At the Imperial Council Coronation 59 Seasons of Love on February 24, 2024, San Francisco Bay Times lead photographer Rink received the Bob Cramer Humanitarian Award. Previously, in 2009, Rink was named “Prince to the Council of Emperors” by the Imperial Council. Rink has been photographing events in San Francisco, nearly every day and night, since the late 1960s. His focus from the beginning has been on the LGBTQ+ community, with his archive including some of the region’s most iconic historic images.
The late Bob Cramer, for whom the award was named, served as Emperor III After Norton, 1974–1975. He was known for being charitable and caring. Colleagues at the Bay Times and beyond note that Rink shares these qualities in ways both big and small, from helping volunteers deliver food to those in need, to distributing life-saving Narcan, to supporting countless fundraisers and much more.
“Bob Cramer was a friend whom I knew as an Emperor, a Co-Founder of the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club, and the Cable Car Awards,” Rink said.
He added, “The Imperial Coronation program is a yearly pleasure, where I see the names of court members, and I knew and know over two thirds of the people listed. It is also painful since so many of them passed away from HIV/AIDS. I have covered all of the Empresses and Emperors, and their Courts, with their ups and downs and ins and outs.”
“Court founder José Sarria and I were close since we met in 1970,” Rink added. “We met to discuss San Francisco and Court history, and he met Harvey Milk when I brought him as my plus one to numerous court events. José said at his High Tea event: ‘Ask Rink about gay history. And he has the photographs.'”
We are grateful that many of those photographs have been published in the San Francisco Bay Times over the decades. Rink continues to be an important contributor to the paper, and is said to be one of the most published photographers in the entire Bay Area.
Published on March 7, 2024
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