Out in the Bay

Flaming Faggotry: Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore, editor of the new queer anti-assimilationist anthology "Why Are Faggots So Afraid of Faggots? Flaming Challenges to Masculinity, Objectification, and the Desire to Conform," is back for another "delicious conversation" on Out in the Bay. This time, he -- oops, I mean she -- brings Harris Kornstein, aka ice-skating drag queen Lil Miss Hot Mess, one of his/her San Francisco-based contributors with her/ him.

Inequality hits LGBT people right in the assets. Remember all the hype about the “marriage penalty”?  actually, most of the penalties come if you canNOT marry. Legal inequities allow or even require discrimination in taxes, pensions, health care, real estate and much more. Financial advisor Mark Grace and estate planning attorney Susan von Herrmann fill us in on the extra steps queer people must take to protect themselves and their families financially. They also give practical tips for anyone – including straight folks – in a relationship not recognized by the U.S. government.

Golden States of Grace: Documentary photographer Rick Nahmias spent more than three years researching, photographing, and taking oral histories of 11 "marginal" California faith communities outside the religious mainstream - including transgender sex workers in San Francisco's Tenderloin who worship Santa Muerte, Zen Buddhist San Quentin inmates, and an AIDS ashram in West Hollywood.

Remember the 1960s comic character Richie Rich, The Poor Little Rich Boy, who had no friends because he lived in an isolated compound? Well, little Jimmy Hormel, heir to the SPAM fortune, had that problem and more in real life. Born in Austin, Minnesota, in 1933, he was also gay in a place and time long before being gay was in the public consciousness.