By Donna Sachet –
The Imperial Gay Pageant, on Sunday, October 12, 2025, at Hotel Zeppelin, returned to an exciting, competitive contest with multiple contestants, creative presentations, and an enthusiastic audience. Sharing judging responsibilities was no easy task as competitors surprised us in every pageant category, including live singing, outlandish costumes, jaw-dropping glamor, and message-laden productions. Pageant coordinators and emcees Emperor Ashlee Blow & Empress Afrika America kept the evening moving along and the audience engaged, giving recognition to past Imperial Gay titleholders and welcoming into the Imperial Family Mr. Gay 2025 Josué Henriquez and Mx Gay 2025 Sue Trowtower.
Finally, it was time for the tiaras and sashes as the winners were announced: Miss Gay San Francisco Anastasia Di’Nitta, Ms. Gay San Francisco Chi CHI!, Mx. Gay San Francisco Calliope Munro, and Mr. Gay San Francisco Ali Amaya. With this broader slate of titles, the Imperial Council welcomes a greater diversity of individuals into its historic family. Honorable mention certainly goes to Candi Mint Mercury, Luz Lips, Benji Pruitt, and Delilah Blackheart for competing so admirably, A supportive group of friends gathered at the SF LGBT Community Center last Thursday, October 16, to thank outgoing Executive Director Rebecca Rolfe for over 22 years of dedicated service, leading this building’s team to unparalleled success. Emcees Sister Roma and former Board member Cindy Solomon struck a comical balance between praise and lighthearted roast, introducing various speakers, including Rebecca’s own sister, to amuse the audience. Among those in attendance were Frank Woo, Suzanne Ford, Winn Pham, Dr. Marcy Adelman, Dr. Tyler TerMeer, Gary Virginia, and the Bay Times’ own Betty Sullivan and Jennifer Viegas. Rebecca gave a heartfelt speech, leaving hardly a dry eye in the house. New Executive Director Jen Valles then offered remarks and set the stage for the next chapter of leadership as the crowd cheered.
Last Saturday, October 18, proved to be one of those impossibly crowded days with multiple local events and the overarching “No Kings Day” blanketing the city. We started at the Imperial “Empress Take-Over” at Beaux, where a small group of committed Empresses supported their traveling Reigning Empress by performing and collecting donations for their charitable account. As you may know, the Reigning Monarchs raise money all during their year and then present it to various charitable causes at Imperial Coronation in February. We couldn’t miss this opportunity to help out! Co-hosting with Empress Alexis Miranda and ably assisted by Empress Cameron Stiehl-Munro, we entertained a small, but supportive audience. Performers included Emperors and Empresses, other Imperial titleholders, and even monarchs from Alameda. With donated tips, raffle ticket sales, and live auction bids combined, we raised over $1200 in a few hours! Won’t Afrika be pleased?
From there, we had to fly like the wind back home to drop off luggage and back out the door to head to the Westin St. Francis Hotel for Reunion 40, the GLBT Historical Society’s annual gala. Joining the event, already in full swing, we sat with our generous hosts, Gary Nathan & David Gin, surrounded by hundreds of people also committed to the preservation of our complete and accurate history, including Ron Morrison, David Schild, Gary Kenyon, Moxie Penn, Kailee Kling, Gary Virginia, Cleve Jones, Tom Horn, Lance Toma, John Liou, Adam Sandel, Greg Pennington, and State Senator Scott Wiener. With so much rapid change at the federal level, this task is increasingly vital. Emcees Sister Roma and Honey Mahogany guided us through the night with humor and insight, demonstrating a genuine connection with each other and their community. Awards were presented to Cheryl Dunye and Sean Dorsey for their trailblazing work and visionary leadership. Executive Director Roberto Ordeñana was greeted enthusiastically by the room and gave a stirring and inspirational speech. When it was time to raise bidding paddles to support the cause, the ballroom exploded with enthusiasm. As the GLBT Historical Society draws closer to its goal of a dedicated museum, that spirit and financial support will prove essential, providing a bulwark against those who would deny our very existence.
Donna Sachet is a celebrated performer, fundraiser, activist, and philanthropist who has dedicated over two decades to the LGBTQ Community in San Francisco Contact her at empsachet@gmail.com.
Donna’s Chronicles
Published on October 23, 2025
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