#tenderloin

#3goodthings #ThreeGoodThings 1) Lost some weight and it’s kinda stayed off. I might maybe have touched this number a decade ago after ballooning past it two decades ago. Almost don’t want to type it out because I don’t want to jinx it. But it is feeling like a good thing right now! 2) MIL gaining some function, walking more steadily, feeling more present. No idea how much farther she can go, but the neurologist doesn’t want to test her for another several weeks because improvement is apparently expected over that period. All very hopeful! 3) Went to see my spouse’s friend’s solo show at #MothBellyGallery in the #Tenderloin. Her work is kind of unhinged and I love it. https://www.instagram.com/andreajanebergen

Today in LGBTQ History July 6, 1973: Reverand Ray Broshears, a gay Pentecostal evangelist, formed the Lavender Panthers, armed street vigilantes who defended San Francisco’s lgbtq community at a time of sharply increasing violence against their community. It was also a time when SFPD would routinely blame the victims for the assaults, accusing them of having “propositioned” their attackers. Furthermore, who wanted to ask the police for help when the cops were routinely raiding gay bars and beating patrons as they did so? Members of the Lavender Panthers walked streets of the Castro and the Tenderloin looking for altercations. They carried weapons, including shotguns and bats. They also held self-defense training sessions for community members. In 1974, they intervened violently against a group of people throwing water balloons at gay community members, outside the Pendulum bar. This ultimately led to their demise. Broshears, himself, was a controversial figure. He has been accused of being racist and misogynistic, and of attacking a group of lesbians at a Pride event. #workingclass #lgbtq #homophobia #gaybashing #lavenderpanthers #castro #tenderloin #sanfrancisco #policebrutality #sfpd