By Donna Sachet–
(Editor’s Note: On April 26, Donna Sachet spoke these words before the San Francisco Small Business Commission. That date is notable both because it was when seven new businesses, including the San Francisco Bay Times, were added to the Legacy Business Registry, and for the fact that April 26 is Donna’s birthday!)
Good evening, I am Donna Sachet, proud San Francisco resident for over 30 years. Thank you each for your service to the city. To quote from the website of the San Francisco Legacy Business Program, its purpose is “to maintain San Francisco’s cultural identity and to foster civic engagement and pride by assisting long-operating businesses to remain in the city.” I can think of no more suitable and qualified candidate than the San Francisco Bay Times.
For over 40 years, it has brought news and information about the LGBTQ+ Community to that Community and most recently written by a diverse variety of members of that Community. Full disclosure: my column Donna’s Chronicles currently appears in each issue, but I have written regular columns, features, and guest pieces for several other San Francisco publications and never have I received such wide-ranging editorial support and responsive readership, never have I felt more proud to be a part of not just a newspaper, but a news outlet with a strong online presence and frequent social media posts, and never have I seen a local business so willingly and skillfully serve as the media sponsor for organizations large and small, events for hundreds and events for dozens, and individual charitable efforts that impact a wide range of our diverse population.
Under the leadership of Betty Sullivan and Jennifer Viegas, the San Francisco Bay Times has become the go-to source for the entire LGBTQ+ Community with columnists covering everything from politics and medicine to Gay history and sports, from fundraising galas and who’s wearing what to life-altering civil rights protests, and from front page national news to insightful perspectives on thorny local issues.
The San Francisco Bay Times undoubtedly reflects San Francisco’s wide cultural identity; it encourages civic engagement and pride by its own example of generous media sponsorships, and we would be significantly diminished without its ongoing contributions to the city.
Please give swift approval to the application of the San Francisco Bay Times to be designated an official Legacy Business.
Donna Sachet is a celebrated performer, fundraiser, activist and philanthropist who has dedicated over two decades to the LGBTQ Community in San Francisco. Contact her at empsachet@gmail.com
Published on May 6, 2021
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