Betty's List Departments

Signature Sponsors

Media Partners

Betty's List Columns

Your Ad could be here!

Click for Details

The Betty Blog

Out from Mississippi . . . Presented at the Memorial for Trevor Hailey

Remembering Trevor Hailey . . .

(Photo Courtesy of Martha & David Spisso)

October 6th, 2007

Out from Mississippi . . .
Presented on the Occasion of a Memorial to Trevor Hailey

The first time I saw Trevor Hailey was on March 23rd, 1996. It was a Saturday night, and the occasion was the grand Gala Opening of the James C. Hormel GLBT Center at the new San Francisco Public Library.

Trevor was standing out front as an official greeter, looking quite dapper in her tuxedo vest, with a big smile and beautiful white hair. I said hello and smiled back, but did not “out” myself to her at the time – out myself about being from Mississippi, that is.

Some months earlier, a special friend and I were walking through A Different Light Bookstore, and my friend saw a brochure that prompted her to ask, “Do you know about the Crusin’ the Castro Tours”?

I said “No,” and she said, “Well, you are new here so you should go on one. The woman who leads it grew up in Mississippi.” That was when I first knew there was a Trevor.

Then, my 1st grade boyfriend, Dr. Leon, came here to visit. Neither he nor I knew in first grade that we were gay, or maybe we did on some level. So, I said, "Leon, there’s a women from Mississippi who leads a tour. I’d like for you to go on that tour and meet her."

Well, Leon came back raving, singing Trevor’s praises, and he said he had told her about me being here and that we should meet. That’s how Trevor found out about me.

She and I would become friends. We went to dinner and we went to lunch. We talked about “The W” – Mississippi State College for Women – where she went to school, and Ole Miss, where I did. We talked a lot about women, too.

Trevor asked me how I got here, and she told me what she had done was joined the service and caught a ride courtesy of the US Navy.

She did her very best to teach me how to do the Texas Two Step. That’s the one thing I ever knew that Trevor Hailey did not accomplish.

October 9th, 2007

Remembering Trevor Hailey . . . Memorial in The Castro

I learned of Trevor's death in the Bay Area Reporter obituary. It was one of those moments when you know that a part of your own life has gone away. She was a remarkable woman. She was from Mississippi. She was my friend.

Trevor's partner Norma Sue selected the date of Saturday, October 6th, the day before this year's Castro Street Fair, as the date for a Memorial Service remembering Trevor here in the Castro. One by one, the pieces came together so that by the time the day arrived, Trevor's memorial had become a community-wide occasion. I am honored to have played a role in organizing it and seeing this lovely event come to pass.

Below is my brief remembrance of Trevor, Out From Mississippi, and below that, the program overview. I plan to create a special page, "Trevor's Page," to remain on the Betty's List web site. There, I will include the eulogy for Trevor sent by her sister and brother-in-law, Martha & David Spisso. As soon as it's ready, I'll add the link so it can easily be found.

Trevor was an educator, historian and community leader. There's so much that could be said, and in fact, has been said by her friends and neighbors at the Memorial. There are more details to come, but for now, I have to sign off for the night . . .

MEMORIAL FOR TREVOR HAILEY IN THE CASTRO

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6th
EUREKA VALLEY RECREATION CENTER
SAN FRANCISCO

HARVEY MILK PLAZA – 1:00 PM – Crusin’ The Castro
Symbolic Walk with Kathy Amendola

EUREKA RECREATION CENTER
- Arrival Music: Flute Quartet, San Francisco Lesbian / Gay Freedom Band
- Interlude: Cello Repertoire, Beth Snellings Different / Strokes

Welcome and Remarks -
Steve Adams, Board of Directors President,
Merchants of Upper Market and Castro (MUMC)

“The Irish Blessing” and “San Francisco”
San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus Members
Michael Tate, Conducting

Out from Mississippi - Dr. Betty L. Sullivan

Remembering Trevor -
Led by Leslie Ewing, Lyon-Martin Health Services
Ruth Mahaney, GLBT Historical Society
Karen Sundheim, Hormel GLBT Center, SF Public Library
Comments and Thoughts from All Participants

Trevor’s Eulogy from Her Family - Read by Dr. Betty L. Sullivan

Remarks & Prayer – Rev. Chris Glaser, MCC/SF
Reading of the Hopi Prayer, All Participants

“Only in the Castro with Trevor Hailey” – Jennifer Morris, Frameline
Rick Bacigalupi, BaciPix

Reception with Refreshments – Provided by AAA/CSAA

Sincere appreciations to all who have contributed to making the
Memorial for Trevor Hailey a reality:

Norma Sue Griffin (Trevor’s Partner)
Martha and David Spisso (Trevor’s sister and brother-in-law)
Steve Adams, Merchants of Upper Market & Castro/Sterling Bank: (www.sfmerchants.com/associations/castromerchants.htm)
Kathy Amendola, Cruisin' The Castro Tours (www.cruisinthecastro.com/)
Rick Bacigalupi, BaciPix, “Only in the Castro with Trevor Hailey” (www.onlyinthecastro.com)
Heidi Beeler & Ruth Keys, San Francisco Gay/Lesbian Freedom Band
Supervisor Bevan Dufty
Leslie Ewing, Lyon-Martin Health Services (www.lyon-martin.org)
Rev. Chris Glaser, MCC/SF (www.mccsf.org)
Matt Kohls, AAA Travel & Joe Higgins, AAA Pride Leader; Mike West & Joaquin Diaz (www.aaa.com/travelingout)
Assemblyman Mark Leno
Dr. Kathleen McGuire, Jeff Lewy and Michael Tate, SF Gay Men's Chorus (www.sfsgmc.org)
John Herren & Kate Laws, Betty's List
Jennifer Morris, Frameline (www.frameline.org/)
Hal Rowland, Castro Theater
Beth Snelling, Different / Strokes: (www.differentstrokesmusic.com)
Mike Wilson, MUMC/ClubCard Printing (www.clubcardprinting.com)

___________________