On behalf of the board, I’m delighted to welcome you to our 17th (!) Soirée!
This event is near and dear to my heart because I started volunteering with the Center as part of the 2016 Soirée planning committee. At the time, I wondered why we have a “soirée” instead of a “gala.” After all, not as many people know what a ‘soirée’ is … or how to spell it.
So, I looked it up. While a gala is “a social occasion with special entertainments or performances,” a soirée is “an evening party or gathering, typically in a private house, for conversation or music.” When we’re here together at this Soirée, we’re not just having a big party; we’re at home together in our community.
Please use this time together to reconnect with each other and to have fun, but also to build a connection to a new person or even a board member—we’re wearing name tags and would love to share our personal connection to the Center and learn about what brought you here. See you on the dance floor!
Sally Jesmonth
Board Chair
SF LGBT Center
Soirée 2019 Entertainment Director Juanita MORE! has put together a stellar program for this year’s SF LGBT Center night in celebration of community.
Juanita MORE! is a denizen of the limelight. For almost three decades, the tireless hostess has blitzed San Francisco with high glamour, drag irreverence, danceable beats, culinary delectables, political activism and a philanthropic heart that has illuminated the entire city. Juanita remains a creation of fashion and glamour, generosity and nerve, inspiring those around her to make a positive difference in their lives and in their communities, doing it all with a timeless elegance and an innovative spirit.
https://juanitamore.com/
The Countess Katya Smirnoff-Skyy has enthralled Bay Area audiences for years with her unique blend of opera pop and booze. With a career spanning … a very, very long time … Katya claims to have invented Popera, romanced William Shatner and lived next to John Lennon at the Dakota during her stint in New York City during the 1970s. Once Eastern Europe’s greatest Mezzo-Soprano (understudy), the Countess now spends her days beautifying the masses at Macy’s Department store as everyone’s favorite Chanel counter lady. She spends her evenings crooning and drinking her away through the finer theaters, bars and bath houses of America.
https://www.russianoperadiva.com/
LadyRyan, a Bay Area favorite, has been rocking crowds coast to coast for close to a decade. Her music and voice have been riding the wave of partygoers in major cities such as New York City, San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, Seattle and the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. LadyRyan’s passion for music started at an early age singing in her Church choir at 6, sampling and making beats at 20, and ultimately tapping into her true passion buying her first set of turntables at 23. This diverse DJ is known for the energy exchange she shares with her crowds in every song selection and tune she sings.
https://www.ladyryan.com/
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