But this is the worst part (and why I don't trust Roman): Whenever we are talking, the moment some attractive lady walks by, he'll totally FORGET I'm there, stare boldly and call her attention with cruisy language. And this, right in the middle of conversation, when I'm trying to convey or ask something PERTINENT about the homeless. Often, something that could temper the risk of violence I suffer as an activist confronting the street culture's rampant homophobia.

I find Roman's behavior shocking, rude and thoughtless. I'm sure part of his problem is my being a gay activist. Which seems to be trivial in his own mind. 'Cause he sure pays attention when a female shows up! At the cost of suddenly dismissing me without a second thought.

Hard-core hetero cruising (as opposed to respectful greeting) helps maintain a hostile attitude towards women...regarding them as Coitus Commodities. Such perspective is actually anti-female, as it serves to encourage men to intimidate and violate the fairer gender. Can (and does) lead to terrorism, violence, rape.

His corrupting behavior is an insult to our gay community that rightfully desires a locale free of breeder belligerance. (Factoid: a neighborhood that is safe for gays is also safe for women, and children.) It is as if Roman INTENTIONALLY acts this way, precisely to thwart this gay-resident-friendly outcome. But whenever I confront him on this, he acts perplexed, as if I'm denigrating Mother Nature's most common and celebrated raison d'etre.

I have a strong feeling that were I female myself, Roman would be all over me, respecting every single word I say. Or, were I a HETERO activist, worried over my female homeless friends, again he'd most likely give me his undivided interest.

Example: My concern over Johnny was dismissed by Roman with an abrupt statement: "Stay out of this, Zeke. We take care of our own." I stood there, angered. ("We" meaning the homeless, as he was for eight years until some months back. But maybe this was nervy reference to ANOTHER subculture, one more obscure and fiendish: The Zodiac Cult.) Said this, in spite of our being on rather FRIENDLY terms for a good five years!

As a result of this crude brush-off, it took MONTHS to discover what's really going on with Johnny. Sadly, I understand his father had died, thus causing Johnny great bitterness and taking it out on me. Looking back, the pieces now fit: a few weeks before Mr. S. passed on, Johnny confided: "My dad is also my very best friend of all time; no one could ever replace him. But after him it is YOU, Zeke, that I regard as best friend...no one else even comes close." (My heart was radiant with joy for that kind compliment...until The Big Letdown a little further down the road.) His father and I are the EXACT same age, BTW. But while I'm politically progressive, he was Republican, owning considerable stock in oil. I'm afraid therefore that he influenced Johnny with certain mean-spirited attitudes that eventually caused him to turn on me. Along with hate talk radio's endless spiel of homophobic broadcasts.

But also, I was concerned for his survival due to an infected arm (with blood clot) from an unclean heroin injection. Roman would not clue me in on Johnny's present situation, causing me months of needless grief for Johnny's sake. And I believe Roman's crude treatment of my friendship with Johnny is because it was all a "guy thing". Now, if this were a woman I cared about, I am certain Roman would be most receptive...even stumble all over himself to help.

Now you know why I don't trust Roman one bit, and believe that any "help" he'd offer in my recent entanglement, would only serve to obfuscate my endeavors, and result in personal harm towards yours truly.

Roman's thoughtless behavior is a grievous offense against gays, ESPECIALLY queer activists like myself. After years' observation I no longer give him the benefit of doubt, that that's how he is, straight people just can't help themselves. I actually conclude he is a willful saboteur for This Malignant Cult, not just a clueless puppet for their devious goals (or for society's heterocentric propaganda, though that aspect certainly FACILITATES The Cult's activities). Yet ONE MORE SKANKY HOUSELESS MALE on the streets of The Castro, gay-friendliness a mere PRETENSE to siphon off the benefits of an affluent neighborhood's kindheartedness and currency flow. And to own the streets themselves, once nightfall descends.

These Gutter Hobos return NOTHING to our community that is beneficial in the least towards LGBT security, advancement or sovereignty. In fact, it's the opposite! Blatant womanizing is actually the LEAST of their offenses. They poop and pee on the sidewalks, in bushes and gardens, and in our local parks (Duboce Triangle, Collingwood and Dolores)...sometimes even doing so right in broad daylight at a crowded intersection! They strew garbage EVERYWHERE, regardless of the numerous trashbins avaialable. Some (and that's more than a handful, I assure) strut these streets with macho bravado, scaring people and disturbing the peace with hostile and homophobic verbiage, and aggressively VIOLENT gesture.

Some even SELECT a victim to STALK through our 'hood (like that character Dane who does most of his dirty work around Castro and 18th Street. Another who calls himself "Joker"--of wiry build, bald pate, and queer as a four-dollar bill--feigns hetero-bully bravado around Church and Market). And of course there's ALWAYS the occassional outburst of physcial violence, often preceded by verbal epithets like "faggot," "cock sucker," "horn dog". (I learned of the latter phrase only by a bum who OBVIOUSLY hails from hillbilly country, like so many who are transported a la "Grapes of Wrath" from their Appalachian stomping grounds to Bleeding-Heart-Liberal San Francisco, to take advantage of all its gratuitous amenities, and gentle climate.)

The S.F. Chronicle has an ongoing expose about our homeless, entitled "Shame of the City". They err on at least one point, and it has stuck in my craw ever since. The claim that Eureka Valley (a.k.a. The Castro) has some homeless vagrants wandering the streets, but not as much as in other neighborhoods, like South of Market and the Inner Sunset. That is flatly UNTRUE. We who live and work in The Castro are INUNDATED with houseless dregs 24/7. We are harassed and terrorized CONSTANTLY by some of the worst hobos to ever plague a community. The place is FLOODED with street bums, hawkers and HOMOPHOBIC scum! What few decent and queer homeless there are must kowtow to the bullies, here in their own GAY 'hood. Furthermore, this expose seems to focus SOLELY on our heterosexual homeless, totally ignoring the plight of our LGBT street folk. I accuse the S.F. Chonicle of pro-hetero bias in their reporting of this matter! (More Zodiac Cult intrigue?)

A most EFFECTIVE strategy This Cult employs, is to program the homeless to broadcast hateful screams throughout the Castro (late at night), in order to frighten residents into staying in their homes, doors double-locked (or spending their evenings out in some OTHER neighborhood). This clever tactic keeps the streets relatively empty of decent residents, whose presence would THWART the evil curs, and make the streets far more friendly and secure.

While Roman is NOT guilty of the above grievances but one (AFAIK), I condemn his refusal to cease hitting up on females, a DIRECT aid and abetment of these more flagrant violations on Our Gay Sanctity.

I strongly suspect that (though evidence be entirely circumstantial albeit profuse and longterm) The Zodiac Disciples are behind much of this, using street denizens as their spies, runners, dealers, prostitutes, pimps and saboteurs. The many SF churches who preach homophobic vitriole ALSO house, feed, and clothe the downtrodden, contribute MIGHTILY to this cracker-thug terrorism on our streets. As does hate talk radio that DAILY vilifies homosexuals with Nazi-style propaganda. One host in particular stands out above the rest, and thus is PROBABLY The Cult's Broadcasting Director for the entire Greater Bay Area: Michael Savage of KNEW (9.10 AM).

Besides ubiquitous and often freely available newspapers, homeless people can't afford other kinds of entertainment or info sources, but one: the transistor radio. M. Savage KNOWS this, and plays them like marionettes to do The Cult's bidding. Street people listen each weekday afternoon from 4-7, to his FREQUENT and ROTE homophobic hate speech. I even hear from time to time, the very same PHRASES and TERMS among the homeless, that Savage bellows over the air.

I believe that this Cult Of The Zodiac Killer has grown very POWERFUL over these last 30 years, to have formed an extensive NETWORK, insinuating itself into all major public agencies on all levels. This includes churches, political office, mainstream media (especially radio), and LGBT organizations, bars, clubs and events. I ALSO believe a certain segment of our POLICE DEPARTMENT participates in This Cult's street networking, for profit and prostitution, drugs and power. Which readily explains why so many wicked street denizens continue to get away with their skulduggery year after year after tiresome year. A very diabolical form of social engineering, controlled from the top on down in a tightly enmeshed hierarchy. Certain police intentionally promote select homeless to keep our gay populace in their place, through terrorism, violence, and non-compliance e.g. failure to rapidly respond to an emergency. (If they respond at all!)

Before ending this revelatory essay, I want to acknowledge the DECENT homeless among us, who suffer horrid terrorism...surrounded and totally vulnerable as they are, by These Zodiac Street Bullies. Due acknowledgment also, to the GOOD cops in our force who have quite a job ahead of them, to mop things up. (For which I hope my Friendly Ghost tales will make Their Benevolent Though Brave Mission that much easier, and safer.)

And finally: hats off to what EXCELLENT churches and media outlets stand firm (though few and far between) against These Wicked Warlocks, until said time when reinforcement arrives to ease their most difficult, though sacred, burden.