By Joanie Juster—
Election Season in Full Swing
The primaries are finally over, and, if you haven’t already started getting serious about the upcoming midterms, now is the time to roll up your sleeves and pitch in. The man in the White House is crumbling at a rapidly accelerating pace, sowing chaos, confusion, and danger every time he speaks or posts. His delusional rants are alienating our allies, providing encouragement to our adversaries, and unleashing the very worst in his followers. Meanwhile, the American people are suffering. The more lawsuits he loses, the more power slips away from him, the more he lies and rants—and the more dangerous he becomes. These are precarious times for all of us, for our country, and for the world.
What can we do? Rise up. Speak out. Resist. And vote—and make sure you get as many other people to the polls as possible. We need to vote in numbers so overwhelming that there can be no question as to where this country’s heart lies. We need to vote so decisively that we end up with an unbeatable majority in Congress. We need to vote in such numbers that there is an unmistakable course correction in this country.
And then we need to use that unbeatable majority to eject him and his crooked cronies from office.
We need to hit the Reset button so our country can start repairing the unspeakable damage that has been done to our democracy, our rule of law, our civil rights, our economy, our healthcare systems, our natural environment, our souls. There has been so much damage done that it may take a generation to heal everything, but we can still start right now.
And we need to make sure that those who have been wreaking so much damage, all while raking in obscene profits, pay a very steep price for their corruption.
The president and his cronies are trying every trick they can to make sure they cannot lose their power in Congress. They are doing everything possible to make it harder for people to vote, to rig the rules so only the “right” people can vote, and to hold sway over local election officials. They are blatantly playing dirty, and we must do everything in our power to make sure everyone who has the right to vote can vote freely, without intimidation, and that their votes are counted properly.
Ready to help? There are many great organizations doing good work, and your help will be welcomed everywhere. Voters need to be educated about the issues and the candidates. Voting rights must be protected. Volunteers need to be recruited and trained. Voters need to be registered, protected, and may need help getting to the polls.
First and foremost: Are you registered to vote? And is your registration current? National Voter Registration Day is September 15. Use that day to check your registration, and to reach out to everyone you know to encourage them to check theirs, or to register. Just moved, or need to change your registration? In San Francisco, you can register and vote on the same day! Just go to City Hall or your polling place on Election Day and tell them you want to “register conditionally and vote provisionally.”
From now until Election Day, I will be posting links to organizations where your time, efforts, or dollars can make a big difference. Here are three to start with:
League of Women Voters: This organization is the gold standard of nonpartisan grassroots groups protecting and expanding voting rights for more than a century. https://tinyurl.com/LWVvol26
Bay Area Coalition: The coalition is a collective of over 60 organizations that focus on Democratic voter turn-out in swing districts. https://tinyurl.com/BACvol26
State + Local Election Alliance: Their mission is to defend democracy by ensuring the officials responsible for running elections will protect the right to vote and uphold the rule of law. https://tinyurl.com/SLEAvol26
Why are these elections so critical? Just look at what has happened in Ghana. In June, their parliament approved an anti-LGBTQ+ bill that criminalizes homosexuality. Individuals identifying as LGBTQ+ can receive up to three years in prison. The bill also criminalizes promotion of LGBTQ+ activities, so that anyone who identifies as an ally can also go to jail. And, here in the U.S., a recent candidate for office in Connecticut called for the execution of homosexuals. While I’m happy to say he received bipartisan criticism for his extremist views, we must always be vigilant against those who spread hate.
Stay tuned for more suggestions in our next issue.
Leather Month
September is Leather Month, and the local leather community has a full calendar of events coming up, culminating in the Folsom Street Fair. The LEATHER and LGBTQ Cultural District has been working hard to preserve and share the history of their district, including their walking tour, “SOMA Origins: Bars, Bathhouses & Beyond.” The tour dives into the history of SOMA and its raucous history in the 1970s. This free tour will be available Saturday, September 19, 11:30 am—1:30 pm, with guide Wylde Honey.
The District held a Gear Swap ‘n Shop and Outreach at the Up Your Alley Fair in July, and is planning two more, on Sunday, September 13 at the Eagle Beer Bust, and Sunday, September 27, at the Folsom Street Fair. Volunteers will earn $25 credit for each shift worked.
And, of course, LeatherWalk is coming up on Sunday, September 20. Their new starting location will be Eagle Plaza. Check in at 10:30 am, step off at 11. The Walk will include 11 iconic stops, ending at Eagle Plaza for the ceremonial raising of the Leather Pride Flag. Register now to be an individual fundraiser, join a team, or walk for fun.
For information on all these events, or to register, go to: https://tinyurl.com/sfldo
The Golden Girls Live is Returning –
Get Your Tickets Now!
Let’s look forward to happier times—the Golden Girls are coming back to the Curran Theatre to brighten the holiday season with new episodes! Get your tickets now before they sell out: https://tinyurl.com/GGL2026
Joanie Juster is a long-time community volunteer, activist, and ally.
In Case You Missed It
Published on August 27, 2026
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