By Donna Sachet–
We finished off the month of major galas at The Conservatory at One Sansome for EQCA’s annual fundraiser. Having served on their Board of Directors for several years, we were surrounded by familiar faces, including Bevan Dufty, Malia Cohen, Joe Sangirardi, Steve Bracco, Suzanne Ford, Leslie Katz, and Tom Horn. This gala differed from others with a less formal setting, lots of socializing, and a short program. Although there was some seating available, most attendees roamed the spacious interior, wandering from bar to buffet, catching up with acquaintances. (You know you are attending an event with widespread support when you find friendly seats at the AT&T and Meta table, which we did.) We attended in the excellent company of Ralph Hibbs. Awards were presented to Ivar Satero, former Director of SF International Airport, and Gigi Gorgeous, popular media personality, wearing a gorgeous white gown and mesmerizing the crowd. A simple fundraising appeal quickly reached its goal, ensuring that the work of this important civil rights organization continues in these difficult political times.
If you missed Gary Virginia’s All the Tea at Midnight Sun on Saturday, April 26, you missed one of the biggest and best bar parties of the year! And we are not writing that just because we also celebrated our birthday that day! Gary transformed the space, creating a VIP Lounge in front with incredible buffet table and decor, and invited a select few performers, including John Weber, Alexis Miranda, Carly Ozard, and Christina Ashton, to entertain between sets by go-gos Emerson and Coco and flagger Josh Spaulding. DJ Sergio Fedasz kept the place jumping until our own musical finale of “Last Dance,” complete with confetti explosions at the end, after which birthday cake and cupcakes were served to all. We can’t thank Gary, Moxie Penn, the Midnight Sun, and the many guests who showed up that day for this rousing party enough! Talk about making an old girl feel loved!
The next day, we celebrated the birthday of this publication’s own Betty Sullivan at Catch French Bistro, while also raising money for the 2025 Dyke March. Alex U. Inn emceed the afternoon, auctioning and otherwise convincing the audience to dig deep for the cause. Nadirah Shakoor and Dee Spencer provided musical entertainment. If you haven’t yet checked out the weekly Mimosa event at Catch each Sunday, make plans now.
We spent the following weekend caught up in the many Castro neighborhood activation events that brought out enthusiastic pedestrian traffic. The Castro Merchants seem to have come up with a winning formula of Art Shows, Night Markets, and Block Parties to which the public is enthusiastically responding.
The Black Tie Club invited members from all over the continent to join together in San Francisco last weekend, including a Friday night dinner at three different restaurants: Catch French Bistro, Poesia, and Fable. We popped into each of those spots to welcome their membership … as only the First Lady of the Castro could do! From there, we headed to Strut on Castro Street for an art exhibit, the following day to a block party on 15th Street, and wound up at a birthday party at 440 Castro for owner Gordy Boe. Kelly Houston lent his beautiful voice to the birthday song and there was delicious food and tasty cake for everyone. Quite a weekend in the Castro!
Our final report is on a years-long traditional event started by the late Emperor Frankie Fernandez, whimsically called Cinco de Meow. Each year, friends and supporters of the Imperial Court gather to remember this gentleman with a raucous show, raffle, and revelry. This year, Emperor J.P. Soto hosted and Emperor John Carillo and Empress Alexis Miranda emceed the event at Aunt Charlie’s Lounge, where over the course of several hours, an exuberant group raised over $800, dollar by dollar, for the Emperors’ charitable causes. The climax of the day was the announcement of the new Chica Diva and Chico Chulo titles. Kudos all around for those who continue to honor Frankie with this annual event.
As we hope you can see from this column, things are looking up in San Francisco. People are out, events are happening, large and small, and recovery is on its way. Get out and enjoy yourself!
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 & Saturday,
May 9–July 26
Compton Cafeteria Riot
Written by Colette LeGrande, Donna Personna, & Mark Nassar
Immersive theatrical experience
835 Larkin Street
7 pm
$75
www.tickettailor.com
Sunday, May 11
The Queer American Songbook
Jason Brock &
Dee Spencer in song
Co-presented with the SF International Arts Festival
Chan National Queer Arts Center, 170 Valencia Street
7:30 pm
$25 & up
www.sfgmc.org
Friday, May 30
Pride Renaissance Gala
Benefits Queer Life Space
Dinner, auction, program
Bobby Friday & Donna Sachet
Carly Ozard, Kippy Marks, Mahlae Balenciaga
Swedish American Hall,
2174 Market Street
5:30 pm
$80, $250 & up
www.queerlifespace.org
Donna’s Chronicles
Published on May 8, 2025
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