Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun–
By Sister Dana Van Iquity–
Sister Dana sez, “I cannot BELIEVE that nearly 200 members of the San Francisco Police Department have applied for a RELIGIOUS exemption from the City’s employee vaccine mandate, the highest number of waiver requests from any city department, by far! HOLY Crap!”
The laugh-out-loud September 23 LOCKDOWN COMEDY show on Zoom featured LA comedians Greg Proops (from TV’s Whose Line Is It, Anyway?) being a quite superior San Franciscan; Betsy Salkind (best known as the Squirrel Lady) with hilarious pandemic humor; and Zahra Noorbakhsh (Feminist Muslim, Iranian-American comedian) ragging on her “adequate” white husband while making us all “magically Muslim”; in addition from Florida: The Geduldigs (Lisa and flirty mother Arline) gave us the giggles. Alas, producer/comic Lisa had but a brief stay in SF for a live show—only to return home to Florida. We wish her a speedy return home to EssEff! On October 21, Lockdown Comedy continues its Zoom show with an all-star line-up: Karen Williams (Ohio); Avi Liberman (LA); Dhaya Lakshminarayanan (SF); and Lisa Geduldig and her 90-year-old mom, Arline Geduldig (Florida). https://bit.ly/3CKVVGU
Sister Dana sez, “The Arizona fraudit has found 99 additional votes for President Biden and 261 fewer votes for Trump in Maricopa County, so I guess all that time and money was worth it, huh?! AZ if.”
Meanwhile Texas is running a senseless, costly, democracy-demoralizing audit in a state that Trump WON! Ridiculous!
FOLSOM STREET FAIR also known as MEGAHOOD2021 was on Sunday, September 26, 11 am–6 pm on Folsom Street between 8th and 12th. We were appropriately checked to be vaxxed and masked—although most of us dropped our masks as the day progressed. The weather was perfect for wearing anything from leather to feather to birthday suit. There were plenty of booths offering information and SM/BD items for purchase. There were supposedly six entertainment stages with live acts performing all day long, but I spent most of my time in the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence booth with info and merch for purchase. Also, for a donation, “sinners” could kneel at our special bench for a nun’s proper flogging!
We are witnessing the most direct and dire threats to abortion access in decades. Therefore, joining over 600 local and national organizations, MARCH FOR OUR RIGHTS & A SAN FRANCISCO AND BAY AREA COMMUNITY ORGANIZED MARCH FOR REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE was held on October 2, 11 am starting at SF Civic Center, Grove and Hyde Street, ending at Embarcadero Plaza. Masks and social distancing were required. (See page 6 for more information.)
GOP Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has an annoying announcement ahead of the holidays: Nationwide postal delays and increased shipping prices are imminent. How much longer are we going to allow Trump’s handpicked USPS saboteur to run the show? You know he will do his best to delay mail-in ballots again. How much more must we endure?
Sister Dana sez, “Fire DeJoy and bring The Joy back to The Post Office!”
On October 2, we attended HORIZONS‘ virtual GALA CELEBRATION co-chaired by Board Members Xochitl Carrion and Dora Dome with special guests Brett Andrews, CEO of PRC; US Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wi); Sean Dorsey, Fresh Meat Productions Artistic Director; Jewelle Gomez, novelist, playwright, activist; Kris Hayashi, Transgender Law Center Executive Director; SF Supervisor Rafael Mandelman; Imani Rupert-Gordon, NCLR Executive Director; Lily Tomlin, actor, comedian, activist; and Shawna Virago, SF Transgender Film Festival Executive Director. Activist Michael Tate was our host. He reminded us that Horizons was founded in 1980, and to date it has made more than 55 million dollars in grants with a focus on Bay Area LGBTQ organizations, but affecting the worldwide community. Also, Horizons looks to the future with an LGBTQ Community Endowment Fund to secure our community’s future for generations to come. Horizons Executive Director Roger Doughty announced a fourth round of funding because Covid was not just last year’s story. “We don’t just follow the headlines or the spotlight,” he said, “We go where the community needs us.” Horizons was one of the very first organizations to fight AIDS. “We have fought, and we will keep on fighting, until all LGBTQ people have freedom and equality!” he concluded.
THE 47TH ANNUAL CASTRO STREET FAIR was held on October 3, 11 am–6 pm in the heart of the Castro District surrounding Castro Street and Market. Founded by Supervisor Harvey Milk in 1974, the Castro Street Fair has since raised more than $1.5M for community nonprofit beneficiary organizations. Every year, the Fair shares proceeds to help nonprofits continue providing essential services to the communities in and around the Castro. Additionally, they are proud that they are able to support the purchase and maintenance of the world-famous RAINBOW FLAG that flies in Harvey Milk Plaza. This year’s beneficiaries are: Buen Dia Family School, Castro Community on Patrol, Haight Ashbury Community Nursery School, Imperial Council of San Francisco, Instituto Familiar de la Raza, Most Holy Redeemer – AIDS Support Group, Queer Life Space, and McKinley Elementary. The hottest merch there IMHO was the purple tee emblazoned with Harvey Milk’s immortal words: “Hope Will Never Be Silent!” And one of the more impressive booths (if I do say so for myself) was the BAY TIMES one. Founded in 1978, the SF Bay Times is the first LGBTQ newspaper founded jointly and equally by gay men and women. Today, it remains one of the largest LGBTQ newspapers in Northern California providing compressive news and information to our community. And I hear some old nun has been writing a column for them for decades.
FAUCI – An Intimate Portrait of Dr. Anthony Fauci launched October 6 on Disney + and worldwide. This is Dr. Fauci—a public servant, scientist, physician, husband, and father whose career spans seven presidents and is bookended by two pandemics: HIV/AIDS, which shaped him, and COVID-19, which has tested him beyond all expectations. FAUCI is a National Geographic Documentary Films release. With his signature blend of scientific acumen, candor, and integrity, Fauci became America’s most unlikely cultural icon during the COVID-19 pandemic. A world-renowned infectious disease specialist and the longest-serving public health leader in Washington, D.C., he has overseen the U.S. response to 40 years’ worth of outbreaks, including HIV/AIDS, SARS, and Ebola. He was also our enemy as AIDS activists with ACT UP in the ’90s protesting his withholding experimental drugs and other reasons for holding vehement protests in the streets—which are actually partially covered in this film.
San Francisco’s Landmark Musical Theatre (Jon Rosen, Artistic Director) is pleased to announce winner of the Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book, THE 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, conceived by Rebecca Feldman, will run from October 9 to November 7 at the Children’s Creativity Museum Theater, 221 4th Street. This show has charmed audiences across the country with its effortless wit and humor. Featuring a fast-paced, wildly funny, and touching book by Rachel Sheinkin and a truly fresh and vibrant score by William Finn (composer of Falsettos), this bee is one unforgettable experience. An eclectic group of six mid-pubescents (all portrayed by adult actors) vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the “tweens” spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life-unaffirming “ding” of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. The production also includes a novelty not often seen in a Broadway musical, as four members of each night’s audience get a chance to shine when they are invited to the stage to compete as spellers during the first act of the show! The show would be rated PG-13 for strong language and some sexual content (dealing with the “complications” of male puberty) and is recommended for youth 13 and over. https://www.landmarkmusicals.com/
Despite the violence and discrimination we see, our trans communities have shown time and again that they have the brilliance, commitment, and care needed to not only support one another but also to usher in a better world for all people. Join them for SPARK, TRANSGENDER LAW CENTER (TLC)’s largest annual gathering, to celebrate the ways we are rising up together, and for each other. Funds raised at SPARK help TLC continue to change law, policy, and attitudes so that all people can live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination regardless of their gender identity or expression. “SPARK 2021” is virtual, free, and open to all. October 14, 5 pm. https://transgenderlawcenter.org/
Sister Dana sez, “October 11 is National Coming Out Day. If Sister Dana came out any further, he would fall off a cliff!”
Published on October 7, 2021
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