Sister Dana sez, “I am so excited that our High Homo Holiday is coming! By that I mean ‘Halloween,’ or should I say ‘HallowQueen’?!”

By Sister Dana Van Iquity–

Sister Dana sez, “I am so excited that our High Homo Holiday is coming! By that I mean ‘Halloween,’ or should I say ‘HallowQueen’?!”

THEATRE RHONOCEROS presented a stage reading of THE FOOD CHAIN at Spark Arts in the Castro on October 1. This is a very quirky play by Nicky Silver and directed by Fernando Gambaroni. It’s about a love triangle (more like a pentagon) of five (deliciously hilarious) tormented (overly melodramatic) souls just trying to find love in their own psychotic ways. Amanda (Felicity Hesed) contacts a neurotic help-line volunteer Bea (Sara Moore) because her strong but silent (practically mute) husband Ford (Colin David ) has been missing for two weeks of their three-week marriage. Possibly because handsome runway model Serge (Devin Goodman) is having an affair with Ford; but Serge’s annoying love-struck trick Otto (Matt Gunnison) won’t leave worse enough alone. A psychiatrist’s dream (or perhaps nightmare)! I wanna see this play mounted!

Over 500 guests attended SHANTI PROJECT‘s 45th Anniversary Gala COMPASSION IS UNIVERSAL at the Palace Hotel on October 3. They celebrated 45 years of service to the community. Executive Director Kaushik Roy spoke about Shanti’s progress. To bring their internationally recognized model of care to more underserved members of the community, they launched two new programs in 2016. Their LGBTQ Aging & Abilities Support Network (LAASN) addresses social isolation as well as emotional, behavioral, and health challenges faced by LGBTQ seniors and adults with disabilities. Their Peer Advocate Care Team (PACT) supports current residents of Potrero Terrace and Annex to help them prepare for their public housing to be demolished and rebuilt into a mixed-income community. Ian Doyle with father Chris and sister Eva accepted the Margot Murphy Women’s Cancer Inspiration Award for his mother, Brisdell Hunte (1963–2019), Shanti board member. Supervisor Rafael Mandelman presented the James C. Hormel Community Spirit Award recipient to Shanti client Hulda Brown. The Lifetime Achievement Award recipient was community philanthropist Mrs. Dede Wilsey.

Sister Dana sez, “It’s time to fix the broken Electoral College. All states should sign onto the National Popular Vote Compact and band together to ensure the candidate who receives the most votes nationwide wins the presidency.”

 HORIZONS FOUNDATION GALA was on October 5 at Fairmont San Francisco with dinner and after-party dancing our beehinds off. We celebrated what they’ve built so far, and helped to raise critical funds that allow them to keep building, through both the support they give organizations today and their permanent endowment for tomorrow. Through their live auction, raffle, and paddle raise, they raised over a quarter million dollars in the room, which will directly support Horizon’s work to create a world where all LGBTQ people live freely and fully. Through its historic NOW AND FOREVER CAMPAIGN, the foundation has identified over $100 million in future legacy gifts that will support the LGBTQ community. “Never before has our community been so prepared for what lies ahead,” said President Roger Doughty. “The extraordinary generosity of the LGBTQ community will create a stronger world for many generations to come. To date, more than 350 people have included the foundation in their estate plans because of Horizons’ unmatched history and expertise in supporting all parts of the LGBTQ community.”

THE 46TH ANNUAL CASTRO STREET FAIR was on October 6 all throughout the Castro. There were the usual booths for food, beverage, info, and a stage of entertainment. But the best part was being invited aboard the RAINBOW WORD FUND BUS with Cocktail Bar parked at 18th & Castro Street! So lovely to chat and drink with Emperor Leandro, RWF founder Jeff Cotter, and friends. Founded in 2000, RWF is the world’s first and only all-volunteer, LGBTQ-based humanitarian aid organization. RWF works to help people affected by natural disasters, hunger, poverty, disease, oppression, and war. www.rainbowfund.org

Thomasina DeMaio and Mama Mia d’Bruzzi presented THE MERRY-GO-ROUND OF SOUND Variety Show on October 11 (National Coming Out Day) at the Eureka Valley Rec Center. Delightful live entertainment included Chaki the Funk Wizard; chanteuse extraordinaire Miss Connie Champagne; Sascha Jacobsen & Seth Asarnow – Latin/Tango Jazz Bass Piano duo, complete with lively tango dancers; and rockin’ out rock band Dizzy Twin. Fabulous!

 Are you too mad at PG&E? “It’s hard to overstate the impact of this massive rolling blackout, affecting 2.5 million people,” said Senator Scott Wiener. “People rely on electricity for their medicine, their food, and their livelihood. This is a completely unacceptable state of affairs. While targeted blackouts can help prevent wildfires, we can’t let PG&E normalize these blackouts.”

Sister Dana sez, “Just because Halloween can be a spooky time of year, don’t be scared to venture forth into some of these upcoming OCTOBERRIFFIC events!”

 D’Arcy Drollinger presents BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER LIVE! at the Oasis, 298 11th Street. Dust off your wooden stake and get your garlic and holy water because it’s vampire season! Buffy and the cast are back for a fourth year of drag realness in a high-camp parody of the popular TV music episode, “Once More With Feeling.” Buffy has been brought back from death, and the drama is running high when a jazzy demon arrives in Sunnydale causing everyone to sing out their innermost feelings, turning the town into a stage for musical theater. EVERYBODY sings and dances, including the stagehands! But this is NOT a sing-along, so don’t! Just enjoy!

ANNUAL PUMPKIN CARVING CONTEST with State Senator Scott Wiener and drag queen judges is Saturday, October 19, 1–4 pm at Noe Valley Courts, 4320 24th Street.

The works of Jose Villalobos are now on exhibition at STRUT gallery in the Castro. The opening night reception was on October 4, but for the month of October, Strut is featuring “ENTRE LAS FIBRAS CULTURALES” (“Between Cultural Fibers”), a collection of gay art as embroidery on clothing and also wood engravings. These come all the way from Texas. Born to a traditional conservative family, Villalobos was born and raised on the U.S./Mexico border in El Paso, TX. My three faves are “Azul,” embroidered on polyester wear pants; “F,” burned drawing on wood with silk flowers and leather belt; and “Entre Hombres,” embroidered on a Western shirt. Each piece has delicious depictions of nude men.

On Friday, October 18, we will celebrate THE GLBT HISTORICAL SOCIETY & MUSEUM at their gala, REUNION – CHOSEN FAMILY at the Salesforce Tower 61st floor. Founded in 1985, they are recognized internationally as a leader in the field of LGBTQ public history. Entertainment will be by Juanita MORE!, Tammy Lynn Hall, Katya Smirnoff-Skyy, Lambert Moss & Leigh Crow aka Elvis Herselvis. https://www.glbthistory.org/gala

OURTOWNSF NONPROFIT EXPO 2019 is Saturday, October 19, 12:30–4:30 pm at Eureka Valley Rec Center, 100 Collingwood. This is the 4th annual FREE resource fair of arts, community, fundraising, health, legal, political, recovery service & spiritual groups serving the Bay Area LGBTQ community coming together for a day of fun and community building in the Castro. https://www.facebook.com/events/2165897586962052/

35TH ANNUAL SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA HRC GALA DINNER & AUCTION is at Hyatt Regency San Francisco, 5 Embarcadero Center, on Saturday, October 19, 5 pm. Now is the time to celebrate our victories. Let’s double-down on our work to advance equality here locally, and to protect the gains we’ve made nationally. Learn how we can further mobilize in our fight for equality. https://www.boxofficetickets.com/go/event?id=336263&k=cf42bdb3b1

INTO THE DARK returns with Exciting New Halloween Frights. Terror Vault 2018 set the standard for a horror attraction in San Francisco. Building on its sold-out success, they are really stepping it up in 2019 with additional offerings. Including a BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR. Let the producers, Joshua Grannell (aka “Peaches Christ”) and David Flower, take you behind the scenes to discover what Terror Vault looks like with the lights on. Find out how it’s all put together, learn secrets of the trade, and see what the sets and props look like up close. Includes a lights-on tour of the show itself, plus behind-the-scenes spaces and the actors’ dressing rooms. Offered only on select Sundays. https://www.showclix.com/event/behind-the-scenes-tour

THIS OLD BAG – THE POWER OF THE PURSE is Friday, October 25, Fairmont San Francisco. Show the power of your purse at BREAST CANCER EMERGENCY FUND’s 15th annual handbag auction. Every bag sold gives life and spirit-saving financial assistance to low-income people battling breast cancer. https://bcef.org/thisoldbag/tob-event-info/

THE SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE invite you to SAINTS & SPINNERS HALLOWEEN PARTY on October 26 at Spin, 690 Folsom Street, #100. Join us nuns for a fun-filled, spooky night of dancing, pop-up drag performances, unlimited ping pong, and FUNdraising! Costume contest with amazing prizes, food, drink, and DJ Juanita MORE! spinning for you. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/saints-spinnershalloween-party-tickets-

 Sister Dana sez, “Fox News Polls (yep, FOX) find majority of Americans want Trump impeached AND removed! Is it too early to celebrate?!”