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Apr 8, 2004
Liam Shy (liamshy@sflnc.com)
After a two year legislative process, 18+ venues and events in San Francisco may now apply to the Entertainment Commission for an after-hours permit. The legislation to allow 18+ after-hours, co-sponsored by Supervisors Bevan Dufty, Chris Daly and Tom Ammiano, was recently signed into law by Mayor Newsom.
The SFLNC first sponsored this legislation last year but it was vetoed by Mayor Willie Brown. This year the legislation was sponsored by the San Francisco Youth Commission and we succesfully lobbied at City Hall to see it become law.
Thanks to the many youth who called, emailed and attended hearings to express your support for 18+ afterhours events.
Hopefully, we'll be seeing safe, legal 18+ late night events in time for the summer.
Mar 18, 2004
Liam Shy (liamshy@sflnc.com)
On Tuesday,
March 16th, the Board of Supervisors voted 9-2 in favor of Bevan Dufty's legislation allowing 18+ venues to apply to the Entertainment Commission for an after-hours permit. The legislation now goes to Mayor Gavin Newsom, who has two weeks to decide whether to sign or veto it..
Thanks to everyone who wrote emails in support of 18+ afterhours. Mayor Newsom has indicated that he will support the legislation, but we need to keep letting him know how important this is to San Francisco Youth until he signs it. Please continue to send emails in support of 18+ afterhours to gavin.newsom@sfgov.org
Here are some points to emphasize in your email:
- In the subject line, include "Support 18+ Afterhours" or something similar
- 18 year olds can vote and go to war, yet cannot dance after 2 a.m. in San Francisco. That's just not fair.
- Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, and many other jurisdictions allow their 18+ events to go all night
- San Francisco youth have few entertainment options, passing this law will encourage local business to produce 18+ events.
- Permitted late night venues provide safe environments for young adults.
By
Adriel Hampton
Coming soon, 18-to-20-year-olds can dance the
night away without fear of a raid by the police.
Board of Supervisors Tuesday voted 9-2 to
approve a new law that allows after-hours clubs with restaurant licenses and
other alcohol-free events to apply for late-night permits.
Supervisor Bevan Dufty, who authored the new
law, said youth who can vote and enter military service should have the right
to safe, legal nightlife venues.
Supervisors Sophie Maxwell and Tony Hall voted
against the measure, with Hall arguing that the current 2 a.m. closing time for
young adults is adequate.
City Nights, a youth-serving SoMa night club
that could go before the Entertainment Commission for a permit under the new
law, is working to clean up its act after mob violence late last month left
three men, including a police officer, injured. Entertainment Commissioners and
police are monitoring the club, and have twice met with its owners about the
incident, which occurred after a first-of-its-kind Mardi Gras-style event.
Dufty said he thinks "a select group [of
clubs] that really know how to run such establishments" will take
advantage of the new rules. Tom Ammiano called the issue for young adults
"not so much parental control, but parental trust."
The late-night proposal, once signed into law,
would also allow extended-hours permits for coffee houses and other venues that
don't serve alcohol but do provide entertainment such as poetry readings, live
music and DJs.
Dufty picked up on an effort by now-Assemblyman
Mark Leno, which in 2002 fell just short of the needed votes at the Board of
Supervisors after Mayor Willie Brown vetoed it, saying as a father he didn't
want to encourage young adults mingling with older people in the middle of the
night. Mayor Gavin Newsom is expected to sign the legislation.
The new law, supported by the Youth Commission,
is seen as a boon for the club scene, where young people who can't buy alcohol
pay greater cover charges, and for the legal rave scene.
Currently, only restaurants that don't charge a
cover fee or admission can apply for after-hours permits to allow young adults.
Feb 19, 2004
Liam Shy (liamshy@sflnc.com)
The legislation by Supervisor Bevan Dufty to allow 18+ venues to apply to the Entertainment Commission for an afterhours permit was passed unanimously (3-0) by the City Services Committee of the Board of Supervisors. Supervisors Dufty, Ma and Alioto-Pier were impressed by a powerful presentation by Youth Commissioner (and SFLNC Youth Coordinator) Liam Shy and testimony by many other young adults. The legislation was sent with approval to the full Board for a vote on March 9th.
Thanks to the 40 people who turned out to testify in support of 18+ afterhours and to the many people who wrote emails to the Supervisors and the Mayor in support of expanding the entertainment rights of 18-20 year olds.
In order to see that 18+ afterhours becomes reality, as it is in most other major US Cities, we need to continue to lobby the Mayor and Supervisors. Those who have not yet written an email in support of 18+ afterhours, please take five minutes to do so. These emails do matter, City Hall definitely pays attention, so please do your part to help modernize San Francisco's entertainment regulations for 18-20 year olds.
Here are some points to emphasize in your email:
- In the subject line, include "Support 18+ Afterhours" or something similar
- 18 year olds can vote and go to war, yet cannot dance after 2 a.m. in San Francisco. That's just not fair.
- Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, and many other jurisdictions allow their 18+ events to go all night
- San Francisco youth have few entertainment options, passing this law will encourage local business to produce 18+ events.
- Permitted late night venues provide safe environments for young adults.
Please send the emails to: Aaron.Peskin@sfgov.org; Jake.McGoldrick@sfgov.org; Michela.Alioto-Pier@sfgov.org; Fiona.Ma@sfgov.org; Matt.Gonzalez@sfgov.org; Chris.Daly@sfgov.org; Tony.Hall@sfgov.org; Bevan.Dufty@sfgov.org; Tom.Ammiano@sfgov.org; Sophie.Maxwell@sfgov.org; Gerardo.Sandoval@sfgov.org; gavin.newsom@sfgov.org
Feb 16, 2004
Liam Shy (liamshy@sflnc.com)
Supervisor Bevan Dufty's legislation to allow 18+ venues to apply to the Entertainment Commission for an after hours permit will be heard at a special session of the City Services Committee of the Board of Supervisors. The hearing will be held on Thursday, Feb. 19th at 5 pm in Rm. 263 of City Hall. Come by and testify if you are able.
This legislation was sponsored by the San Francisco Youth Commission and is strongly supported by the SFLNC. Read more at http://sflnc.com/index/readthis/news/youth_crisis/.
Please let the supervisors know that you support the right of San Francisco 18-20 year olds to dance after 2am. Our email campaign for Later Last Call made a huge impact, so please take 5 minutes to support the San Francisco Youth Commission in its' project to make our city more youth friendly.
Here are some points to emphasize in your email:
- In the subject line, include "Support 18+ Afterhours" or something similar
- 18 year olds can vote and go to war, yet cannot dance after 2 a.m. in San Francisco. That's just not fair.
- Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, and many other jurisdictions allow their 18+ events to go all night
- San Francisco youth have few entertainment options, passing this law will encourage local business to produce 18+ events.
- Permitted late night venues provide safe environments for young adults.
Please send the emails to: Aaron.Peskin@sfgov.org; Jake.McGoldrick@sfgov.org; Michela.Alioto-Pier@sfgov.org; Fiona.Ma@sfgov.org; Matt.Gonzalez@sfgov.org; Chris.Daly@sfgov.org; Tony.Hall@sfgov.org; Bevan.Dufty@sfgov.org; Tom.Ammiano@sfgov.org; Sophie.Maxwell@sfgov.org; Gerardo.Sandoval@sfgov.org; gavin.newsom@sfgov.org
Jan 29, 2004
Liam Shy (liamshy@sflnc.com)
Ordinance to allow 18+ venues to apply for an after hours permit
Supervisor Bevan Dufty's legislation to allow 18+ Venues to apply to the Entertainment Commission for an after hours permit will be heard at a special session of the City Services Committee of the Board of Supervisors. The hearing will be held on Thursday, Feb. 19th at 5 pm in Rm. 263 of City Hall.
This legislation was sponsored by the San Francisco Youth Commission and is strongly supported by the SFLNC. We are proud to see our Youth overcome apathy and take steps to create a City that takes their needs into consideration.
The City of San Francisco should be ashamed that most major US cities allow 18-20 year olds to stay out dancing after 2am, yet we impose an entertainment curfew on young adults who are considered old enough to go to war. In contrast, some US cities, such as Los Angeles, even allow all age events to go all night.
Supervisor Dufty's legislation would simply allow Places of Entertainment that:
(1) are "bona fide public eating places" (which have a Type 47 liquor license that allows 18+) or
(2) which do not have a liquor license
to apply to the Entertainment Commission for an after hours permit.
The applicant for an 18+ after hours permit would have to go through the usual permit process, including a background check by the SF Police Department, and could have additional conditions placed upon the permit to ensure the safety of the young adults as well as those in the surrounding neighborhoods
Jan 26, 2004
San Francisco Examiner
Adriel Hampton
SF Examiner Political Writer Adriel Hampton writes about the proposed legislation by Supervisor Bevan Dufty to allow 18+ venues to apply for to the Entertainment commission for an after hours permit
Nightlife in San Francisco
-- the legal kind -- is strictly segregated to keep 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds
out of clubs and dance parties between 2 and 6 a.m. Supervisor Bevan Dufty is
picking up the effort to end that dual standard for young adults.
The law, if passed, would end --
for a larger number of permitted clubs -- the practice of kicking out young
adults at 2 or 2:30 a.m. It would also allow extended-hours permits for
coffee houses and other venues that don't serve alcohol but do provide
entertainment such as poetry readings, live music and DJs. The new law may
also be a boon for the club scene, where young people who can't buy alcohol
pay greater cover charges, and for the rave scene.
Currently, only restaurants that
don't charge a cover fee or admission can apply for after-hours permits to
allow young adults. Dufty's proposed legislation will open up the
extended-hours permitting process to food-serving clubs that charge a cover,
and to alcohol-free places of entertainment.
The Youth Commission held a
supportive hearing on the proposal earlier this month.
San Francisco 18-and-over events
face a hard go, and supporters of the proposed law say it's much easier for
young people to visit illegal events, or even sex clubs.
"When you put us against most
major metropolitan areas -- our youth entertainment options -- we're
downright conservative," said Youth Commissioner Liam Shy, 19. "I
can go to the Tenderloin and go to a sex club at 4:00 a.m., but I can't go
dancing."
Dufty emphasizes that non-alcohol
businesses such as the Castro's Samovar Tea Lounge could more easily serve
young people if they were able to stay open late as an alternative to youth
hanging out on the streets. In its current location, Samovar must close at 10
p.m., but its owners hope to expand throughout The City and have all-hours
sites.
A similar effort by Supervisor Mark
Leno in 2002 fell just short of the needed votes after Mayor Willie Brown
vetoed it, saying as a father he didn't want to encourage young adults
mingling with older people in the middle of the night. Supervisor Gavin
Newsom initially voted in favor of Leno's measure then later skipped a try at
overriding the veto due to conflicts of interest with his own nightclubs.
"I continue to think this is a
very good idea," said Leno, now an assemblymember. "It is good
policy because it gives young adults alternatives to congregating in parks
and streets and shows them the respect they are due."
The legislation is scheduled for a
Thursday hearing, and Shy said youth will be able to speak at a Feb. 12
afternoon hearing.
By Joe Dignan
January 22, 2004, San Francisco Bay Times
URL:
http://pages.sbcglobal.net/dignanj/doc/040122f.htm
San Francisco’s Youth Commission says that there’s not enough for the city’s
young people to do here and claims that the problem has reached crisis
proportions. Commissioner Liam Shy says that half of the problem is that the
city doesn’t have enough programs for teenagers, but the other side of the
coin, he said, is that what he calls the city’s “archaic” entertainment laws
prevent anyone else from organizing them either.
The city’s codes prohibit dance clubs which admit 18-21 year olds from
staying open past 2 a.m., and Shy says this is a big part of the problem. “I
can go to a sex club and stay there all night,” he said, “but I can’t go
dancing.”
In a poll of 6300 high school students the Youth Commission did last fall,
83 percent said that there aren’t enough late night activities for youth.
Thirty five percent said that San Francisco is not a “youth friendly” city and
that they have nowhere to go at night.
Shy also cited an XY Magazine survey, done in 2002, which said that San
Francisco ranks near the top as a good place for LGBT youth to live, because of
its huge gay population and strong commitment to civil rights. But they pulled
it down, way down, because of what the editors called a “practically
nonexistent 18+ gay scene resulting from a mainly older gay population.” As a
result, we came in 11th worldwide, after Amsterdam (which made number one, but
is probably out of reach for most US teens), Paris, London, Boston and Los
Angeles.
Shy said that in America there’s a mentality that clubs, light night dancing
and raves are not safe places. “That these are places where people get exposed
to sex and drugs and all sorts of countercultural things,” he said.
Is that true? “Well, yes, it is true,” he said.
“But to shelter our youth is doing them a disservice,” he said. He thinks
that youth should embrace a sex-positive mentality where they can learn to be
independent thinkers and practice harm reduction.
If someone wants to go out, he said, they probably will anyway, but to an
illegal, un-permitted event, Shy said. “If we don’t give them something positive
to do, they’re going to find something else.”
Supervisor Bevan Dufty has introduced legislation to change the situation
here and extend the opening hours for 18 and over clubs to 4 a.m. But that’s
been tried before. The Board of Supervisors passed a similar ordinance last
year but Mayor Brown vetoed it. His veto may have stemmed more from a political
squabble with its author, Mark Leno, than a genuine distaste for the idea. But
Shy and his allies are taking no chances. Shy says they will pack the committee
room when the new law comes before Dufty’s City Services committee later this
month.
All of these allegations came out at a hearing of the Youth Commission on
January 15, where the 17 member Commission, aged 12-23, heard Recreation and
Park Director Elizabeth Goldstein say that her Department will try and
reshuffle its priorities away from other programs to help solve the problem.
Shy would like the Department to fund programs like the Hip-Hop nights the
Department put on in Glen Park Recreation Center before budget cuts forced them
to stop.
Shy said as many as 200 attended during the at least two and a half hours of
testimony. Some attendees complained about a new Visitation Valley Recreation
Center that has been finished for a year, but hasn’t opened for lack of funds.
But, Shy said, the most compelling testimony came from kids in Hunter’s Point.
“If we don’t give them something to do,” he said. “They’re going to get
involved with gangs and violence… and that’s the worst.”
Jan 15, 2004
San Francisco Youth Commission
Liam Shy
RESOLUTION DECLARING A HEALTH CRISIS FOR YOUTH IN SAN FRANCISCO
The Youth Commission Recreation and Services Committee held a hearing addressing the lack of safe recreation and entertainment for youth under 21 in San Francisco. San Francisco offers little for those under 21 and the youth came out to demand change. This hearing was a call for modernizing San Francisco's archaic youth entertainment laws and to bring attention to the ill-effects that occur when youth are not given something to do. Entertainment helps to keep young people safe, healthy, and happy.
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