By Sister Dana Van Iquity
Sister Dana sez, “Pride! Pride! Pride! Since LGBTQ Pride Month is over, are we supposed to now have LGBTQ shame?! Just kidding. Certainly not! LGBTQ Pride is 24/7!”
The last Wednesday night before Pride Weekend, Grace Cathedral presented SISTER ACT MASS using the lively music from those classic movies, Sister Act & Sister Act Two; inspirational scripture readings by members of The Vine (the urban progressive branch of Grace), including Sister Dana reading in rainbow nun drag; an invigorating sermon by openly gay pastor Brendan Robertson about how to be a proud queer Christian; a final sing-along song, “Born This Way;” and then sudden “manna from heaven” (rainbow confetti and paper pieces dropped from the ceiling). After that, we enjoyed festive rainbow cake on the labyrinth. I invite you to check out my fabulously gay and gay-friendly church, The Vine, Wednesday nights at 6:30 pm in the little chapel inside the cathedral. https://gracecathedral.org/thevine/
I attended THANKS TO HANK at the Castro Theatre on June 27. This was a Frameline biopic about the late great activist Hank Wilson, directed by Bob Ostertag. As Hank was a good friend of mine and several other Sisters, we appear in the show as nuns officially sainting the man. On the Castro stage, in the nun garb I wore in the film, I spoke of how the movie pays tribute to this profound man’s legacy in the queer/HIV community. Afterwards I went to the cast party and mingled with people who spoke in the show and those who were behind the scenes. Activists should definitely put this on their must-see list!
Sister Dana sez, “It has been recently discovered that Attorney General Barr killed 7 Mueller Probes 10 days after the release of his April Fools 4-page Bogus Summary. Disgusting! Disbar Barr!”
PRIDE AT THE DISCO! was a night of music, glitz and glitter put on by us Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence on June 28 at Bespoke in the San Francisco Centre. We truly unleashed our inner disco queens. Since it was also a night of beauty, instead of doing my clownish makeup, I let Sephora do my face to be a pretty (?!) nun. I added two small disco balls as accessories to my shiny silver habit. Everyone there was discolicious
Gary Virginia & Donna Sachet‘s 21ST ANNUAL PRIDE BRUNCH benefiting PRC honored the Grand Marshals of the SF LGBT PRIDE PARADE and afforded us a rare opportunity to meet and hear them speak. We joined Gary and Donna at their new totally gorge home in the Westin St. Francis on June 29 for a three-hour spectacular benefit. It started with rousing musical entertainment by the Dixieland Dykes +3 and ended with Donna singing “San Francisco.” Special speeches were given by SF Mayor London Breed—with emphasis on the importance of the COMPTON CAFETRIA RIOTS for trans rights; by Senator Scott Wiener, by PRC CEO Brett Andrews, and by Mario Diaz from presenting sponsor WELLS FARGO, a wonderful man who has served the community over three decades. The bash included hosted bars by Tito’s Handmade Vodka and their new sponsor Korbel. Now THAT’S what a call a Pride brunch! Do check out https://prcsf.org/
A few hours after that, we had SISTERS‘ HIGH HOLY TEA at Hotel Zeppelin featuring a RuPaul-like Lip-Synch for Your Life contest with a whole lotta nuns. I chose not to compete, as I did not want to do the death-drop—having great respect for my testicles. But congratz to those who participated and especially to Sister Hera Sees Candy and Sister Maddie Bout You who tied.
Sunday morning gave us the Pride Parade. After hours of having to wait for a few protesters chaining themselves together and thereby rudely stopping the Pride Parade, our glorious San Francisco Bay Times caravan finally made its way down Market Street, with Sister Dana the Rainbow Nun on the top of a motorized cable car—blowing and receiving air kisses to and from the crowd. Then we enjoyed the VIP party in the Rotunda, where huge 3-D renderings of Sister Roma, Sister Selma and yours truly were on display, created by awesome artist Deirdre DeFranceaux.
And still not totally exhausted, I went to the final Frameline film at the Castro Theatre, GAY CHORUS DEEP SOUTH. In this groundbreaking documentary, director and writer David Charles Rodrigues, writer Jeff Gilbert, producers Bud Johnston and Jesse Moss, and director of photography Adam Hobbs followed the 300 members of San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus—along with special guests from the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir—as they embarked on an unprecedented bus tour through the Deep South, celebrating music, challenging intolerance and confronting their own dark coming out stories to bravely counter a resurgence of anti-LGBTQ laws. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house—both laughing and crying. My makeup ran all over my face. It was the perfect way to end Pride Weekend!
Sister Dana sez, “I strongly suggest you check out the NYRB photo comparisons of tanks used by fascist dictators to Trump’s horrendous 4th of July spectacle.” https://bit.ly/2Lydwue
For THE FOURTH OF JULY, I was with close friends in Diamond Heights where we couldn’t see ANY fireworks through the thick fog, but were treated to several neighbors’ illegal fireworks, which we could see from our balcony and we cheered them on. I had a glowing wand thing that blinked with red and blue stars that I used to wave at the neighbors below in appreciation for putting on spectacular shows. Some were on the ground, and most were in the air with loud booms and amazing colorful bursts. These demonstrations went on for several hours. We drank. We ate. We sang around a piano. It was awesome to sing about “the bombs bursting in air” while fireworks exploded around us! It was a fabulous Fourth!
Sister Dana sez, “I’m sorry I missed the Fourth of July with you, but there are still more exciting events worthy of fireworks in July.”
For the month of July, STRUT at 470 Castro Street is featuring the art work of Jim James, BLACK AND WHITE NOSTALGIA: Vintage Gay SF. This group of black and white photography work is from the late seventies to late nineties. It was a time of transition from the good old days, or the golden era of gay, to the challenging, difficult AIDS years. Having fled the persecution of Anita Bryant’s Florida, James found an unbelievable community in San Francisco, not just surviving, but thriving against incredible odds. When just the thought or rumor of being gay was dangerous, and the hysteria of AIDS gripped the nation, here was a generation of men living openly, proudly, defiantly, flamboyantly and flawlessly! James notes that the Castro, South of Market and Polk Street felt like movie sets, a constant costume party twenty-four seven. Elaborate festivals, fundraisers and parades were staged every weekend. Not to mention all of the intense, heavy cruising everywhere, and always some kind of sex behind the next half-closed door or corner. It was against this backdrop that his photography blossomed. It was a delicious buffet of gorgeous, beautiful, outrageous people he either knew, got to know, or wanted to know. He has perfectly captured the flavor and feel of those times, and these images are the result.
The incredible musical CABARET is playing now through September 14 at San Francisco Playhouse, 450 Post Street, Floor 2M. I enjoyed it immensely. The choreography is really intricate. The dancers are vivacious. The singers are astounding. And one cannot help but compare the horrible immigration crisis that Trump created. Come hear the music play! https://www.sfplayhouse.org/sfph/2018-2019-season/cabaret/
AIDS WALK SAN FRANCISCO is a 10k fundraising walk that will bring together 10,000 Bay Area residents in Golden Gate Park on July 14. This year’s Walk benefits PRC, PROJECT OPEN HAND, the Pop-Up Clinic at Ward 86, as well as dozens of other Bay Area AIDS service organizations—all working to end the AIDS epidemic. https://sf.aidswalk.net/
HAIRSPRAY, winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, is a fabulous fifties flashback, piled bouffant-high with laughter, romance, and high-energy, utterly memorable songs. Based on the 1988 John Waters film, HAIRSPRAY features music by Mark Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman & Mark Shaiman, and a book by Mark O’Donnell & Thomas Meehan. It is playing now through August 11 at Victoria Theatre, 2961 16th Street. https://www.bamsf.org/boxoffice
BRING IT ON, QUEEN! is the all new drag show parody spectacular brought to you by PEACHES CHRIST PRODUCTIONS celebrating the pop movie cheer squad hit, Bring It On. The show stars real-life sibling rivals Monet X Change (winner, RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season 4) and Bob the Drag Queen (winner, RuPaul’s Drag Race season 8) as captains of drag queen cheer squads who must battle one another for a national championship trophy. Written by Peaches Christ, the show promises to be a dance-heavy, hilarious send-up that will have you cheering for more. July 13, Castro Theatre, 4 pm and 8 pm. https://bit.ly/2XUjsnV
This is the 60th anniversary of the SAN FRANCISCO MIME TROUPE. Every year they put on free political theater in Bay Area parks. Using the classic pirate novel Treasure Island as its inspiration, the show is the story of Hawkins, a civil servant in San Francisco, who accidentally stumbles upon the plans of a developer, L.J. Silver. Through bribery and label brutality, Silver is overriding all of the clear health, safety and human concerns regarding developing Treasure Island for his own greed. For info and schedule of dates and parks, see https://bit.ly/2Xzx7MZ
Equal parts funny and sexy, BALONEY is an evening of theater, dance, striptease, song, comedy, & acrobatics unlike anything you’ve seen before. Join the BALONEY Boys on a wild journey from corporate office to Dore Alley, from beach day to kink play, Sleepaway Camp to the Iron Throne! Playing 6 dates: Thursday, July 18–Saturday, July 27 at Oasis, 298 11th Street. https://www.sfbaloney.com/tickets
Race Bannon, Jared T Hemming, Alex Ray and Strut invite you to MAGNEKINK, a social event for San Francisco’s queer leather/fetish/kink community at 470 Castro Street on July 22, 7–9 pm. The event is FREE, and all are welcome! This is the 6th annual social in honor of UP YOUR ALLEY weekend. This year’s event will feature a live DJ, raffle prizes, complimentary refreshments, and clothes check.
HARVEY MILK CLUB presents its 43RD ANNUAL GAYLA: Queer ’70s Prom. The Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club invites you to enjoy the prom that queers never got to experience, and with a 1970s theme, including dinner in the San Francisco War Memorial Green Room on Monday, July 29, 6–9 pm. https://bit.ly/2XXptQF
Sister Dana sez, “After watching the Democratic debates, I’m voting for my ticket of President Kamala Harris & Vice President Pete Buttigieg! Do they have a prayer of a chance? This nun is praying so!”
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