new career path. In this new gay denomination — founded in 1968 by and for LGBTQIA people — Jim found a spiritual family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It didn’t occur to me that you could be gay and be a priest,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mitulski went back to school to become a pastor, and would help lead the MCC in New York for several years, a time he recalls as magical.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was church, not like church. We were anti-church,” he said. “We were 'deconstructing Christianity' church. We were 'out in the streets protesting' church. We were 'wear T-shirts, not wear vestments' church.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>San Francisco in crisis\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>In the mid 1980s, Mitulski moved to San Francisco to become the senior pastor of an MCC congregation in the historic Castro District. He arrived to find a city “in the midst of a terrible tragedy unfolding.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But still, it was a cool place to be,” he said. “It was still happy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Located a few blocks from the shops and gay bars of Castro Street, the church served as a de facto LGBTQIA community center, hosting meetings, same-sex weddings (which would not be legal for two more decades) and an ever-increasing number of funerals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1988, \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-08-22-mn-551-story.html\">The LA Times\u003c/a>, under the headline \"City Under Siege,\" reported that about 4% of San Francisco’s population, including an astonishing half of the city's estimated more than 60,000 gay men, had AIDS. Without a cure or effective treatment, most would end up dying within the next 10 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By 1992, HIV infection had become \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00022174.htm\">the No. 1 cause of death\u003c/a> among 25- to 44-year-old men in the United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11903196\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 1036px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272445169_651379669343066_1985915600313202814_n.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-11903196 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272445169_651379669343066_1985915600313202814_n.jpg\" alt=\"Three pastors wearing church garb sit near a microphone.\" width=\"1036\" height=\"1548\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272445169_651379669343066_1985915600313202814_n.jpg 1036w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272445169_651379669343066_1985915600313202814_n-800x1195.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272445169_651379669343066_1985915600313202814_n-1020x1524.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272445169_651379669343066_1985915600313202814_n-160x239.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/272445169_651379669343066_1985915600313202814_n-1028x1536.jpg 1028w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1036px) 100vw, 1036px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left, Rev. Ron Russell-Coons, Rev. Jim Mitulski and Rev. Kit Cherry at the MCC of SF in 1989. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Jim Mitulski)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I just wasn't prepared for the sheer numbers of it,” Mitulski said. Seemingly healthy young men in his neighborhood, he recalled, would simply just disappear and be assumed dead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1995, Mitulski received his own HIV diagnosis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Facing my own mortality made me realize we're only here as long as we're here. 'What are you being so cautious about?'” he said he asked himself. “My ministry changed right after that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Marijuana and AIDS\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Marijuana is known to help ease the nausea and pain associated with HIV and AIDS. The drug also enables many patients to eat by helping to increase their appetites, while providing pain relief and aiding in sleep.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They would actually feel pain relief and relief from the stress around worrying about mortality,” Mitulski said. “It lasts for half an hour, an hour or whatever, not all day, not all night. But sometimes the freedom from the omnipresent anxiety is important. ... It’s welcome.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In California, marijuana is now legal for adult use, both recreationally and medically. But in the 1980s and early 1990s, things worked a bit differently. Medical marijuana clubs, the underground predecessors of dispensaries, provided the drug to people in need — and law enforcement generally looked the other way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Enter California Attorney General Dan Lungren, the state’s top cop for much of the 1990s. In anticipation of his (ultimately unsuccessful) bid for governor in 1998, Lungren “saw [marijuana] as an issue that he thought could be a popular enforcement issue as a law-and-order guy,” Mitulski said. “And without consulting with city officials, [he] exercised his authority as a state official — probably with the support of the federal government — to crack down on and close, without warning, all of the marijuana outlets and distributors in San Francisco.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Almost overnight, marijuana patients across the city, including those with HIV/AIDS, lost access to one of the few treatments that had been available. It wasn’t long before the gay community sprang into action.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>'Acts of great love'\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Within a few days of the crackdown, Allen White — a queer journalist — approached Mitulski with the idea of distributing marijuana from his church to patients in need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They wanted to see who could they get to distribute marijuana that the government would think twice about arresting,” Mitulski said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11903216\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2049px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/08130841-DEC3-4E56-84A6-EA6C0BF39A3D.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11903216\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/08130841-DEC3-4E56-84A6-EA6C0BF39A3D.jpg\" alt=\"A man wearing a face mask stares up to the ceiling of a large vacant room.\" width=\"2049\" height=\"1536\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/08130841-DEC3-4E56-84A6-EA6C0BF39A3D.jpg 2049w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/08130841-DEC3-4E56-84A6-EA6C0BF39A3D-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/08130841-DEC3-4E56-84A6-EA6C0BF39A3D-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/08130841-DEC3-4E56-84A6-EA6C0BF39A3D-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/08130841-DEC3-4E56-84A6-EA6C0BF39A3D-1536x1151.jpg 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/08130841-DEC3-4E56-84A6-EA6C0BF39A3D-1920x1439.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2049px) 100vw, 2049px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rev. Jim Mitulski in 2021 revisiting the now-vacant Metropolitan Community Church building in the Castro District. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Todd Atkins-Whitley)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The risks were high: The federal government could seize the property of people found to be participating in a federal crime — including the distribution of marijuana.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the summer of 1996, Mitulski began distributing small bags of marijuana to HIV/AIDS patients after his church services. The pot was all donated, no money could be exchanged, and the patients were required to have a doctor's note.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"label":"Related Coverage ","tag":"aids"},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Mitulski said the media reported on it when he first started distributing marijuana in his church, but the police never cracked down on him. “I think they knew we were doing the right thing,” he said. “I think angels protected us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite Lungren’s campaign to stop it, voters in 1996 passed Proposition 215, legalizing medical marijuana statewide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mitulski shut down his marijuana ministry right after the results were announced. But the impact of his efforts was evident: In just over a few months, he had used prayer, music and marijuana to serve a few thousand people in dire need of comfort.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He has only one regret from that period of his life: “That we did all that activism on AIDS care in the '80s and '90s, and somehow did not end up with universal health care. Crazy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2000, Mitulski left the MCC in the Castro where he had served for more than two decades. He is now interim senior pastor of Peace United Church of Christ in Duluth, Minnesota, where he continues to push for marijuana legalization and gay rights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Let your acts of love guide you, even if it means great risk,” Mitulski said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11903117\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n-scaled.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11903117\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A man sitting outside on a chair by a lake.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/194146336_326107285562520_8338172634866005523_n-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rev. Jim Mitulski at Lake Merritt in Oakland in 2021. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Todd Atkins-Whitley)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He’s still proud, he says, of the work he did at that little church in San Francisco more than 25 years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I took a risk. I used my body. I acted on a belief that was motivated by my desire to provide healing and comfort for my friends,” he said. “And I didn't know what else to do that I could do, but this was something I could do. And I did it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mitulski says he wouldn’t hesitate to do it all again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The greater the love, the greater the risk, and you will never regret acts of great love,” he said.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11902998/the-marijuana-minister-of-the-castro","authors":["11749"],"programs":["news_26731"],"categories":["news_8"],"tags":["news_1510","news_30596","news_2768","news_21534","news_27626","news_30586","news_102","news_38"],"featImg":"news_11903295","label":"news_26731"},"news_11876846":{"type":"posts","id":"news_11876846","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"news","id":"11876846","score":null,"sort":[1622859021000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"never-take-it-down-the-original-1978-rainbow-flag-returns-to-sf","title":"‘Never Take It Down’: The Original 1978 Rainbow Flag Returns to SF","publishDate":1622859021,"format":"image","headTitle":"KQED News","labelTerm":{"site":"news"},"content":"\u003cp>The original 1978 rainbow flag found itself a home on Friday in the heart of San Francisco’s Castro District.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What remains of the original 30 by 60 foot multi-colored flag now lives under glass at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.glbthistory.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GLBT Historical Society Museum and Archive\u003c/a>. Executive Director Terry Beswick says the rainbow flag's design is iconic and internationally known because it represents hope.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People hang it in small towns and in countries where they still experience a lot of oppression, but it also has become a political statement to say that we exist, we have the right to love who we want to love and to participate as full members of society,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11876859\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11876859\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-2-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-2-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-2-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-2-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-2.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The original 1978 Rainbow Flag returned to San Francisco on June 4, 2021. It's being housed at the GLBT Historical Society Museum and Archive in the city’s Castro District. \u003ccite>(Ezra David Romero/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The rainbow flag isn’t just colorful lines on a sheet. The eight rows of fabric — \u003ca href=\"https://www.britannica.com/story/how-did-the-rainbow-flag-become-a-symbol-of-lgbt-pride\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">violet, indigo, turquoise, green, yellow, orange, red, hot pink\u003c/a> — are the brain child of gay activist and artist \u003ca href=\"https://gilbertbaker.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gilbert Baker\u003c/a> who passed away in 2017. He and a crew of more than 30 people created the first rainbow flag in 1978.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The idea came to Baker after gay activist and politician \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/harvey-milk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Harvey Milk\u003c/a> told Baker the community needed a new symbol that exudes affirmation, Beswick said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/ezraromero/status/1400895410365886465\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There were probably some drugs involved when Gilbert was on a dance floor [when] he had an epiphany about a rainbow,” he added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Terry Beswick, GLBT Historical Society Museum and Archive executive director\"]'People hang it in small towns and in countries where they still experience a lot of oppression, but it also has become a political statement to say that we exist.'[/pullquote]A year after flying in the 1978 San Francisco Gay Freedom Day celebrations, the flag was found in storage to be badly mildewed. Part of it was salvaged and it remained in Baker's care for decades. When he died in 2017, the remainder was among the boxes given to his sister. It was later passed on to his friend Charles Beal to carry in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101871889/san-francisco-and-lgbtq-pride-before-and-after-stonewall\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stonewall 50\u003c/a> Parade in New York City, but at that point it wasn’t known that it was the original rainbow flag. Then in 2020, the flag was authenticated by a flag expert. The flag is now part of the Gilbert Baker Collection at the museum and is the centerpiece of an exhibition entitled \u003ca href=\"https://www.glbthistory.org/performance-protest-politics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">“Performance, Protest and Politics: The art of Gilbert Baker.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beswick travelled to New York a few weeks ago to pick the flag up and brought it to San Francisco in a lavender suitcase. He cracked open the case surrounded by friends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Someone had the idea that the rainbow, which comes from nature, just like LGBTQ people come from nature, would be a great symbol,” he said. “We take it for granted a little bit . . . but it's had these amazing consequences.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11876860\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11876860\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-3-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-3-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-3-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-3-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-3-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-3.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Elected officials admire the original 1978 Rainbow Flag held in a glass casing at the GLBT Historical Society Museum and Archive in the city’s Castro District. \u003ccite>(Ezra David Romero/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The flag has elevated LGBTQ voices and is universally understood to represent the full spectrum of the LGBTQ community. San Francisco Mayor London Breed spoke at the unveiling saying she wants San Francisco to remain a refuge for LGBTQ people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It's not just about LGBTQ history, and it's not just about San Francisco history,” she said. “This is American history. It's important to recognize it in a way that elevates the conversation that provides the room and the space to spread out and to see the different messages.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/ezraromero/status/1400893354557153284\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://gilbertbaker.com/mission/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gilbert Baker Foundation\u003c/a> president and friend of the flag-maker Charles Beal said he wished Baker could have witnessed Friday's homecoming event, but that the flag continues to provide a sense of home, safety and peace for LGBTQ people around the globe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside tag=\"lgbtq\" label=\"More LGBTQ coverage\"]“It means something to a lot of people around the world and we got to never forget that,” he said. “Today in Tehran, people are running out in the streets with rainbow flags and running because they're afraid to be caught. But they're out there in his honor trying to change the planet and trying to do things that we take advantage of.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A block away from museum at Castro and Market Streets flies the modern rainbow flag, which is an everlasting reminder of both the pain and joy queer people live through.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Baker was alive he said “never fly it at half staff, never take it down,” Beal explained. “It means too much to too many people who don't have what we have.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"What remains of the original 30 by 60 foot multi-colored flag now lives at the GLBT Historical Society Museum and Archive in San Francisco’s Castro District. The rainbow flag's iconic design has become an international symbol of hope.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1622859021,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":17,"wordCount":845},"headData":{"title":"‘Never Take It Down’: The Original 1978 Rainbow Flag Returns to SF | KQED","description":"What remains of the original 30 by 60 foot multi-colored flag now lives at the GLBT Historical Society Museum and Archive in San Francisco’s Castro District. The rainbow flag's iconic design has become an international symbol of hope.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":""},"disqusIdentifier":"11876846 https://ww2.kqed.org/news/?p=11876846","disqusUrl":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2021/06/04/never-take-it-down-the-original-1978-rainbow-flag-returns-to-sf/","disqusTitle":"‘Never Take It Down’: The Original 1978 Rainbow Flag Returns to SF","audioUrl":"https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/RDnews/2021/06/RomeroOriginalRainbowFlag.mp3","path":"/news/11876846/never-take-it-down-the-original-1978-rainbow-flag-returns-to-sf","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The original 1978 rainbow flag found itself a home on Friday in the heart of San Francisco’s Castro District.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What remains of the original 30 by 60 foot multi-colored flag now lives under glass at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.glbthistory.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GLBT Historical Society Museum and Archive\u003c/a>. Executive Director Terry Beswick says the rainbow flag's design is iconic and internationally known because it represents hope.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People hang it in small towns and in countries where they still experience a lot of oppression, but it also has become a political statement to say that we exist, we have the right to love who we want to love and to participate as full members of society,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11876859\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11876859\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-2-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-2-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-2-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-2-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-2.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The original 1978 Rainbow Flag returned to San Francisco on June 4, 2021. It's being housed at the GLBT Historical Society Museum and Archive in the city’s Castro District. \u003ccite>(Ezra David Romero/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The rainbow flag isn’t just colorful lines on a sheet. The eight rows of fabric — \u003ca href=\"https://www.britannica.com/story/how-did-the-rainbow-flag-become-a-symbol-of-lgbt-pride\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">violet, indigo, turquoise, green, yellow, orange, red, hot pink\u003c/a> — are the brain child of gay activist and artist \u003ca href=\"https://gilbertbaker.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gilbert Baker\u003c/a> who passed away in 2017. He and a crew of more than 30 people created the first rainbow flag in 1978.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The idea came to Baker after gay activist and politician \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/harvey-milk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Harvey Milk\u003c/a> told Baker the community needed a new symbol that exudes affirmation, Beswick said.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"singleTwitterStatus","attributes":{"named":{"id":"1400895410365886465"},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>“There were probably some drugs involved when Gilbert was on a dance floor [when] he had an epiphany about a rainbow,” he added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"'People hang it in small towns and in countries where they still experience a lot of oppression, but it also has become a political statement to say that we exist.'","name":"pullquote","attributes":{"named":{"size":"medium","align":"right","citation":"Terry Beswick, GLBT Historical Society Museum and Archive executive director","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>A year after flying in the 1978 San Francisco Gay Freedom Day celebrations, the flag was found in storage to be badly mildewed. Part of it was salvaged and it remained in Baker's care for decades. When he died in 2017, the remainder was among the boxes given to his sister. It was later passed on to his friend Charles Beal to carry in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101871889/san-francisco-and-lgbtq-pride-before-and-after-stonewall\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stonewall 50\u003c/a> Parade in New York City, but at that point it wasn’t known that it was the original rainbow flag. Then in 2020, the flag was authenticated by a flag expert. The flag is now part of the Gilbert Baker Collection at the museum and is the centerpiece of an exhibition entitled \u003ca href=\"https://www.glbthistory.org/performance-protest-politics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">“Performance, Protest and Politics: The art of Gilbert Baker.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beswick travelled to New York a few weeks ago to pick the flag up and brought it to San Francisco in a lavender suitcase. He cracked open the case surrounded by friends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Someone had the idea that the rainbow, which comes from nature, just like LGBTQ people come from nature, would be a great symbol,” he said. “We take it for granted a little bit . . . but it's had these amazing consequences.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11876860\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11876860\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-3-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-3-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-3-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-3-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-3-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/Rainbow-Flag-SF-3.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Elected officials admire the original 1978 Rainbow Flag held in a glass casing at the GLBT Historical Society Museum and Archive in the city’s Castro District. \u003ccite>(Ezra David Romero/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The flag has elevated LGBTQ voices and is universally understood to represent the full spectrum of the LGBTQ community. San Francisco Mayor London Breed spoke at the unveiling saying she wants San Francisco to remain a refuge for LGBTQ people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It's not just about LGBTQ history, and it's not just about San Francisco history,” she said. “This is American history. It's important to recognize it in a way that elevates the conversation that provides the room and the space to spread out and to see the different messages.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"singleTwitterStatus","attributes":{"named":{"id":"1400893354557153284"},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://gilbertbaker.com/mission/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gilbert Baker Foundation\u003c/a> president and friend of the flag-maker Charles Beal said he wished Baker could have witnessed Friday's homecoming event, but that the flag continues to provide a sense of home, safety and peace for LGBTQ people around the globe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"tag":"lgbtq","label":"More LGBTQ coverage "},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“It means something to a lot of people around the world and we got to never forget that,” he said. “Today in Tehran, people are running out in the streets with rainbow flags and running because they're afraid to be caught. But they're out there in his honor trying to change the planet and trying to do things that we take advantage of.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A block away from museum at Castro and Market Streets flies the modern rainbow flag, which is an everlasting reminder of both the pain and joy queer people live through.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Baker was alive he said “never fly it at half staff, never take it down,” Beal explained. “It means too much to too many people who don't have what we have.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11876846/never-take-it-down-the-original-1978-rainbow-flag-returns-to-sf","authors":["11746"],"categories":["news_8"],"tags":["news_21534","news_3252","news_1682","news_20004","news_20003","news_19345","news_6229","news_38"],"featImg":"news_11876858","label":"news"},"news_11810441":{"type":"posts","id":"news_11810441","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"news","id":"11810441","score":null,"sort":[1586008833000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"home-baked-how-pot-brownies-brought-some-relief-during-the-aids-epidemic","title":"Home Baked: How Pot Brownies Brought Some Relief During the AIDS Epidemic","publishDate":1586008833,"format":"audio","headTitle":"California Foodways | The California Report Magazine | KQED News","labelTerm":{"term":26731,"site":"news"},"content":"\u003cp>The coronavirus is on all of our minds, and for some, it \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11808367/coronavirus-lessons-from-veterans-of-the-aids-epidemic\">brings back memories \u003c/a>of another public health crisis, where the federal government was slow to respond and communities had to take care of each other: the AIDS epidemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One woman who became an unexpected caregiver is Meridy Volz. Starting in the 1970s, she ran a bakery called Sticky Fingers Brownies. \"The business changed,\" Meridy says. \"It went from something fun and lightweight to something that was a lifeline.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Meridy Moves Out West\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Meridy arrived in San Francisco in 1975, just in time to have her mind blown on Polk Street on Halloween. “It was filled with costumes and color and drag queens and energy,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meridy was ready for a scene like this. She’d already been an artist and activist in Milwaukee, protesting for gay liberation and against the war in Vietnam.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And San Francisco was like a land of promise: — liberal and artistic and free,\" she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meridy was a working artist, but needed a little more income, so she joined a friend selling baked goods and coffee on Fisherman’s Wharf. Today, the wharf is a tourist trap, but back then, it was a haven for street artists, selling handcrafted jewelry and knickknacks on little card tables.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Barbara Hartman-Jenichen, former baker at Sticky Fingers\"]'It was that whole time, that whole era, everything seemed magical. Walking next to cops on the wharf and you've got magic brownies in your bag and you know, and you feel protected.'[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her friend carried a Guatemalan pouch of marijuana brownies over her shoulder, and that quickly became the most lucrative part of her business. When she decided to move to Europe, she offered the business to Meridy. Like every decision in her life, Meridy consulted an ancient Chinese text, the \"I Ching,\" used for guidance and wisdom, which involved tossing a brass coin six times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I picked up the coins and I tossed a hexagram,” she says, and then asked, ‘Is it correct to start to sell brownies?’ And very quickly, my answer became clear that this was my destiny.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Sticky Fingers Is Born\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>There was one little problem: Meridy couldn’t cook. But luckily, she met Barbara Hartman-Jenichen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Barb had been a costumer for a prominent San Francisco theater, but pretty soon she quit that job and started baking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She remembers making a lot more than brownies. “Pumpkin bread, blueberry muffins, some little peanut butter things called space balls, cranberry orange bread.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One evening after handling brownies all day, Barb had an idea: “I held my hands up and said, ‘sticky fingers,’ and boom, that was the name of the business.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The name was perfect: a little sweet, a little dirty, and a little rock 'n' roll.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11810549\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1497px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11810549\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42515_Pic-003_Barb-and-Mer-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1497\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42515_Pic-003_Barb-and-Mer-qut.jpg 1497w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42515_Pic-003_Barb-and-Mer-qut-160x128.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42515_Pic-003_Barb-and-Mer-qut-800x641.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42515_Pic-003_Barb-and-Mer-qut-1020x818.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1497px) 100vw, 1497px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Barb and Meridy smile together. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Meridy Volz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The artists at Fisherman’s Wharf started sending Meridy to gallery owners and shop owners in the neighborhood, who sent her to other store owners. Pretty soon, Sticky Fingers was delivering to small businesses all over the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What can I tell you? Fools have no fear,” says Barb. “It was that whole time, that whole era, everything seemed magical. Walking next to cops on the wharf and you've got magic brownies in your bag and you know, and you feel protected. I never felt threatened at all.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They consulted the \"I Ching\" over every decision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I mean we wouldn't even go to a bar without tossing a hexagram,” says Barb.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Meridy Volz\"]'There were beautiful boys everywhere. There was a style: There were sideburns and mutton chops and mustaches. They were draped over cars and leaning on buildings and sitting on steps.'[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By this time, Meridy was making money. She had good friends and time to paint. The one area of her life that felt unfulfilled was her love life. So Barb set her up on a blind date.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He had been going to UC Berkeley, but he dropped out to go to the Berkeley Psychic Institute. He was also a painter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Doug Volz went to Meridy’s house and saw her at the top of these long Victorian stairs, with light beaming behind her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was a very strong impression,” he says. “And that first week with her I did more drugs than I'd done in my life previously up until that point in time. It was pretty wild.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They moved in together almost right away, into a firetrap of a warehouse in San Francisco’s Mission District, and Doug joined Sticky Fingers Brownies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11810559\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 489px\">\u003cimg class=\" wp-image-11810559\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42510_orange-and-blue2-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"489\" height=\"620\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42510_orange-and-blue2-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42510_orange-and-blue2-qut-160x203.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42510_orange-and-blue2-qut-800x1014.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42510_orange-and-blue2-qut-1020x1293.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 489px) 100vw, 489px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Sticky Fingers crew dressed up in outrageous outfits to deliver their brownies around San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Meridy Volz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>A New Neighborhood Route\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Barb went back to working in theater, so Sticky Fingers hired a new baker, Carmen Vigil, who ramped up production to about 10,000 brownies per month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Which makes you wonder, why would they draw so much attention to themselves if they’re doing something illegal?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Doug explains, matter-of-factly, “The way to be invisible in a situation is to stand out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’d deliver the brownies wearing outrageous outfits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11810565\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 404px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-11810565\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42512_Bag-2-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"404\" height=\"730\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42512_Bag-2-qut.jpg 1785w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42512_Bag-2-qut-160x289.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42512_Bag-2-qut-800x1446.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42512_Bag-2-qut-1020x1843.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 404px) 100vw, 404px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Meridy and Doug made hand-drawn designs for the bags the brownies came in. One has a cowboy riding a brownie like a bucking bronco. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Meridy Volz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Dressing up played really well in her newest neighborhood route: the Castro. It was the destination of people from across America who wanted to come out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There were beautiful boys everywhere,” says Meridy. “There was a style: There were sideburns and mutton chops and mustaches. They were draped over cars and leaning on buildings and sitting on steps. Lovely men everywhere.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She also hand delivered to Castro resident Sylvester, known as the Queen of Disco. Sylvester’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyAHULpMXKQ\">breakout hit, \"Mighty Real,\"\u003c/a> was playing all over the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meridy says, “He always had an entourage, and there'd be Sylvester, generally in lounging pajamas or kimono, and they'd buy a massive amount of brownies.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sticky Fingers Brownies became so popular in the Castro that Meridy could hardly keep up, so her friends at a neighborhood hotspot called the Village Deli started selling them from behind the counter, friends like Dan Clowry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Mer was just coming by with a big smile and her beautiful eyes. I always thought she looked like a mermaid or like a peacock feather,” Dan says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dan moved to San Francisco on June 11, 1978. He drove his Oldsmobile convertible into the neighborhood and saw the iconic Castro theater sign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I had such a feeling of excitement and thrill,\" Dan says. \"I could tell I was starting a new life. And I wasn't disappointed.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Within hours, Dan landed a job at the Village Deli. “And by the end of the day I was stoned on brownies,\" he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By this time, Meridy was lugging more than brownies around. In late 1977, she and Doug had a baby daughter, Alia. Meridy would push the baby stroller with brownie bags hanging off the sides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They could have been diaper bags! It was a good place to hang the brownies. They were heavy,” she says. She carried up to 40 dozen brownies at a time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dan says the fact that everyone knew they could pick up Sticky Fingers Brownies at the Village Deli gave the cafe a bit of celebrity status. “This added to the the general feeling of euphoria in the Castro at the time.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11810562\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 381px\">\u003cimg class=\" wp-image-11810562\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42508_8.-Me-and-Dad-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"381\" height=\"553\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42508_8.-Me-and-Dad-qut.jpg 705w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42508_8.-Me-and-Dad-qut-160x232.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 381px) 100vw, 381px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Doug Volz hold his daughter, Alia. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Meridy Volz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>'It All Came Crashing Down'\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Gay liberation politics were hot and happening in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meridy frequented most of the stores in the neighborhood, including Castro Camera. It was a tiny, cluttered photo shop, that also served as campaign and organizing headquarters for Harvey Milk, who was becoming the most iconic figure of the gay liberation movement. Harvey had sworn off drugs when he got into politics, but that didn’t mean his employees or campaign volunteers abstained.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dan remembers, “You know, I got there in June of ‘78, so I only had, what, four or five months of euphoria, then it all came crashing down.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In late November, a young Dianne Feinstein made a \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NikqzmwbgU\">now-famous statement to the press,\u003c/a> “As President of the Board of Supervisors, it’s my duty to make this announcement. Both Mayor Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk have been shot and killed. The suspect is Supervisor Dan White.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can remember standing in the warehouse and going, ‘Oh, my God,'” Meridy says. “I could feel the earth shift.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dan remembers, “You could feel the shock, the stillness on Castro Street.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At nightfall, a silent candlelight vigil went from Castro Street down to City Hall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"a message on the last bag of Sticky Fingers Brownies\"]'Give it up and you get it all, power to the people, we love you, Sticky Fingers Brownies.'[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The candlelight march was one of the most powerful things I've ever been involved in,” Dan says. “It just was the start of a whole new feeling in the Castro. Then it became anger and shock and rebellion.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The neighborhood changed, the city changed, and the Volz family began to change. The \"I Ching\" hexagrams Meridy threw took an ominous turn. “Suddenly I'm getting hexagrams like shock, thunder, the abysmal,\" she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With other marijuana busts happening in San Francisco, Meridy and Doug thought they’d get caught. Meridy says, when they announced they were closing Sticky Fingers Brownies, people started to panic buy. Offers poured in from people who wanted to buy the business, or buy the recipe, or buy the customer list. Meridy says the \"I Ching\" hexagrams kept giving the same answer: not right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They decided to give away the recipe. So on that last bag, they printed the recipe and Meridy wrote in cursive: “Give it up and you get it all, power to the people, we love you, Sticky Fingers Brownies.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11810548\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1358px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11810548\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42518_Scan_20200401-6-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1358\" height=\"1057\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42518_Scan_20200401-6-qut.jpg 1358w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42518_Scan_20200401-6-qut-160x125.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42518_Scan_20200401-6-qut-800x623.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42518_Scan_20200401-6-qut-1020x794.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1358px) 100vw, 1358px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brownies wrapped, ready for delivery. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Meridy Volz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>A Changing Castro\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Meridy, Doug and little Alia moved up to a town called Willits in Mendocino County, but with no plan for making a living.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Pretty soon it seemed obvious that our money, whatever we had, was running out. It was a matter of months,” says Meridy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She started making monthly runs back down to San Francisco, often with Alia in tow, staying at Beck’s Motor Lodge on the edge of the Castro. It was on these monthly runs that Meridy first started noticing little purple lesions on customers’ skin. It wouldn’t be long before the brownies became much more than a money-making venture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I believe it was 1981, during my run in the Castro. I walked past Star Pharmacy and saw a poster that had somebody showing their lesions with Kaposi, and it was talking about the 'gay cancer,' ” says Meridy. The “gay cancer” soon became known as AIDS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The vibe in the Castro began to change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“No longer was that kind of sea of pretty men draped over cars and sitting on steps,” says Meridy. “There was a fear. It was palpable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From his post at the Village Deli, Dan Clowry watched the AIDS epidemic unfold. [aside postID=\"news_11808367\" label=\"Looking to the Past\" hero=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/03/1920_Silverman-1020x574.jpg\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was taking people out right and left,\" Dan says. \"I was one of the lucky ones.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dan started to see his role change from restaurant manager to care-taker. He wanted to make sure his customers were comfortable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There was a lot of shame, and I just did my best to try to not make people feel ashamed,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One day, one of Dan’s regular customers came in, his head swollen and purple like a grape.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You could just barely see who he was. But he was always a character in the neighborhood, someone who loved to dress up in 1940s military uniforms. And even with his head being all swollen up, he would dress himself up in his outfits and he'd put that little cap on the top of his head and he'd come to the door knowing that I was gonna be there and say, ‘Girl, you look fabulous today.’ You could see him just straighten up and feel, for a few minutes, it wasn’t nearly as bad,” Dan says, tearing up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meridy started losing friends, too. First acquaintances, lovers of friends, and then her best friend, Phillip.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Phillip was beautiful, with the kind of smile where his whole face smiles,” she says. “One minute we were going to the opera, the next minute he was dead.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AIDS was still not well understood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They didn't know if that was airborne or to the touch,” says Meridy, “and for me, I didn't care. I was just there to help. I wasn't there to judge. I wasn't there to be afraid. And you had to put your big girl panties on for this. Being in the middle of that plague, my gut never let me down there. I always felt that I would be safe. And that Alia would be safe.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Alia Volz\"]'Pot brownies weren’t going to save anyone’s life over the long term but it brought them relief, and there wasn’t a lot of relief in those days.'[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the AIDS epidemic killed tens of thousands of people, President Ronald Reagan refused to talk about it for years. Throughout the entire AIDS crisis, there was \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/lgbtq-history-month-early-days-america-s-aids-crisis-n919701\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">chronic underfunding and a lack of government support\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the San Francisco General Hospital opened the first AIDS ward in the country, and activism took many forms. People delivered meals, created hospices, supported emergency funds. Cleve Jones started the \u003ca href=\"https://aidsmemorial.org/theaidsquilt-learnmore/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NAMES Project, \u003c/a>putting together a massive quilt that would appeal to mainstream America. Though it started in New York, the advocacy group ACT UP staged \u003ca href=\"https://48hills.org/2015/06/the-week-act-up-shut-sf-down/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">highly visible protests\u003c/a> in San Francisco, too, and campaigned to get early access to experimental drugs and to make sure that when these drugs came out, they’d be affordable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dan Clowry says, “When they did come up with AZT, that was the only thing they had. Every place you went in the Castro you would hear ‘doo doo doo doo doo,’ because everybody had the little beeper with their pills in it. Every four hours they had to take their pills. Restaurants, movies, bars, you would just keep hearing: ‘doo doo doo doo doo.’ ”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It became clear that AZT wasn’t effective in the long term. It extended some people’s lives for a period, but it was also highly toxic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People were sick from the cures,” says Meridy, “and brownies were the one thing that helped.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the '70s, Sticky Fingers Brownies was all about partying, making art and being subversive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The brownies became something else, when AIDS hit,” Meridy says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It became a calling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It helped with depression,” she says. “It helped with the side effects of the drugs. It helped caregivers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dan says he would give a sick friend a small piece of a brownie, “and then we'd go out for dinner. It was great for an appetite stimulant.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the '90s, Dan left the Village Deli and became a nurse. He eventually helped open the AIDS unit at Mount Zion hospital, “and I ended up using that experience in my nursing because we would let people smoke marijuana out the windows of the hospital. Anything we could do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11810567\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1335px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11810567\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42516_Scan_20200401-10-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1335\" height=\"1060\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42516_Scan_20200401-10-qut.jpg 1335w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42516_Scan_20200401-10-qut-160x127.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42516_Scan_20200401-10-qut-800x635.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42516_Scan_20200401-10-qut-1020x810.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1335px) 100vw, 1335px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">\"The Wrapettes,\" preparing the brownies for delivery. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Meridy Volz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Finding a Purpose in Providing Some Relief\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>When Alia was 9, her parents divorced. Mother and daughter moved back to San Francisco, and Alia was deemed old enough to help bake, and sometimes she went with her mom on deliveries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“During the AIDS crisis, there were a lot of home deliveries,” says Meridy. At this point she’d been delivering to Sylvester at his house for a decade. “After a while delivering at Sylvester's, I only dealt with his entourage, when he got really sick.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s another delivery that's really vivid in my mind,” says Alia. “There was a couple, friends of Sylvester’s, who lived in a beautiful Victorian.” She remembers the man who came to the door being so emaciated she could see every bone in his body.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I did not know what we were walking into,” says Meridy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alia says, when she entered the couple’s living room, she noticed a photograph on the mantle. “They were on a beach with their arms around each other, sand on their shoulders, and smiling.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There was a bed in the middle of the room. “It took a while for me to register that what I thought was a pile of blankets on the bed was a person,” Alia says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The caregiver was sick and the guy in the bed was on his last leg,” says Meridy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alia says, “His caretaker who was also his partner, who was also dying, woke him up to say, ‘I’ve got those brownies and it’ll make you feel better.’ After that, when I helped my mom bake on the weekends, there was a new reason to do it. Pot brownies weren’t going to save anyone’s life over the long term but it brought them relief, and there wasn’t a lot of relief in those days.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=\"pop_103422\" label=\"Stepping Up In a Time of Need\" hero=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2018/06/Ruth-Brinker-1020x574.jpg\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, first lady Nancy Reagan had started the \"Just Say No\" advertising campaign during the war on drugs. Alia sat through assemblies at school and saw PSAs on television. “Remember that egg hitting a frying pan?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meridy stayed under the radar. She never got caught. But other people involved with getting marijuana to people with AIDS did jail time and took the fight for medical marijuana public. One of those people was Brownie Mary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meridy remembers her as being kind of conservative. “She kind of looked like the church lady down the block, you know,\" Meridy says. \"You wouldn't look at her and say, ‘Criminal, right there.’ ”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Around this time, protease inhibitors came on the market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They started to have some medicines that seem to be — in some way — helping people live longer with it,” Meridy says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the next two years, Meridy watched cannabis clubs proliferate throughout San Francisco and realized her brownies just weren’t as necessary as they had been. She left San Francisco and has been making art full time ever since. She’s 72 now, living in Desert Hot Springs, where she paints and teaches art to teenagers and retirees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In California today, the adult use of cannabis is legal, but Meridy says she’s totally out of the game, only taking an edible occasionally when she’s at home painting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She doesn’t talk about the old days that much, but since Alia just wrote a book about her mom’s life, Meridy’s starting to have to reveal her San Francisco days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alia says her childhood was unconventional, “But I was nurtured, I was cared for, and I was surrounded by an enormous amount of love.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meridy had that same kind of love for her friends and her community, Alia says, and that led her to do the risky work of making and selling marijuana brownies to help ease the suffering of people with AIDS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meridy still finds the AIDS crisis stunning. “I look back at how many beautiful people passed. It was a dangerous time, but in this case, it wasn't a thrill out of danger. It became a sense of, ‘Well, I have a purpose here in this. There's something I could do to help a little, relieve a little pain.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Alia Volz’s memoir, \"\u003ca href=\"https://aliavolz.com/\">Home Baked\u003c/a>: My Mom, Marijuana, and the Stoning of San Francisco,\" comes out on 4/20, 2020.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://californiafoodways.com/\">California Foodways\u003c/a> is supported by \u003ca href=\"https://calhum.org/\">California Humanities\u003c/a>, and the \u003ca href=\"https://thefern.org/\">Food and Environment Reporting Network\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"Meridy Volz became an unexpected source of comfort to people suffering from AIDS in the 1980s with her San Francisco baking business, Sticky Fingers Brownies.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1586217013,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":104,"wordCount":3578},"headData":{"title":"Home Baked: How Pot Brownies Brought Some Relief During the AIDS Epidemic | KQED","description":"Meridy Volz became an unexpected source of comfort to people suffering from AIDS in the 1980s with her San Francisco baking business, Sticky Fingers Brownies.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":""},"disqusIdentifier":"11810441 https://ww2.kqed.org/news/?p=11810441","disqusUrl":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2020/04/04/home-baked-how-pot-brownies-brought-some-relief-during-the-aids-epidemic/","disqusTitle":"Home Baked: How Pot Brownies Brought Some Relief During the AIDS Epidemic","path":"/news/11810441/home-baked-how-pot-brownies-brought-some-relief-during-the-aids-epidemic","audioUrl":"https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/tcrmag/2020/04/TCRPM20200403.mp3","audioDuration":1741000,"audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The coronavirus is on all of our minds, and for some, it \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11808367/coronavirus-lessons-from-veterans-of-the-aids-epidemic\">brings back memories \u003c/a>of another public health crisis, where the federal government was slow to respond and communities had to take care of each other: the AIDS epidemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One woman who became an unexpected caregiver is Meridy Volz. Starting in the 1970s, she ran a bakery called Sticky Fingers Brownies. \"The business changed,\" Meridy says. \"It went from something fun and lightweight to something that was a lifeline.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Meridy Moves Out West\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Meridy arrived in San Francisco in 1975, just in time to have her mind blown on Polk Street on Halloween. “It was filled with costumes and color and drag queens and energy,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meridy was ready for a scene like this. She’d already been an artist and activist in Milwaukee, protesting for gay liberation and against the war in Vietnam.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And San Francisco was like a land of promise: — liberal and artistic and free,\" she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meridy was a working artist, but needed a little more income, so she joined a friend selling baked goods and coffee on Fisherman’s Wharf. Today, the wharf is a tourist trap, but back then, it was a haven for street artists, selling handcrafted jewelry and knickknacks on little card tables.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"'It was that whole time, that whole era, everything seemed magical. Walking next to cops on the wharf and you've got magic brownies in your bag and you know, and you feel protected.'","name":"pullquote","attributes":{"named":{"size":"medium","align":"right","citation":"Barbara Hartman-Jenichen, former baker at Sticky Fingers","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her friend carried a Guatemalan pouch of marijuana brownies over her shoulder, and that quickly became the most lucrative part of her business. When she decided to move to Europe, she offered the business to Meridy. Like every decision in her life, Meridy consulted an ancient Chinese text, the \"I Ching,\" used for guidance and wisdom, which involved tossing a brass coin six times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I picked up the coins and I tossed a hexagram,” she says, and then asked, ‘Is it correct to start to sell brownies?’ And very quickly, my answer became clear that this was my destiny.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Sticky Fingers Is Born\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>There was one little problem: Meridy couldn’t cook. But luckily, she met Barbara Hartman-Jenichen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Barb had been a costumer for a prominent San Francisco theater, but pretty soon she quit that job and started baking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She remembers making a lot more than brownies. “Pumpkin bread, blueberry muffins, some little peanut butter things called space balls, cranberry orange bread.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One evening after handling brownies all day, Barb had an idea: “I held my hands up and said, ‘sticky fingers,’ and boom, that was the name of the business.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The name was perfect: a little sweet, a little dirty, and a little rock 'n' roll.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11810549\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1497px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11810549\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42515_Pic-003_Barb-and-Mer-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1497\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42515_Pic-003_Barb-and-Mer-qut.jpg 1497w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42515_Pic-003_Barb-and-Mer-qut-160x128.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42515_Pic-003_Barb-and-Mer-qut-800x641.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42515_Pic-003_Barb-and-Mer-qut-1020x818.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1497px) 100vw, 1497px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Barb and Meridy smile together. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Meridy Volz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The artists at Fisherman’s Wharf started sending Meridy to gallery owners and shop owners in the neighborhood, who sent her to other store owners. Pretty soon, Sticky Fingers was delivering to small businesses all over the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What can I tell you? Fools have no fear,” says Barb. “It was that whole time, that whole era, everything seemed magical. Walking next to cops on the wharf and you've got magic brownies in your bag and you know, and you feel protected. I never felt threatened at all.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They consulted the \"I Ching\" over every decision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I mean we wouldn't even go to a bar without tossing a hexagram,” says Barb.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"'There were beautiful boys everywhere. There was a style: There were sideburns and mutton chops and mustaches. They were draped over cars and leaning on buildings and sitting on steps.'","name":"pullquote","attributes":{"named":{"size":"medium","align":"right","citation":"Meridy Volz","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By this time, Meridy was making money. She had good friends and time to paint. The one area of her life that felt unfulfilled was her love life. So Barb set her up on a blind date.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He had been going to UC Berkeley, but he dropped out to go to the Berkeley Psychic Institute. He was also a painter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Doug Volz went to Meridy’s house and saw her at the top of these long Victorian stairs, with light beaming behind her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was a very strong impression,” he says. “And that first week with her I did more drugs than I'd done in my life previously up until that point in time. It was pretty wild.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They moved in together almost right away, into a firetrap of a warehouse in San Francisco’s Mission District, and Doug joined Sticky Fingers Brownies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11810559\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 489px\">\u003cimg class=\" wp-image-11810559\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42510_orange-and-blue2-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"489\" height=\"620\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42510_orange-and-blue2-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42510_orange-and-blue2-qut-160x203.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42510_orange-and-blue2-qut-800x1014.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42510_orange-and-blue2-qut-1020x1293.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 489px) 100vw, 489px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Sticky Fingers crew dressed up in outrageous outfits to deliver their brownies around San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Meridy Volz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>A New Neighborhood Route\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Barb went back to working in theater, so Sticky Fingers hired a new baker, Carmen Vigil, who ramped up production to about 10,000 brownies per month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Which makes you wonder, why would they draw so much attention to themselves if they’re doing something illegal?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Doug explains, matter-of-factly, “The way to be invisible in a situation is to stand out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’d deliver the brownies wearing outrageous outfits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11810565\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 404px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-11810565\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42512_Bag-2-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"404\" height=\"730\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42512_Bag-2-qut.jpg 1785w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42512_Bag-2-qut-160x289.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42512_Bag-2-qut-800x1446.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42512_Bag-2-qut-1020x1843.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 404px) 100vw, 404px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Meridy and Doug made hand-drawn designs for the bags the brownies came in. One has a cowboy riding a brownie like a bucking bronco. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Meridy Volz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Dressing up played really well in her newest neighborhood route: the Castro. It was the destination of people from across America who wanted to come out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There were beautiful boys everywhere,” says Meridy. “There was a style: There were sideburns and mutton chops and mustaches. They were draped over cars and leaning on buildings and sitting on steps. Lovely men everywhere.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She also hand delivered to Castro resident Sylvester, known as the Queen of Disco. Sylvester’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyAHULpMXKQ\">breakout hit, \"Mighty Real,\"\u003c/a> was playing all over the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meridy says, “He always had an entourage, and there'd be Sylvester, generally in lounging pajamas or kimono, and they'd buy a massive amount of brownies.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sticky Fingers Brownies became so popular in the Castro that Meridy could hardly keep up, so her friends at a neighborhood hotspot called the Village Deli started selling them from behind the counter, friends like Dan Clowry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Mer was just coming by with a big smile and her beautiful eyes. I always thought she looked like a mermaid or like a peacock feather,” Dan says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dan moved to San Francisco on June 11, 1978. He drove his Oldsmobile convertible into the neighborhood and saw the iconic Castro theater sign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I had such a feeling of excitement and thrill,\" Dan says. \"I could tell I was starting a new life. And I wasn't disappointed.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Within hours, Dan landed a job at the Village Deli. “And by the end of the day I was stoned on brownies,\" he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By this time, Meridy was lugging more than brownies around. In late 1977, she and Doug had a baby daughter, Alia. Meridy would push the baby stroller with brownie bags hanging off the sides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They could have been diaper bags! It was a good place to hang the brownies. They were heavy,” she says. She carried up to 40 dozen brownies at a time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dan says the fact that everyone knew they could pick up Sticky Fingers Brownies at the Village Deli gave the cafe a bit of celebrity status. “This added to the the general feeling of euphoria in the Castro at the time.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11810562\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 381px\">\u003cimg class=\" wp-image-11810562\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42508_8.-Me-and-Dad-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"381\" height=\"553\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42508_8.-Me-and-Dad-qut.jpg 705w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42508_8.-Me-and-Dad-qut-160x232.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 381px) 100vw, 381px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Doug Volz hold his daughter, Alia. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Meridy Volz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>'It All Came Crashing Down'\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Gay liberation politics were hot and happening in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meridy frequented most of the stores in the neighborhood, including Castro Camera. It was a tiny, cluttered photo shop, that also served as campaign and organizing headquarters for Harvey Milk, who was becoming the most iconic figure of the gay liberation movement. Harvey had sworn off drugs when he got into politics, but that didn’t mean his employees or campaign volunteers abstained.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dan remembers, “You know, I got there in June of ‘78, so I only had, what, four or five months of euphoria, then it all came crashing down.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In late November, a young Dianne Feinstein made a \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NikqzmwbgU\">now-famous statement to the press,\u003c/a> “As President of the Board of Supervisors, it’s my duty to make this announcement. Both Mayor Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk have been shot and killed. The suspect is Supervisor Dan White.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can remember standing in the warehouse and going, ‘Oh, my God,'” Meridy says. “I could feel the earth shift.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dan remembers, “You could feel the shock, the stillness on Castro Street.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At nightfall, a silent candlelight vigil went from Castro Street down to City Hall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"'Give it up and you get it all, power to the people, we love you, Sticky Fingers Brownies.'","name":"pullquote","attributes":{"named":{"size":"medium","align":"right","citation":"a message on the last bag of Sticky Fingers Brownies","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The candlelight march was one of the most powerful things I've ever been involved in,” Dan says. “It just was the start of a whole new feeling in the Castro. Then it became anger and shock and rebellion.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The neighborhood changed, the city changed, and the Volz family began to change. The \"I Ching\" hexagrams Meridy threw took an ominous turn. “Suddenly I'm getting hexagrams like shock, thunder, the abysmal,\" she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With other marijuana busts happening in San Francisco, Meridy and Doug thought they’d get caught. Meridy says, when they announced they were closing Sticky Fingers Brownies, people started to panic buy. Offers poured in from people who wanted to buy the business, or buy the recipe, or buy the customer list. Meridy says the \"I Ching\" hexagrams kept giving the same answer: not right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They decided to give away the recipe. So on that last bag, they printed the recipe and Meridy wrote in cursive: “Give it up and you get it all, power to the people, we love you, Sticky Fingers Brownies.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11810548\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1358px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11810548\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42518_Scan_20200401-6-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1358\" height=\"1057\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42518_Scan_20200401-6-qut.jpg 1358w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42518_Scan_20200401-6-qut-160x125.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42518_Scan_20200401-6-qut-800x623.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42518_Scan_20200401-6-qut-1020x794.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1358px) 100vw, 1358px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brownies wrapped, ready for delivery. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Meridy Volz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>A Changing Castro\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Meridy, Doug and little Alia moved up to a town called Willits in Mendocino County, but with no plan for making a living.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Pretty soon it seemed obvious that our money, whatever we had, was running out. It was a matter of months,” says Meridy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She started making monthly runs back down to San Francisco, often with Alia in tow, staying at Beck’s Motor Lodge on the edge of the Castro. It was on these monthly runs that Meridy first started noticing little purple lesions on customers’ skin. It wouldn’t be long before the brownies became much more than a money-making venture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I believe it was 1981, during my run in the Castro. I walked past Star Pharmacy and saw a poster that had somebody showing their lesions with Kaposi, and it was talking about the 'gay cancer,' ” says Meridy. The “gay cancer” soon became known as AIDS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The vibe in the Castro began to change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“No longer was that kind of sea of pretty men draped over cars and sitting on steps,” says Meridy. “There was a fear. It was palpable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From his post at the Village Deli, Dan Clowry watched the AIDS epidemic unfold. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"news_11808367","label":"Looking to the Past ","hero":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/03/1920_Silverman-1020x574.jpg"},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was taking people out right and left,\" Dan says. \"I was one of the lucky ones.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dan started to see his role change from restaurant manager to care-taker. He wanted to make sure his customers were comfortable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There was a lot of shame, and I just did my best to try to not make people feel ashamed,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One day, one of Dan’s regular customers came in, his head swollen and purple like a grape.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You could just barely see who he was. But he was always a character in the neighborhood, someone who loved to dress up in 1940s military uniforms. And even with his head being all swollen up, he would dress himself up in his outfits and he'd put that little cap on the top of his head and he'd come to the door knowing that I was gonna be there and say, ‘Girl, you look fabulous today.’ You could see him just straighten up and feel, for a few minutes, it wasn’t nearly as bad,” Dan says, tearing up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meridy started losing friends, too. First acquaintances, lovers of friends, and then her best friend, Phillip.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Phillip was beautiful, with the kind of smile where his whole face smiles,” she says. “One minute we were going to the opera, the next minute he was dead.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AIDS was still not well understood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They didn't know if that was airborne or to the touch,” says Meridy, “and for me, I didn't care. I was just there to help. I wasn't there to judge. I wasn't there to be afraid. And you had to put your big girl panties on for this. Being in the middle of that plague, my gut never let me down there. I always felt that I would be safe. And that Alia would be safe.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"'Pot brownies weren’t going to save anyone’s life over the long term but it brought them relief, and there wasn’t a lot of relief in those days.'","name":"pullquote","attributes":{"named":{"size":"medium","align":"right","citation":"Alia Volz","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the AIDS epidemic killed tens of thousands of people, President Ronald Reagan refused to talk about it for years. Throughout the entire AIDS crisis, there was \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/lgbtq-history-month-early-days-america-s-aids-crisis-n919701\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">chronic underfunding and a lack of government support\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the San Francisco General Hospital opened the first AIDS ward in the country, and activism took many forms. People delivered meals, created hospices, supported emergency funds. Cleve Jones started the \u003ca href=\"https://aidsmemorial.org/theaidsquilt-learnmore/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NAMES Project, \u003c/a>putting together a massive quilt that would appeal to mainstream America. Though it started in New York, the advocacy group ACT UP staged \u003ca href=\"https://48hills.org/2015/06/the-week-act-up-shut-sf-down/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">highly visible protests\u003c/a> in San Francisco, too, and campaigned to get early access to experimental drugs and to make sure that when these drugs came out, they’d be affordable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dan Clowry says, “When they did come up with AZT, that was the only thing they had. Every place you went in the Castro you would hear ‘doo doo doo doo doo,’ because everybody had the little beeper with their pills in it. Every four hours they had to take their pills. Restaurants, movies, bars, you would just keep hearing: ‘doo doo doo doo doo.’ ”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It became clear that AZT wasn’t effective in the long term. It extended some people’s lives for a period, but it was also highly toxic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People were sick from the cures,” says Meridy, “and brownies were the one thing that helped.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the '70s, Sticky Fingers Brownies was all about partying, making art and being subversive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The brownies became something else, when AIDS hit,” Meridy says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It became a calling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It helped with depression,” she says. “It helped with the side effects of the drugs. It helped caregivers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dan says he would give a sick friend a small piece of a brownie, “and then we'd go out for dinner. It was great for an appetite stimulant.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the '90s, Dan left the Village Deli and became a nurse. He eventually helped open the AIDS unit at Mount Zion hospital, “and I ended up using that experience in my nursing because we would let people smoke marijuana out the windows of the hospital. Anything we could do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11810567\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1335px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11810567\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42516_Scan_20200401-10-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1335\" height=\"1060\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42516_Scan_20200401-10-qut.jpg 1335w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42516_Scan_20200401-10-qut-160x127.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42516_Scan_20200401-10-qut-800x635.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/RS42516_Scan_20200401-10-qut-1020x810.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1335px) 100vw, 1335px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">\"The Wrapettes,\" preparing the brownies for delivery. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Meridy Volz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Finding a Purpose in Providing Some Relief\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>When Alia was 9, her parents divorced. Mother and daughter moved back to San Francisco, and Alia was deemed old enough to help bake, and sometimes she went with her mom on deliveries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“During the AIDS crisis, there were a lot of home deliveries,” says Meridy. At this point she’d been delivering to Sylvester at his house for a decade. “After a while delivering at Sylvester's, I only dealt with his entourage, when he got really sick.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s another delivery that's really vivid in my mind,” says Alia. “There was a couple, friends of Sylvester’s, who lived in a beautiful Victorian.” She remembers the man who came to the door being so emaciated she could see every bone in his body.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I did not know what we were walking into,” says Meridy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alia says, when she entered the couple’s living room, she noticed a photograph on the mantle. “They were on a beach with their arms around each other, sand on their shoulders, and smiling.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There was a bed in the middle of the room. “It took a while for me to register that what I thought was a pile of blankets on the bed was a person,” Alia says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The caregiver was sick and the guy in the bed was on his last leg,” says Meridy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alia says, “His caretaker who was also his partner, who was also dying, woke him up to say, ‘I’ve got those brownies and it’ll make you feel better.’ After that, when I helped my mom bake on the weekends, there was a new reason to do it. Pot brownies weren’t going to save anyone’s life over the long term but it brought them relief, and there wasn’t a lot of relief in those days.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"pop_103422","label":"Stepping Up In a Time of Need ","hero":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2018/06/Ruth-Brinker-1020x574.jpg"},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, first lady Nancy Reagan had started the \"Just Say No\" advertising campaign during the war on drugs. Alia sat through assemblies at school and saw PSAs on television. “Remember that egg hitting a frying pan?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meridy stayed under the radar. She never got caught. But other people involved with getting marijuana to people with AIDS did jail time and took the fight for medical marijuana public. One of those people was Brownie Mary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meridy remembers her as being kind of conservative. “She kind of looked like the church lady down the block, you know,\" Meridy says. \"You wouldn't look at her and say, ‘Criminal, right there.’ ”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Around this time, protease inhibitors came on the market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They started to have some medicines that seem to be — in some way — helping people live longer with it,” Meridy says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the next two years, Meridy watched cannabis clubs proliferate throughout San Francisco and realized her brownies just weren’t as necessary as they had been. She left San Francisco and has been making art full time ever since. She’s 72 now, living in Desert Hot Springs, where she paints and teaches art to teenagers and retirees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In California today, the adult use of cannabis is legal, but Meridy says she’s totally out of the game, only taking an edible occasionally when she’s at home painting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She doesn’t talk about the old days that much, but since Alia just wrote a book about her mom’s life, Meridy’s starting to have to reveal her San Francisco days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alia says her childhood was unconventional, “But I was nurtured, I was cared for, and I was surrounded by an enormous amount of love.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meridy had that same kind of love for her friends and her community, Alia says, and that led her to do the risky work of making and selling marijuana brownies to help ease the suffering of people with AIDS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meridy still finds the AIDS crisis stunning. “I look back at how many beautiful people passed. It was a dangerous time, but in this case, it wasn't a thrill out of danger. It became a sense of, ‘Well, I have a purpose here in this. There's something I could do to help a little, relieve a little pain.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Alia Volz’s memoir, \"\u003ca href=\"https://aliavolz.com/\">Home Baked\u003c/a>: My Mom, Marijuana, and the Stoning of San Francisco,\" comes out on 4/20, 2020.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://californiafoodways.com/\">California Foodways\u003c/a> is supported by \u003ca href=\"https://calhum.org/\">California Humanities\u003c/a>, and the \u003ca href=\"https://thefern.org/\">Food and Environment Reporting Network\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11810441/home-baked-how-pot-brownies-brought-some-relief-during-the-aids-epidemic","authors":["3229"],"programs":["news_72","news_26731"],"series":["news_17045"],"categories":["news_223","news_24114","news_457","news_8"],"tags":["news_1510","news_21534","news_1511","news_102","news_431","news_24663"],"featImg":"news_11810556","label":"news_26731"},"news_11768015":{"type":"posts","id":"news_11768015","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"news","id":"11768015","score":null,"sort":[1566046865000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"gentrification-is-changing-iconic-gay-neighborhoods-in-l-a-and-s-f","title":"Gentrification is Changing Iconic Gay Neighborhoods in L.A. and S.F.","publishDate":1566046865,"format":"standard","headTitle":"The California Dream | The California Report | KQED News","labelTerm":{},"content":"\u003cp>Wedged snugly between two of the most popular gay bars on Santa Monica Boulevard is Block Party, the “gayest” store in West Hollywood, selling men’s tank tops, swimwear and short shorts, party-themed cowboy hats and everything Pride from rainbow beanie babies to vivid striped jumpsuits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On this stretch of what is loosely considered Boystown in the historically gay city, these three doors are some of the last gay-owned and gay-oriented businesses after a steady march of mainstream restaurants, bars and other retail have moved in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=\"news_11634601\" label=\"Bay Curious: A Changing Castro\" heroLink=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/12/iStock-183834678-1180x882.jpg\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We lost our community in the last three or four years,” said Larry Block from the sidewalk in front of his shop. Most of the other gay-owned clothing and retail owners have closed. Block opened Block Party in 2009 and has had retail businesses in West Hollywood for more than three decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He points to new restaurants and bars up and down the street that operate out of the former sites of gay men’s clothing stores. One of the oldest shops, Los Angeles Athletic Club, is having its final closing sale. Block places part of the blame on the city for freely issuing liquor licenses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This was the community in which the guys would come to shop. You know, gays like things a little tighter, a little shorter, a little skimpy or a little shearer. They like it a little sexier,” Block said. “Now, we’re just becoming a kind of big city. Money comes in, developments come in, restaurants come in.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Experts say gay neighborhoods, once a haven for mainly gay men, have been shifting for more than a decade, driven by gentrification and other social factors including a wider acceptance of LGBTQ community. To make matters even more complicated, and expensive, Zillow released research in May showing that gay neighborhoods are so popular that buyers pay a premium to get in, sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>California’s Biggest Enclave: West Hollywood\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>In California’s biggest enclave – the city of West Hollywood – change is afoot too, but it looks different, and the city is working hard to maintain much of its gay population and continues to keep them front and center in civic activities and benefits. The California dream many young gay people found there in the ’70s and ’80s, to be able to be themselves, to be safe and to be part of a community, is still alive albeit more expensive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size='medium' align='right' citation='Terry Beswick, executive director of the GLBT Historical Society']'There’s less necessity to move into gay neighborhoods for safety. We have more apps and online communities to find each other and find support for each other as we move into the post gay marriage era.'[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California has long sought to make itself a place to welcome people who would feel more marginalized in other places,” said Gary Gates, a retired UCLA professor who spent his career studying LGBT communities. “Apart from the Brady Bunch version of the California dream, it’s been one about people going to a new place to feel more free, open and accepted.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that is still true in West Hollywood where longtime LGBTQ residents and younger people just arriving or visiting find a sense of community even with all of the change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“West Hollywood is still our paradise,” Block said. “This is our Jerusalem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11768058\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/38600_transform-e1565988560246.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11768058\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/38600_transform-e1565988560246.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Manny Lopez tries on a sparkly sequined top at Block Party in West Hollywood. He's looking for the perfect tank to wear to the pride celebration in San Diego. He lives in San Bernardino but he treks to WeHo as often as he can for the “community” he feels from being a gay neighborhood. \u003ccite>(Elizabeth Aguilera/CALMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>A Hollowed-Out Castro\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>What is nipping at the edges of the gay community in West Hollywood has already swept through other gay neighborhoods across the country including Chelsea in New York, Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. and The Castro in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>High prices aren’t the only drivers of the change, said Alex Bitterman, professor and chair of architecture and design at Alfred State College in Upstate New York. Bitterman is co-writing a book about the evolution of gay neighborhoods and what factors are at play.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=\"news_11758014\" label=\"Through a Neighborhood Fixture's Eyes\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These neighborhoods that have beckoned LGBTQ youth for decades have also been impacted by technology which makes it easier to find community and relationships online, broader social acceptance and whether young people feel the need or desire to live in enclave neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The need to band together and to bolster one another is changing,” Bitterman said. “I don’t think it’s going away but the way we, as an isolated or ostracized community, gather is changing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In San Francisco’s Castro district, Terry Beswick, executive director of the GLBT Historical Society, sees the high housing prices and the greater acceptance across society as the biggest factors for the hollowing out of the Castro.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s less necessity to move into gay neighborhoods for safety,” he said. “We have more apps and online communities to find each other and find support for each other as we move into the post gay marriage era.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11634607\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/12/RS28194_Castro-2-qut-800x530.jpg\" alt=\"San Francisco's Castro District on Oct. 27, 2017. Many of the neighborhood's gay residents have been priced out in recent years.\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11634607\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/12/RS28194_Castro-2-qut-800x530.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/12/RS28194_Castro-2-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/12/RS28194_Castro-2-qut-1020x676.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/12/RS28194_Castro-2-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/12/RS28194_Castro-2-qut-1180x782.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/12/RS28194_Castro-2-qut-960x636.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/12/RS28194_Castro-2-qut-240x159.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/12/RS28194_Castro-2-qut-375x248.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/12/RS28194_Castro-2-qut-520x345.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco's Castro District on Oct. 27, 2017. Many of the neighborhood's gay residents have been priced out in recent years. \u003ccite>(Ryan Levi/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Change With a New Generation\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>But there is a generational difference, experts say.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Baby boomers and Gen Xer’s who created and flocked to gay neighborhoods grew up in a time when it was taboo to be gay and sometimes dangerous to reveal their sexual identity, even to family and friends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Young people are coming out in a different way, and what it means to them and how they live and the opportunities they have are different than previous generations. So their desire for exclusive gay options may be different than past generations,” said Gates. “They are growing up in a world that is quite different.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlike other places, West Hollywood has been able to maintain a healthy gay population and is committed to its mission as an LGBTQ city, said Mayor John D’Amico.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=\"news_11717648\" label=\"S.F.'s Tenderloin Establishes Trans District\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to city surveys, its population remains about 45% LGBTQ – mainly gay men. By and large gay neighborhoods were established by gay men and are home to very few lesbians, transgender folks and gays of color.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>West Hollywood is different because of its cityhood and that may be its saving grace, Gates said. It is able to do what bigger cities can’t, focus on the LGBTQ residents by providing services, support and events. The city is known for its gay-centric focus. It started the first registry of domestic partners, offers health services and has a HIV zero campaign to stop the transmission of the virus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was founded to be an LGBT haven,” Gates said. “It is unique among LGBT enclaves”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before it became a city, the 1.9 square-mile area was unincorporated and had been home to mobsters who served alcohol during the Prohibition, the first movie studio and, eventually, gay nightlife.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1984 it was incorporated as West Hollywood, home to more than 37,000 residents, many of them gay. It continues to be a beacon for LGBTQ folks, though it is much more expensive to move in than when D’Amico or councilwoman Lauren Meister arrived decades ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They want to be here either to live or to work,” said Meister, who is not LGBTQ. “We have that edge. But I think it’s changing, and it’s changing partly because of the housing; and I think it’s also changing partly because of acceptance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For West Hollywood, where gay couples, who can now marry and have families, may be leaving for more suburban environs and some seniors may be retiring elsewhere there are still many aging gay residents who plan to stay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That is creating a new moment in the city, said D’Amico.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>'We Got You'\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>“We haven’t lost our identify as an LGBTQ center for Los Angeles,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside tag=\"lgbtq\" label=\"More related coverage\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>D’Amico said there’s an assumption that the city isn’t as gay as it used to be but he says it’s just that younger, straight professionals who pull up a bar stool are more visible than the senior immigrants who have lived in the community previously.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Block is skeptical about the numbers the city touts. He has seen friends and neighbors move away – many to the latest gay mecca of Palm Springs – or to other parts of the city that are more affordable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s important, Block said, because there are still young people, who like him, show up to come out or to find a safe place. That’s true even if the city can’t provide cheap housing anymore.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We got you,” he said. “I mean, you’re amongst your own. I think that’s the most beautiful part of the community is that we are able to do that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The California Dream series is a statewide media collaboration of CALmatters, KPBS, KPCC, KQED and Capital Public Radio, with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the James Irvine Foundation and the College Futures Foundation.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/CADreamBanner-1-800x219.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11768052\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/CADreamBanner-1-800x219.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"219\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/CADreamBanner-1-800x219.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/CADreamBanner-1-800x219-160x44.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"Experts say gay neighborhoods, like S.F.'s Castro District, have been changing as home prices rise and cultural norms shift.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1565999008,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":42,"wordCount":1673},"headData":{"title":"Gentrification is Changing Iconic Gay Neighborhoods in L.A. and S.F. | KQED","description":"Experts say gay neighborhoods, like S.F.'s Castro District, have been changing as home prices rise and cultural norms shift.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":""},"disqusIdentifier":"11768015 https://ww2.kqed.org/news/?p=11768015","disqusUrl":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2019/08/17/gentrification-is-changing-iconic-gay-neighborhoods-in-l-a-and-s-f/","disqusTitle":"Gentrification is Changing Iconic Gay Neighborhoods in L.A. and S.F.","source":"CALmatters","sourceUrl":"https://calmatters.org/","nprByline":"\u003ca href= \"https://calmatters.org/author/elizabeth-aguilera/\"> Elizabeth Aguilera \u003ca/>","path":"/news/11768015/gentrification-is-changing-iconic-gay-neighborhoods-in-l-a-and-s-f","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Wedged snugly between two of the most popular gay bars on Santa Monica Boulevard is Block Party, the “gayest” store in West Hollywood, selling men’s tank tops, swimwear and short shorts, party-themed cowboy hats and everything Pride from rainbow beanie babies to vivid striped jumpsuits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On this stretch of what is loosely considered Boystown in the historically gay city, these three doors are some of the last gay-owned and gay-oriented businesses after a steady march of mainstream restaurants, bars and other retail have moved in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"news_11634601","label":"Bay Curious: A Changing Castro ","herolink":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/12/iStock-183834678-1180x882.jpg"},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We lost our community in the last three or four years,” said Larry Block from the sidewalk in front of his shop. Most of the other gay-owned clothing and retail owners have closed. Block opened Block Party in 2009 and has had retail businesses in West Hollywood for more than three decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He points to new restaurants and bars up and down the street that operate out of the former sites of gay men’s clothing stores. One of the oldest shops, Los Angeles Athletic Club, is having its final closing sale. Block places part of the blame on the city for freely issuing liquor licenses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This was the community in which the guys would come to shop. You know, gays like things a little tighter, a little shorter, a little skimpy or a little shearer. They like it a little sexier,” Block said. “Now, we’re just becoming a kind of big city. Money comes in, developments come in, restaurants come in.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Experts say gay neighborhoods, once a haven for mainly gay men, have been shifting for more than a decade, driven by gentrification and other social factors including a wider acceptance of LGBTQ community. To make matters even more complicated, and expensive, Zillow released research in May showing that gay neighborhoods are so popular that buyers pay a premium to get in, sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>California’s Biggest Enclave: West Hollywood\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>In California’s biggest enclave – the city of West Hollywood – change is afoot too, but it looks different, and the city is working hard to maintain much of its gay population and continues to keep them front and center in civic activities and benefits. The California dream many young gay people found there in the ’70s and ’80s, to be able to be themselves, to be safe and to be part of a community, is still alive albeit more expensive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"'There’s less necessity to move into gay neighborhoods for safety. We have more apps and online communities to find each other and find support for each other as we move into the post gay marriage era.'","name":"pullquote","attributes":{"named":{"size":"medium","align":"right","citation":"Terry Beswick, executive director of the GLBT Historical Society","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California has long sought to make itself a place to welcome people who would feel more marginalized in other places,” said Gary Gates, a retired UCLA professor who spent his career studying LGBT communities. “Apart from the Brady Bunch version of the California dream, it’s been one about people going to a new place to feel more free, open and accepted.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that is still true in West Hollywood where longtime LGBTQ residents and younger people just arriving or visiting find a sense of community even with all of the change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“West Hollywood is still our paradise,” Block said. “This is our Jerusalem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11768058\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/38600_transform-e1565988560246.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11768058\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/38600_transform-e1565988560246.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Manny Lopez tries on a sparkly sequined top at Block Party in West Hollywood. He's looking for the perfect tank to wear to the pride celebration in San Diego. He lives in San Bernardino but he treks to WeHo as often as he can for the “community” he feels from being a gay neighborhood. \u003ccite>(Elizabeth Aguilera/CALMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>A Hollowed-Out Castro\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>What is nipping at the edges of the gay community in West Hollywood has already swept through other gay neighborhoods across the country including Chelsea in New York, Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. and The Castro in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>High prices aren’t the only drivers of the change, said Alex Bitterman, professor and chair of architecture and design at Alfred State College in Upstate New York. Bitterman is co-writing a book about the evolution of gay neighborhoods and what factors are at play.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"news_11758014","label":"Through a Neighborhood Fixture's Eyes "},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These neighborhoods that have beckoned LGBTQ youth for decades have also been impacted by technology which makes it easier to find community and relationships online, broader social acceptance and whether young people feel the need or desire to live in enclave neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The need to band together and to bolster one another is changing,” Bitterman said. “I don’t think it’s going away but the way we, as an isolated or ostracized community, gather is changing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In San Francisco’s Castro district, Terry Beswick, executive director of the GLBT Historical Society, sees the high housing prices and the greater acceptance across society as the biggest factors for the hollowing out of the Castro.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s less necessity to move into gay neighborhoods for safety,” he said. “We have more apps and online communities to find each other and find support for each other as we move into the post gay marriage era.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11634607\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/12/RS28194_Castro-2-qut-800x530.jpg\" alt=\"San Francisco's Castro District on Oct. 27, 2017. Many of the neighborhood's gay residents have been priced out in recent years.\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11634607\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/12/RS28194_Castro-2-qut-800x530.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/12/RS28194_Castro-2-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/12/RS28194_Castro-2-qut-1020x676.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/12/RS28194_Castro-2-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/12/RS28194_Castro-2-qut-1180x782.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/12/RS28194_Castro-2-qut-960x636.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/12/RS28194_Castro-2-qut-240x159.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/12/RS28194_Castro-2-qut-375x248.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/12/RS28194_Castro-2-qut-520x345.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco's Castro District on Oct. 27, 2017. Many of the neighborhood's gay residents have been priced out in recent years. \u003ccite>(Ryan Levi/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Change With a New Generation\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>But there is a generational difference, experts say.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Baby boomers and Gen Xer’s who created and flocked to gay neighborhoods grew up in a time when it was taboo to be gay and sometimes dangerous to reveal their sexual identity, even to family and friends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Young people are coming out in a different way, and what it means to them and how they live and the opportunities they have are different than previous generations. So their desire for exclusive gay options may be different than past generations,” said Gates. “They are growing up in a world that is quite different.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlike other places, West Hollywood has been able to maintain a healthy gay population and is committed to its mission as an LGBTQ city, said Mayor John D’Amico.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"news_11717648","label":"S.F.'s Tenderloin Establishes Trans District "},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to city surveys, its population remains about 45% LGBTQ – mainly gay men. By and large gay neighborhoods were established by gay men and are home to very few lesbians, transgender folks and gays of color.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>West Hollywood is different because of its cityhood and that may be its saving grace, Gates said. It is able to do what bigger cities can’t, focus on the LGBTQ residents by providing services, support and events. The city is known for its gay-centric focus. It started the first registry of domestic partners, offers health services and has a HIV zero campaign to stop the transmission of the virus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was founded to be an LGBT haven,” Gates said. “It is unique among LGBT enclaves”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before it became a city, the 1.9 square-mile area was unincorporated and had been home to mobsters who served alcohol during the Prohibition, the first movie studio and, eventually, gay nightlife.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1984 it was incorporated as West Hollywood, home to more than 37,000 residents, many of them gay. It continues to be a beacon for LGBTQ folks, though it is much more expensive to move in than when D’Amico or councilwoman Lauren Meister arrived decades ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They want to be here either to live or to work,” said Meister, who is not LGBTQ. “We have that edge. But I think it’s changing, and it’s changing partly because of the housing; and I think it’s also changing partly because of acceptance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For West Hollywood, where gay couples, who can now marry and have families, may be leaving for more suburban environs and some seniors may be retiring elsewhere there are still many aging gay residents who plan to stay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That is creating a new moment in the city, said D’Amico.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>'We Got You'\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>“We haven’t lost our identify as an LGBTQ center for Los Angeles,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"tag":"lgbtq","label":"More related coverage "},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>D’Amico said there’s an assumption that the city isn’t as gay as it used to be but he says it’s just that younger, straight professionals who pull up a bar stool are more visible than the senior immigrants who have lived in the community previously.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Block is skeptical about the numbers the city touts. He has seen friends and neighbors move away – many to the latest gay mecca of Palm Springs – or to other parts of the city that are more affordable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s important, Block said, because there are still young people, who like him, show up to come out or to find a safe place. That’s true even if the city can’t provide cheap housing anymore.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We got you,” he said. “I mean, you’re amongst your own. I think that’s the most beautiful part of the community is that we are able to do that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The California Dream series is a statewide media collaboration of CALmatters, KPBS, KPCC, KQED and Capital Public Radio, with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the James Irvine Foundation and the College Futures Foundation.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/CADreamBanner-1-800x219.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11768052\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/CADreamBanner-1-800x219.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"219\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/CADreamBanner-1-800x219.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/CADreamBanner-1-800x219-160x44.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11768015/gentrification-is-changing-iconic-gay-neighborhoods-in-l-a-and-s-f","authors":["byline_news_11768015"],"programs":["news_72"],"series":["news_21879"],"categories":["news_223","news_1758","news_6266","news_8"],"tags":["news_21840","news_21534","news_3252","news_4613","news_82","news_20004","news_20003"],"affiliates":["news_18481"],"featImg":"news_11768137","label":"source_news_11768015"},"news_11758014":{"type":"posts","id":"news_11758014","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"news","id":"11758014","score":null,"sort":[1561831437000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"meet-the-flower-guy-whos-watched-the-castro-change-over-38-years","title":"Meet the Flower Guy Who's Watched the Castro Change Over 38 Years","publishDate":1561831437,"format":"audio","headTitle":"The California Report | KQED News","labelTerm":{"term":72,"site":"news"},"content":"\u003cp>Wearing a baseball cap patterned with bright, colorful flowers, \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/pages/Guys-Flowers/227347704057025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Guy Clark\u003c/a> is arranging bouquets of tulips, sunflowers and peonies. It's a sunny morning at his flower stand at the corner of 15th and Noe in San Francisco's Gay Mecca, the Castro District.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These are called daylilies,” he explains, pointing to the first bouquet lined against the wall. \"The color is so vibrant. I love these pink ones — I got them because of Pride Week.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clark has been selling flowers on this exact corner for the last 38 years. He's witnessed the evolution of the Pride movement, the AIDS epidemic and most recently, gentrification throughout the Castro.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though the neighborhood has undergone many changes since Clark set up shop in 1981, his presence on this Castro corner has been a constant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every day when I wake up I'm so excited to get out here and just tantalize the community with these beauties,” Clark says with a laugh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Indeed, a visit to Clark’s flower stand not only involves admiring customers of all ages, but also frequent greetings with locals he's befriended over the years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11758020\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11758020\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37778__M6A0607-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37778__M6A0607-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37778__M6A0607-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37778__M6A0607-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37778__M6A0607-qut-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37778__M6A0607-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Guy Clark and a customer on the corner of 15th and Noe, where Clark has been selling flowers for 38 years. \"It's like giving out gold,\" he says. \u003ccite>(Stephanie Lister/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“You see that little guy right there?” asks Clark, pointing to a toddler in a stroller pushed by his grandmother. “I remember his father when he was a little kid; they used to come down the street and I would teach him his colors. This is the second generation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The 1970s San Francisco Scene Blooms\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Guy Clark calls it “a magical moment in history” when he first arrived in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was the time of hippies — free love all over the place. And I think it was around one of the first gay parades. Men, women, children — it was almost mandatory at that time that you go to the parade.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clark also remembers the small-town, family feel that permeated San Francisco’s queer scene back in those days. He says Castro Street wasn’t the queer center it is now; other San Francisco neighborhoods like North Beach and Polk Street had notable queer communities, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You know, back in the day we used to call it 'Mecca,' ” says Clark about San Francisco. “If you really wanted to live your life fully you come to ‘Mecca’ because you could be yourself here. It was like a home.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clark spent his nights at local hubs like the I-Beam, a gay nightclub in Haight-Ashbury, which closed in 1994. He remembers bringing his instruments, playing with conga drummers and dancing onstage to numbers by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13854644/how-the-world-caught-up-to-sylvester\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sylvester\u003c/a>, whose No. 1 hit on Billboard’s dance music chart, “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyAHULpMXKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)\u003c/a>” set the soundtrack for local queer liberation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Sylvester became an emblem of gay pride for people in the Castro District and around the country, so did his back up singers, the \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Weather_Girls\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Weather Girls\u003c/a>, who found their own fame with their 1982 No. 1 hit, “It’s Raining Men.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5aZJBLAu1E\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"That was the song of the day,” laughs Clark. “It was almost like a theme song, an anthem. People just went berserk.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco and the Castro have undergone dramatic changes since Clark first started selling flowers here. Still, he insists that the area maintains some of its old charm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It's still the same,” he says. “I see people from all over the world coming to San Francisco to enjoy the type of life we have here, the freedom we have here. You can’t be yourself everywhere.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Giving Away Flowers Through the AIDS Crisis \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clark was selling flowers as the AIDS epidemic swept the gay community in the 1980s and '90s -- an era in which the San Francisco Department of Public Health \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfdph.org/dph/files/reports/RptsHIVAIDS/HIVAIDAnnlRpt1999.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reported\u003c/a> the disease killed more than 18,000 people in the city\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clark explains that the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebar.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bay Area Reporter\u003c/a>, the country’s longest continuously published LGBTQ newspaper, offered a resource for the San Francisco’s gay community as the disease spread through the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every week people would look through [the paper] for the obituaries,” says Clark. “It went from one inch to the whole page, and then two pages.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11758019\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11758019\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37777__M6A0599-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37777__M6A0599-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37777__M6A0599-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37777__M6A0599-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37777__M6A0599-qut-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37777__M6A0599-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">During the AIDS epidemic, Clark gave away flowers to gay community members who were rapidly losing their loves ones to the disease. \u003ccite>(Stephanie Lister/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He says it was common to see a familiar face at his flower stand one week, only to find their picture in an obituary a few weeks later. He also remembers men approaching him after losing a partner to AIDS, asking if he would help them arrange flowers for their funeral.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“‘I don't have a lot of money, but I really want it to be beautiful,' ” he recalls them saying.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I told them, ‘We'll pull out all the stops. We'll make sure your lover gets to the other side in dignity and beauty,’ ” says Clark. “I just started doing one funeral after the next after the next after the next.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clark says he began giving away flowers for funerals weekly while also joining the local community in organized acts of resistance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We protested. We marched. We did everything we possibly could,” he says. “And some of us survived. We were able to share the meaning of humanity. We just held hands, and hugs, and prayed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That went on for years, until the number of people dying of AIDS began to decline in 1995.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When the obituaries went back down to just a few names, it was a sigh of relief,” says Clark with a sigh himself. “We we could finally see through the clouds of AIDS. We could finally see the sun shining.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>A Gentrifying Castro\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clark used to live just four doors down from his flower stand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Best commute in the world,” he says, pointing to a yellow building just a stone’s throw from where he still works. He remembers the avocado tree in the back, which he planted himself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At that time I thought everything was written in stone, that this is the way it's going to be.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, Clark says that after 28 years, he received notice that he’d have to leave the apartment building during a major renovation. Though the landlord told Clark that tenants would be allowed to return to the building, Clark says he was unable to afford the hike in rent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I just didn't have a million dollars,” says Clark, who was homeless for a time after that. “It wasn't that I didn't have money; I couldn't find an affordable place to live in San Francisco anymore.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clark says he spent some time living in a property manager’s garage, but was eventually asked to leave that space as well. After losing both his dad and his home in the span of a year, Clark says he was “ready for the bridge.” Today, he credits his enduring relationships with his loyal customers for helping him recover from his depression.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I was evicted out of [my apartment] I was so bitter, I was so angry,” he says. “Finally when I realized that my home and my garage didn't define who I am, it made me stronger. It made me more resilient. I can still sell flowers. I’ve still got my permit, and it did get better. I don't have as many flowers, but I've got more customers. And it seems like it worked out for the best.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Becoming A Neighborhood Fixture\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After 38 years on the corner of 15th and Noe, Clark has become a local icon who is always willing to greet customers with blooms, bubbles and a smile.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11758023\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-11758023 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37781__M6A0627-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37781__M6A0627-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37781__M6A0627-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37781__M6A0627-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37781__M6A0627-qut-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37781__M6A0627-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Clark in front of his flower stand on a sunny San Francisco morning in June 2019. \u003ccite>(Stephanie Lister/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Clark says he feels “like the uncle” and has story after story of adult customers he’s known since childhood. He says his flower stand has even introduced him to celebrity customers like Bobby McFerrin and Tracy Chapman.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked what his plans for the future, Clark says retirement isn’t in the cards for him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I bought a ukulele and I have a guitar,” Clark says. He plans on bringing his instruments to the flower stand to sing songs for his customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If I die out here selling flowers, what a way to go!\" he laughs. \"Right to heaven from the flower stand.”\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"Guy Clark has sold flowers on this exact corner in San Francisco’s Castro District for 38 years.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1567110603,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":true,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":44,"wordCount":1523},"headData":{"title":"Meet the Flower Guy Who's Watched the Castro Change Over 38 Years | KQED","description":"Guy Clark has sold flowers on this exact corner in San Francisco’s Castro District for 38 years.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":""},"disqusIdentifier":"11758014 https://ww2.kqed.org/news/?p=11758014","disqusUrl":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2019/06/29/meet-the-flower-guy-whos-watched-the-castro-change-over-38-years/","disqusTitle":"Meet the Flower Guy Who's Watched the Castro Change Over 38 Years","audioUrl":"https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/tcr/2019/07/GuyClarkNewVErsion.mp3","audioTrackLength":338,"path":"/news/11758014/meet-the-flower-guy-whos-watched-the-castro-change-over-38-years","audioDuration":351000,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Wearing a baseball cap patterned with bright, colorful flowers, \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/pages/Guys-Flowers/227347704057025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Guy Clark\u003c/a> is arranging bouquets of tulips, sunflowers and peonies. It's a sunny morning at his flower stand at the corner of 15th and Noe in San Francisco's Gay Mecca, the Castro District.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These are called daylilies,” he explains, pointing to the first bouquet lined against the wall. \"The color is so vibrant. I love these pink ones — I got them because of Pride Week.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clark has been selling flowers on this exact corner for the last 38 years. He's witnessed the evolution of the Pride movement, the AIDS epidemic and most recently, gentrification throughout the Castro.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though the neighborhood has undergone many changes since Clark set up shop in 1981, his presence on this Castro corner has been a constant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every day when I wake up I'm so excited to get out here and just tantalize the community with these beauties,” Clark says with a laugh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Indeed, a visit to Clark’s flower stand not only involves admiring customers of all ages, but also frequent greetings with locals he's befriended over the years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11758020\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11758020\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37778__M6A0607-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37778__M6A0607-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37778__M6A0607-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37778__M6A0607-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37778__M6A0607-qut-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37778__M6A0607-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Guy Clark and a customer on the corner of 15th and Noe, where Clark has been selling flowers for 38 years. \"It's like giving out gold,\" he says. \u003ccite>(Stephanie Lister/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“You see that little guy right there?” asks Clark, pointing to a toddler in a stroller pushed by his grandmother. “I remember his father when he was a little kid; they used to come down the street and I would teach him his colors. This is the second generation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The 1970s San Francisco Scene Blooms\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Guy Clark calls it “a magical moment in history” when he first arrived in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was the time of hippies — free love all over the place. And I think it was around one of the first gay parades. Men, women, children — it was almost mandatory at that time that you go to the parade.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clark also remembers the small-town, family feel that permeated San Francisco’s queer scene back in those days. He says Castro Street wasn’t the queer center it is now; other San Francisco neighborhoods like North Beach and Polk Street had notable queer communities, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You know, back in the day we used to call it 'Mecca,' ” says Clark about San Francisco. “If you really wanted to live your life fully you come to ‘Mecca’ because you could be yourself here. It was like a home.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clark spent his nights at local hubs like the I-Beam, a gay nightclub in Haight-Ashbury, which closed in 1994. He remembers bringing his instruments, playing with conga drummers and dancing onstage to numbers by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13854644/how-the-world-caught-up-to-sylvester\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sylvester\u003c/a>, whose No. 1 hit on Billboard’s dance music chart, “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyAHULpMXKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)\u003c/a>” set the soundtrack for local queer liberation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Sylvester became an emblem of gay pride for people in the Castro District and around the country, so did his back up singers, the \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Weather_Girls\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Weather Girls\u003c/a>, who found their own fame with their 1982 No. 1 hit, “It’s Raining Men.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/l5aZJBLAu1E'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/l5aZJBLAu1E'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\"That was the song of the day,” laughs Clark. “It was almost like a theme song, an anthem. People just went berserk.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco and the Castro have undergone dramatic changes since Clark first started selling flowers here. Still, he insists that the area maintains some of its old charm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It's still the same,” he says. “I see people from all over the world coming to San Francisco to enjoy the type of life we have here, the freedom we have here. You can’t be yourself everywhere.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Giving Away Flowers Through the AIDS Crisis \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clark was selling flowers as the AIDS epidemic swept the gay community in the 1980s and '90s -- an era in which the San Francisco Department of Public Health \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfdph.org/dph/files/reports/RptsHIVAIDS/HIVAIDAnnlRpt1999.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reported\u003c/a> the disease killed more than 18,000 people in the city\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clark explains that the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebar.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bay Area Reporter\u003c/a>, the country’s longest continuously published LGBTQ newspaper, offered a resource for the San Francisco’s gay community as the disease spread through the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every week people would look through [the paper] for the obituaries,” says Clark. “It went from one inch to the whole page, and then two pages.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11758019\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11758019\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37777__M6A0599-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37777__M6A0599-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37777__M6A0599-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37777__M6A0599-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37777__M6A0599-qut-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37777__M6A0599-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">During the AIDS epidemic, Clark gave away flowers to gay community members who were rapidly losing their loves ones to the disease. \u003ccite>(Stephanie Lister/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He says it was common to see a familiar face at his flower stand one week, only to find their picture in an obituary a few weeks later. He also remembers men approaching him after losing a partner to AIDS, asking if he would help them arrange flowers for their funeral.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“‘I don't have a lot of money, but I really want it to be beautiful,' ” he recalls them saying.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I told them, ‘We'll pull out all the stops. We'll make sure your lover gets to the other side in dignity and beauty,’ ” says Clark. “I just started doing one funeral after the next after the next after the next.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clark says he began giving away flowers for funerals weekly while also joining the local community in organized acts of resistance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We protested. We marched. We did everything we possibly could,” he says. “And some of us survived. We were able to share the meaning of humanity. We just held hands, and hugs, and prayed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That went on for years, until the number of people dying of AIDS began to decline in 1995.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When the obituaries went back down to just a few names, it was a sigh of relief,” says Clark with a sigh himself. “We we could finally see through the clouds of AIDS. We could finally see the sun shining.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>A Gentrifying Castro\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clark used to live just four doors down from his flower stand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Best commute in the world,” he says, pointing to a yellow building just a stone’s throw from where he still works. He remembers the avocado tree in the back, which he planted himself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At that time I thought everything was written in stone, that this is the way it's going to be.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, Clark says that after 28 years, he received notice that he’d have to leave the apartment building during a major renovation. Though the landlord told Clark that tenants would be allowed to return to the building, Clark says he was unable to afford the hike in rent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I just didn't have a million dollars,” says Clark, who was homeless for a time after that. “It wasn't that I didn't have money; I couldn't find an affordable place to live in San Francisco anymore.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clark says he spent some time living in a property manager’s garage, but was eventually asked to leave that space as well. After losing both his dad and his home in the span of a year, Clark says he was “ready for the bridge.” Today, he credits his enduring relationships with his loyal customers for helping him recover from his depression.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I was evicted out of [my apartment] I was so bitter, I was so angry,” he says. “Finally when I realized that my home and my garage didn't define who I am, it made me stronger. It made me more resilient. I can still sell flowers. I’ve still got my permit, and it did get better. I don't have as many flowers, but I've got more customers. And it seems like it worked out for the best.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Becoming A Neighborhood Fixture\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After 38 years on the corner of 15th and Noe, Clark has become a local icon who is always willing to greet customers with blooms, bubbles and a smile.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11758023\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-11758023 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37781__M6A0627-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37781__M6A0627-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37781__M6A0627-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37781__M6A0627-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37781__M6A0627-qut-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/RS37781__M6A0627-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Clark in front of his flower stand on a sunny San Francisco morning in June 2019. \u003ccite>(Stephanie Lister/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Clark says he feels “like the uncle” and has story after story of adult customers he’s known since childhood. He says his flower stand has even introduced him to celebrity customers like Bobby McFerrin and Tracy Chapman.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked what his plans for the future, Clark says retirement isn’t in the cards for him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I bought a ukulele and I have a guitar,” Clark says. He plans on bringing his instruments to the flower stand to sing songs for his customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If I die out here selling flowers, what a way to go!\" he laughs. \"Right to heaven from the flower stand.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11758014/meet-the-flower-guy-whos-watched-the-castro-change-over-38-years","authors":["11580"],"programs":["news_72"],"categories":["news_223","news_6266","news_8"],"tags":["news_1510","news_21534","news_3252","news_4613","news_38"],"featImg":"news_11758027","label":"news_72"}},"programsReducer":{"possible":{"id":"possible","title":"Possible","info":"Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.","airtime":"SUN 2pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.possible.fm/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"Possible"},"link":"/radio/program/possible","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/possible/id1677184070","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"}},"1a":{"id":"1a","title":"1A","info":"1A is home to the national conversation. 1A brings on great guests and frames the best debate in ways that make you think, share and engage.","airtime":"MON-THU 11pm-12am","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/1a.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://the1a.org/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/1a","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/RBrW","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=1188724250&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/1A-p947376/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510316/podcast.xml"}},"all-things-considered":{"id":"all-things-considered","title":"All Things Considered","info":"Every weekday, \u003cem>All Things Considered\u003c/em> hosts Robert Siegel, Audie Cornish, Ari Shapiro, and Kelly McEvers present the program's trademark mix of news, interviews, commentaries, reviews, and offbeat features. Michel Martin hosts on the weekends.","airtime":"MON-FRI 1pm-2pm, 4:30pm-6:30pm\u003cbr />SAT-SUN 5pm-6pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/All-Things-Considered-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/all-things-considered"},"american-suburb-podcast":{"id":"american-suburb-podcast","title":"American Suburb: The Podcast","tagline":"The flip side of gentrification, told through one town","info":"Gentrification is changing cities across America, forcing people from neighborhoods they have long called home. Call them the displaced. Now those priced out of the Bay Area are looking for a better life in an unlikely place. American Suburb follows this migration to one California town along the Delta, 45 miles from San Francisco. But is this once sleepy suburb ready for them?","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/American-Suburb-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"/news/series/american-suburb-podcast","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"13"},"link":"/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/RBrW","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=1287748328","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/American-Suburb-p1086805/","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/feed/podcast","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMzMDExODgxNjA5"}},"baycurious":{"id":"baycurious","title":"Bay Curious","tagline":"Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time","info":"KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Bay-Curious-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","imageAlt":"\"KQED Bay Curious","officialWebsiteLink":"/news/series/baycurious","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"4"},"link":"/podcasts/baycurious","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/category/bay-curious-podcast/feed/podcast","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvbmV3cy9jYXRlZ29yeS9iYXktY3VyaW91cy1wb2RjYXN0L2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdA","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/bay-curious","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/6O76IdmhixfijmhTZLIJ8k"}},"bbc-world-service":{"id":"bbc-world-service","title":"BBC World Service","info":"The day's top stories from BBC News compiled twice daily in the week, once at weekends.","airtime":"MON-FRI 9pm-10pm, TUE-FRI 1am-2am","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BBC-World-Service-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_world_service","meta":{"site":"news","source":"BBC World Service"},"link":"/radio/program/bbc-world-service","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/global-news-podcast/id135067274?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/BBC-World-Service-p455581/","rss":"https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/p02nq0gn.rss"}},"code-switch-life-kit":{"id":"code-switch-life-kit","title":"Code Switch / Life Kit","info":"\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />","airtime":"SUN 9pm-10pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Code-Switch-Life-Kit-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","meta":{"site":"radio","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/code-switch-life-kit","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/1112190608?mt=2&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/3bExJ9JQpkwNhoHvaIIuyV","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510312/podcast.xml"}},"commonwealth-club":{"id":"commonwealth-club","title":"Commonwealth Club of California Podcast","info":"The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.","airtime":"THU 10pm, FRI 1am","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.commonwealthclub.org/podcasts","meta":{"site":"news","source":"Commonwealth Club of California"},"link":"/radio/program/commonwealth-club","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/commonwealth-club-of-california-podcast/id976334034?mt=2","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Commonwealth-Club-of-California-p1060/"}},"considerthis":{"id":"considerthis","title":"Consider This","tagline":"Make sense of the day","info":"Make sense of the day. Every weekday afternoon, Consider This helps you consider the major stories of the day in less than 15 minutes, featuring the reporting and storytelling resources of NPR. Plus, KQED’s Bianca Taylor brings you the local KQED news you need to know.","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Consider-This-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","imageAlt":"Consider This from NPR and KQED","officialWebsiteLink":"/podcasts/considerthis","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"7"},"link":"/podcasts/considerthis","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1503226625?mt=2&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/coronavirusdaily","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM1NS9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbA","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/3Z6JdCS2d0eFEpXHKI6WqH"}},"forum":{"id":"forum","title":"Forum","tagline":"The conversation starts here","info":"KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.","airtime":"MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","imageAlt":"KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal","officialWebsiteLink":"/forum","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"8"},"link":"/forum","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-forum/id73329719","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432307980/forum","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-forum-podcast","rss":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9557381633"}},"freakonomics-radio":{"id":"freakonomics-radio","title":"Freakonomics Radio","info":"Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png","officialWebsiteLink":"http://freakonomics.com/","airtime":"SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm","meta":{"site":"radio","source":"WNYC"},"link":"/radio/program/freakonomics-radio","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/","rss":"https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"}},"fresh-air":{"id":"fresh-air","title":"Fresh Air","info":"Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.","airtime":"MON-FRI 7pm-8pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Fresh-Air-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/","meta":{"site":"radio","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/fresh-air","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Fresh-Air-p17/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"}},"here-and-now":{"id":"here-and-now","title":"Here & Now","info":"A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.","airtime":"MON-THU 11am-12pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Here-And-Now-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/here-and-now","subsdcribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=426698661","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Here--Now-p211/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"}},"how-i-built-this":{"id":"how-i-built-this","title":"How I Built This with Guy Raz","info":"Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this","airtime":"SUN 7:30pm-8pm","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/how-i-built-this","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/How-I-Built-This-p910896/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"}},"inside-europe":{"id":"inside-europe","title":"Inside Europe","info":"Inside Europe, a one-hour weekly news magazine hosted by Helen Seeney and Keith Walker, explores the topical issues shaping the continent. No other part of the globe has experienced such dynamic political and social change in recent years.","airtime":"SAT 3am-4am","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Inside-Europe-Podcast-Tile-300x300-1.jpg","meta":{"site":"news","source":"Deutsche Welle"},"link":"/radio/program/inside-europe","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-europe/id80106806?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Inside-Europe-p731/","rss":"https://partner.dw.com/xml/podcast_inside-europe"}},"latino-usa":{"id":"latino-usa","title":"Latino USA","airtime":"MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm","info":"Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"http://latinousa.org/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/latino-usa","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/xtTd","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Latino-USA-p621/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"}},"live-from-here-highlights":{"id":"live-from-here-highlights","title":"Live from Here Highlights","info":"Chris Thile steps to the mic as the host of Live from Here (formerly A Prairie Home Companion), a live public radio variety show. Download Chris’s Song of the Week plus other highlights from the broadcast. Produced by American Public Media.","airtime":"SAT 6pm-8pm, SUN 11am-1pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Live-From-Here-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.livefromhere.org/","meta":{"site":"arts","source":"american public media"},"link":"/radio/program/live-from-here-highlights","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1167173941","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Live-from-Here-Highlights-p921744/","rss":"https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/a-prairie-home-companion-highlights/rss/rss"}},"marketplace":{"id":"marketplace","title":"Marketplace","info":"Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.","airtime":"MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.marketplace.org/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"American Public Media"},"link":"/radio/program/marketplace","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201853034&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/APM-Marketplace-p88/","rss":"https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"}},"mindshift":{"id":"mindshift","title":"MindShift","tagline":"A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids","info":"The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","imageAlt":"KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn","officialWebsiteLink":"/mindshift/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"2"},"link":"/podcasts/mindshift","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindshift-podcast/id1078765985","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/0MxSpNYZKNprFLCl7eEtyx"}},"morning-edition":{"id":"morning-edition","title":"Morning Edition","info":"\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.","airtime":"MON-FRI 3am-9am","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/morning-edition"},"onourwatch":{"id":"onourwatch","title":"On Our Watch","tagline":"Police secrets, unsealed","info":"For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","imageAlt":"On Our Watch from NPR and KQED","officialWebsiteLink":"/podcasts/onourwatch","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"1"},"link":"/podcasts/onourwatch","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw","npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/onourwatch","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/0OLWoyizopu6tY1XiuX70x","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/On-Our-Watch-p1436229/","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"}},"on-the-media":{"id":"on-the-media","title":"On The Media","info":"Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us","airtime":"SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm","meta":{"site":"news","source":"wnyc"},"link":"/radio/program/on-the-media","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/","rss":"http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"}},"our-body-politic":{"id":"our-body-politic","title":"Our Body Politic","info":"Presented by KQED, KCRW and KPCC, and created and hosted by award-winning journalist Farai Chideya, Our Body Politic is unapologetically centered on reporting on not just how women of color experience the major political events of today, but how they’re impacting those very issues.","airtime":"SAT 6pm-7pm, SUN 1am-2am","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Our-Body-Politic-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://our-body-politic.simplecast.com/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kcrw"},"link":"/radio/program/our-body-politic","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/our-body-politic/id1533069868","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9feGFQaHMxcw","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/4ApAiLT1kV153TttWAmqmc","rss":"https://feeds.simplecast.com/_xaPhs1s","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/Our-Body-Politic-p1369211/"}},"pbs-newshour":{"id":"pbs-newshour","title":"PBS NewsHour","info":"Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.","airtime":"MON-FRI 3pm-4pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"pbs"},"link":"/radio/program/pbs-newshour","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/","rss":"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"}},"perspectives":{"id":"perspectives","title":"Perspectives","tagline":"KQED's series of of daily listener commentaries since 1991","info":"KQED's series of of daily listener commentaries since 1991.","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Perspectives-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"/perspectives/","meta":{"site":"radio","source":"kqed","order":"15"},"link":"/perspectives","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id73801135","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432309616/perspectives","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/category/perspectives/feed/","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvcGVyc3BlY3RpdmVzL2NhdGVnb3J5L3BlcnNwZWN0aXZlcy9mZWVkLw"}},"planet-money":{"id":"planet-money","title":"Planet Money","info":"The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.","airtime":"SUN 3pm-4pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/sections/money/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/planet-money","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/M4f5","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Business--Economics-Podcasts/Planet-Money-p164680/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml"}},"politicalbreakdown":{"id":"politicalbreakdown","title":"Political Breakdown","tagline":"Politics from a personal perspective","info":"Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.","airtime":"THU 6:30pm-7pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","imageAlt":"KQED Political Breakdown","officialWebsiteLink":"/podcasts/politicalbreakdown","meta":{"site":"radio","source":"kqed","order":"11"},"link":"/podcasts/politicalbreakdown","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-breakdown/id1327641087","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5Nzk2MzI2MTEx","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/572155894/political-breakdown","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/political-breakdown","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/07RVyIjIdk2WDuVehvBMoN","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/political-breakdown/feed/podcast"}},"pri-the-world":{"id":"pri-the-world","title":"PRI's The World: Latest Edition","info":"Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.","airtime":"MON-FRI 2pm-3pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.pri.org/programs/the-world","meta":{"site":"news","source":"PRI"},"link":"/radio/program/pri-the-world","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pris-the-world-latest-edition/id278196007?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/PRIs-The-World-p24/","rss":"http://feeds.feedburner.com/pri/theworld"}},"radiolab":{"id":"radiolab","title":"Radiolab","info":"A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.","airtime":"SUN 12am-1am, SAT 2pm-3pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/radiolab1400.png","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/radiolab/","meta":{"site":"science","source":"WNYC"},"link":"/radio/program/radiolab","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/radiolab/id152249110?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/RadioLab-p68032/","rss":"https://feeds.wnyc.org/radiolab"}},"reveal":{"id":"reveal","title":"Reveal","info":"Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.","airtime":"SAT 4pm-5pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/reveal300px.png","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/reveal","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/reveal/id886009669","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Reveal-p679597/","rss":"http://feeds.revealradio.org/revealpodcast"}},"says-you":{"id":"says-you","title":"Says You!","info":"Public radio's game show of bluff and bluster, words and whimsy. The warmest, wittiest cocktail party - it's spirited and civil, brainy and boisterous, peppered with musical interludes. Fast paced and playful, it's the most fun you can have with language without getting your mouth washed out with soap. Our motto: It's not important to know the answers, it's important to like the answers!","airtime":"SUN 4pm-5pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Says-You-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"http://www.saysyouradio.com/","meta":{"site":"comedy","source":"Pipit and Finch"},"link":"/radio/program/says-you","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/says-you!/id1050199826","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Says-You-p480/","rss":"https://saysyou.libsyn.com/rss"}},"science-friday":{"id":"science-friday","title":"Science Friday","info":"Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide. Each week, the show focuses on science topics that are in the news and tries to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.","airtime":"FRI 11am-1pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Science-Friday-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/science-friday","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/science-friday","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=73329284&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Science-Friday-p394/","rss":"http://feeds.wnyc.org/science-friday"}},"science-podcast":{"id":"science-podcast","title":"KQED Science News","tagline":"From the lab, to your ears","info":"KQED Science explores science and environment news, trends, and events from the Bay Area and beyond.","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Science-News-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/category/science-podcast/","meta":{"site":"science","source":"kqed","order":"17"},"link":"/science/category/science-podcast","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqed-science-news/id214663465","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL2Jsb2dzLmtxZWQub3JnL3NjaWVuY2UvZmVlZC8","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed-science-news","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/category/science-podcast/feed/podcast"}},"selected-shorts":{"id":"selected-shorts","title":"Selected Shorts","info":"Spellbinding short stories by established and emerging writers take on a new life when they are performed by stars of the stage and screen.","airtime":"SAT 8pm-9pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Selected-Shorts-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.pri.org/programs/selected-shorts","meta":{"site":"arts","source":"pri"},"link":"/radio/program/selected-shorts","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=253191824&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Selected-Shorts-p31792/","rss":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/selectedshorts"}},"snap-judgment":{"id":"snap-judgment","title":"Snap Judgment","info":"Snap Judgment (Storytelling, with a BEAT) mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic, kick-ass radio. Snap’s raw, musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. WNYC studios is the producer of leading podcasts including Radiolab, Freakonomics Radio, Note To Self, Here’s The Thing With Alec Baldwin, and more.","airtime":"SAT 1pm-2pm, 9pm-10pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/snapJudgement.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://snapjudgment.org","meta":{"site":"arts","source":"WNYC"},"link":"/radio/program/snap-judgment","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=283657561&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Snap-Judgment-p243817/","rss":"https://feeds.feedburner.com/snapjudgment-wnyc"}},"soldout":{"id":"soldout","title":"SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America","tagline":"A new future for housing","info":"Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sold-Out-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","imageAlt":"KQED Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America","officialWebsiteLink":"/podcasts/soldout","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":3},"link":"/podcasts/soldout","subscribe":{"npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/911586047/s-o-l-d-o-u-t-a-new-future-for-housing","apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introducing-sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america/id1531354937","rss":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/soldout","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/38dTBSk2ISFoPiyYNoKn1X","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america","tunein":"https://tunein.com/radio/SOLD-OUT-Rethinking-Housing-in-America-p1365871/","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vc29sZG91dA"}},"ted-radio-hour":{"id":"ted-radio-hour","title":"TED Radio Hour","info":"The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ways to think and create.","airtime":"SUN 3pm-4pm, SAT 10pm-11pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/tedRadioHour.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/?showDate=2018-06-22","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/ted-radio-hour","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/8vsS","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=523121474&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/TED-Radio-Hour-p418021/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510298/podcast.xml"}},"tech-nation":{"id":"tech-nation","title":"Tech Nation Radio Podcast","info":"Tech Nation is a weekly public radio program, hosted by Dr. Moira Gunn. Founded in 1993, it has grown from a simple interview show to a multi-faceted production, featuring conversations with noted technology and science leaders, and a weekly science and technology-related commentary.","airtime":"FRI 10pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Tech-Nation-Radio-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"http://technation.podomatic.com/","meta":{"site":"science","source":"Tech Nation Media"},"link":"/radio/program/tech-nation","subscribe":{"rss":"https://technation.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"}},"thebay":{"id":"thebay","title":"The Bay","tagline":"Local news to keep you rooted","info":"Host Devin Katayama walks you through the biggest story of the day with reporters and newsmakers.","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Bay-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","imageAlt":"\"KQED The Bay","officialWebsiteLink":"/podcasts/thebay","meta":{"site":"radio","source":"kqed","order":"6"},"link":"/podcasts/thebay","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM4MjU5Nzg2MzI3","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/586725995/the-bay","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-bay","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/4BIKBKIujizLHlIlBNaAqQ","rss":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC8259786327"}},"californiareport":{"id":"californiareport","title":"The California Report","tagline":"California, day by day","info":"KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","imageAlt":"KQED The California Report","officialWebsiteLink":"/californiareport","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"9"},"link":"/californiareport","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-the-california-report/id79681292","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1MDAyODE4NTgz","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432285393/the-california-report","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-the-california-report-podcast-8838","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcram/feed/podcast"}},"californiareportmagazine":{"id":"californiareportmagazine","title":"The California Report Magazine","tagline":"Your state, your stories","info":"Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.","airtime":"FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Magazine-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"/californiareportmagazine","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"10"},"link":"/californiareportmagazine","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/564733126/the-california-report-magazine","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-california-report-magazine","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrmag/feed/podcast"}},"theleap":{"id":"theleap","title":"The Leap","tagline":"What if you closed your eyes, and jumped?","info":"Stories about people making dramatic, risky changes, told by award-winning public radio reporter Judy Campbell.","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Leap-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","imageAlt":"KQED The Leap","officialWebsiteLink":"/podcasts/theleap","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"14"},"link":"/podcasts/theleap","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leap/id1046668171","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM0NTcwODQ2MjY2","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/447248267/the-leap","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-leap","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/3sSlVHHzU0ytLwuGs1SD1U","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/programs/the-leap/feed/podcast"}},"masters-of-scale":{"id":"masters-of-scale","title":"Masters of Scale","info":"Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.","airtime":"Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://mastersofscale.com/","meta":{"site":"radio","source":"WaitWhat"},"link":"/radio/program/masters-of-scale","subscribe":{"apple":"http://mastersofscale.app.link/","rss":"https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"}},"the-moth-radio-hour":{"id":"the-moth-radio-hour","title":"The Moth Radio Hour","info":"Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. Since 2008, The Moth podcast has featured many of our favorite stories told live on Moth stages around the country. For information on all of our programs and live events, visit themoth.org.","airtime":"SAT 8pm-9pm and SUN 11am-12pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/theMoth.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://themoth.org/","meta":{"site":"arts","source":"prx"},"link":"/radio/program/the-moth-radio-hour","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-moth-podcast/id275699983?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/The-Moth-p273888/","rss":"http://feeds.themoth.org/themothpodcast"}},"the-new-yorker-radio-hour":{"id":"the-new-yorker-radio-hour","title":"The New Yorker Radio Hour","info":"The New Yorker Radio Hour is a weekly program presented by the magazine's editor, David Remnick, and produced by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker. Each episode features a diverse mix of interviews, profiles, storytelling, and an occasional burst of humor inspired by the magazine, and shaped by its writers, artists, and editors. This isn't a radio version of a magazine, but something all its own, reflecting the rich possibilities of audio storytelling and conversation. Theme music for the show was composed and performed by Merrill Garbus of tUnE-YArDs.","airtime":"SAT 10am-11am","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-New-Yorker-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/tnyradiohour","meta":{"site":"arts","source":"WNYC"},"link":"/radio/program/the-new-yorker-radio-hour","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1050430296","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/New-Yorker-Radio-Hour-p803804/","rss":"https://feeds.feedburner.com/newyorkerradiohour"}},"the-takeaway":{"id":"the-takeaway","title":"The Takeaway","info":"The Takeaway is produced in partnership with its national audience. It delivers perspective and analysis to help us better understand the day’s news. Be a part of the American conversation on-air and online.","airtime":"MON-THU 12pm-1pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Takeaway-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/takeaway","meta":{"site":"news","source":"WNYC"},"link":"/radio/program/the-takeaway","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-takeaway/id363143310?mt=2","tuneIn":"http://tunein.com/radio/The-Takeaway-p150731/","rss":"https://feeds.feedburner.com/takeawaypodcast"}},"this-american-life":{"id":"this-american-life","title":"This American Life","info":"This American Life is a weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 2.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media, delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards.","airtime":"SAT 12pm-1pm, 7pm-8pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/thisAmericanLife.png","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.thisamericanlife.org/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"wbez"},"link":"/radio/program/this-american-life","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201671138&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","rss":"https://www.thisamericanlife.org/podcast/rss.xml"}},"truthbetold":{"id":"truthbetold","title":"Truth Be Told","tagline":"Advice by and for people of color","info":"We’re the friend you call after a long day, the one who gets it. Through wisdom from some of the greatest thinkers of our time, host Tonya Mosley explores what it means to grow and thrive as a Black person in America, while discovering new ways of being that serve as a portal to more love, more healing, and more joy.","airtime":"","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Truth-Be-Told-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","imageAlt":"KQED Truth Be Told with Tonya Mosley","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.kqed.ord/podcasts/truthbetold","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr","order":"12"},"link":"/podcasts/truthbetold","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/truth-be-told/id1462216572","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvbmV3cy9jYXRlZ29yeS90cnV0aC1iZS10b2xkLXBvZGNhc3QvZmVlZA","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/719210818/truth-be-told","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=398170&refid=stpr","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/587DhwTBxke6uvfwDfaV5N"}},"wait-wait-dont-tell-me":{"id":"wait-wait-dont-tell-me","title":"Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!","info":"Peter Sagal and Bill Kurtis host the weekly NPR News quiz show alongside some of the best and brightest news and entertainment personalities.","airtime":"SUN 10am-11am, SAT 11am-12pm, SAT 6pm-7pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Wait-Wait-Podcast-Tile-300x300-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/wait-wait-dont-tell-me","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/Xogv","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=121493804&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Wait-Wait-Dont-Tell-Me-p46/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/344098539/podcast.xml"}},"washington-week":{"id":"washington-week","title":"Washington Week","info":"For 50 years, Washington Week has been the most intelligent and up to date conversation about the most important news stories of the week. Washington Week is the longest-running news and public affairs program on PBS and features journalists -- not pundits -- lending insight and perspective to the week's important news stories.","airtime":"SAT 1:30am-2am","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/washington-week.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"http://www.pbs.org/weta/washingtonweek/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"pbs"},"link":"/radio/program/washington-week","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/washington-week-audio-pbs/id83324702?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Current-Affairs/Washington-Week-p693/","rss":"http://feeds.pbs.org/pbs/weta/washingtonweek-audio"}},"weekend-edition-saturday":{"id":"weekend-edition-saturday","title":"Weekend Edition Saturday","info":"Weekend Edition Saturday wraps up the week's news and offers a mix of analysis and features on a wide range of topics, including arts, sports, entertainment, and human interest stories. The two-hour program is hosted by NPR's Peabody Award-winning Scott Simon.","airtime":"SAT 5am-10am","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-saturday/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/weekend-edition-saturday"},"weekend-edition-sunday":{"id":"weekend-edition-sunday","title":"Weekend Edition Sunday","info":"Weekend Edition Sunday features interviews with newsmakers, artists, scientists, politicians, musicians, writers, theologians and historians. The program has covered news events from Nelson Mandela's 1990 release from a South African prison to the capture of Saddam Hussein.","airtime":"SUN 5am-10am","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-sunday/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/weekend-edition-sunday"},"world-affairs":{"id":"world-affairs","title":"World Affairs","info":"The world as we knew it is undergoing a rapid transformation…so what's next? Welcome to WorldAffairs, your guide to a changing world. We give you the context you need to navigate across borders and ideologies. Through sound-rich stories and in-depth interviews, we break down what it means to be a global citizen on a hot, crowded planet. Our hosts, Ray Suarez, Teresa Cotsirilos and Philip Yun help you make sense of an uncertain world, one story at a time.","airtime":"MON 10pm, TUE 1am, SAT 3am","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/World-Affairs-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg ","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.worldaffairs.org/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"World Affairs"},"link":"/radio/program/world-affairs","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/world-affairs/id101215657?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/WorldAffairs-p1665/","rss":"https://worldaffairs.libsyn.com/rss"}},"on-shifting-ground":{"id":"on-shifting-ground","title":"On Shifting Ground with Ray Suarez","info":"Geopolitical turmoil. A warming planet. Authoritarians on the rise. We live in a chaotic world that’s rapidly shifting around us. “On Shifting Ground with Ray Suarez” explores international fault lines and how they impact us all. Each week, NPR veteran Ray Suarez hosts conversations with journalists, leaders and policy experts to help us read between the headlines – and give us hope for human resilience.","airtime":"MON 10pm, TUE 1am, SAT 3am","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2022/12/onshiftingground-600x600-1.png","officialWebsiteLink":"https://worldaffairs.org/radio-podcast/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"On Shifting Ground"},"link":"/radio/program/on-shifting-ground","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/on-shifting-ground/id101215657","rss":"https://feeds.libsyn.com/36668/rss"}},"hidden-brain":{"id":"hidden-brain","title":"Hidden Brain","info":"Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/hiddenbrain.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain","airtime":"SUN 7pm-8pm","meta":{"site":"news","source":"NPR"},"link":"/radio/program/hidden-brain","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-brain/id1028908750?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Science-Podcasts/Hidden-Brain-p787503/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510308/podcast.xml"}},"city-arts":{"id":"city-arts","title":"City Arts & Lectures","info":"A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.cityarts.net/","airtime":"SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am","meta":{"site":"news","source":"City Arts & Lectures"},"link":"https://www.cityarts.net","subscribe":{"tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/","rss":"https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"}},"white-lies":{"id":"white-lies","title":"White Lies","info":"In 1965, Rev. James Reeb was murdered in Selma, Alabama. Three men were tried and acquitted, but no one was ever held to account. Fifty years later, two journalists from Alabama return to the city where it happened, expose the lies that kept the murder from being solved and uncover a story about guilt and memory that says as much about America today as it does about the past.","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/White-Lies-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510343/white-lies","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/white-lies","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/whitelies","apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1462650519?mt=2&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM0My9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbA","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/12yZ2j8vxqhc0QZyRES3ft?si=LfWYEK6URA63hueKVxRLAw","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510343/podcast.xml"}},"rightnowish":{"id":"rightnowish","title":"Rightnowish","tagline":"Art is where you find it","info":"Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Rightnowish-Podcast-Tile-500x500-1.jpg","imageAlt":"KQED Rightnowish with Pendarvis Harshaw","officialWebsiteLink":"/podcasts/rightnowish","meta":{"site":"arts","source":"kqed","order":"5"},"link":"/podcasts/rightnowish","subscribe":{"npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/programs/rightnowish/feed/podcast","apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMxMjU5MTY3NDc4","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I"}},"jerrybrown":{"id":"jerrybrown","title":"The Political Mind of Jerry Brown","tagline":"Lessons from a lifetime in politics","info":"The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","imageAlt":"KQED The Political Mind of Jerry Brown","officialWebsiteLink":"/podcasts/jerrybrown","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"16"},"link":"/podcasts/jerrybrown","subscribe":{"npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/790253322/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/jerrybrown/feed/podcast/","tuneIn":"http://tun.in/pjGcK","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/54C1dmuyFyKMFttY6X2j6r?si=K8SgRCoISNK6ZbjpXrX5-w","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvbmV3cy9zZXJpZXMvamVycnlicm93bi9mZWVkL3BvZGNhc3Qv"}},"the-splendid-table":{"id":"the-splendid-table","title":"The Splendid Table","info":"\u003cem>The Splendid Table\u003c/em> hosts our nation's conversations about cooking, sustainability and food culture.","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Splendid-Table-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.splendidtable.org/","airtime":"SUN 10-11 pm","meta":{"site":"radio","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/the-splendid-table"}},"racesReducer":{"5921":{"id":"5921","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 7","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":158422,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.97,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:48 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Doris Matsui","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":89456,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Tom Silva","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":48920,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"David Mandel","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":20046,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-09T01:00:38.194Z"},"5922":{"id":"5922","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 8","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Rudy Recile","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"John Garamendi","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"5924":{"id":"5924","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 10","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":185034,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.07,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:48 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mark DeSaulnier","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":121265,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Katherine Piccinini","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":34883,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Nolan Chen","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":19459,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Joe Sweeney","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":7606,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Mohamed Elsherbini","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":1821,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-09T01:02:32.415Z"},"5926":{"id":"5926","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 12","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":153801,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.88,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 20, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:41 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Lateefah Simon","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":85905,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Jennifer Tran","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":22964,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Tony Daysog","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":17197,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Stephen Slauson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":9699,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Glenn Kaplan","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":6785,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Eric Wilson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":4243,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Abdur Sikder","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":2847,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Ned Nuerge","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":2532,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Andre Todd","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":1629,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-16T00:22:36.062Z"},"5928":{"id":"5928","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 14","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":125831,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.14,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 20, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:41 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Eric Swalwell","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":83989,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Vin Kruttiventi","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":22106,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Alison Hayden","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":11928,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Luis Reynoso","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":7808,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T00:51:36.366Z"},"5930":{"id":"5930","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 16","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":182135,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.91,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"April 3, 2024","timeUpdated":"3:04 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Sam Liccardo","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":38489,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Evan Low","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":30249,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Joe Simitian","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":30249,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Peter Ohtaki","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":23275,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Peter Dixon","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":14673,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Rishi Kumar","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":12377,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Karl Ryan","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":11557,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Julie Lythcott-Haims","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":11383,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Ahmed Mostafa","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":5811,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Greg Tanaka","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":2421,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Joby Bernstein","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":1651,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T00:32:05.002Z"},"5931":{"id":"5931","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 17","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":117534,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.92,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Ro Khanna","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":73941,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Anita Chen","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":31539,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Ritesh Tandon","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":5728,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Mario Ramirez","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":4491,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Joe Dehn","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"Lib","voteCount":1835,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-08T01:50:53.956Z"},"5932":{"id":"5932","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 18","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":96302,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.93,"eevp":98.83,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 25, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:47 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Zoe Lofgren","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":49323,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Peter Hernandez","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":31622,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Charlene Nijmeh","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":10614,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Lawrence Milan","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":2712,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Luele Kifle","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":2031,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T00:26:02.706Z"},"5963":{"id":"5963","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 2","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":139085,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.62,"eevp":98.6,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Michael Greer","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":38079,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Chris Rogers","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":27126,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Rusty Hicks","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":25615,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Ariel Kelley","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":19483,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Frankie Myers","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":17694,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Ted Williams","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":9550,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Cynthia Click","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":1538,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-22T21:38:36.711Z"},"5972":{"id":"5972","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 11","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":99775,"precinctsReportPercentage":99,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:48 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Lori Wilson","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":50085,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Dave Ennis","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":26074,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Wanda Wallis","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":14638,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jeffrey Flack","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":8978,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-08T02:01:24.524Z"},"5973":{"id":"5973","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 12","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":143532,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.19,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:38 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Damon Connolly","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":111275,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Andy Podshadley","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":17240,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Eryn Cervantes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":15017,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-21T00:25:32.262Z"},"5975":{"id":"5975","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 14","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":106997,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.06,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:48 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Buffy Wicks","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":78678,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Margot Smith","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":18251,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Utkarsh Jain","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":10068,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-15T01:30:34.539Z"},"5976":{"id":"5976","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 15","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":97144,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.98,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:48 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Sonia Ledo","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":30946,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Anamarie Farias","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":29512,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Monica Wilson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":24775,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Karen Mitchoff","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":11911,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-14T00:19:38.858Z"},"5977":{"id":"5977","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 16","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Joseph Rubay","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Rebecca Bauer-Kahan","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"5978":{"id":"5978","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 17","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":111003,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.99,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"8:25 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Matt Haney","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":90915,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Manuel Noris-Barrera","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":13843,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Otto Duke","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":6245,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T00:36:19.697Z"},"5979":{"id":"5979","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 18","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":86008,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.1,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 20, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:41 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mia Bonta","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":73040,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Andre Sandford","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"AIP","voteCount":4575,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Mindy Pechenuk","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":4389,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Cheyenne Kenney","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":4004,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T08:03:23.729Z"},"5980":{"id":"5980","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 19","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":113959,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.8,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Catherine Stefani","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":64960,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"David Lee","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":33035,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Nadia Flamenco","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":8335,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Arjun Sodhani","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":7629,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-11T23:50:23.109Z"},"5981":{"id":"5981","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 20","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 20, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:36 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Liz Ortega","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"5982":{"id":"5982","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 21","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mark Gilham","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Diane Papan","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"5984":{"id":"5984","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 23","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":116963,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.91,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Marc Berman","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":67106,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Lydia Kou","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":23699,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Gus Mattammal","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":13277,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Allan Marson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":12881,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T01:13:06.280Z"},"5987":{"id":"5987","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 26","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":72753,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.19,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Patrick Ahrens","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":25036,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Tara Sreekrishnan","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":19600,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Sophie Song","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":15954,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Omar Din","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":8772,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Bob Goodwyn","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"Lib","voteCount":2170,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Ashish Garg","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":1221,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-13T21:06:29.070Z"},"5989":{"id":"5989","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 28","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:10 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Gail Pellerin","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Liz Lawler","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"6010":{"id":"6010","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 49","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:36 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mike Fong","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Long Liu","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"6018":{"id":"6018","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 2","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":229348,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.05,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:38 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Jared Huffman","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":169005,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Chris Coulombe","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":37372,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Tief Gibbs","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":18437,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jolian Kangas","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":3166,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jason Brisendine","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":1368,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T00:46:10.103Z"},"6020":{"id":"6020","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 4","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":187640,"precinctsReportPercentage":96.32,"eevp":96.36,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mike Thompson","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":118147,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"John Munn","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":56232,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Andrew Engdahl","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":11202,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Niket Patwardhan","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":2059,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-07T00:30:57.980Z"},"6025":{"id":"6025","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 9","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":121271,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.17,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:10 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Josh Harder","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":60396,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Kevin Lincoln","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":36346,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"John McBride","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":15525,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Khalid Jafri","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":9004,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T00:49:44.113Z"},"6031":{"id":"6031","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 15","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Anna Kramer","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Kevin Mullin","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"6035":{"id":"6035","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 19","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":203670,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.11,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 25, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:47 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Jimmy Panetta","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":132540,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Jason Anderson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":58120,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Sean Dougherty","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"Grn","voteCount":13010,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-07T00:23:46.779Z"},"6066":{"id":"6066","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 3","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:10 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Jamie Gallagher","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Aaron Draper","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"6067":{"id":"6067","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 4","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Cecilia Aguiar-Curry","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"6087":{"id":"6087","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 24","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":66643,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.19,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Alex Lee","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":45544,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Bob Brunton","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":14951,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Marti Souza","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":6148,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-14T23:23:49.770Z"},"6088":{"id":"6088","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 25","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":69560,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.31,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Ash Kalra","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":35821,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Ted Stroll","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":18255,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Lan Ngo","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":15484,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-14T02:40:57.200Z"},"6092":{"id":"6092","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 29","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 25, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:47 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Robert Rivas","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"J.W. Paine","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"6223":{"id":"6223","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 46","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:16 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Lou Correa","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"David Pan","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"6530":{"id":"6530","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State Senate, District 3","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":222193,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.99,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:48 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Thom Bogue","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":61776,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Christopher Cabaldon","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":59041,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Rozzana Verder-Aliga","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":45546,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jackie Elward","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":41127,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jimih Jones","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":14703,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-15T01:24:31.539Z"},"6531":{"id":"6531","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State Senate, District 5","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":171623,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.09,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:10 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Jim Shoemaker","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":74935,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Jerry McNerney","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":57040,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Carlos Villapudua","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":39648,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-13T20:07:46.382Z"},"6532":{"id":"6532","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State Senate, District 7","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":192446,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.72,"eevp":98.78,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:48 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Jesse Arreguín","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":61837,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Jovanka Beckles","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":34025,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Dan Kalb","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":28842,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Kathryn Lybarger","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":28041,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Sandre Swanson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":22862,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jeanne Solnordal","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":16839,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-16T00:58:11.533Z"},"6533":{"id":"6533","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State Senate, District 9","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Tim Grayson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Marisol Rubio","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"6534":{"id":"6534","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State Senate, District 11","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":228260,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.09,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Scott Wiener","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":166592,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Yvette Corkrean","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":34438,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Cynthia Cravens","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":18513,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jing Xiong","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":8717,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T02:01:51.597Z"},"6535":{"id":"6535","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State Senate, District 13","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":227191,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.88,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Josh Becker","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":167127,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Alexander Glew","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":42788,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Christina Laskowski","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":17276,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T01:56:24.964Z"},"6536":{"id":"6536","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State Senate, District 15","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":180231,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.81,"eevp":98.95,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Dave Cortese","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":124440,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Robert Howell","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":34173,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Tony Loaiza","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":21618,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-13T01:15:45.365Z"},"6548":{"id":"6548","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State Senate, District 39","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 20, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:55 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Akilah Weber","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Bob Divine","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"6611":{"id":"6611","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 11","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":188732,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.89,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"8:25 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Nancy Pelosi","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":138285,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Bruce Lou","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":16285,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Marjorie Mikels","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":9363,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Bianca Von Krieg","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":7634,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jason Zeng","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":6607,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jason Boyce","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":4325,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Larry Nichelson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":3482,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Eve Del Castello","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":2751,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T00:31:55.445Z"},"8589":{"id":"8589","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. Senate, Class I","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":7276537,"precinctsReportPercentage":99,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 25, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:47 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Adam Schiff","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":2299507,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Steve Garvey","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":2292414,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Katie Porter","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":1115606,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Barbara Lee","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":714408,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Eric Early","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":240723,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"James Bradley","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":98180,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Christina Pascucci","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":61755,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Sharleta Bassett","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":54422,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Sarah Liew","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":38483,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Laura Garza ","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":34320,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jonathan Reiss","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":34283,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Sepi Gilani","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":34056,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Gail Lightfoot","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"Lib","voteCount":33046,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Denice Gary-Pandol","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":25494,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"James Macauley","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":23168,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Harmesh Kumar","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":21522,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"David Peterson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":21076,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Douglas Pierce","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":19371,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Major Singh","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":16965,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"John Rose","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":14577,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Perry Pound","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":14134,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Raji Rab","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":13558,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Mark Ruzon","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":13429,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Forrest Jones","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"AIP","voteCount":13027,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Stefan Simchowitz","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":12717,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Martin Veprauskas","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":9714,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Don Grundmann","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":6582,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T05:01:46.589Z"},"8686":{"id":"8686","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"President,","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top1","totalVotes":3589127,"precinctsReportPercentage":99,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 25, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:48 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Joe Biden","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":3200188,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Marianne Williamson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":145690,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Dean Phillips","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":99981,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Armando Perez-Serrato","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":42925,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Gabriel Cornejo","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":41261,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"President Boddie","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":25373,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Stephen Lyons","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":21008,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Eban Cambridge","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":12701,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:12:27.559Z"},"8688":{"id":"8688","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"President,","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top1","totalVotes":2466569,"precinctsReportPercentage":99,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 25, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:47 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Donald Trump","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":1953947,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Nikki Haley","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":430792,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Ron DeSantis","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":35581,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Chris Christie","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":20164,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Vivek Ramaswamy","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":11069,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Rachel Swift","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":4231,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"David Stuckenberg","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":3895,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Ryan Binkley","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":3563,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Asa Hutchinson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":3327,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:13:19.766Z"},"81993":{"id":"81993","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. Senate, Class I Unexpired Term","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":7358837,"precinctsReportPercentage":99,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 25, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:47 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Steve Garvey","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":2444940,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Adam Schiff","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":2155146,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Katie Porter","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":1269194,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Barbara Lee","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":863278,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Eric Early","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":448788,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Christina Pascucci","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":109421,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Sepi Gilani","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":68070,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:31:08.186Z"},"82014":{"id":"82014","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"Proposition, 1 - Behavioral Health Services Program","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top1","totalVotes":7221972,"precinctsReportPercentage":99,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 25, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:47 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":null,"voteCount":3624998,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":null,"voteCount":3596974,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-21T00:11:06.265Z"},"timeLoaded":"April 18, 2024 5:53 PM","nationalRacesLoaded":true,"localRacesLoaded":true,"overrides":[{"id":"5921","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 7","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5922","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 8","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5924","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 10","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5926","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 12","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/alameda/congress-12th-district"},{"id":"5928","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 14","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5930","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 16","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/california/congress-16th-district"},{"id":"5931","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 17","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5932","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 18","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5963","raceName":"State Assembly, District 2","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5972","raceName":"State Assembly, District 11","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5973","raceName":"State Assembly, District 12","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5975","raceName":"State Assembly, District 14","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5976","raceName":"State Assembly, District 15","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/contracosta/state-assembly"},{"id":"5977","raceName":"State Assembly, District 16","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5978","raceName":"State Assembly, District 17","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5979","raceName":"State Assembly, District 18","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5980","raceName":"State Assembly, District 19","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5981","raceName":"State Assembly, District 20","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5982","raceName":"State Assembly, District 21","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5984","raceName":"State Assembly, District 23","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/california/state-assembly-23rd-district"},{"id":"5987","raceName":"State Assembly, District 26","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/santaclara/state-assembly-26th-district"},{"id":"5989","raceName":"State Assembly, District 28","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6010","raceName":"State Assembly, District 4","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6018","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 2","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6020","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 4","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6025","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 9","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6031","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 15","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6035","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 19","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6067","raceName":"State Assembly, District 4","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6087","raceName":"State Assembly, District 24","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6088","raceName":"State Assembly, District 25","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6092","raceName":"State Assembly, District 29","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6223","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 4","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6530","raceName":"State Senate, District 3","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/california/state-senate-3rd-district"},{"id":"6531","raceName":"State Senate, District 5","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6532","raceName":"State Senate, District 7","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/california/state-senate-7th-district"},{"id":"6533","raceName":"State Senate, District 9","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6534","raceName":"State Senate, District 11","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6535","raceName":"State Senate, District 13","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6536","raceName":"State Senate, District 15","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6611","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 11","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"8589","raceName":"U.S. Senate (Full Term)","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/california/senator"},{"id":"8686","raceName":"California Democratic Presidential Primary","raceDescription":"Candidates are competing for 496 delegates.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/president/democrat"},{"id":"8688","raceName":"California Republican Presidential Primary","raceDescription":"Candidates are competing for 169 delegates.","raceReadTheStory":"https://kqed.org/elections/results/president/republican"},{"id":"81993","raceName":"U.S. Senate (Partial/Unexpired Term)","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election."},{"id":"82014","raceName":"Proposition 1","raceDescription":"Bond and mental health reforms. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/california/proposition-1"}],"AlamedaJudge5":{"id":"AlamedaJudge5","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Office 5","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":200601,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Terry Wiley","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":200601}]},"AlamedaJudge12":{"id":"AlamedaJudge12","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Office 12","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":240853,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mark Fickes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":133009},{"candidateName":"Michael P. Johnson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":107844}]},"AlamedaBoard2":{"id":"AlamedaBoard2","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Board of Education, Trustee Area 2","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":33580,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"John Lewis","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6943},{"candidateName":"Angela Normand","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":26637}]},"AlamedaBoard5":{"id":"AlamedaBoard5","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Board of Education, Trustee Area 5","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":26072,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Guadalupe \"Lupe\" Angulo","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7521},{"candidateName":"Janevette Cole","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":13338},{"candidateName":"Joe Orlando Ramos","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5213}]},"AlamedaBoard6":{"id":"AlamedaBoard6","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Board of Education, Trustee Area 6","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":30864,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"John Guerrero","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":9989},{"candidateName":"Eileen McDonald","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":20875}]},"AlamedaSup1":{"id":"AlamedaSup1","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 1","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":41038,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"David Haubert","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":41038}]},"AlamedaSup2":{"id":"AlamedaSup2","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 2","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":31034,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Elisa Márquez","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":31034}]},"AlamedaSup4":{"id":"AlamedaSup4","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 4","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/alameda/supervisor-4th-district","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":57007,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Jennifer Esteen","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":22400},{"candidateName":"Nate Miley","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":34607}]},"AlamedaSup5":{"id":"AlamedaSup5","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 5","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/alameda/supervisor-5th-district","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":81059,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Ben Bartlett","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":13518},{"candidateName":"Nikki Fortunato Bas","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":27597},{"candidateName":"John J. Bauters","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":16783},{"candidateName":"Ken Berrick","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7520},{"candidateName":"Omar Farmer","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1240},{"candidateName":"Gregory Hodge","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3419},{"candidateName":"Chris Moore","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7428},{"candidateName":"Gerald Pechenuk","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":305},{"candidateName":"Lorrel Plimier","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3249}]},"AlamedaBoard7":{"id":"AlamedaBoard7","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Flood Control & Water Conservation District Director, Zone 7, Full Term","raceDescription":"Top three candidates win seat.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top3","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":134340,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Alan Burnham","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":15723},{"candidateName":"Sandy Figuers","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":22454},{"candidateName":"Laurene K. Green","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":30343},{"candidateName":"Kathy Narum","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":23833},{"candidateName":"Seema Badar","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7468},{"candidateName":"Catherine Brown","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":34519}]},"AlamedaAuditor":{"id":"AlamedaAuditor","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Oakland Auditor","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":59227,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Michael Houston","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":59227}]},"AlamedaMeasureA":{"id":"AlamedaMeasureA","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Measure A","raceDescription":"Alameda County. Civil service. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":282335,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":167903},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":114432}]},"AlamedaMeasureB":{"id":"AlamedaMeasureB","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Measure B","raceDescription":"Alameda County. Recall rules. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/alameda/measure-b","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":282683,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":182200},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":100483}]},"AlamedaMeasureD":{"id":"AlamedaMeasureD","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Measure D","raceDescription":"Oakland. Appropriations limit. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":79797,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":59852},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":19945}]},"AlamedaMeasureE":{"id":"AlamedaMeasureE","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Measure E","raceDescription":"Alameda Unified School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":22692,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":17280},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5412}]},"AlamedaMeasureF":{"id":"AlamedaMeasureF","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Measure F","raceDescription":"Piedmont. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":4855,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3673},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1182}]},"AlamedaMeasureG":{"id":"AlamedaMeasureG","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Measure G","raceDescription":"Albany Unified School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote. ","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":5898,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4651},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1247}]},"AlamedaMeasureH":{"id":"AlamedaMeasureH","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Measure H","raceDescription":"Berkeley Unified School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":33331,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":29418},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3913}]},"AlamedaMeasureI":{"id":"AlamedaMeasureI","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Measure I","raceDescription":"Hayward Unified School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":21929,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":14151},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7778}]},"AlamedaMeasureJ":{"id":"AlamedaMeasureJ","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Measure J","raceDescription":"San Leandro Unified School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":12338,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7784},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4554}]},"CCD2":{"id":"CCD2","type":"localRace","location":"Contra Costa","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 2","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:45 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":45776,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Candace Andersen","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":45776}]},"CCD3":{"id":"CCD3","type":"localRace","location":"Contra Costa","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 3","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:45 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":25120,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Diane Burgis","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":25120}]},"CCD5":{"id":"CCD5","type":"localRace","location":"Contra Costa","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 5","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/contracosta/supervisor-5th-district","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"6:45 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":37045,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mike Barbanica","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":14338},{"candidateName":"Jelani Killings","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5683},{"candidateName":"Shanelle Scales-Preston","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":12993},{"candidateName":"Iztaccuauhtli Hector Gonzalez","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4031}]},"CCMeasureA":{"id":"CCMeasureA","type":"localRace","location":"Contra Costa","raceName":"Measure A","raceDescription":"Martinez. Appoint City Clerk. Passes with a majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:45 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":11513,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7554},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3959}]},"CCMeasureB":{"id":"CCMeasureB","type":"localRace","location":"Contra Costa","raceName":"Measure B","raceDescription":"Antioch Unified School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:45 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":17971,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":10397},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7574}]},"CCMeasureC":{"id":"CCMeasureC","type":"localRace","location":"Contra Costa","raceName":"Measure C","raceDescription":"Martinez Unified School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:45 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":9230,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6917},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2313}]},"CCMeasureD":{"id":"CCMeasureD","type":"localRace","location":"Contra Costa","raceName":"Measure D","raceDescription":"Moraga School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:45 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":6007,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4052},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1955}]},"MarinD2":{"id":"MarinD2","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 2","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/marin/supervisor-2nd-district","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":18466,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Brian Colbert","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7971},{"candidateName":"Heather McPhail Sridharan","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4851},{"candidateName":"Ryan O'Neil","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2647},{"candidateName":"Gabe Paulson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2997}]},"MarinD3":{"id":"MarinD3","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 3","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":13274,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Stephanie Moulton-Peters","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":13274}]},"MarinD4":{"id":"MarinD4","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 4","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":12986,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Dennis Rodoni","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":10086},{"candidateName":"Francis Drouillard","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2900}]},"MarinLarkspurCC":{"id":"MarinLarkspurCC","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Larkspur City Council (Short Term)","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":4176,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Stephanie Andre","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2514},{"candidateName":"Claire Paquette","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1008},{"candidateName":"Lana Scott","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":654}]},"MarinRossCouncil":{"id":"MarinRossCouncil","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Ross Town Council","raceDescription":"Top three candidates win seat.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top3","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":1740,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Charles William \"Bill\" Kircher, Jr.","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":536},{"candidateName":"Mathew Salter","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":502},{"candidateName":"Shadi Aboukhater","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":187},{"candidateName":"Teri Dowling","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":515}]},"MarinMeasureA":{"id":"MarinMeasureA","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Measure A","raceDescription":"Tamalpais Union High School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":45345,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":24376},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":20969}]},"MarinMeasureB":{"id":"MarinMeasureB","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Measure B","raceDescription":"Petaluma Joint Union High School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":132,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":62},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":70}]},"MarinMeasureC":{"id":"MarinMeasureC","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Measure C","raceDescription":"Belvedere. Appropriation limit. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":870,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":679},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":191}]},"MarinMeasureD":{"id":"MarinMeasureD","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Measure D","raceDescription":"Larkspur. Rent stabilization. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/marin/measure-d","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":4955,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2573},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2382}]},"MarinMeasureE":{"id":"MarinMeasureE","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Measure E","raceDescription":"Ross. Special tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/marin/measure-e","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":874,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":683},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":191}]},"MarinMeasureF":{"id":"MarinMeasureF","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Measure F","raceDescription":"San Anselmo. Flood Control and Water Conservation District. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":5193,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3083},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2110}]},"MarinMeasureG":{"id":"MarinMeasureG","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Measure G","raceDescription":"Bel Marin Keys Community Services District. Special tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":830,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":661},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":169}]},"MarinMeasureH":{"id":"MarinMeasureH","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Measure H","raceDescription":"Marinwood Community Services District. Appropriations limit, fire protection. Passes with a majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":1738,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1369},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":369}]},"MarinMeasureI":{"id":"MarinMeasureI","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Measure I","raceDescription":"Marinwood Community Services District. Appropriations limit, parks. Passes with a majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":1735,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1336},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":399}]},"NapaD2":{"id":"NapaD2","type":"localRace","location":"Napa","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 2","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"April 3, 2024","totalVotes":8351,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Liz Alessio","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6340},{"candidateName":"Doris Gentry","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2011}]},"NapaD4":{"id":"NapaD4","type":"localRace","location":"Napa","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 4","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/napa/supervisor-4th-district","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"April 3, 2024","totalVotes":7306,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Amber Manfree","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3913},{"candidateName":"Pete Mott","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3393}]},"NapaD5":{"id":"NapaD5","type":"localRace","location":"Napa","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 5","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/napa/supervisor-5th-district","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"April 3, 2024","totalVotes":5356,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mariam Aboudamous","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2379},{"candidateName":"Belia Ramos","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2977}]},"NapaMeasureD":{"id":"NapaMeasureD","type":"localRace","location":"Napa","raceName":"Measure D","raceDescription":"Howell Mountain Elementary School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"April 3, 2024","totalVotes":741,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":367},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":374}]},"NapaMeasureU":{"id":"NapaMeasureU","type":"localRace","location":"Napa","raceName":"Measure U","raceDescription":"Lake Berryessa Resort Improvement District. Appropriations limit. Passes with majority vote. ","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"April 3, 2024","totalVotes":86,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":63},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":23}]},"NapaMeasureU1":{"id":"NapaMeasureU1","type":"localRace","location":"Napa","raceName":"Measure U","raceDescription":"Yountville. Appropriations limit. Passes with majority vote. ","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"April 3, 2024","totalVotes":925,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":793},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":132}]},"SFJudge1":{"id":"SFJudge1","type":"localRace","location":"San Francisco","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Seat 1","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/sanfrancisco/superior-court-seat-1","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"March 21, 2024","totalVotes":202960,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Michael Begert","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":124943},{"candidateName":"Chip Zecher","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":78017}]},"SFJudge13":{"id":"SFJudge13","type":"localRace","location":"San Francisco","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Seat 13","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/sanfrancisco/superior-court-seat-13","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"March 21, 2024","totalVotes":202386,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Jean Myungjin Roland","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":90012},{"candidateName":"Patrick S. Thompson","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":112374}]},"SFPropA":{"id":"SFPropA","type":"localRace","location":"San Francisco","raceName":"Proposition A","raceDescription":"Housing bond. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/sanfrancisco/proposition-a","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"March 21, 2024","totalVotes":225187,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":158497},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":66690}]},"SFPropB":{"id":"SFPropB","type":"localRace","location":"San Francisco","raceName":"Proposition B","raceDescription":"Police staffing. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"March 21, 2024","totalVotes":222954,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":61580},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":161374}]},"SFPropC":{"id":"SFPropC","type":"localRace","location":"San Francisco","raceName":"Proposition C","raceDescription":"Transfer tax exemption. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"March 21, 2024","totalVotes":220349,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":116311},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":104038}]},"SFPropD":{"id":"SFPropD","type":"localRace","location":"San Francisco","raceName":"Proposition D","raceDescription":"Ethics laws. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"March 21, 2024","totalVotes":222615,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":198584},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":24031}]},"SFPropE":{"id":"SFPropE","type":"localRace","location":"San Francisco","raceName":"Proposition E","raceDescription":"Police policies. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/sanfrancisco/proposition-e","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"March 21, 2024","totalVotes":222817,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":120529},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":102288}]},"SFPropF":{"id":"SFPropF","type":"localRace","location":"San Francisco","raceName":"Proposition F","raceDescription":"Drug screening. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/sanfrancisco/proposition-f","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"March 21, 2024","totalVotes":224004,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":130214},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":93790}]},"SFPropG":{"id":"SFPropG","type":"localRace","location":"San Francisco","raceName":"Proposition G","raceDescription":"Eighth-grade algebra. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"March 21, 2024","totalVotes":222704,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":182066},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":40638}]},"SMJudge4":{"id":"SMJudge4","type":"localRace","location":"San Mateo","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Office 4","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:56 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":108919,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Sarah Burdick","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":108919}]},"SMD1":{"id":"SMD1","type":"localRace","location":"San Mateo","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 1","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/sanmateo/supervisor-1st-district","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:56 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":29650,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Jackie Speier","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":20353},{"candidateName":"Ann Schneider","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":9297}]},"SMD4":{"id":"SMD4","type":"localRace","location":"San Mateo","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 4","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/sanmateo/supervisor-4th-district","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"6:56 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":22725,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Antonio Lopez","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5730},{"candidateName":"Lisa Gauthier","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":10358},{"candidateName":"Celeste Brevard","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1268},{"candidateName":"Paul Bocanegra","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1909},{"candidateName":"Maggie Cornejo","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3460}]},"SMD5":{"id":"SMD5","type":"localRace","location":"San Mateo","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 5","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:56 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":19937,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"David Canepa","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":19937}]},"SMMeasureB":{"id":"SMMeasureB","type":"localRace","location":"San Mateo","raceName":"Measure B","raceDescription":"County Service Area #1 (Highlands). Special tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:56 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":1549,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1360},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":189}]},"SMMeasureC":{"id":"SMMeasureC","type":"localRace","location":"San Mateo","raceName":"Measure C","raceDescription":"Jefferson Elementary School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:56 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":12234,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":8543},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3691}]},"SMMeasureE":{"id":"SMMeasureE","type":"localRace","location":"San Mateo","raceName":"Measure E","raceDescription":"Woodside Elementary School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:56 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":1392,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":910},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":482}]},"SMMeasureG":{"id":"SMMeasureG","type":"localRace","location":"San Mateo","raceName":"Measure G","raceDescription":"Pacifica School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:56 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":11548,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7067},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4481}]},"SMMeasureH":{"id":"SMMeasureH","type":"localRace","location":"San Mateo","raceName":"Measure H","raceDescription":"San Carlos School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:56 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":9938,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6283},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3655}]},"SCJudge5":{"id":"SCJudge5","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Office 5","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":301953,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Jay Boyarsky","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":142549},{"candidateName":"Nicole M. Ford","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":52147},{"candidateName":"Johnene Linda Stebbins","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":107257}]},"SCD2":{"id":"SCD2","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 2","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/santaclara/supervisor-2nd-district","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":44059,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Corina Herrera-Loera","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":10519},{"candidateName":"Jennifer Margaret Celaya","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2394},{"candidateName":"Madison Nguyen","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":12794},{"candidateName":"Betty Duong","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":14031},{"candidateName":"Nelson McElmurry","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4321}]},"SCD3":{"id":"SCD3","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 3","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":42549,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Otto Lee","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":42549}]},"SCD5":{"id":"SCD5","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 5","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/santaclara/supervisor-5th-district","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":88712,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Margaret Abe-Koga","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":37172},{"candidateName":"Sally J. Lieber","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":21962},{"candidateName":"Barry Chang","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6164},{"candidateName":"Peter C. Fung","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":17892},{"candidateName":"Sandy Sans","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5522}]},"SCSJMayor":{"id":"SCSJMayor","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"San José Mayor","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":167064,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Matt Mahan","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":144701},{"candidateName":"Tyrone Wade","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":22363}]},"SCSJD2":{"id":"SCSJD2","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"San José City Council, District 2","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":14131,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Joe Lopez","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4950},{"candidateName":"Pamela Campos","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3436},{"candidateName":"Vanessa Sandoval","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2719},{"candidateName":"Babu Prasad","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3026}]},"SCSJD4":{"id":"SCSJD4","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"San José City Council, District 4","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":14322,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Kansen Chu","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5931},{"candidateName":"David Cohen","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":8391}]},"SCSJD6":{"id":"SCSJD6","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"San José City Council, District 6","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":25108,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"David Cohen","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":9875},{"candidateName":"Alex Shoor","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3850},{"candidateName":"Angelo \"A.J.\" Pasciuti","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2688},{"candidateName":"Michael Mulcahy","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":8695}]},"SCSJD8":{"id":"SCSJD8","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"San José City Council, District 8","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":21462,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Tam Truong","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6982},{"candidateName":"Domingo Candelas","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":8466},{"candidateName":"Sukhdev Singh Bainiwal","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5513},{"candidateName":"Surinder Kaur Dhaliwal","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":501}]},"SCSJD10":{"id":"SCSJD10","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"San José City Council, District 10","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":22799,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"George Casey","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":8805},{"candidateName":"Arjun Batra","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":8354},{"candidateName":"Lenka Wright","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5640}]},"SCMeasureA":{"id":"SCMeasureA","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"Measure A","raceDescription":"Santa Clara. Appointed city clerk. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":20315,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6580},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":13735}]},"SCMeasureB":{"id":"SCMeasureB","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"Measure B","raceDescription":"Santa Clara. Appointed police chief. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":20567,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5680},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":14887}]},"SCMeasureC":{"id":"SCMeasureC","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"Measure C","raceDescription":"Sunnyvale School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":14656,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":10261},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4395}]},"SolanoD15":{"id":"SolanoD15","type":"localRace","location":"Solano","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Department 15","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"","timeUpdated":"7:08 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":81709,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mike Thompson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":36844},{"candidateName":"Bryan J. Kim","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":44865}]},"SolanoD1":{"id":"SolanoD1","type":"localRace","location":"Solano","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 1","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/solano/supervisor-1st-district","raceType":"","timeUpdated":"7:08 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":13786,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Michael Wilson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6401},{"candidateName":"Cassandra James","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7385}]},"SolanoD2":{"id":"SolanoD2","type":"localRace","location":"Solano","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 2","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"","timeUpdated":"7:08 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":19903,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Monica Brown","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":10951},{"candidateName":"Nora Dizon","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3135},{"candidateName":"Rochelle Sherlock","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5817}]},"SolanoD5":{"id":"SolanoD5","type":"localRace","location":"Solano","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 5","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"","timeUpdated":"7:08 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":17888,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mitch Mashburn","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":11210},{"candidateName":"Chadwick J. Ledoux","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6678}]},"SolanoEducation":{"id":"SolanoEducation","type":"localRace","location":"Solano","raceName":"Sacramento County Board of Education","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"","timeUpdated":"7:08 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":3650,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Heather Davis","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2960},{"candidateName":"Shazleen Khan","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":690}]},"SolanoMeasureA":{"id":"SolanoMeasureA","type":"localRace","location":"Solano","raceName":"Measure A","raceDescription":"Benicia. Hotel tax. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/solano/measure-a","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:08 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":10136,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7869},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2267}]},"SolanoMeasureB":{"id":"SolanoMeasureB","type":"localRace","location":"Solano","raceName":"Measure B","raceDescription":"Benicia. Sales tax. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/solano/measure-b","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:08 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":10164,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7335},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2829}]},"SolanoMeasureC":{"id":"SolanoMeasureC","type":"localRace","location":"Solano","raceName":"Measure C","raceDescription":"Benicia Unified School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:08 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":10112,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6316},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3796}]},"SolanoMeasureN":{"id":"SolanoMeasureN","type":"localRace","location":"Solano","raceName":"Measure N","raceDescription":"Davis Joint Unified School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:08 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":15,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":10}]},"SonomaJudge3":{"id":"SonomaJudge3","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Office 3","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":115405,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Kristine M. Burk","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":79498},{"candidateName":"Beki Berrey","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":35907}]},"SonomaJudge4":{"id":"SonomaJudge4","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Office 4","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":86789,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Paul J. Lozada","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":86789}]},"SonomaJudge6":{"id":"SonomaJudge6","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Office 6","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":117990,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Omar Figueroa","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":42236},{"candidateName":"Kenneth English","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":75754}]},"SonomaD1":{"id":"SonomaD1","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 1","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":30348,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Rebecca Hermosillo","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":23958},{"candidateName":"Jonathan Mathieu","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6390}]},"SonomaD3":{"id":"SonomaD3","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 3","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/sonoma/supervisor-3rd-district","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":16312,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Chris Coursey","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":11346},{"candidateName":"Omar Medina","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4966}]},"SonomaD5":{"id":"SonomaD5","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 5","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":23356,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Lynda Hopkins","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":23356}]},"SonomaMeasureA":{"id":"SonomaMeasureA","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Measure A","raceDescription":"Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":13756,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":10320},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3436}]},"SonomaMeasureB":{"id":"SonomaMeasureB","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Measure B","raceDescription":"Petaluma Joint Union High School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":24877,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":15795},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":9082}]},"SonomaMeasureC":{"id":"SonomaMeasureC","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Measure C","raceDescription":"Fort Ross School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":286,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":159},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":127}]},"SonomaMeasureD":{"id":"SonomaMeasureD","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Measure D","raceDescription":"Harmony Union School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":1925,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1089},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":836}]},"SonomaMeasureE":{"id":"SonomaMeasureE","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Measure E","raceDescription":"Petaluma City (Elementary) School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":11133,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7622},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3511}]},"SonomaMeasureG":{"id":"SonomaMeasureG","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Measure G","raceDescription":"Rincon Valley Union School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":14577,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":8668},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5909}]},"SonomaMeasureH":{"id":"SonomaMeasureH","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Measure H","raceDescription":"Sonoma County. Sales tax. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/sonoma/measure-h","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":145261,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":89646},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":55615}]}},"radioSchedulesReducer":{},"listsReducer":{"posts/news?tag=castro":{"isFetching":false,"latestQuery":{"from":0,"postsToRender":9},"tag":null,"vitalsOnly":true,"totalRequested":9,"isLoading":false,"isLoadingMore":true,"total":10,"items":["news_11966125","news_11950268","news_11940144","news_11934111","news_11902998","news_11876846","news_11810441","news_11768015","news_11758014"]}},"recallGuideReducer":{"intros":{},"policy":{},"candidates":{}},"savedPostsReducer":{},"pfsSessionReducer":{},"siteSettingsReducer":{},"subscriptionsReducer":{},"termsReducer":{"about":{"name":"About","type":"terms","id":"about","slug":"about","link":"/about","taxonomy":"site"},"arts":{"name":"Arts & Culture","grouping":["arts","pop","trulyca"],"description":"KQED Arts provides daily in-depth coverage of the Bay Area's music, art, film, performing arts, literature and arts news, as well as cultural commentary and criticism.","type":"terms","id":"arts","slug":"arts","link":"/arts","taxonomy":"site"},"artschool":{"name":"Art School","parent":"arts","type":"terms","id":"artschool","slug":"artschool","link":"/artschool","taxonomy":"site"},"bayareabites":{"name":"KQED food","grouping":["food","bayareabites","checkplease"],"parent":"food","type":"terms","id":"bayareabites","slug":"bayareabites","link":"/food","taxonomy":"site"},"bayareahiphop":{"name":"Bay Area Hiphop","type":"terms","id":"bayareahiphop","slug":"bayareahiphop","link":"/bayareahiphop","taxonomy":"site"},"campaign21":{"name":"Campaign 21","type":"terms","id":"campaign21","slug":"campaign21","link":"/campaign21","taxonomy":"site"},"checkplease":{"name":"KQED food","grouping":["food","bayareabites","checkplease"],"parent":"food","type":"terms","id":"checkplease","slug":"checkplease","link":"/food","taxonomy":"site"},"education":{"name":"Education","grouping":["education"],"type":"terms","id":"education","slug":"education","link":"/education","taxonomy":"site"},"elections":{"name":"Elections","type":"terms","id":"elections","slug":"elections","link":"/elections","taxonomy":"site"},"events":{"name":"Events","type":"terms","id":"events","slug":"events","link":"/events","taxonomy":"site"},"event":{"name":"Event","alias":"events","type":"terms","id":"event","slug":"event","link":"/event","taxonomy":"site"},"filmschoolshorts":{"name":"Film School Shorts","type":"terms","id":"filmschoolshorts","slug":"filmschoolshorts","link":"/filmschoolshorts","taxonomy":"site"},"food":{"name":"KQED food","grouping":["food","bayareabites","checkplease"],"type":"terms","id":"food","slug":"food","link":"/food","taxonomy":"site"},"forum":{"name":"Forum","relatedContentQuery":"posts/forum?","parent":"news","type":"terms","id":"forum","slug":"forum","link":"/forum","taxonomy":"site"},"futureofyou":{"name":"Future of You","grouping":["science","futureofyou"],"parent":"science","type":"terms","id":"futureofyou","slug":"futureofyou","link":"/futureofyou","taxonomy":"site"},"jpepinheart":{"name":"KQED food","relatedContentQuery":"trending/food,bayareabites,checkplease","parent":"food","type":"terms","id":"jpepinheart","slug":"jpepinheart","link":"/food","taxonomy":"site"},"liveblog":{"name":"Live Blog","type":"terms","id":"liveblog","slug":"liveblog","link":"/liveblog","taxonomy":"site"},"livetv":{"name":"Live TV","parent":"tv","type":"terms","id":"livetv","slug":"livetv","link":"/livetv","taxonomy":"site"},"lowdown":{"name":"The Lowdown","relatedContentQuery":"posts/lowdown?","parent":"news","type":"terms","id":"lowdown","slug":"lowdown","link":"/lowdown","taxonomy":"site"},"mindshift":{"name":"Mindshift","parent":"news","description":"MindShift explores the future of education by highlighting the innovative – and sometimes counterintuitive – ways educators and parents are helping all children succeed.","type":"terms","id":"mindshift","slug":"mindshift","link":"/mindshift","taxonomy":"site"},"news":{"name":"News","grouping":["news","forum"],"type":"terms","id":"news","slug":"news","link":"/news","taxonomy":"site"},"perspectives":{"name":"Perspectives","parent":"radio","type":"terms","id":"perspectives","slug":"perspectives","link":"/perspectives","taxonomy":"site"},"podcasts":{"name":"Podcasts","type":"terms","id":"podcasts","slug":"podcasts","link":"/podcasts","taxonomy":"site"},"pop":{"name":"Pop","parent":"arts","type":"terms","id":"pop","slug":"pop","link":"/pop","taxonomy":"site"},"pressroom":{"name":"Pressroom","type":"terms","id":"pressroom","slug":"pressroom","link":"/pressroom","taxonomy":"site"},"quest":{"name":"Quest","parent":"science","type":"terms","id":"quest","slug":"quest","link":"/quest","taxonomy":"site"},"radio":{"name":"Radio","grouping":["forum","perspectives"],"description":"Listen to KQED Public Radio – home of Forum and The California Report – on 88.5 FM in San Francisco, 89.3 FM in Sacramento, 88.3 FM in Santa Rosa and 88.1 FM in Martinez.","type":"terms","id":"radio","slug":"radio","link":"/radio","taxonomy":"site"},"root":{"name":"KQED","image":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png","imageWidth":1200,"imageHeight":630,"headData":{"title":"KQED | News, Radio, Podcasts, TV | Public Media for Northern California","description":"KQED provides public radio, television, and independent reporting on issues that matter to the Bay Area. We’re the NPR and PBS member station for Northern California."},"type":"terms","id":"root","slug":"root","link":"/root","taxonomy":"site"},"science":{"name":"Science","grouping":["science","futureofyou"],"description":"KQED Science brings you award-winning science and environment coverage from the Bay Area and beyond.","type":"terms","id":"science","slug":"science","link":"/science","taxonomy":"site"},"stateofhealth":{"name":"State of Health","parent":"science","type":"terms","id":"stateofhealth","slug":"stateofhealth","link":"/stateofhealth","taxonomy":"site"},"support":{"name":"Support","type":"terms","id":"support","slug":"support","link":"/support","taxonomy":"site"},"thedolist":{"name":"The Do List","parent":"arts","type":"terms","id":"thedolist","slug":"thedolist","link":"/thedolist","taxonomy":"site"},"trulyca":{"name":"Truly CA","grouping":["arts","pop","trulyca"],"parent":"arts","type":"terms","id":"trulyca","slug":"trulyca","link":"/trulyca","taxonomy":"site"},"tv":{"name":"TV","type":"terms","id":"tv","slug":"tv","link":"/tv","taxonomy":"site"},"voterguide":{"name":"Voter Guide","parent":"elections","alias":"elections","type":"terms","id":"voterguide","slug":"voterguide","link":"/voterguide","taxonomy":"site"},"news_21534":{"type":"terms","id":"news_21534","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"21534","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Castro","slug":"castro","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Castro Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null,"imageData":{"ogImageSize":{"file":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png","width":1200,"height":630},"twImageSize":{"file":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"},"twitterCard":"summary_large_image"}},"ttid":21551,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/castro"},"source_news_11768015":{"type":"terms","id":"source_news_11768015","meta":{"override":true},"name":"CALmatters","link":"https://calmatters.org/","isLoading":false},"news_33523":{"type":"terms","id":"news_33523","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"33523","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Bay Curious","slug":"bay-curious","taxonomy":"program","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Bay Curious Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":33540,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/program/bay-curious"},"news_17986":{"type":"terms","id":"news_17986","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"17986","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Bay Curious","slug":"baycurious","taxonomy":"series","description":"\u003ch2>A podcast exploring the Bay Area one question at a time\u003c/h2>\r\n\r\n\u003caside>\r\n\u003cdiv style=\"width: 100%; padding-right: 20px;\">\r\n\r\nKQED’s \u003cstrong>Bay Curious\u003c/strong> gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.\r\n\u003cbr />\r\n\u003cspan class=\"alignleft\">\u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1172473406\">\u003cimg width=\"75px\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/DownloadOniTunes_100x100.png\">\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/app/playmusic?ibi=com.google.PlayMusic&isi=691797987&ius=googleplaymusic&link=https://play.google.com/music/m/Ipi2mc5aqfen4nr2daayiziiyuy?t%3DBay_Curious\">\u003cimg width=\"75px\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/Google_Play_100x100.png\">\u003c/a>\u003c/span>\u003c/div>\r\n\u003c/aside> \r\n\u003ch2>What's your question?\u003c/h2>\r\n\u003cdiv id=\"huxq6\" class=\"curiosity-module\" data-pym-src=\"//modules.wearehearken.com/kqed/curiosity_modules/133\">\u003c/div>\r\n\u003cscript src=\"//assets.wearehearken.com/production/thirdparty/p.m.js\">\u003c/script>\r\n\u003ch2>Bay Curious monthly newsletter\u003c/h2>\r\nWe're launching it soon! \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdEtzbyNbSQkRHCCAkKhoGiAl3Bd0zWxhk0ZseJ1KH_o_ZDjQ/viewform\" target=\"_blank\">Sign up\u003c/a> so you don't miss it when it drops.\r\n","featImg":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/BayCuriousLogoFinal01-e1493662037229.png","headData":{"title":"Bay Curious Archives | KQED News","description":"A podcast exploring the Bay Area one question at a time KQED’s Bay Curious gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers. What's your question? Bay Curious monthly newsletter We're launching it soon! Sign up so you don't miss it when it drops.","ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":18020,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/series/baycurious"},"news_8":{"type":"terms","id":"news_8","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"8","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"News","slug":"news","taxonomy":"category","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"News Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":8,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/category/news"},"news_33520":{"type":"terms","id":"news_33520","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"33520","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Podcast","slug":"podcast","taxonomy":"category","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Podcast Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":33537,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/category/podcast"},"news_30596":{"type":"terms","id":"news_30596","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"30596","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"aids epidemic","slug":"aids-epidemic","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"aids epidemic Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":30613,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/aids-epidemic"},"news_29548":{"type":"terms","id":"news_29548","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"29548","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"HIV/AIDS","slug":"hiv-aids","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"HIV/AIDS Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":29565,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/hiv-aids"},"news_102":{"type":"terms","id":"news_102","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"102","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"marijuana","slug":"marijuana","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"marijuana Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":106,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/marijuana"},"news_370":{"type":"terms","id":"news_370","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"370","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Cleve Jones","slug":"cleve-jones","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Cleve Jones Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":378,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/cleve-jones"},"news_1682":{"type":"terms","id":"news_1682","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"1682","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Harvey Milk","slug":"harvey-milk","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Harvey Milk Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":1694,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/harvey-milk"},"news_20004":{"type":"terms","id":"news_20004","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"20004","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"LGBTQ","slug":"lgbtq","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"LGBTQ Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":20021,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/lgbtq"},"news_20003":{"type":"terms","id":"news_20003","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"20003","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"LGBTQ community","slug":"lgbtq-community","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"LGBTQ community Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":20020,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/lgbtq-community"},"news_19345":{"type":"terms","id":"news_19345","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"19345","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"LGBTQ rights","slug":"lgbtq-rights","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"LGBTQ rights Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":19362,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/lgbtq-rights"},"news_38":{"type":"terms","id":"news_38","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"38","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"San Francisco","slug":"san-francisco","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"San Francisco Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":58,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/san-francisco"},"news_7052":{"type":"terms","id":"news_7052","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"7052","found":true},"relationships":{"ogImgId":{"data":{"type":"attachments","id":"news_117396"}}},"included":{},"name":"KQED Newsroom","slug":"kqed-newsroom","taxonomy":"program","description":null,"featImg":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2014/10/KQED-Newsroom-Logo-Web-Banners-051.png","headData":{"title":"KQED Newsroom | KQED Arts","description":"KQED Newsroom airs every Friday on KQED-9","ogTitle":"KQED Newsroom","ogDescription":"KQED Newsroom is our weekly show highlighting the issues that matter most to the people of Northern California.","ogImgId":"news_117396","twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":7078,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/program/kqed-newsroom"},"news_29992":{"type":"terms","id":"news_29992","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"29992","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Arts","slug":"arts","taxonomy":"category","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Arts Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":30009,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/category/arts"},"news_223":{"type":"terms","id":"news_223","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"223","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Arts and Culture","slug":"arts-and-culture","taxonomy":"category","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Arts and Culture Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":231,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/category/arts-and-culture"},"news_31795":{"type":"terms","id":"news_31795","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"31795","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"California","slug":"california","taxonomy":"category","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"California Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":31812,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/category/california"},"news_1758":{"type":"terms","id":"news_1758","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"1758","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Economy","slug":"economy","taxonomy":"category","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Economy Archives | KQED News","description":"Full coverage of the economy","ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":2648,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/category/economy"},"news_18540":{"type":"terms","id":"news_18540","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"18540","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Education","slug":"education","taxonomy":"category","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Education Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":2595,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/category/education"},"news_6266":{"type":"terms","id":"news_6266","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"6266","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Housing","slug":"housing","taxonomy":"category","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Housing Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":6290,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/category/housing"},"news_28250":{"type":"terms","id":"news_28250","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"28250","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Local","slug":"local","taxonomy":"category","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Local Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":28267,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/category/local"},"news_13":{"type":"terms","id":"news_13","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"13","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Politics and Government","slug":"politics-and-government","taxonomy":"category","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Politics and Government Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":13,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/category/politics-and-government"},"news_21077":{"type":"terms","id":"news_21077","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"21077","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"activism","slug":"activism","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"activism Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":21094,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/activism"},"news_3921":{"type":"terms","id":"news_3921","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"3921","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"affordable housing","slug":"affordable-housing","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"affordable housing Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":3940,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/affordable-housing"},"news_29602":{"type":"terms","id":"news_29602","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"29602","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"black liberation","slug":"black-liberation","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"black liberation Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":29619,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/black-liberation"},"news_18880":{"type":"terms","id":"news_18880","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"18880","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"books","slug":"books","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"books Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":18897,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/books"},"news_20472":{"type":"terms","id":"news_20472","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"20472","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"california housing","slug":"california-housing","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"california housing Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":20489,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/california-housing"},"news_31456":{"type":"terms","id":"news_31456","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"31456","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"castro theatre","slug":"castro-theatre","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"castro theatre Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":31473,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/castro-theatre"},"news_19374":{"type":"terms","id":"news_19374","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"19374","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"documentary film","slug":"documentary-film","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"documentary film Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":19391,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/documentary-film"},"news_18":{"type":"terms","id":"news_18","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"18","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Oakland","slug":"oakland","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Oakland Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":86,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/oakland"},"news_5541":{"type":"terms","id":"news_5541","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"5541","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"historic preservation","slug":"historic-preservation","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"historic preservation Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":5564,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/historic-preservation"},"news_28548":{"type":"terms","id":"news_28548","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"28548","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"movie theaters","slug":"movie-theaters","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"movie theaters Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":28565,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/movie-theaters"},"news_32093":{"type":"terms","id":"news_32093","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"32093","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"SFFILM","slug":"sffilm","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"SFFILM Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":32110,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/sffilm"},"news_253":{"type":"terms","id":"news_253","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"253","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"NPR","slug":"npr","taxonomy":"affiliate","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"NPR Archives - Get the Latest News and Reports from California | KQED","description":"KQED is the NPR station for the Bay Area, providing award-winning news, programming, and community engagement.","ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":7083,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/affiliate/npr"},"news_26731":{"type":"terms","id":"news_26731","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"26731","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"The California Report Magazine","slug":"the-california-report-magazine","taxonomy":"program","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"The California Report Magazine Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":26748,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/program/the-california-report-magazine"},"news_1510":{"type":"terms","id":"news_1510","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"1510","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"AIDS","slug":"aids","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"AIDS Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":1522,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/aids"},"news_2768":{"type":"terms","id":"news_2768","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"2768","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"California gay history","slug":"california-gay-history","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"California gay history Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":2786,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/california-gay-history"},"news_27626":{"type":"terms","id":"news_27626","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"27626","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"featured-news","slug":"featured-news","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"featured-news Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":27643,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/featured-news"},"news_30586":{"type":"terms","id":"news_30586","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"30586","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"LGBTQIA","slug":"lgbtqia","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"LGBTQIA Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":30603,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/lgbtqia"},"news_3252":{"type":"terms","id":"news_3252","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"3252","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Castro district","slug":"castro-district","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Castro district Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":3270,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/castro-district"},"news_6229":{"type":"terms","id":"news_6229","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"6229","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Rainbow Flag","slug":"rainbow-flag","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Rainbow Flag Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":6253,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/rainbow-flag"},"news_72":{"type":"terms","id":"news_72","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"72","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"The California Report","slug":"the-california-report","taxonomy":"program","description":null,"featImg":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2014/10/TCR-2-Logo-Web-Banners-03.png","headData":{"title":"The California Report Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":6969,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/program/the-california-report"},"news_17045":{"type":"terms","id":"news_17045","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"17045","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"California Foodways","slug":"california-foodways","taxonomy":"series","description":"\u003ca href=\"http://www.californiafoodways.com/\" target=\"_blank\">California Foodways\u003c/a> is a series by independent producer Lisa Morehouse. She's traveling county by county reporting on people and places at the intersection of food, culture, history and economy.\r\n\r\nFollow the series on \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/californiafoodways\">Facebook\u003c/a> and Twitter \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/cafoodways\">@cafoodways.\r\n\u003c/a>\r\n\u003cem>Funded in part by \u003ca href=\"http://www.calhum.org/\">Cal Humanities\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>","featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"California Foodways Archives | KQED News","description":"California Foodways is a series by independent producer Lisa Morehouse. She's traveling county by county reporting on people and places at the intersection of food, culture, history and economy. Follow the series on Facebook and Twitter @cafoodways. Funded in part by Cal Humanities.","ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":17073,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/series/california-foodways"},"news_24114":{"type":"terms","id":"news_24114","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"24114","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Food","slug":"food","taxonomy":"category","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Food Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":24131,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/category/food"},"news_457":{"type":"terms","id":"news_457","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"457","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Health","slug":"health","taxonomy":"category","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Health Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":16998,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/category/health"},"news_1511":{"type":"terms","id":"news_1511","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"1511","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"HIV","slug":"hiv","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"HIV Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":1523,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/hiv"},"news_431":{"type":"terms","id":"news_431","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"431","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"medical marijuana","slug":"medical-marijuana","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"medical marijuana Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":440,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/medical-marijuana"},"news_24663":{"type":"terms","id":"news_24663","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"24663","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"weed","slug":"weed","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"weed Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":24680,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/weed"},"news_21879":{"type":"terms","id":"news_21879","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"21879","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"The California Dream","slug":"californiadream","taxonomy":"series","description":"\u003ch1>The California Dream\u003c/h1>\r\nYou became a Californian because someone in your family believed in a dream. A strong public education. The promise of a job. The weather. (Ahhh, the weather.) In its long history, the California Dream has meant different things to different people. Today, the state’s identity is in marked contrast to the rest of the country. The dream may still be alive, but it’s challenged at every corner.\r\n\r\nWhat does it mean today?\r\n\r\nKQED and mission-driven media organizations around the state will explore the California Dream starting this year. Reporters and producers will tell the personal stories and discuss the ideas that make up the history, future and current state of the California Dream.\r\n\r\nIs the dream still attainable for most people who live here? \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11671006/what-was-your-familys-california-dream\">\u003cstrong>Tell us your California Dream story\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>.\r\n\r\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11671006/what-was-your-familys-california-dream\">\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-11660152\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/CADreamBanner-1-800x219.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"219\" />\u003c/a>","featImg":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/10/interstate-1920x1080-tight-crop.jpg","headData":{"title":"The California Dream Archives | KQED News","description":"The California Dream You became a Californian because someone in your family believed in a dream. A strong public education. The promise of a job. The weather. (Ahhh, the weather.) In its long history, the California Dream has meant different things to different people. Today, the state’s identity is in marked contrast to the rest of the country. The dream may still be alive, but it’s challenged at every corner. What does it mean today? KQED and mission-driven media organizations around the state will explore the California Dream starting this year. Reporters and producers will tell the personal stories and discuss the ideas that make up the history, future and current state of the California Dream. Is the dream still attainable for most people who live here? Tell us your California Dream story.","ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":21896,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/series/californiadream"},"news_21840":{"type":"terms","id":"news_21840","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"21840","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"California Dream","slug":"california-dream","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"California Dream Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":21857,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/california-dream"},"news_4613":{"type":"terms","id":"news_4613","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"4613","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"gentrification","slug":"gentrification","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"gentrification Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":4632,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/gentrification"},"news_82":{"type":"terms","id":"news_82","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"82","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"LGBT","slug":"lgbt","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"LGBT Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":83,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/lgbt"},"news_18481":{"type":"terms","id":"news_18481","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"18481","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"CALmatters","slug":"calmatters","taxonomy":"affiliate","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"CALmatters Archives | KQED Arts","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":18515,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/affiliate/calmatters"}},"userAgentReducer":{"userAgent":"claudebot","isBot":true},"userPermissionsReducer":{"wpLoggedIn":false},"localStorageReducer":{},"browserHistoryReducer":[],"eventsReducer":{},"fssReducer":{},"tvDailyScheduleReducer":{},"tvWeeklyScheduleReducer":{},"tvPrimetimeScheduleReducer":{},"tvMonthlyScheduleReducer":{},"userAccountReducer":{"routeTo":"","showDeleteConfirmModal":false,"user":{"userId":"","isFound":false,"firstName":"","lastName":"","phoneNumber":"","email":"","articles":[]}},"youthMediaReducer":{},"checkPleaseReducer":{"filterData":{},"restaurantData":[]},"reframeReducer":{"attendee":null},"location":{"pathname":"/news/tag/castro","previousPathname":"/"}}
