By Sister Dana Van Iquity, Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun–
Sister Dana sez, “HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to all you Daddies, Gay Dads, adoptive fathers, drag king fathers, father figures, and Dads of all kinds! You have raised some very fine children!”
FATHER’S DAY is June 16 this year. It is a holiday honoring one’s father, as well as fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. In the United States, “Father’s Day” is on the third Sunday of June. It celebrates the contribution that fathers and father figures make for their children’s lives. Father’s Day is not a federal holiday. Organizations, businesses, and stores are open or closed, just as they are on any other Sunday in the year. Public transit systems run on their normal Sunday schedules. Restaurants may be busier than usual, as some people take their fathers out for a treat.
And speaking of fathers, the worst dad ever, DarnOld Trump, got convicted GUILTY on all 34 felony counts. Sister Dana sez, “Celebrate! Celebrate! Dance to the music!!!”
FRAMELINE announced its full lineup for THE 48th SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL LGBTQ FILM FESTIVAL at a “filmtastic” preview party at Oasis on May 21. Frameline48 will run June 19–29 in theaters across the SF Bay Area. Free booklets are available everywhere or go to https://www.frameline.org/
AGUILAS El Ambiente held their 30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION on May 24 at the Rainbow Room in the SF LGBT Center. The festive event featured food, drinks, entertainment, and brief presentations. AGUILAS was founded in 1991, and began providing funded services in the spring of 1994 targeting Latinx LGBTQ individuals. AGUILAS is the oldest Latinx LGBTQ organization in all the countries in the Americas for empowering and serving the Latinx LGBTQ community. At the celebration, AGUILAS received Certificates of Recognition from the SF Board of Supervisors and Resolutions from the State Senate. On stage and giving inspirational speeches were AGUILAS Executive Director Eduardo Morales, PhD (a fellow Bay Times columnist); Chief Program Officer Renato Talhadas, MFT; and Operations Director Angel Reynaga—plus so many more. We were delighted to witness a very special performance by Latinx drag queen extraordinaire Betty Fresas lip-synching some super sexy Spanish songs with equally erotic dance moves. “Fresas” is Spanish for “Strawberry,” and she was a bowl of refreshing, fresh berries indeed. She did a complete costume change for a sweet second show. I got to take a photo with Betty in front of the AQUILAS banner! Yummy!
BRITE NITE, sponsored by Manny’s “The Civic Joy Fund” and supporting LYRIC, was on May 25 in Harvey Milk Plaza and main street Castro. We nuns lit the night and asked for donations to LYRIC. What is LYRIC? The mission of the Lavender Youth Recreation & Information Center (LYRIC) is to build community and inspire positive social change through education enhancement, career trainings, health promotion, and leadership development with LGBTQ youth, their families, and allies of all races, classes, genders, and abilities. LYRIC’s vision is a diverse society where LGBTQ youth are embraced for who they are, and are encouraged to be who they want to be. By working towards social justice and supporting young leaders, their families and allies, LYRIC is building a world that honors, respects and appreciates LGBTQ youth and their contributions. Sister Dana kept flashing his big, light-up changing-colors cross. Bars, businesses, dancers, windows, and nuns were all aglow that BRITE NITE!
Was anybody else surprised when Nikki “Birdbrain” (Trump’s Nikki nickname—not mine) Haley announced she was voting for Trump? I was shocked, and let’s do a little Haley History Lesson from statements she made during her campaign. Feb. 26 = “Trump is turning the Republican Party into his own playpen”; Feb. 20 = “He’s gotten more unstable and unhinged”; Feb.12 = “He’s not qualified to be president”; Feb. 4 = “He won’t win the job”; Jan. 27 = “No matter what Trump thinks, he can’t bully his way into the White House. It’s not gonna work!” And back to the surprise, Haley took it all back and revealed, “So I will be voting for Trump.” Whaaat?! Sister Dana sez, “President Biden would be wise to convert Haley’s never-Trumpers into totally-Bideners! This huge block of vital Haley voters should surely switch away from their fear of autocracy to their love of democracy!”
The Cockettes Nouveau were back in San Francisco for just three nights at Oasis SF with their fun, new musical revue DIRT! SEX! PASSION! on May 29, 30, and May 31. We delighted in original Cockette Scrumbly Koldewyn and Angel of Light Carl Linkhart, and the new generation of Cockettes Nouveau including Noah Haydon, Birdie-Bob Watt, Bonni Suval, Ellie Stokes, Matt Bratko, Steven Satyricon, and Yaadi Erica Richardson celebrating the music created by Scrumbly, Link Martin, Martin Worman, Peter Mintun, andothers. Classic numbers included “Endless Masturbation Blues,” “Banana Song” (with giant cardboard bananas), and “A Crab on Uranus” (featuring Birdie in lobster drag). Brava, Cockettes Nouveau!
Drag queens visit small towns across America in a show that will bring you to tears! HBO TV’s “WE’RE HERE” uses drag to teach acceptance in states with some of the harshest anti-LGBTQ legislation. The season opens with a drag performance from all-new hosts Priyanka, Sasha Velour, and Jaida Essence Hall (whom you may recognize from Canada’s Drag Race and RuPaul’s Drag Race—all three queens having won their respective seasons).
Sister Dana sez, “Yay! Trump got BOOED on May 25 at the Libertarian National Convention at Washington, D.C.! The fool tried to lure Libertarians into his autocracy! Three jeers for dictator DJT! Boo! Hiss! Boo!”
THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN (HRC), one of the largest LGBTQ rights groups in the country, has pledged to spend $15 million in six swing states to reelect President Joe Biden. The push to get the vote out will be targeting 75 million “equality voters,” those focused on LGBTQ rights as their primary issue in this election. But HRC notes that about one-third of these voters may not vote at all. An additional grouping of voters is likely to instead support a third-party candidate, something the HRC hopes to prevent. SisterDana sez, “Joe Biden is the Equality President of the Century! He strongly believes in equality for ALL!”
We kicked off Pride Month with MAITRI’s HEELS FOR HOPE, a variety show to raise funds for Maitri’s compassionate care for people living with HIV/AIDS and those recovering from gender-affirming surgeries. Maitri is Sanskrit for “compassionate friendship.” They provide compassionate residential care for people in need of hospice, respite, or 24-hour medical care. It was hosted by the iconic Donna Sachet, on June 1, Marines’ Memorial Theatre. We were head over heels enjoying the incomparable talents of Punchline’s comedian Allison Hooker; soulful singer Caleb Sasser, recently seen on the 24th season of NBC’s The Voice; and Fou Fou Ha! who are an ensemble of cartoon couture clowns who create an otherworldly interactive performance experience. This was a night of community, a night of iconic drag, and a night of incredible stories of how our compassion has helped people in need. We truly kicked up our heels with Maitri!
Mayor London Breed attended the 4th Annual JUNETEENTH on June 1 on the Waterfront at The Ferry Building. “Juneteenth” is on June 19, but is celebrated in SF all month long! JUNETEENTH marks the day in 1865 when a Union Army general arrived in Texas with 2,000 soldiers to inform over 250,000 Black Americans enslaved in Texas that slavery had been abolished following the conclusion of the Civil War. This was two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln’s “Emancipation Proclamation” had declared that “all persons held as slaves … henceforward shall be free.”
Gov. Ron “Don’t Say Gay” Duh Santis has required bridges in the Sunshine State to only use red, white, and blue lights from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Florida Director of Transportation Jared Perdue prevents cities from lighting up bridges to celebrate holidays like JUNETEENTH or PRIDE MONTH. “SisterDana sez, “Let’s hear it (NOT!) for diversity in Florida. We gotta QUEER the VOTE everywhere!”
On June 3, 1:30 pm from her balcony, Mayor London Breed joined LGBTQ elected and community leaders including State Senator Scott Wiener, Supervisors Rafael Mandelman, Matt Dorsey and Joel Engardio, SF Pride Executive Director Suzanne Ford, Drag Laureate D’Arcy Drollinger, and newly appointed Director of the Office of Transgender Initiatives (OTI) Honey Mahogany to kick off San Francisco’s 53RD ANNUAL PRIDE MONTH CELEBRATION with the magnificent raising of the Rainbow Flag. The festivities will culminate in the PRIDE PARADE on Sunday, June 30. This year’s theme for SF Pride is so appropriately “BEACON OF LOVE.” SisterDana sez, “Congratulations to all the Pride Grand Marshals—especially the fabulous Billy Porter!”
We were also invited to kick off Pride Month at ALRP’s Major Donor Thank You Party in the Belvedere Room, 28th floor on June 3, From the Heart 40th anniversary celebrating AIDS LEGAL REFERRAL PANEL’s dearest friends and key supporters. Board Co-Chairs Scott A. Zimmermann, Esq., and Jaclyn “Jackie” Gross, Esq., welcomed us and introduced Incoming Executive Director Matt Foreman, who gave a truly inspirational speech and spoke of how former E.D. Bill Hirsch was such a hero in his leadership (2000–2023). Capping the evening was presentation of “The James C. Hormel Philanthropy Award” to Barry Graynor, Esq. https://www.alrp.org/
SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE & THE TENDERLOIN MUSEUM also kicked-off PRIDE SEASON with a festive party at the museum on June 7 that celebrated the legacy of the 1966 Compton’s Cafeteria Riot and anticipated the upcoming production of THE COMPTON’S CAFETERIA RIOT play in the TL. I was thrilled to see the powerful transgender rights activist and artist Donna Personna (who is gloriously portrayed in “TCCR”), Senator Scott Wiener—as well as SF Pride Executive Director Suzanne Ford and Pride Board President Nguyen Pham.
That same night, THE GLBT HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM opened a new exhibition that preserves the memory of the city’s bohemian past and its essential role in the development of American adult entertainment. The exhibition, EROTIC RESISTANCE: PERFORMANCE, ART, AND ACTIVISM IN SAN FRANCISCO, will be on display through fall 2024. https://bit.ly/3RoBJ7j
For their season finale concert, ALL WE NEED IS LOVE, SF GAY MEN’S CHORUS has been reflecting on the many facets of love—the joy, the heartbreak, and the resilience. Join them at Davies Symphony Hall on June 18 for a night that celebrates love in all its forms! https://www.sfgmc.org/
The San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band is now the SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE BAND to emphasize that they welcome all members of the LGBTQ community and its allies across the spectrum of sexual orientation and gender identity.
The EQUALITY CALIFORNIA (EQCA) official SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE PARTY is Tuesday, June 25 at El Rio, 3158 Mission, 6–9 pm. Their theme is “Be Proud, Loud, and Bold!” https://www.eqca.org/
Rest in peace and power and queer quips, my dear friend Strange de Jim, whose madcap persona took over his birth name of Jim Riffe. I treasure your signed, gifted 2007 memoir, BILLIONS OF VIRGINS IN ECSTASY! Who would ever forget this lovable humorist who sometimes wore a “Nobody Knows I’m A Lesbian” t-shirt?! Strange dearest, I just know you are keeping the angels in heaven laughing hysterically at your wit!
Sister Dana sez, “HAPPY FLAG DAY—especially The Rainbow Flag—on June 14! Fly your flag freely! But not YOU, inJustice Alito!”
Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun
Published on June 13, 2024
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