By Donna Sachet—
The San Francisco Bay Times celebrated Bay Area AAPI LGBTQ+ women leaders and allies with a festive event on Thursday, May 28, 2026. It was originally scheduled for The Academy SF, but, as word leaked out that Margaret Cho would be attending, anticipated attendance required a move to the SF LGBT Center’s Rainbow Room and Sylvester Lounge. Madeleine Lim and Nguyen Pham did a great job moving the extensive program along with many individuals brought up on stage for specific recognition, including the Honorable Donna Ryu, Michelle Meow, Jane Kim, Ruth McFarland, Jen Masuda, and many others. ABC7 Lead News Anchor Dan Ashley and congressional candidates Scott Wiener and Connie Chan even made an appearance. In between, raffle prizes were presented and the audience participated in live auctions for SF Giants and Golden State Valkyries merchandise. Then we joined Sister Roma and Khmera Rouge for a lively introduction of Margaret Cho. She offered a bit of stand-up comedy with her usual irreverence, but sternly warned of the particular attacks on our transgender compatriots; the crowd roared with support. As the program came to a close, many headed to The Academy SF for a post-party gathering in that lovely setting.
The following night, Khmera joined us at the Palace of Fine Arts for Margaret Cho’s sold-out show. Margaret had the audience in stitches with her signature brand of Asian-centric, politically targeted, and boldly bawdy humor. She seemed right at home back in the place she started and received a great welcome.
We finished off the month with a Sunday’s a Drag show at Starlite early Sunday evening, joining the cast of Mercedez Munro, Mary Vice, and Hera Wynn. This series of monthly iterations of Sunday’s a Drag is gaining traction with enthusiastic audiences, top notch performers, and the very elegant setting of the Starlite atop the Beacon Grand Hotel. Watch the Starlite website for upcoming dates and casts. In addition, Juanita MORE! is launching a series of events there in June that are bound to draw a crowd.
We then started Pride Month with the Business of Pride event, recognizing trailblazers who are driving LGBTQ equality forward in the workplace. A powerful group of San Francisco business leaders, including both Betty Sullivan and Jennifer Viegas of this publication, gathered first for cocktails and then a formal program at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in Union Square. Several Outstanding Voice Awards were presented, the Corporate Pride Award was given to law firm Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, and the Selisse Berry Legacy Award went to Dr. Marcy Adelman, who received a standing ovation. An extensive buffet dinner followed in the adjoining room. This has become a great annual opportunity to meet up with active and successful LGBTQ business leaders.
You know that San Francisco Pride has arrived when you see the rainbow flag hanging from the Mayor’s Balcony at City Hall! We attended the formal ceremony last Friday, joining a significant portion of the leadership of the city’s LGBTQ+ organizations, many of our elected officials, and several of this year’s Pride Parade Grand Marshals. Once again, Tom Horn and the Bob Ross Foundation underwrote the delicious reception and refreshments. Each elected official offered remarks, led by Mayor Daniel Lurie, who faced a small, but intrusive group of protesters. It is truly one of those “only in San Francisco” moments when you join our community at City Hall for this symbolic and powerful event, fully supported by the city’s leadership, as the Pride Band strikes up a boisterous tune!
As we reviewed our commitments for June, last Saturday appeared the most daunting with three major events in one day, but somehow all went well. We started atop Twin Peaks for the annual Pink Triangle dedication ceremony, produced by Patrick Carney and attended by a large group of city leaders and project volunteers. Mayor Daniel Lurie again was the first speaker, followed by SF Pride’s Suzanne Ford, Sister Roma, Reigning Emperor John Brett, Imani Rupert-Gordon of NCLR, and SF AIDS Foundation’s Tyler TerMeer.The Pride Band and singer Leanne Borghesi offered rousing music throughout the event. Be sure to catch a glimpse of the Pink Triangle from anywhere in the city during the month of June and remember how this painful symbol of Nazi hatred has been transformed into a modern-day emblem of pride and victory.
We had to slip away from Twin Peaks a bit before the conclusion of the ceremony in order to get down the hill back to the Castro for the 90th Anniversary Celebration of Cliff’s Variety Store. Terry Asten-Bennett and the team at Cliff’s assembled a street event with a flatbed truck stage and a five-hour show, which drag queen Kylie Minono produced. Emcees changed hourly, featuring Sister Roma, Juanita MORE!, and Per Sia, and included performers Olivia Hart, BeBe Sweetbriar, Florence Frightengale, and many others. We had agreed to emcee the first hour, so it was a bit of a tight scheduling challenge, but thanks to a kind stranger, we arrived right on time and were able to pivot through several technical surprises. All in all, we were happy to participate in such a special anniversary celebration for one of the Castro’s longest serving retailers. We hope to be able to purchase our eyelashes and hammers, dog soap bubbles and kitchen gadgets, and fabrics and locks there for years to come.
Our final event on Sunday was Synchronicity, Gypsy Love’s music release party at The Café, produced by Gary Virginia, which we were happy to co-host with Suzan Revah. The club sparkled with silver and filled to capacity with a diverse group of supporters. Kippy Marks was the first performer, electrifying the crowd with his talents on the violin. Josh Spaulding flagged, Emerson Silva go-go danced, and David Wong photographed throughout the event. But the peak of the night featured Gypsy with a premiere of her “Synchronicity” music video and a live performance with back-up dancers Susan Revah and Chad Behavior. Everyone there was caught up in uniquely positive energy created by Gypsy’s music, dazzling videos, and infectious rhythms. This was a night for the record books!
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
Friday, June 12
SF Giants Pride Game
Baseball with Pride at Oracle Park
Evening fireworks
7 pm $38 & up
www.mlb.tickets.com
Saturday, June 13
Dolly! A Pride Show
SF Gay Men’s Chorus
Curran Theatre,
445 Geary Street
1 pm & 7:30 pm $35 & up
www.sfgmc.org
Saturday, June 13
Love Is You
Nas Mohamed’s Dance Celebration
The Mint, 88 Fifth Street
4–10 pm Free!
Monday, June 15
Phantom Sings
Richmond/Ermet benefit cabaret
Lisa Vroman and cast of
The Phantom of the Opera
Marines” Memorial Theatre,
609 Sutter Street
7:30 pm $50 & up
www.reaf.org
Friday & Saturday, June 19 & 20
Martuni’s 30th Anniversary
Special music from favorites
Martuni’s, 4 Valencia Street
noon–4 pm Free!
Saturday, June 20
Garden Party
Benefits AIDS Legal
Referral Panel
Dress in your finestgarden ensemble
Raffles, auction,
hat contest w/Donna Sachet
Hot Johnnie’s, 4077 18th Street
2–5 pm
$40
www.alrp.org
Tuesday, June 23
Pride Fashion Runway
Local models with Pride
Glide Memorial,
330 Ellis Street
7 pm
$100
www.sfpride.org
Donna’s Chronicles
Published on June 11, 2026
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