Gay in the Bay | Vol. 2023, Issue 18

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

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.

Review: Moving

if there’s one thing universally scowled at even more than deciding where to live, it’s moving one’s stuff there. Moving a large amount of furniture and Disney knick-knacks is never an easy task.

Do you move it? If so, how? Or is it best to let a professional take care of it? Are you a minimalist; hoarder; stuck with your deceased parents’ stuff; meaning to declutter? It’s all, quite frankly, overwhelming. And, also frankly, none of us feel like we should give a damn about moving stuff at all.

Author’s note: I like the Gone With the Wind joke “frankly I don’t give a damn” a bit too much. Not entirely sure why that is…

No joke, I moved into my new apartment in Oakland, California on April 1st. A sunny Friday where my biggest priority was to get every box out of my truck and into the new 600+ square feet studio apartment. Thankfully I quickly found an elevator that would allow me to bring my red little wagon up to the fifth floor and avoid stairs. But what about utilities? Where does everything go once brought in? Oh yeah, we don’t have shelves yet. Or the Prince Futon - another story for another day.

Now, where did I put… everything..?

I have never been able to afford a service, but maybe I will once I move out of this new apartment in a year’s time. The service is many hundreds of dollars, but those hunky dudes generally do a great job and get a big house of furniture cleared within hours. I’ve heard this takes a lot of pressure off of a homeowner’s shoulders. I have yet to experience this.

What’s great about trying to be a minimalist while on the road: everything stays packed up and you can forget about it. What’s not great: you now lack certain things like dishes, bowls, bookshelves, et al. But now you get to set everything up.

Oh, and don’t forget that the internet router must be confusing - also a review for another day.

I have yet to hear a story that I would consider truly positive. My own experience in a new city, in a new part of the United States isn’t technically a “nightmare” comparatively, but this still hasn’t appeared without its kinks. I give Moving one star. Or maybe one truck.