Gay in the Bay | Vol. 2023, Issue 26

July 4, 2023

Queer Intro

Welcome to the Gay in the Bay Blog! I am Josie, a queer writer and videographer that loves to document what I see around me. This started out as a writing blog but has grown to include events that more people should know about.

This post is for the week of

Do you have a live event that needs filming? I’m a videographer! Please check out the Sweeney Media on your way to the About > Contact page. I look forward to working with you.

Looking toward the future

This week’s blog is going to be a little different. It’s looking toward the future! Which is actually funny considering this post lands in the exact middle of the year.

But let’s first look back at the focus (or possibly unfocus) of this blog. In its current form, there isn’t much form to the function. And some weeks, like the past couple after my road trip, have honestly been a blur! What do I mean by this?

For starters, this began as a way to encourage myself to stay on top of goings-on in San Francisco and the larger Bay Area. But I quickly realized that I have settled into several monthly or weekly events. Not great journalism, but to settle down is human (alongside erring, but let’s not guilt trip too much). How can a recent resident stay in in touch with the pulse of life in the metro area? Well, videos and photography are two ways to do this.

I’m not the best at conversations. I’m one of quite a few that have discovered they are undiagnosed autistic and ADHD, and even a laundry list of other possibilities. My brain just works differently than many others. So that presents another question: How do I create content that works as a kind of conversation? Videos and photography are two ways to do this.

I’ve been looking for a job since the beginning of the year. And only recently have I received rejection emails. Most haven’t given me the time of day to respond. And video and photography are two things that I am passionate about.

Now, I’m no marketer. But that doesn’t mean I’m not able to become one for myself. I’m better at the technical side of things. I love setting up the background for a film or photography set, and then taking the pictures. It’s a melding of creativity and ingenuity.

What the Hell Am I Getting At?

The biggest thing is this: I’m selling my photography, for starters.

But that’s not the only thing going on. For many of the pieces I sell, I will create a blog post that will recount the story surrounding the piece. Sometimes a photo comes about in the middle of adventure! If a picture is worth a thousand words, then whomever pays for my photography will purchase the full experience.

I’m preparing to start off 5 entries as the first of the series. A couple of them are in the gallery on my site!

I’m also starting a travel vlog for my YouTube channel. I’m labeling everything as Sweeney Lens from here on out, just to make the branding easier to achieve. From here on out, there may not be weekly posts. However, I will be making things much more interactive and sharable; wonderful for the Social Media Age that we all begrudgingly live in. Also, there are certain things that happen that should have a post of their very own. Like birthday gifts I’m sharing with friends (DnD character sheets based off of my friends’ personality); traveling to a particular place; breaking things up this way just makes more sense to include in a boring ole business model.

What To Expect Soon

There is an event going on this Saturday hosted by one of my incredible house mates. It’s a fundraiser for Burning Man. And I’ll be hanging my pictures in our Tea Lounge to entice potential buyers.

And this also feels like it will be a blog on how I conduct my business in the photography world. There’s so much I need to learn about the art of photography itself, marketing, and other aspects that I need to learn and want to share.

So, I hope to start some discussions soon. About art, about how-to’s, about photography!

Pop Culture

Each week I include media that I’ve enjoyed. If you’re a creator of any kind, please email me to be included in this list. I love discovering new artists; from singer-songwriters to upcoming directors, and beyond.

Reina Del Cid on Spotify
Jukebox the Ghost on Spotify

Gay in the Bay | Vol. 2023, Issue 25

June 26, 2023

Queer Intro

This post is for the week of June 18 — 24.

Do you have a live event that needs filming? I’m a videographer! Please check out the Sweeney Media on your way to the About > Contact page. I look forward to working with you.

Writing

Much of my week has been spent in preparation of a photo-related project, but I was able to write. Well, until Friday, but check out below to see what I mean.

Writing has been slow-going this month, but only to celebrate being who I am. Which seems all the more important with all the hateful legislation going on. But in terms of writing, I’m paying more attention to two characters in particular: Billy and Johnny.

They are two young men who are part of the ragtag team of misfits hunting cryptids in my fictional city of New London. In the late 80s/early 90s, they face something even scarier than the vampires and ghosts that they hunt: homophobic parents in the midst of them falling in love.

The places they explore are up against the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic. Controversy still ran rampant in the United States, even in NL. Billy and Johnny find themselves in a largely accepting city, but begin to find the underbelly. They look for monsters to see if they are real, and find the human kind hiding in their parents.

This is really becoming a love story wrapped in the cloak of a horror story, filled with quips and pop culture references galore!

I goofed up and stopped talking about monsters for a couple of weeks. It’s time to get back on track. Who doesn’t like a good spook?

Mothman!

The cryptid known as Mothman is nearly as mysterious as, say, aliens. It’s a creature that seems to appear out of nowhere. And it is an Appalachian creature.

Now, I didn’t grow up knowing that last part. I was never told where exactly it was. And when I hear Ohio, I don’t think of the Appalachian Mountains. Hell, when I heard about Mothman on an episode of Timesuck (275 - Appalachian Cryptids, if you want to check the full episode out), I had to doublecheck the information!

With too much history to go into here, this is truly a humanoid creature that’s gone beyond spooky campfire stories. Whether or not you believe in such creatures, it is well worth your time to check them out. Link to the Wikipedia article in the title above.

Pride Month!

While it wasn’t mentioned the past couple of weeks, it is PRIDE Month! I didn’t do as much as I did last year, which was five full days of rainbows and small business booths. But this year several things happened within a week.

This should’ve been covered in last week’s blog, but I was busy losing sleep over a really cool person. But things will still get covered, even if every single week of June has been a blur and difficult to keep up with.

Poetry Slime occurred June 17th, while the Trans March event occurred the 23rd.

Poetry Slime

Poetry Slime meets at Milk SF. I frequently advertised it for the first couple of months, alongside Queer Bedtime Stories. But I realized that I had fallen into a pattern: one that mostly consisted of going to and hanging out with friends between those events. These two have become great ways to catch up with those I already know, and to meet new people.

And I did meet someone new at the gayest of all Poetry Slime events. I find myself in the middle of a meet-cute. We both saw each other recite poetry, and then he got to hang out with the rest of the group at a bar afterward. This is where we both got to meet each other. We played Jenga (a game I’m obsessed with) for quite a while. He beat me in the end. It didn’t occur to me how amazing I thought they were until I was safely at home. We are currently planning on hanging out again.

Volunteer Photographer

Saturday, on the 23rd of June, I got to volunteer for the Trans March non-profit. From 3-6pm I got to take pictures of every sponsor present. There were probably a couple dozen, and some of them were so crowded the entire time that I would have to speak to them later.

My objective: take booth pictures of each sponsor for a collage they wanted to prepare next year.

It was so much fun to connect with new people in this way. I can’t wait for another opportunity to arise where I can help a group out. Even though it was socially and physically draining, it is easily one of my favorite events of the year.

Camera Repair

On a final note: I’m branching out into camera repair! It has been an interest of mine since working at Lens Rentals. Analog and digital, I will not discriminate. The focus right now is to tell everyone I know in the Bay Area so I can get as much experience as possible, then branch out from there. This is a hobby. I have no current plans or expectations for this to become anything more than that. With that being said, I would love to be in a position where I can offer this service to anyone in need of a good CLA (clean, lube, adjust).

Pop Culture

Beth McCarthy Spotify
Charley Spotify
Durry Spotify
A Little Respect — since I’m in the middle of a meet-cute
Olivia Klug, who’s been mentioned here before, recently had a new album premiere. Check out their Instagram post about it, then head over to Spotify!

Gay in the Bay | Vol. 2023, Issue 24

June 19, 2023

Queer Intro

This post is for the week of

Do you have a live event that needs filming? I’m a videographer! Please check out the Sweeney Media on your way to the About > Contact page. I look forward to working with you.

Travel Vlog

This past week has been spent in seclusion. I have been applying to jobs for months. It’s been grueling. But I have switched tactics. So I have been sitting down and making plans. And editing.

I have published the first vlog in a while. This is part of a long term plan. Unfortunately there isn’t much I can say here. But I can share my first vlog. I’m still pretty new to all this. And I will only get better. I love traveling, and want to show people where I go. After all, it’s what you learn along the way to the destination that matters. So while I apologize for not having too much beyond a video to share, I’m just as excited to say that I have big plans in the near future.

Link in headline.

Gay in the Bay | Vol. 2023, Issue 23

June 12, 2023

Queer Intro

This post is for the week of June 4 — 10.

Do you have a live event that needs filming? I’m a videographer! Please check out the Sweeney Media on your way to the About > Contact page. I look forward to working with you.

A Very Queer Roadtrip

I disappeared from the Bay Area for four days this week. This was desperately needed, as I noticed how much I was retreating into myself. And that’s no good! There was something bothering me and I needed to get out of my current element to figure this out.

This culminated into a trip into the woods of Northern California. And for a couple of reasons. Both are spiritual in nature, though by definition very different. I’ve recently become a Norse Pagan and am still exploring that. The other reason: finding the location of the Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot reel.

Now, I apologize for being all over the place. Putting religion and Bigfoot into the same subject? What the heck is this person thinking?! (I imagine you, dear reader, asking yourself) I have ADHD, and often times have a difficult time separating certain subjects. After all, this exploration of the internal and external happened in a rush of four days! And I have so much footage to share in a vlog soon. But in the meantime, I have pictures of the Bigfoot memorabilia.

Norse Paganism

For the longest time I thought I knew the answers: organized religion isn’t for me. And I was satisfied with that answer. I called myself an atheist. But since moving to the Bay Area, I wasn’t satisfied with that answer. The phrase “if you aren’t growing you’re dying” has been zooming through my head, and I wanted change. I’ve explored being non-binary and other aspects of myself; I know that this is an ever-evolving part of my nature and will always change. But religion?

Talking to my cousin had brought me to discussions of Asatru. If you aren’t familiar, Asatru is a religion which involves the worship of ancient Germanic and Scandinavian Viking spirits and gods (as defined by Wikipedia). I’m 90% Irish and Scandinavian, so I owed it to myself to explore this side of myself.

There is a YouTube channel that is linked in the Pop Culture section that I found enlightening called Genetically Grown Skeptic. In a recent video, he discusses the differences between atheism and anti theism. The differences are subtle, but important. Many people, including myself, have pushed away from Christianity, believing there is no other option in religions. We are taught there is only one God — but that god simply didn’t want his followers to follow anyone else. There is a lot to unpack here, but I am merely introducing them. I would like to talk more about all of this in future posts.

So here I am, thinking about these fun differences in the middle of the woods. The Redwoods to be specific. Those wooden giants that tower over you. I was in awe of their power, presence, and magnitude. I said some prayers in the middle of the woods. It wasn’t organized, but it didn’t need to be. I have time to figure this religion thing out. When I exited the woods and headed back to my car, I heard crows calling from up above. I took that as a sign from Odin. I thanked him and went on my way.

A Word on Redwoods

When Redwoods were first spoken about, over a hundred years ago, people thought they were exaggerating or making them up. Kinda like how many of us think of gods of yore. For example:

How could these giant trees exist? I’ve never seen evidence of such things. And the proof you brought could clearly be faked (though how I couldn’t say). There is no scientific basis for such giant trees. I will do everything in my (biased) power to prove they don’t exist. We need visual proof!

Now switch Redwoods/giant trees for gods. One definition of faith is, “firm belief, even in the absence of proof.” I think it’s time to put a belief in something again.

Bigfoot Location

The external part of this trip was Bigfoot-related. I’m a cryptid enthusiast, with Bigfoot being one of the greats. I have favorite cryptids like some people have favorite true-crime podcasts. There is no known origin of this woodland cryptid, but there is alleged video of such a creature from 1967! So I wanted to find that place.

I stayed at the Bigfoot Motel in Willow Creek, CA, where I quickly learned that I was only 30 miles from the original Patterson-Gimlin film location. So I drove up in search of the location.

In my enthusiasm, I realized a few things.

1) I had not seen the film in a very long time. I was going about this on memory.

2) Safety is always important, especially if you’re going about this alone, which I won’t do again. That wasn’t smart. What if I had tripped and broken an ankle?

3) Geo-coordinates aren’t useful on Apple Maps — my primary map. I need to use Google or another map engine to find the precise location for next time. I was given the coordinates, but Apple Maps keeps you on the road.

4) Even more than finding the general area, I want to find the exact spot where they filmed it. I love seeing photos of a by-gone era and the background being the current state of affairs.

Did I find the exact location? No, but I believe I was close. If I had given myself more than an hour or so, and if I had cell service, I would’ve been able to locate the exact spot. What does this mean? I need to go back, with a travel buddy, and search again.

Think of this as a Part 1, and that I must continue this search for cryptid origins in a future post and vlog. Because I documented this experience, and want to share this withe everyone. In the meantime, enjoy my gallery of Bigfoot memorabilia found alongside Highway 101, on the Avenue of the Giants.

Pop Culture

Genetically Modified Skeptic — YouTube Channel
Finding Bigfoot — Spotify Playlist
Roadtrippy to Mystic (Queer Remix) — Spotify Playlist
A Queer Roadtrip — Spotify Playlist; because that’s what this past week was.
Queer Roadtrip Music for Fuckin Weirdos — Spotify Playlist

Gay in the Bay | Vol. 2023, Issue 22

June 5, 2023

Queer Intro

This post is for the week of

Do you have a live event that needs filming? I’m a videographer! Please check out the Sweeney Media on your way to the About > Contact page. I look forward to working with you.

How to Film the Golden Gate Bridge

I took a break from writing this past week. This isn’t to say I didn’t write a single word; I did, but everything feels stale. But what wasn’t stale was my first time lapse!

The Golden Gate Bridge is the most photographed bridge in the world. There’s just something alluring about this structure. I decided make the trek down to Marshall’s Beach and film a time lapse. Here's what I learned:

Know your subject. This applies to the camera just as much as the subject itself. Questions to ask: what are you shooting? What exactly are you achieving here? This will apply for platforms; think film (fiction or documentary), commercial, or maybe a YouTube video. What format is required? Where does the customer want the shot? Questions such as these will help you figure out the best way to get that “money shot.” The more questions you ask the customer or yourself, the more prepared you will be.
Learn the best time of year to film. June, to my surprise, is not the best time to film the GGB. The sun dips behind the mountains this time of year. Which, don’t get me wrong, this is still beautiful! But the light doesn’t hit the bridge the same way. Know when the sun will hit the bridge during the golden hour.
Know your place. Location, location, location! I had no idea where a safe place was to set up. As a result, I was close to the steps (which is safe for me and my gear) but I wasn’t close enough to the water. The best commercial photos of the GGB looks like the camera is right on the rocks and water. But make sure the tide doesn’t take you out with it. Find a safe place to set up.
Bring the right gear. This may vary between photographer and videographer. But I decided to bring my GoPro Hero9, a lightweight tripod, and a 5LBS sandbag. This may be different the next time I go out and film. But don’t expect every shoot to require the same amount of gear. Create a checklist of your gear and stick with it.
Bring your boots. An off-shoot of #1. Going to Marshall’s Beach requires you to climb down a steep hillside. If you are like me, out of shape or have terrible lungs, you will know to take breaks on the way down and up. Getting a great landscape photo/video will require some hoofin’ it.

I am updating my portfolio, and beginning to learn more about marketing for myself and my photos/videos. It’s a great time to become more focused and find my target audience.

There were many people that walked in front of my camera, as you’ll see in the YouTube video I uploaded. But toward the end, someone approached me and asked me to take his photo with his parents. They had driven all the way from Yosemite to the edge of San Francisco. I felt like an NPC in their life journey that day. That is to say, something came about it, and it felt great. Now I know what to expect the next time I go out to film the Golden Gate Bridge.

There are photos and a couple of vlog-type videos below.

She’s a Witch!

Simona Kossak was considered a witch in her day. She was an incredibly smart woman who held a PhD in Biology, an author, photographer, and an uncompromising conservation activist. She refused to follow the trends and styles of her day. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that she was connected to being a witch.

Here, however, we focus on the incredible photos that she contributed to the world. There is an intimacy that we don’t often see in the wild outdoors. The very first picture we see has a boar sitting at (and on top of) a wooden table. This isn’t something we see very often. And if I’m being honest, this is something I would love to see more of; the wild and civilized being brought into a weird mish-mash of humanity living quietly with nature.

Simona was called a lot of things (witch, activist being two) that is oft considered negative. But they should be positive connotations, as they are things that bring us closer to nature. And that is something we could all have more of; including myself.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

This isn’t a full review. It really couldn’t be, because I’d be far too biased toward this film. Quite frankly, this is my favorite animated film of all time. Yes, this even surpasses the original.

The joke I’ve had with everyone I’ve spoken to about this is: “They pulled a Matrix.” Meaning, the first film established the universe-skipping group of characters and the world in which they interact. Now, there is a duology of movies happening with almost too much going on. There are so many one-liners, references, and memes to keep count. And I can’t wait until the third movie, coming out next year.

Pop Culture

Norse Paganism introduction YouTube video

Gay in the Bay | Vol. 2023, Issue 21

May 29, 2023

Queer Intro

This post is for the week of May 21 — 27.

Do you have a live event that needs filming? I’m a videographer! Please check out the Sweeney Media on your way to the About > Contact page. I look forward to working with you.

Moving

Question: When is the best time to move?

The widely accepted answer is “Never!” But the 21st Century seems to be a period of redefining well-established colloquialisms that don’t always have deserving or even applicable answers.

My lease is up. For the past month I have been stuffing my brand new car (Subaru Impreza, the gayest choice) with things ranging from kitchen utensils to Dalek cardboard cutouts. And let me tell you, it was insane.

Technically-speaking, it wasn’t dramatic or life-altering. Much like the last time I moved (which was from Memphis to Oakland) I downsized. This move has taught me what I truly consider essential, and which items are simply along for the ride.

I’m also moving in with roommates. There will be assigned spaces for food, storage, and bathrooms. There is shared space where I haven’t had to share things before.

The thing that hit me most after bringing up the last box was this: I’m in a new space, and I’m not anxious. Now, I’ve spoken about being neuro-spicy before, and it definitely takes me time to adjust to new living spaces. There will always be an adjustment period for my brain. Along with those time periods are moments of anxiety. My body feels like it doesn’t belong in new places for more than a few hours. But that hasn’t really happened in this new space. There’s still going to be an adjustment where my new roomies get used to me and vice versa. But I don’t feel quite as anxious as before. And there’s something liberating about that.

Writing

I’ve spent the better part of the month of May packing boxes, signing off of social media, and planning the spooky part of my book. To put it simply, I’m amazed to have kept up with this blog series, much less an iota of writing. That being said, progress is being made on Project Madison Flame and the ghost hunting crew that forms a band. And in order to talk about this week’s cryptid, I need to speak on the premise of one episodic story.

There is one episode that has the group going to the outskirts of my fictionalized city of New London, CA. There is a cave system hidden throughout an incredibly hilly portion of wild lands, just north of the city. And there have been rumors of vampires. But what they find is much more than they bargained for.

This is where they come across what is possibly vampires, and what could be shapeshifters. Buckle up for the next section, because I skim the surface on vampirism and its association with diseases.

American Vampires

Vampires are oftentimes thought to be purely a European folklore. But that simply isn’t true! Let’s take our Theater-of-the-Mind Camera Lens and zoom out a bit and shift focus to the Americas. There are creatures from both continents that have lasted for centuries as vampire-like in almost every way. There are simply too many to contain in one post, so I’ve included a Wikipedia link in the headline for further reading.

Vampires have always been associated in one way or another with disease. Vampirism is often believed to be associated with Consumption, or Tuberculosis in particular. There have even been cinematic parallels to vampirism and AIDS.

Yes, AIDS. If you haven’t noticed this trend before, it was especially prevalent in the mid-late-80s. The disease had already been associated with the LGBT Community. Some directors went even further than that by covertly creating the metaphor that if someone had AIDS, they were a vampire. The Hunger (1983) is a prime example of such, specifically with David Bowie’s character who suddenly begins to age rapidly.

Shapeshifter

In more modern times, we associate shapeshifting with it being an ability. For instance, both werewolves and vampires are shapeshifters. But werewolves only change from human-to-wolf, and back again. Vampires traditionally changed shape to more than just bats. Dracula (1931) shape shifts into a wolf and bat, among other creatures of the night.

Like with vampires, I’ve provided a link in the headline. They don’t get as an extensive description as vampires, but that’s likely because this is a nebulous state of being to talk about. There are certainly many shapeshifters in many different cultures (think Loki in the Norse mythology). But it doesn’t feel as specific as, say, Dracula or Carmilla.

Summary

My take on vampires and vampires: they show the sudden and unknowing change from the surface-level normalcy that is our everyday life. The young ghost hunters that want to know if urban legends are true are actually uncovering parts of the city’s history that people have buried in the past. There is an abandoned warehouse that was a makeshift AIDS hospital, but they don’t yet understand what they’ve uncovered when they first find it.

Similarly, being gay was (and unfortunately still is) seen as an abnormality. But the truth rears its ugly head in the form of these cryptids I present in the book. Life is more diverse than we know, and that diversity sometimes encompasses something beyond our scientific understanding. We dive into the unknown because we’re scared and want to understand. And that affects how we identify with ourselves and our environment.

Lesbian Bar Names (End for Now)

I looked at my list just now, fully expecting there to be more. But there doesn’t seem to be any more at present. I’ll have to research more bar names for the future. But for now, I need to rest after moving my life into a new place. Thank you for joining me on this ride of names. I have hopes and plans of continuing this research; especially if I can find the history behind a location. Until then, this mini-queery is finished.

Pop Culture

Subhumans — Found this band via a blue jean jacket with a million patches on it. Pretty rad.
This Irrationally Emotional Playlist — Found this on Mix, and had to give it a listen.
I recently shared a spooky story to Scared to Death Podcast. I hope to share it here eventually. I’m crossing my fingers they read my story in the near future.
Music has been a little lax as of late (one guess as to why from above), but during this week I’ll be on the lookout.

Gay in the Bay | Vol. 2023, Issue 20

May 22, 2023

Queer Intro

This post is for the week of May 14 — 20.

Do you have a live event that needs filming? I’m a videographer! Please check out the Sweeney Media on your way to the About > Contact page. I look forward to working with you.

Writing

For the past several weeks, I’ve decided to focus on the spookier side of myths and legends. This is all research used for Project Madison Flame. Right after this will be more women’s bar names.

Spearfinger

Gather ‘round the campfire, kids! It’s spooky time!

This one I was not familiar with at all. The name may sound silly if you haven’t heard of this one. And I don’t blame you, because I did the same thing. But this is the only thing that’s funny about Spearfinger.

She is someone who has claws or knives for fingers. My view are the blade-like protrusions you see in certain horror movies these days. They are usually creatures that attack the protagonist, showing off the blades as they do so. Those kinds of knives. And she goes after children. She puts them under a false sense of security, eventually… unaliving them with her spear finger.

Something I’ve noticed about horror. The less details you get, the more people thing it’s silly; bordering into absurdity. But when enough details are added, the humor that arises disappears like a wisp of smoke or fog. Depending of what you say, things can get creepy fast.

Spearfinger has started haunting my daydreams lately. It’s because she’s in Project Madison, so it all makes sense. But having children protagonists that fall under what Spearfinger looks for is a bit unnerving. If you’d like a bit more details, and then-some, follow the links below…

Folklore

For next week, we ponder the sounds people hear at night. It’s not homework, but if you want even more to read, here is what I plan on talking about.

Bar Names

Bum Bum Bar — NYC

La Gata — Frankfurt, Germany; This bar, at the time of writing this, is open, and has been since 1971.

Chez Moune — Paris, France

New Moon — Paris France

The Owl and Pussycat — London; this bar, at the time of writing, is open.

History

I aim to get these posts out on Sundays, but I partied a little too hard. So it will need to come out a little late. I appreciate your patience with that.

Poetry Slime

Poetry Slime is a free form poetry slam, but without the competition. It’s a wonderful event that respects the mic, the vibes, and especially the readers. Meeting every third Saturday of the month at Milk SF, host Leland strives to create a creative space that doesn’t require alcohol.

Technically, this is history. It happened the day before the Bay to Breakers event, which happened the next day. And boy-howdy was the city of San Francisco crazy in their preparations.

Since I partied after Slime, I had to recover on Sunday. While I missed what was likely a great event, I’m glad I took the time to take care of myself. And this gets to my main point:

Drink your water.

Put on your sunscreen.

Take time for yourself.

The Presidio

So the here is where I’ll share some photos from a visit at the Presidio. Look, we all geek out about something. This day (which was very sunny, seriously don’t forget your sunscreen when in SF) I had helped repair an analog camera (DM if interested) and decided to visit the Presidio. I had looked for a Yoda Statue at the LucasArts Art School. And wow, is it a secretive statue! It’s out of the way, so it’s an interesting challenge to find it. Afterward, I took some photos of a couple of other landscapes.

All photos are attributions belong to me, Josie Sweeney.

Harriet the Spy

The New Yorker has this amazing article on the queer feminist author of Harriet the Spy. This has me wanting to read the books (never got the chance as a kid) and rewatch the movie. Link in headline.

Reel Oakland Student Film Festival

I’m volunteering for a couple of film festivals!

I used to volunteer for the Indie Memphis Film Festival. Since I’m no longer in Memphis, I cannot help them out anymore. I’ve lived here for a year now, and have begun asking around for film festivals to volunteer for; with great results.

The first one is the Reel Oakland Student Film Festival 2023. I will be in charge of presenting everything folks see on the silver screen. The presentation points, volume, films, everything was considered and discussed. And I will be in charge of it all. The next festival won’t be ready for another few months.

If you would like to help support this non-profit, you can find the link in the headline.

National News

Supreme Court Kicks the Can

In an article by Reuters, we learn that SCOTUS had received a lawsuit against Google (this was about the practice of their video-sharing). They must have decided it wasn’t worth their time, because they aren’t going to make a decision on it. They have kicked the proverbial can down the road by stating that this can be decided on a state level.

Pop Culture

This TikTok video lives rent-free in my head.
This heckler video gives me life.
Origami Angel on Spotify.
Molchat Doma on Spotify.

Last Thing Last

I didn’t have a good place to put these, but still wanted to share.

I’ve started a new hobby! I’m looking at cameras that have issues or are very dirty. The Canon camera was brought to a beach and needed a good deep clean. The Nikon has an autofocus issue, and the customer has chosen me to help with that. And the last one? Well, I have a new shirt for PRIDE, and happened to match Milk SF at Poetry Slime.

Gay in the Bay | Vol. 2023, Issue 19

May 15, 2023

Queer Intro

This post is for the week of May 7 - 13.

Do you have a live event that needs filming? I’m a videographer! Please check out the Sweeney Media on your way to the About > Contact page. I look forward to working with you.

Writing

The Ladybug

Last week I listed off many bars, without getting into any of the histories. Many of them, unfortunately, are lost to history. I hope to correct that where possible. This week we will look at The Ladybug in Chicago; not to be confused with the similarly titled tavern in Toronto.

These days, bars are remembered by the personal stories that occur within the alcohol-covered walls of the establishment. There is one such story about The Ladybug on the story I linked above. So while I don’t have enough information to describe how The Ladybug impacted the neighborhood and the kinds of people that patronized the place, I’m lucky enough to find anything at all.

Lesbian bars have all but disappeared. They have largely evolved to sports bars, from my own personal experience. Many of them have grown to include Non-Binary folx and even gay men. It’s easy to bemoan this if you want to find someone similar to you in a safe space. But it’s important to understand the troubling times that were as we fight for a better today and tomorrow.

This bar, though light on information, will be a huge influence on my superhero book, Project Ladybug Tavern. It’s actually where the project name came from. This fictionalized bar in the fictional city New London uses codenames to protect their patrons. This is a bit of creative license to the real-life use of aliases. If you were cruising at a gay/women’s bar and afraid of getting arrested, or living your life as the woman or man that you are at a trans bar, there were numerous reasons to not use your legal name.

In the book, there is a bartender at the fictional Ladybug Tavern that decides to use the name of her favorite character from her most adored cartoon show, The PowerPuff Girls. Not very usual. But this becomes an unwitting catalyst to the naming convention for the meta-humans in New London.

Rougarou

Have you ever heard of the Rougarou? I hadn’t either, until I began researching for the spooky side of Project Madison Flame (see Vol. 2023, Issue 18 for more details). Deep in the southern part of Louisiana lives the cryptid known as the Rougarou. This is the next part of my Cryptid Mythology Tour.

The etymology comes from the French word “loup-garou,” which is a werewolf. Since Louisiana is also home to many Cajuns, the word evolved phonetically to become Rougarou, keeping its meaning for the most part.

I was a bit confused at first, because the first couple of sites I found did their best to distinguish this cryptid from werewolves entirely. To be clear, it is an evolution of the creature. The word werewolf comes from the Proto-European languages that all mean “Man” and “Wolf.” But the more the mythology expanded, the further the reach, and the deeper the meaning. So the Rougarou is, indeed, a werewolf, but it’s the southern Louisiana Werewolf. And that deserves a spotlight.

The Rougarou is also important because of its inclusion in saving the swamplands of Louisiana. It is used as the mascot, to save both land and creature. There’s also a Rougarou festival every year.

Queer Herstory

Druid Heights

Do you feel anxiety from the current events going on? Do you, like me, need a break from all those crazy folks doing terrible things? Then you’re in the right place. Here is a video (link in headline) about Druid Heights, located in the North Bay.

Druid Heights was an artists compound nestled in the Muir National Monument woods. It’s not exactly open to the public, as there are still people living there. But it is nostalgic and a great look at Muir National Monument redwoods.

Money, Success, Fame, Glamor — Music

It’s been a while since I last heard this song, but it was mentioned on Ru Paul’s Drag Race as part of a mix up of Voguing. This got me wanting to know more about the song. And this was where I fell down the rabbit hole.

This is admittedly not a great “history” segment. Instead, it is more a look inside my ADHD mind. Nonetheless, it was a delight to listen to the song again.

I missed the names that she mentioned, and immediately became confused with all the different names involved with this one song. It’s been so long since Party Monster (2003). And the internet database has become more confusing than helpful with finding out the original composer. Or maybe I just get confused very easily. Regardless, that was a fun rabbit hole to fall down.

The following folks came up during my research:

Felix da Housecat

The Pop Tarts Band

Dan De Leon

Nina Flowers

Fenton Fox Bailey

Randy Barbato

Pop Culture

Film Critics are weird — YouTube video
The The — Band (worth checking out the history of this band)
This guy sings about cities, which is absurd, and I love it.

Gay in the Bay | Vol. 2023, Issue 18

May 8, 2023

Queer Intro

Welcome to the Gay in the Bay Blog! I am Josie, a queer writer and videographer that loves to document what I see around me.

This post is for the week of April 30 - May 6.

Do you have a live event that needs filming? I’m a videographer! Please check out the Sweeney Media on your way to the About > Contact page. I look forward to working with you.

Writing

It’s really starting to feel like summer today! The weather hasn’t been its hottest (yet), but give those scorchers some time. But everyone is hustlin’ and bustlin’ all around Oakland and San Francisco. And I’m just here, moving and writing. How are things with you, dear reader?

Writing has been a little slow because I’ve started moving into a new apartment. But what I have written has been delightfully spooky! Breaking up Project Madison Flame into short stories and a collection of novellas has been a journey in and of itself. It’s given me more to think about in terms of the themes of this book. And has allowed me to think more in terms of a city’s past.

The current story I’m working on may well be a novella at the end of things. It’s about a group of kids as they explore the myths and legends about the city they live in. It’s what they do to keep busy. Most kids play sports simply to “stay out of trouble.” But these kids go looking for it.

I’m actually bringing some Appalachian folklore into it. As well as more Southern lore. It’s funny: I moved out of the South, and here I find myself writing about it in mysterious ways. But to explore it all from a distance has been very fun. More on Southern Myths & Legends in coming weeks. There’s so much terrible news lately that I think this would be a more digestible substitute.

Bar Names

It’s been a couple of weeks about the naming of things. I’m sure folks have wondered what the hell I’m getting at. Well, bar names, of course! Starting from here, I’ll list women’s/lesbian bar names. There may be some gay bar names if they stick out enough. They will feature prominently in my New London city to immortalize those queer names of the past.

Since I live in the East Bay, let’s start with some locations in the Bay Area! Unless otherwise noted, these bars have shuttered for all sorts of reasons.

A Little More
Amelia’s
Anxious Asp
Artist’s Club
Clementina’s Baybrick Inn, aka The Brick
Driftwood
Last Chance Bar
Marlena’s
Mary’s First
Maud’s
Ms. Smith’s Tea Room
Paper Doll
Peg’s Place
Wild Side West — OPEN
Which one is your favorite? Comments are turned on for a discussion on the bars.

This is the May

This past week punsters of all ages got to celebrate the punniest time of year. It separates the yokels from the jokals — ok, that last one really stretched the bounds of humor.

But this year introduced a new meme: This is the May!

What I love most is that it takes the very simple phrase “This is the Way” from the Mandolorian tv series and inserts May instead. It’s simple, easy to adopt, and a great response to all those Justin Timberlake and Lance Bass memes we all love to share.

Pop Culture

Sweet Hibiscus Tea, by The Junkyard.
Protean City Comics Podcast, because superheroes.
Queercore, not just a documentary (which you should totally check out), but also a Spotify playlist.
Funkmaster Flex Night on Instagram.

Gay in the Bay | Vol. 2023, Issue 17

April 30, 2023

Queer Intro

This post is for the week of April 23 - 29.

Do you have a live event that needs filming? I’m a videographer! Please check out the Sweeney Media on your way to the About > Contact page. I look forward to working with you.

Writing

Writing has been great in spite of getting a fake interview. I’ve written nearly 10k words in the past week or so. Which is great progress! Last week’s post about power in names was very apt, as I I was swindled out of time by a Multi Level Marketing scheme (what used to be called a pyramid scheme) called Maplewood Marketing. I have been in desperate search of a job for a while now, and they are preying on folks in this exact situation.

SPLLIT Band Live Show

To keep things more pleasant I’d like to switch focus and talk about seeing bands for a moment. There was a band that I met in Memphis, right before I moved out to Oakland, CA. They are currently on tour out West. I had the pleasure of watching them perform live at Thee Stork Club in Oakland. I got to catch up with them and even learned of some more Bay Area bands (below in Pop Culture) that are amazing.

I’ve never been much of a live show type of person. There’s something different about live events when you know the group, though. Please consider giving SPLLIT a listen, as well as the other bands I have linked down below.

Safe Spaces, a series

Last week I mentioned bar names and what power they have. I wanted to continue that discussion, as I am a proponent of names that unify and even signify a community. Because of my experiences, I focus on the LGBT Community bars and, in more recent times, cafes.

Bar names of yore are often cheeky or from an inside joke, among other reasons. They start out as snippets of phrases born from discussions between a few individuals. This grows into a need to create a safe space for others in similar situations. In decades past these safe spaces began as bars, as the focus was on adults. It has been difficult enough to create a gay bar, but even more so for women bars.

The term Safe Space feels like a buzzword started less than a decade ago. But it’s merely a modern form of word play meant for those that actually need to take a break from the attacks they deal with. Everybody needs to have a third home where everybody knows your name, and smiles when you show up simply because you are the shining beacon of light that you are. Families and homes can be treacherous just like school or work. You may be in the closet for reasons only known to you; and that means you need an outlet where you can find people with similar positive values.

I have begun collecting a list of women/lesbian bar names that have largely closed for one reason or another. I have plans on including these names in Project Madison Flame to put these now-missing bar names on a pedestal.

News

Round Robin News

While there has been plenty of shocking news, pearl-clutch-worthy, there will primarily be a shift toward music. Erin Reed has many reports going on, with the Texas Senate going through the toughest legislation. But let’s not forget that political attacks on Trans kids is very problematic. And we can’t forget the attacks on Montana Representative Zooey Zephyr — which, I have to confess my bias, she has a pretty badass name.

Sweet Dreams has a Heart Breaking Origin

We all have dreams. Many of them are on the forefront of the hit wonder Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) by Eurythmics. Seershamusic on Instagram does a lovely job of covering the story behind Sweet Dreams. This song isn’t just an ultimate ear worm, it’s the culmination of heart break and music combining. Thankfully she has many more reels on Instagram, because I can’t get enough! Link in headline.

Chumbawamba were a buncha Punks!

Chumbawamba was pretty damn punk. They found a unique way to enact politically charged activism. Is there a documentary about bands like this? I would love to watch a documentary about activism through music. I love finding music history where money was raised for good causes. If you, like me, get knocked down, use music like this (or SPLLIT) to get back up again. Thank me later. Link in headline.

Fatnasmic’s Maleficent Catches Fire

Earth Day seemed to be put on halt this year. Maleficent’s dragon form in a show called Fantasmic had a malfunction that caused quite a stir when she caught on fire. The fire started at Disney Land in Anaheim, CA. Multiple videos will be linked here, as these points of view show a bit of what went on. Though to be clear, the cause has not been disclosed by Disney.

Here is the first video I came across. And the second, showing how bad the fire and smoke became as guests were shown the exit. The staff at Disney Land should get a raise for assuring the safety of park guests.

Another user posted this video to show how the show is meant to be viewed. But let’s take a moment to pay more attention to the mouth of the dragon. The pyrotechnic faces at a downward angle, similar to the anatomy of a snake. So it begs the question: how did this occur?

Let’s end this by showing comedian Youth Pastor Ryan and his news-breaking take on Mickey’s power. So which is scarier, Maleficent catching on fire or Mickey’s power?

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrqyV8DAAH0/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D

Instagram Reel by @ryankellycomedy

Pop Culture

Sam McPherson invites his neighbor on his tour.
SPLLIT (Baton Rouge, LA)
Public Interest Band (Oakland, CA) released their newest album earlier this month!
Fake Fruit is another Bay Area-based band that you need to check out!
Numb Little Bug, by Em Beihold

Gay in the Bay | Vol. 2023, Issue 16

April 23, 2023

Queer Intro

This post is for the week of April 16 - 22.

Do you have a live event that needs filming? I’m a videographer! Please check out the Sweeney Media on your way to the About > Contact page. I look forward to working with you.

The Power of Naming

What’s in a name? Names have power. For many people in the LGBT community, there is power in finding a preferred name, a drag name, even a stage name. There is also something about going to a safe space with a catchy name. It can (and hopefully should) give people a sense of community. Wether it’s a cafe, bookstore, or bar, there should always be something in a name that gives someone the power to be themselves.

There are so many places that I describe in my first book, located in the fictional city called New London, CA. Here, there is a vast rap sheet of characters that all know each other in one way or another. It’s almost like this big city is like a small town. They visit many of the same places (examples listed above). Because this is a love letter to the LGBT Community in many ways, I decided to use bar names. So I’ve started collecting historical lesbian and women bar names.

News

First and foremost, I applied for a job and was asked to join the team! I’m also moving soon, so writing might be limited. Organizing and managing everything is going to be especially tricky. But I’m in the middle of a story in Project Madison Flame, so I think writing that will help keep the frustrating times at bay.

Montana Won’t Let a Representative Speak

Republican leader silences Representative Zooey Zephyr, the first transgender woman elected to the legislature. Read more in Erin’s article; link in headline.

Broke Millennials

There’s a lot to be said about us Millennials and our financial stability (or instability). I often hate reading about anything that criticizes my own generation. The Atlantic generally produces novel-length articles that is blocked behind paywalls. But I was able to read the introduction this time. Email me if you’re able to afford to read the rest. Maybe I can after my first paycheck comes through.

Historical Rosie

Let’s stop looking at current events and look back at the past. Rosie the Riveter is one of the most interesting historical figures I’ve ever known, and I always like reading into Rosie. Link in headline.

German artist Boris Eldagsen

A German photographer declines an international award by Sony, and to make a point.

Disney v DeSantis

Disney has been duking it out against Florida’s totalitarianist governor Ron DeSantis for a little while now. Recently, Disney announced that they will have a Pride event in June. Around the same time, proud boy Ron has threatened (really jokingly stated, but it’s a terrible joke) to sell the land all around Disney so that another amusement park could be built or even a prison.

It’s incredibly tone-deaf to even joke about building a prison next to a public place for children of all ages. He’s one of those governors that claim they're protecting children, and here they are joking about putting them in danger. Very strange…

RIP Queer Film Theory

This week (for me) has been light on news. So I’ll bookend this post by giving a last bit of news. I had a podcast for quite some time. It was called Queer Film Theory and its main purpose was to watch movies from Black Lodge Video; a film library and event center in Memphis, TN.

After moving out to California, I did my best to keep up with it. But the numbers have consistently shown that nothing I did worked well enough. It’s not to say it hasn’t been fun. However, I am not a one-person show that is able to keep a consistent and enthusiastic demeanor while on the mic. And all attempts to have guests on (with one exception) has been thwarted by the evil “Different Industry Schedules.”

So as much fun as I had, I am shelving that project indefinitely. It had a good run (at least in my head), and I’m glad I started it. If you’re interested at all, you can check it out on Spotify.

Pop Culture

A friend shared this video to me. As someone who’s enjoyed Alice in Wonderland for years, this is an amazing rendition by Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway.
C.B. Lee — I’m currently listening to Not Your Villain, a YA sequel to Not Your Sidekick. It’s a good way to spend your Sunday afternoon, either resting and relaxing or getting things done around the house.
This Instagram post has lived rent free since finding it early last week.
The IG post above is a reference to Marina. Love!
Vana is another random find.
Honey Revenge — I feel like I find every new band through either Instagram or friends. There’s no in between.
EMMY has this interesting song called Stupid Big Teeth.

Gay in the Bay | Vol. 2023, Issue 15

April 17, 2023

Queer Intro

This post is for the week of April 9 - 15.

Do you have a live event that needs filming? I’m a videographer! Please check out the Sweeney Media on your way to the About > Contact page. I look forward to working with you.

San Francisco Sunsets

At the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, April 14, Friday night. I was with friends, eating food, when I saw the sunset happening. I ran to the best spot as the sun finally set over the horizon.

Writing

This past week I took a break from my superhero book (Project Ladybug Tavern) and picked up another book (Project Madison Flame). This one is set before the events of all the meta human shenanigans. It’s a fairly poetic, multi-perspective story that introduces the reader to a portion of the residents of the city of New London. No, not the ones in Connecticut or Minnesota, but a fictional one in California.

New London has been a pet project of mine; a conglomeration of other cities that’s formed its own weird little melting pot of culture. Each perspective is dealing with something. From a traumatic break up, to a comic store manager trying her best to expand the store, to two brothers writing a play together. More on these stories in the following weeks.

Film

Beta Test: Death and Taxes

Over the weekend I got the opportunity to film a live show. It was the second one that Beta Test Burlesque has put on, and the folx who put this on are a joy to work with. Seven performers, six acts, two kittens to sweep up money, one videographer, a hard-working stage manager, and one badass host. And there was a theme this time: Death and Taxes.

Beta Test puts on display new acts that are being performed for the first time. They are acted out with the caveat that there may be things that need working out. That’s what is perfect about this show; the imperfections. The space to show what you’ve worked on and see what works, and what still needs work. And I’m here to provide that feedback later on.

Saturday night was a whirlwind. A quick setup before the audience arrived; that’s about all I remember before the show began. I got a glimpse of about three acts, while making sure my camera was set up properly. Lighting was really fun; one of my LED lights stopped working halfway through the show. Thank the gods for intermissions and extension cords.

I’ve never seen so much confetti at a live show before! There were two acts with confetti. One such act had a triple canon. I wish I was able to show that part of the show (that remains to be seen because of privacy reasons). Everyone brought such a different energy that it’s difficult to keep up with it all.

If you are interested in attending or even joining, please contact me and I will pass along the proper information for the next show in August.

Aspect Ratio Sizes 2023

Are you a photographer or videographer trying to share your work? Does your platform of choice force you to crop your beautiful photo/video? Well, wonder no more! Below is a cheat sheet for each platform, so you don’t have to worry about unneeded cropping.

For the sake of transparency, I’ve used a blog post from Hoot Suite for reference.

* The Cover number for LinkedIn does not comply with the numbers I have researched. Ultimately, LinkedIn wants your Banner to be a 1.91:1 ratio. This blog post by LinkedIn should clear up any further confusion.

News

Some SF History

California is known for many things. Serial killers are but one subject of this state’s complicated history. Broke Ass Stuart recently wrote about a darker side of Daly City. I’m not sharing this to glorify this killer’s actions, like some podcasts and television shows will do. This is being shared because it’s a piece of history that is close to my doorstep. And that is always worth digging up the old newspapers to get a glimpse of the past.

Influencing is Pretty Difficult, It Turns Out

As time moves on, starting your career as an influencer becomes more difficult. Influencing seems like you can keep your own hours and do what you want. But that will bleed into your private and social lives. It’s difficult enough just being on social media, but to be chained by advertisers makes things like 1000% worse.

This NYT article follows Lee From America and others as they change their business lives to a 9 - 5 work life. I don’t know that I completely understand their enthusiasm to work at a desk job, but it certainly brings some anxieties to light. Link in headline.

Danger List: New Zealand Street Lamps

Let’s take a break from all the batshit crazy news this week and appreciate the weirder news. This and the next articles are pretty high up in the “Get this” news at the watering hole. As always, links are in the headlines.

Radioactive Theme Park

This one needs a bit of a caveat, though the humor is still there. This nuclear power plant was never opened and used as an actual power plant. Please read the rest of the article for all the chuckles.

New Jersey News

This was missed from last week, and still worth bringing up. New Jersey has become a Trans Healthcare sanctuary.

Pop Culture

Sunsets are great (see above picture).
This week has been busy, and I’ve missed naps.
Therapy? During that sunset, my friends and I discussed favorite punctuation marks. That evolved into favorite bands with punctuation marks. This appeared alongside other more mainstream bands.
Tina Bell — see how a female POC walked so Grunge could run.

Gay in the Bay | Vol. 2023, Issue 14

April 10, 2023

Queer Intro

This post is for the week of April 2 - 8.

Do you have a live event that needs filming? I’m a videographer! Please check out the Sweeney Media on your way to the About > Contact page. I look forward to working with you.

Let’s stop writing and enjoy the flowers for a minute…

This week has been a hurricane of news reports, obituaries, and inability to really slow down. I’ve celebrated a friend’s birthday. I shaved my head for a photo project (more on that after I edit them). I’ve prepared for (cue horror music) for Tax Day. I’ve even decided to shelf my superhero book and focus on another book for the time being. But I’ve written a poem based off of a Cure song. It’s been a gloriously weird week. And I have a feeling that things are only going to speed up from here. That’s why I need to take more time to slow down and enjoy the scenery that surrounds me.

Speaking of scenery, I took a break from this here computer to head out and take some photos. They’re up on Instagram (@sweeneylens if you don’t already know), but you can also see them here. I don’t know anything about this building, except that it’s not in use. There was a crane on a tiny island, which I found endlessly fascinating. I’m starting to discover that I like taking pictures of bridges framed within trees and/or buildings.

Next week is going to be more business-focused. Have you ever thought about aspect ratios? Well, let’s talk shop. About LinkedIn Banners, about the various Instagram ratios, about it all! If you’re like me, you like to edit before you bring your photos onto the various platforms. And we’ll discuss why that matters.

News

Trans Rights Victories in Three States

I’m shortening descriptions this week, because we are in the weeds of details in news. But let’s start things off with a positive story, brought to you by Erin Reed.

Full disclosure, I have no affiliation with Erin Reed. We do not know each other. I have similar interests in what she covers and would like to give her voice more of an audience. Link in headline.

Tennessee is now Fascist

This past week three Democrats were forcefully removed from the State Legislature. Why? Their role in a protest in calling for more gun control. This happened in the wake of the unfortunate shooting in Nashville the week prior.

The Nashville shooting was not covered here, so there are no links to this site. This was not intentional; an oversight by Quality Control Editor Josie. In case you missed that, an individual walked into a grade school and open-fired upon students, teachers, and staff. It is a complicated and sensitive matter that has only fanned the flame of intolerance in the Tennessee Legislature.

Link to the Tennessee Three in the headline. I stand by the Tennessee Three.

LGBT Group Targeted

For once, Florida is not the only state with a strange occurrence from a resident. A Maryland man was charged for threats to the Human Rights Campaign. Allegedly there were references to the Nashville shooting on March 27, 2023. The voicemail was left on the 28th.

All of this is in the wake of the Nashville shooting of a christian school. The charge is interstate communications with a threat to injure, according to the article. Link in headline.

Rest in Power Heklina

Early last week we received news of a performance cut short. Last Monday Heklina, 55, was performing at London’s Soho Theater with their friend Peaches Christ. She is well-known for many things, more than I am familiar with. For full transparency I will allow The San Francisco Standard list out her full list of performances.

Link in headline.

Track Runner Keeps on Truckin’

A transgender youth is allowed to continue running in track-and-field. This was pushed through to the United States Supreme Court. For once, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trans Community. These issues often become complicated, but the article, linked in headline above, does a good job of covering it.

Montana House Bill 359

Montana is certainly Puritanical these days. This bill would be the second drag ban in the US. This would actually go further than the Tennessee drag ban bill. In short, this would ban anything that may have the “intent to incite lustful thoughts.” This has some interesting ramifications, such as theater productions to Halloween costumes.

Link in headline.

Montana… Again

This time we cover the Montana Senate Bill 458, dubbed the LGBTQ Erasure Act.

New Queer Dating App

Some new and positive news! Mary Richardson is a Penn State York student that has created a queer-friendly dating app for bisexuals. Full article linked above.

Color Coded Calendar

Lately I have not been able to attend or keep up with various events. But this and next week have several that I’ll be attending. And I will have updates on each of them.

Each week The New Parkway Theater in Oakland has a variety of events. The two that I love the most are Drinks & Dragons (Wednesdays) and Trivia (Thursdays) respectively. I am officially a new Game Master, and want to help make D&D more fun at the New Parkway. Check out The New Parkway website for further information on these and other events. You cannot go wrong no matter what day you show up.

Local Events

Beta Test Burlesque

Beta Test Burlesque has their next show coming up this Saturday. The theme? The sexiest of them all: Death and Taxes. The show is sold out, but if you’re late to the ticket game, there may be last minute I-can’t-go posts. Link in headline.

Pop Culture

Tophouse Artist - It’s finally become warm(er) in the Bay Area. We’re all hanging out more. Why not add some campfire music to your evening outings?
Waffle House Records - Did you know Waffle House has their own record label? It’s hilarious.
Hyphen is pretty weird, British, and cool. Just don’t get him confused with Hyphen Hyphen.
Hyphen Hyphen is weird, French, and poppy.
Japanese City Pop - I provide no puns or explanations. Just listen and enjoy.

Gay in the Bay | Vol. 2023, Issue 13

April 3, 2023

Queer Intro

This post is for the week of March 26 - April 1.

Do you have a live event that needs filming? I’m a videographer! Please check out the Sweeney Media on your way to the About > Contact page. I look forward to working with you.

Thoughts on Writing, by Josie Sweeney

How do you write about writing? I’ve found this to be difficult. Many of the YouTube videos I’ve found online are presented like guides on writing. My bias is showing, because they come off as “this is the only way to go about this,” as if that creator’s video had been peer-reviewed. And that’s not the case. On the other hand, maybe I’d been trying to find ways to be completely original. After all, there are no more original stories, right?

Technically it’s true. Authorial contributors like Joseph Campbell Robert McKee have written extensively on what makes a good story; this is before you even begin to talk about format.

Technique, format, even down to the font choice can quickly become pedantic and trivial. And I believe that’s what my brain sees/hears whenever I see one of those “how to” videos on YouTube. It becomes so difficult to find the answer to a particular question when it feels as though opinions are carbon copied. And you don’t even have to be published to make these videos! (Which is great, I might add.)

There are so many videos and books on “How to Write a Book” that it can become overwhelming to figure anything out. And that’s what I was until I finally got to sit down and actually write. I went through the hurricane of distractions and “I don’t knows” that I forgot a very simple, very important piece of advice that Neil Gaiman states both whimsically and elegantly: Make Good Art.

This isn’t to say that you aren’t allowed to make bad art. Sometimes art needs to be “bad” before you get to the good art.

Here’s a specific example from my first attempt at completing a book: I spent five months wallowing in the trenches of this world where superpowers were real. At times I wasn’t certain what should happen next. And yet, on the last week of October, I did it. I completed my draft. And I took a couple of months off. In January 2023, I sat down to read two drafts at once to make notes; because I’m, quite frankly, crazy.

And it was bad. It was a terrible draft!

I lamented this for a small amount of time before realizing that I can make this better. Much, much better. And cooler.

So it feels like another hurricane has struck again. And I’m grateful to be in the midst of figuring out just what exactly happens within the pages of this world. That, and I found a YouTube video on Brandon Sanderson’s writing routine.

You may be in search of one thing, but end up seeing things differently.

Winchester Mystery House, San Jose

This week I want to talk about something spooky. The Winchester Mystery House has been part of the San Jose scene for well over a century. Well, most of it. There was an earthquake in 1906, which is devastating. But let’s not allow history to get in the way of a good time. Because allegedly there are ghosts in the house.

There is a lot to be said about the Winchester house, and the thing I’d like to focus on is the beauty. This place is massive, dramatic, and very Victorian. The scariest thing about the house, though, is that it’s the oldest building in the area. Every other building is less than twenty years old.

If pictures say a thousand words, then I have plenty to show. Below is only a smattering of the pictures I took. The link in the headline brings you to Kaz Rowe’s video on the House.

For full transparency: The Winchester museum asks that you do not take photos or videos for commercial purposes. I am not being paid to publish these photos, and have no plans to.

News

Malicious Compliance suggests Bible Ban

The Bible is on the chopping block as book bans seem to be taking place. Lawmakers call this a joke and a slap in the face in what they are trying to do. But this is malicious compliance, since the bible contains scenes and descriptions of sex, slavery, war, human sacrifice, and other descriptions that would, in all seriousness, be terrible for kids to read.

Donal Trump Indictment

This past week it was revealed that former president Donald Trump (who still makes me gag) will be indicted. Everyone except me is speculating how he will react. He will most likely act like a child and claim he is the most victimized person in recorded history. What else is new?

Trump is expected to be in New York City for the indictment on Tuesday, April 4th. More information provided in the linked headline above.

Kentucky pushes further Right

Lawmakers passed a bill that band gender-affirming care for transgender youth in the state, overriding a veto from Democratic Governor Andy Beshear. Prior to the vote, at least 19 people were arrested after dozens of protesters entered the House Chamber to oppose the bill.

This event occurred on March 31st, International Transgender Day of Visibility. The people in opposition were overwhelming in their opposition, at times being louder than a speaker.

Link found in the headline.

In Other News…

Hometown Artist: Fosterfalls

Wistful and dreamy, artist Fosterfalls’ first and so far only song met my ears gracefully and in a magical tone. While my description is in cloud nine, I cannot think of a better compliment for this Memphis-based singer songwriter. I found out about them on an instagram post and had to check them out on Spotify.

I listen to Punk or even City Pop these days. Their music is best described as a soundscape of peace and serenity. Please give them a listen. Their Spotify link is above in the headline.

Pocket Miku

This one stood out — sorry, spoke out — so much that it gets a standalone spot here. The Pocket Miku is from a synthesis technology called Vocaloid. This tech is produced by Yamaha. The full name of this unique instrument is Gakken NSX-39.

There is an anime character on the front, created by a company called Krypton Future. Her name is Hatsune Miku. And the synthesizer uses her voice. She vocalizes a set number of words no matter which key you press. This thing is adorable and I would love one. Reportedly only $75, but please check the company’s website for further details.

You can find the YouTube channel that introduced me to the Pocket Miku in the headline above. If you like the music of the content creator, you can find him here and below.

Pop Culture

I found Natalie Layne through this Instagram post, and it gave me the biggest serotonin boost. Check her out on Spotify!
Harry Potter, as imagined by Balenciaga.
David Hilowitz plays all kinds of music (check out the Pocket Miku above). Check out his Spotify!

Gay in the Bay | Vol. 2023, Issue 12

March 27, 2023

Queer Intro

This post is for the week of March 19 - 25.

Do you have a live event that needs filming? I’m a videographer! Please check out the Sweeney Media on your way to the About > Contact page. I look forward to working with you.

Writing & Editing & Filming

Outlining is still trudging along with my novel. I’m running into the same issues as I did the first go-round with this book: figuring out the fun little details that lead to the ending. But I’m doing something very different this time around: I’m being patient with myself. I’ve written one novel in its entirety, and it was off/on for five months. And it’s being completely rewritten. This is my second novel that I’m writing to its completion.

I’m preparing to take some tests this week. No, I’m not going back to school. Blackmagic Design hosts a training program called Train the Trainer (aka T3). This certification will give me more opportunities as an editor teacher. I feel woefully unprepared. But maybe that’s just nerves. I’ll have more to update on that later on.

I helped out with Reel Oakland on a student-run film set. It ran all afternoon, we were exhausted by the end of it. But it felt great to help out again and be on set.

There was a lighting issue at some point; we wanted to light the background as a killer drags his victim through a hallway. But the light was seen in the background of the shot! I was asked to move the light closer to the camera, and I did. The light being in the foreground ended up looking even better and more sinister.

News

SF Floods are different from Memphis floods…

Flooding continued to hit the Bay Area last week. There were gusts of wind, torrents of rain, and blocks and blocks of SF and Oakland without power. And when Atmospheric River Bob was bored enough to leave, there was much rejoicing.

A friend of mine came in from Memphis, TN to attend the Game Designers Conference. We hung out on Tuesday when the rain decided to hit us all. When attempting to show him a comic shop, we looked up to realize how dark parts of the city was. It was strange. And a reminder that we as humans don’t pay enough attention sometimes.

Queer Bedtime Stories musician

In the March edition of Queer Bedtime Stories, we had a musician grace our presence with a guitar and some sweet, sweet vocals. They go by Penny’s Luck on Spotify, links here and down below. Their music is as pleasant and delightful as a nice cup of tea. Which is very refreshing, not the least because we’re all addicted to over-priced coffee out here in the West.

Comedian in a Dress

This comedian had a comedy show in Nashville last week. In solidarity, he wore a dress. He joked that he might get arrested, bringing attention to the reality that many will and already have gotten arrested for the exact same thing. I don’t generally like it when a comedian makes topical jokes like this; the difference here is that he must have thought his points through and didn’t really punch down on anyone (except the folks who wrote the anti-trans bills).

International Day of Trans Visibility

March 31, 2023 is an important day, now more than ever. There are people trying to eradicate the existence of trans/non-binary people across the United States. If you’re reading this and think I’m exaggerating, you haven’t read the bills carefully enough and buy propaganda way too easily.

Montana Bill

This article (linked in the title) focuses on a therapist stating that nobody under her care has ever regretted transitioning; with her staying in contact with her patients.

This disproves the 80% myth and claim and even forced a Republican to concede to the point. More details in the article. I do not know author Erin Reed but I do encourage support in her efforts in covering the current anti-trans bills popping up all over.

The unfortunate reality is that there are a lot of people that claim many regret transitioning without any proof. This is why properly researched papers and statistics are important, and why quoting statistics from decades ago can be dangerous regardless of the subject.

Lil Nas X and Apologies

Lil Nas X said something that the Trans Community found offensive, and he ended up retracting his apology on Twitter. In the video above, Cody Bordone covers some conflict resolution tactics that I honestly needed a refresher on. It was nice to see what could be done about real world issues.

I took a Conflict Resolution class in college, many moons ago. If I remember correctly, many of the examples felt made up and exaggerated to fit the module for that week. Something about that didn’t make the class feel all that important.

Pop Culture

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Olive Klug (Olivia Klugman) (@oliveklug)

Olive Klug strummin’ along.

Brian Falduto has debuted a new album called Gay Country. I found it funny at times, even though this might be a serious album. My understanding of most country albums are that they take themselves seriously. Let me know what you think! Check it out on Spotify.
People still do playlists, right? I hope so, because I’ve started a super-specific playlist for my queer superhero book. It’s only a few songs right now, but I’m always on the lookout for more. This isn’t character specific like Casey McQuiston.
McKenna Grace landed on my suggested page on Spotify. The album Bittersweet 16 was off-putting and confusing to me. But once I got into the pop/rock music, I really enjoyed it. Sometimes it’s the weird album art that really captures my attention. Grace’s music is a real bop! Check her out on Spotify.
I found Olive Klug via the embedded Instagram post above. It was touching, though unfortunately it’s not on Spotify. Here is her Spotify page and her site.
Penny’s Luck is a local artist in the San Francisco Bay Area. I mention them above, so here’s their Spotify page.

Gay in the Bay | Vol. 2023, Issue 11

March 20, 2023

Queer Intro

This post is for the week of March 12 - 18.

Do you have a live event that needs filming? I’m a videographer! Please check out the Sweeney Media on your way to the About > Contact page. I look forward to working with you.

Writing and Film

I’m physically and mentally exhausted after this week. I’m coming to terms with how fast I write (spoiler alert: it’s slower than I’d like), and that is just something I will learn to work with. If I were to create a Writer’s Scale, I’d be somewhere in between Steven King (fast as hell) and George Martin (painstakingly slow).

Writing — I am doing my absolute best to straddle the line between action and having stances. This is a pretty difficult thing to do, since this is my first time writing a superhero novel. But to also include LGBT themes is an even bigger challenge. I don’t want to spend too much time on exposition, even though that helps raise the stakes for my main character. But I also want the MC to start fighting the bad guys, too.

Film — I got the chance to help out with a student film shoot with Reel Oakland. They are a non-profit group that teaches filmmaking to high school students. I recently reached out to see if they might be interested in hiring me to teach, or at least lend my expertise. They are testing me out (my opinion, I don’t know their’s) to see if I’m a good fit. I was asked back for another day of shooting, which is a good sign. Hopefully this will work out. After all, I love talking about and teaching filmmaking of all formats.

This and last week’s posts came out a day late. Sorry! But it’s also because of how busy life has been. This is good news and I hope it will only continue. I would love to need to adjust this blog’s publication because of work. That much would be welcome. (As if writing multiple novels, working on YouTube videos, and searching for videography jobs was enough)

News

Filibuster over Trans Bill

The past few weeks have been stressful and disorienting for many, especially us in the Trans Community. Especially Trans Youth. The following articles are linked in the headings so they’re easier to find. Just as important: They are positive.

I’ve needed positivity lately, and the articles I found this past week were just that.

Regret After Gender Affirming Surgery

This is a journal site that provides the abstract of some interesting news about gender affirming surgery. And it is very different from what some politicians are claiming. This shows that there seems to be a lot of bias and cherry picking in the bills being pushed in Tennessee and other states. Link in the headline.

The Myth of “80% Detransitioning”

I found this article on LinkedIn about debunking a myth. The article is long, and my ADHD brain took breaks, but it’s very informative. Erin Reed concisely states why this myth started, who began these unscientific trials, and why these myths persisted. The full article can be found in the linked title for full details. The accounts are massive, and I would not do the article justice by recapping it in this blog.

“Transgender youth could not meaningfully transition until recently. Medical care for trans youth was highly gatekept if not barred entirely. Transgender youth were rarely, if ever, afforded any form of treatment.”

— Erin Reed

Usually I put a Color Coded Calendar here. This has, admittedly, become a bit for me to handle since I’m not on social media much right now. Still, I would still love to help out any local groups with their live events and help spread the word. Maybe, as the weather warms up, I can help advertise more of these events (and maybe even help capture them on film)!

Pop Culture

This TikToker found new life for her take out lids. Check out her new, niche hobby here.
Waffle House has an album record label! Find out here via this YouTuber’s journey and attempt to join the ranks. VIDEO.
I didn’t know how much I needed Japanese Funk and Soul until I found this YouTube video.

Gay in the Bay | Vol. 2023, Issue 10

March 13, 2023

Queer Intro

This post is for the week of March 5 - 11.

Do you have a live event that needs filming? I’m a videographer! Please check out the Sweeney Media on your way to the About > Contact page. I look forward to working with you.

Writing

Writing has been difficult only because of depression and the constant dread known as Atmospheric River Bob looming over us. That simile of the cloud hanging over someone has been a bit too literal. But I’m not letting this keep me from gettin’ them words down!

I found a note-taking method that really surprised me and immediately picked up. The Zettelkasten Method will seem complicated at first, especially when trying to incorporate this into a digital platform such as Notion. So far this works pretty well with the my Notion. I'd like to expand upon this in a later post, as it deserves its own space for explanation; plus, there appear to be a million videos on it.

I did it. I quit social media. Let me explain.

Last week I wrote about my friend being arrested by police after voicing her opinion about an anti-drag bill. Early on in the week I just couldn’t take all the news (partly why the post was short). I took this manic time to essentially sign out. The only exceptions were to respond to messages on Instagram or Facebook (the two socials left, unless you count LinkedIn). I’m on Twitter, but that’s only watch that empire fall.

I’ve checked them once or twice today to send messages. There were a couple of videos that I watched, and an update on my cousin’s pregnancy (she’s doing great, thanks for asking). Otherwise I had no interest in seeing anything else on there. And I kinda want to keep it that way.

I want to continue this. I feel like some of my attention span has come back. Well, as much attention as someone with ADHD can have.

Even More Expensive Headphones!

Move over, expensive computers! Step aside, American-made headphones! France now has the most expensive headphones yet. I really wonder how much Parker Hall got paid to say nothing but good things about the Focal Bathys Headphones.

Why do we need to keep making expensive headphones. Yes, many of us are audiophiles now, thanks to the like of Apple, Bose, Sony, and other companies. But France wants to beat them to our wallets.

I’m personally pretty worn out with “ultimate headphones” and similar descriptors. We’re just reinventing the wheel at this point. I think Wired is going for a younger audience than me, because I’ve heard the exact same marketing since I got into Walkmans (I’m a 90’s kid, for reference).

I know I’ve successfully made this sound like an auditory conspiracy. But I’m just glad I can focus on smaller things, such as the $800 price tag for this pair of headphones. I’ll save up for a new computer or gaming system for that much. Not headphones.

Local News

Court rejects religious exceptions for Covid vaccines. Even now, after three years have elapsed, some still believe that they get religious exemptions from everything. Well, not today.

Missouri News

Missouri Republican attempts to use a Bill to prohibit the acknowledgement of “sexual orientation” from being mentioned in schools. Her bill is then torn apart by another Republican because of the Bill’s language. It seems she believed that sexual orientation did not apply to a man and a woman.

“She knows full well that the intent of this bill is not to protect kids in a classroom. It is just to discriminate against the LGBT Community, and to parade her Christianity all over the place… She is incapable of keeping her Christianity to herself.”

Brian Tyler Cohen’s video on YouTube.

Color Coded Calendar

Each week I keep track of events so you don’t have to! This is amazing since I’m neurodivergent. But below are events that I really think you’ll enjoy…

Local Events

Queer Bedtime Stories is hosted at Milk SF this Thursday at 8pm.

Poetry Slime is hosted at Milk SF this Saturday at 2pm.

Pop Culture

A friend mentioned a YouTuber in a discussion: Jenny Nicholson. She talks about theme parks and other things. I couldn’t get enough of her video on Evermore (and that’s a big video).
I found a new way to take notes today (Thursday). It’s called the Zettelkasten Method, and you can learn about it from this video here. I’m already implementing it to compile my research for video essays.

Gay in the Bay | Vol. 2023, Issue 9

March 5, 2023

Queer Intro

This post is for the week of February 26 - March 4.

Do you have a live event that needs filming? I’m a videographer! Please check out the Sweeney Media on your way to the About > Contact page. I look forward to working with you.

Writing

It’s been a minute since I’ve edited anything for my YouTube channel. I’m still figuring things out for my content, but it’s still fun. Plus, it’s been a great way to get better at editing. And boy did I need that challenge. But I’m also scripting my videos again. Everyone has their own method, but at the moment I plan on editing the footage I’ve got and scripting afterward.

Writing has been a bit lax, but only because I’m still outlining. This feels like it’s stalled because I’m busy coming up with more characters. Been sick didn’t help. Though I really want to make more progress over the next few weeks.

Big D&D News!

Dropout recently shared a teaser for a new season of table top roleplaying. Matthew Mercer was the Game Master behind the table!

What’s interesting are the different folks who generally sit at Dropout’s table. Comedians and improvers are the usual players that grace us. While Matt Mercer is used to GM’ing a table full of voice actors. So this difference will be super interesting to see. You can see the video below.

Drag is not a Crime

Two bills that have been touted as a good idea were signed into law on March 2, 2023. The day before, governor Bill Lee visited Memphis, where at least two people from the trans community shared their disagreement with the bills. The purpose for Bill Lee’s visit was to cut the ribbon to a new YMCA in Whitehaven.

Amon Pride was brutally handled by five or six police-persons. It is unclear as to the exact number since everyone involved frequently moved around. You can see that video here. The other person, John Wilbanks who goes by their drag persona Moth Moth Moth (or Mothie), took a megaphone and proclaimed, “Bill Lee is a liar and a fascist!” They were immediately surrounded by several police and taken away.

I personally know Mothie and applaud their bravery for standing up. It takes a lot of guts to stand use their supposed first amendment rights to speak their opinions. Below is a local news report on the matter.

Color Coded Calendar

Each week I keep track of events so you don’t have to! This is amazing since I’m neurodivergent. But below are events that I really think you’ll enjoy…

Local Events

The New Parkway will show Clueless on March 12, 2023 at 2.10pm. The Oscars will immediately follow.

Pop Culture

I’m a fan of fan art. Aviv Or’s Twitter account is an amazing illustrator that has begun a Critical Role series. They draw the characters of each actor on CR. They also appreciate puns, which makes them the best!
Doctor Who - I was sick this and last week, and got to catch up on Jodie Whittaker’s 13th Doctor.

Gay in the Bay | Vol. 2023, Issue 8

February 26, 2023

Queer Intro

This post is for the week of February 19 - 25.

Do you have a live event that needs filming? I’m a videographer! Please check out the Sweeney Media on your way to the About > Contact page. I look forward to working with you.

Writing

I ended up catching a bug this week, and was unable to concentrate on writing that much. I don’t feel great about that, and really don’t want to beat myself up over that. So this upcoming week I’ll be focused on outlining.

On top of that, I’ll be planning on some videos for my YouTube channel for the warmer months. So things have slowed down a bit, to the point where I needed to take care of myself. I hope you, dear reader, will take the time to take care of yourself as well.

Besides being sick this week, I’ve also realized that I’m feeling pretty down. I don’t have the bandwidth to read, write (some days are better than others), or do much more than watch TV. I think some of it has to do with weather, possible depression, or other factors. I have to practice patience with myself and take things slowly. Take a step back and look at what I can improve upon. So yeah, there’s that.

Scott Sessions’ Patreon

Before you scroll down to the next session, let me introduce a positive force to you, dear reader. The articles below are heavy and (for many) distressing. This piece is meant for everyone to feel good and spread love.

Scott Sessions has started a Patreon. They are continuing their positive efforts to introduce spirituality in queer spaces. More information is included on the Patreon site, including perks and payment tiers. It’s great to know you can still participate in a post-religious (or “porous”) space in a world where religion is too big a deal.

Tennessee is the Most Conservative State in the Union

Thursday 23 February 2023

Today the Tennessee House of Representatives passed two harmful bills which claim to protect children. The sick people that come up with this are actually the ones who are overly-focused on children and should instead look inward. This is a war against the LGBTQIA+ Community. According to the linked article, Tennessee is the most restrictive state in the United States in terms of anti-LGBT legislation.

House Bill 1 bans medical decisions targeting Hormone Replacement Therapy. The thinking from conservatives is that minors are being forced to transition before puberty. This is incredibly false, overly simplified, and misguided. The people who wrote this have ignored years of research in favor of HRT.

House Bill 9 bans any drag performances taking place on public property. My mind drifts to laws set in place in New York State and others against “dressing as the opposite sex.” Drag performance has long been associated with transgender people and crossdressers. Again, this is an oversimplification by conservatives who refuse to understand others.

Tennessee is an appalling state and I am happy that I left. I now feel like I, a non-binary person on HRT and dressing the way I feel is right, am not legally allowed into Tennessee anymore. Nashville and the TN House have angered a lot of people today, in and out of the state. It is discriminatory to literally ban a specific type of person from living within your borders.

Edit: Chase Strangio posted this video on Instagram the same day that this newsletter was posted. It’s easy to jump to conclusions, and I have been guilty of this as well. Please watch the Instagram video below to gain another person’s understanding of these bills, which is better than my own.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Chase Strangio (@chasestrangio)

Let’s better understand SB-3 and other anti-LGBT laws in Tennessee.

End of the Internet, Pt. 2

Last week I wrote about breaking news covering Gonzales v. Google. Tuesday, February 21, 2023 the case was formally brought in front of the Supreme Court of the United States of America. According to this Wired article, the Justices laughed nervously as questions concerning the Internet was brought up.

Renaldo Gonzales, whose daughter was killed in Paris, France by Isis in 2015, has fought YouTube to take down videos of his daughter’s death. It’s a confusing matter, a confusing sentence, and a confusing time to be a Supreme Court Justice! And more questions are forming around: Is Google responsible for content published by third party?

Questions like: Is Meta also responsible for egregious content posted by someone in Missouri? This would count toward Facebook and Instagram, since they are owned by the same parent company. This decision will also affect future social media sites. The potential restrictions set in place may not make a future social site worthwhile to explore. Even if you are a private company, an LLC may not be enough to combat this from 2023 on.

This may not be the end of the Internet. But if the Supreme Court favors Gonzales, there will be some strange ramifications put into action. And this will affect how other countries look at published content. Russia has already tightened their grip on content producers by forcing them to throw up disclaimers that they are “foreign agents.” You can find a video about that via this Johnny Harris video here.

If you think that this isn’t a big deal and it won’t affect you, I invite you to consider some leading questions…

What about the propaganda against the LGBTQ+ Community in Tennessee, Utah, and other states? The LGBT Community is constantly being silenced because of “religious freedoms.”
What if someone has a stalker and will not stop talking about them?
What if a woman is recently divorced from an abusive husband and he won’t stop sending open threats on Facebook?
What if my abused friends in Memphis can no longer vent about their past abusive relationships? They deserve a voice, too.
The black community has always been silenced since being shipped to the Americas hundreds of years ago. Why aren’t they (currently) allowed to voice their own opinions.

Wyrmwood Gaming Allegations, Pt. 1

On Thursday (2/23) I found out about some allegations about someone who was fired from Wyrmwood Gaming. While I know nothing about what transpired beyond the below, I will do my best to cover this story in more details as they are presented.

The long and short of it is this: it sounds like sexual harassment transpired, and someone was fired in bad faith. This was further complicated by covering it up; never a good move.

From what can be determined, both abuser and victim were fired, but this contradicts what Wyrmwood Gaming claims.

For the sake of full transparency on my part: I’ve seen various products made by Wyrmwood Gaming, but have never saved up enough for their expensive products.

I'm a former employee of @WyrmwoodGaming
and want to put my story on record. I'm who the tweet was talking about. Remember firing me, Doug?

(I'm glancing away through the video because it wrote this all out for clarity and brevity.)#WyrmsArentFriends pic.twitter.com/FiVDKyg6iM
— Andy Morocco (@Andy_Morocco) February 19, 2023

Andy Morocco’s Statement 18 February 2023

Our statement: https://t.co/Lj8yTNwfJ3
— Wyrmwood (@WyrmwoodGaming) February 21, 2023

Wyrmwood Gaming’s Statement

Color Coded Calendar

Each week I keep track of events so you don’t have to! This is amazing since I’m neurodivergent. But below are events that I really think you’ll enjoy…

Local Events

Silver Sprocket Comics is hosting an all-genre writing group on March 5th (Sunday) from 7-8.30pm.

Pop Culture

SF Gate covers a relic of the Bay’s past known as The Wooz.
An interesting Instagram Story.
Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania

Gay in the Bay | Vol. 2023, Issue 7

February 19, 2023

Queer Intro

This post is for the week of February 12 - 18.

Do you have a live event that needs filming? I’m a videographer! Please check out the Sweeney Media on your way to the About > Contact page. I look forward to working with you.

Writing

Broke Ass Stuart

Most of the writing done this week has been in preparation for a potential job. If you’ve lived in the Bay Area for any amount of time (which is about as long as I’ve lived here now), you have definitely heard of the sassy Broke Ass Stuart (BAS for short).

BAS made a call for a writer, part time. I made the most humorous cover letter I could write and sent it to the Editor In Cheap. The Almighty Editors (my name for whomever responded) answered me and gave me a deadline for this week. I’ve answered it.

I have become a Game Master!

Chaos ensued and I stepped up to the plate! This past Wednesday I became a GM (Dungeon Master if that’s more familiar to you) at the New Parkway Theater. The usual GM was unable to attend tonight’s session, and there were about 15 people joining. The backup GM asked me if I could be in charge of the other game. I was more than happy to oblige.

Queer Superhero Novel

While writing for my book has been sparse this week, I’ve still written something. Outlining has been necessary in order to make this superhero story feel like an introductory novel; not just focusing on the main character. Because of that, I’m learning what tropes are expected in order to make something feel like a “superhero" story. Some are obvious (like costumes, the need/want to save people, insane ideas for world domination, et al), while others less so.

I’m introducing other characters. It just makes sense to me to include more heroes while more villains appear in front of the main character. But it still requires more planning to make everything feel coherent.

The End of the Internet?

I just watched a video by Legal Eagle on YouTube that talks briefly (20 minutes is honestly brief for this particular lawyer) about a Supreme Court Case. One that can spell out disastrous things for normal social media things like sharing your next drag show event on Facebook.

He was as brief as he could be, and I have a link to his video. This case is pretty complicated, but I’ll attempt to summarize it here.

A case was brought to the United States Supreme Court. This case dealt with a question that has massive ramifications: is Google responsible for its content on YouTube? This is certainly something that will affect everyone to varying degrees. I will follow this and see where it leads.

Oakland City Hall in State of Emergency

The city of Oakland was hit by a malware attack on February 8th a couple of weeks ago. The police department and other public officials are being somewhat transparent about the issue. They are acknowledging that it happened, but not indicating in what way. This could be a tactic to minimize damage being caused, or to minimize public panic, another reason entirely, or some combination of both.

This story is progressing, as they are still fighting the malware. As much as I’m not a fan of any police force, the police department appears to be the most forthcoming on information.

Oakland's recent ransomware attack has delayed response times.

If you don’t have an emergency, please consider the following to report incidents:

•OPD Online Reporting: https://t.co/7svLaOGpJY

Follow the link for more details:https://t.co/BWbP3XFANQ pic.twitter.com/DyD8IrgATs
— Oakland Police Dept. (@oaklandpoliceca) February 14, 2023

Oakland Police Dept. on the malware attack.

Mind Ghirardelli Square’s Dust

Ghirardelli Square is a fixture of San Francisco. I finally got to visit on February 14th, where I discovered a lot of the shops are currently closed. There are signs stating they will open up in the Summer of 2023. In just a few months, we’ll get even more chocolate options and see what they’ve been working on!

Berkley Throws in their chef’s hat for Best Pizza

Berkeley claims to have the best pizza in the Bay Area. Is the SF Eater article correct? Please let me know, in the comments or on Instagram! I take this as a personal challenge to venture in the wilds of Berkeley and scavenge their pizza selections.

National News

USA Today continues coverage of the officers charged with the death of Tyre Nichols from January 2023. The most frustrating part right now is that the court system will not start proceedings until May 2023. Paul Hagerman is the lead prosecutor, and is urging the courts to do what is right. Whether the officers are allowed back to work until then remains unclear. They go on to include the defense attorney claiming there should be justice for Tadarrius Bean (one of the officers charged for Nichols’ murder).

This whole situation calls for a complete overhaul of the police department. It has been clear for years that the entire system is questionable at best, and corrupt in every level at worst. But Memphis and the rest of Tennessee would rather kick the can down the road and focus on budget cuts or a new stadium instead of focusing on human rights. Did Martin Luther King, JR die for nothing in Memphis? My former hometown can and should do better.

The New York Times tripped this week

Major backlash has started following a New York Times Op Ed by Pamela Paul called In Defense of JK Rowling. If you decide to read the opinion, go for it. But this is most professional gaslighting I have yet to read.

To quote Bo Burnham: “The backlash to the backlash to the thing that’s just begun/ There it is again/ That funny feeling/ That funny feeling.”

Table Top Ideas

And now for more positive news…

I recently hosted my own game of D&D and loved it! I’m now looking for resources to help make things even more fun. There’s a lot of discourse on what’s better: analog vs. digital content. In the wake of the OGL debacle, the flames of chaos have been fanned as more lovers of lore and character sheets debate on the best way to play a table top game.

Personally, I love digital content. That’s not to say that screens dominate the table during the game. It just keeps things less cluttered. The biggest bonus is that a map (among character sheets and other small details) can be printed out and drawn over a million times over!

The coolest find this week is a fantasy map maker. Inkarnate is a website that allows any Game Creator to create a map to their own specifications. The range is tremendous; from world maps to furniture decorating a building, it has it all. My first impression: this caters to the medieval setting that most are used to seeing in D&D. My hope is that they accommodate other map aesthetics as well.

Color Coded Calendar

Each week I keep track of events so you don’t have to! This is amazing since I’m neurodivergent. But below are events that I really think you’ll enjoy…

Each week The New Parkway Theater in Oakland has a variety of events. The two that I love the most are Drinks & Dragons (Wednesdays) and Trivia (Thursdays) respectively. Check out The New Parkway website for further information on these and other events. You cannot go wrong no matter what day you show up.

Monthly Stuff

OmNomNom Burlesque will perform at Amado’s in the Mission District. This month’s theme is Afro Futurism.

998 Valencia St.

February 25th at 8.30pm

Pop Culture

This week a special mention must be made to the video below. Tennessee has done a lot of questionable things lately. But something UNquestionable was Clyde Stubblefield and his contribution to Hip Hop, among other genres of music.

A short documentary about Clyde Stubblefield.

I love dogs. NYC banned dogs on subways. This beautiful mess happened.
I was hanging out with friends after Poetry Slime, and we started talking about bands we listen to. I’ve always enjoyed the more mainstream stuff, but I took notes. I’m in love with these new-to-me bands:
- Plumander
- Destroy Boys
- Illuminati Hotties
- Japanther
- Amyl and the Sniffers

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