By Sister Dana Van Iquity, Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun –
Sister Dana sez, “Celebrate TRANSGENDER AWARENESS DAY—not just on November 20, but on every day!”
The Trans Caucus members welcome you to join them in marching from City Hall to the LGBT Center, 1800 Market Street, on Thursday November 20, in honor of Trans Day of Remembrance. Speakers start at 5 pm. The march steps off at 6 pm. Come hold space for the friends and community we lost this year. Our trans siblings need our support now more than ever with their identities continuing to be political pawns for right wing policies. Your presence is one of the first steps to resistance. Allies are always welcome.
A new exhibition at the GLBT HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 4127 18th Street, honors the legacy and impact of transgender people of color. I Live the Life I Love Because I Love the Life I Live: A Celebration of Trans People of Color, a new exhibition co-presented with the Louise Lawrence Transgender Archive, is now on view at the GLBT Historical Society Museum. The exhibition, launched during this Transgender Awareness Month, celebrates Black, Latinx, Asian, and Pacific Islander trans and gender-nonconforming people who lived authentically in the face of racism, homophobia, transphobia, and class prejudice. It highlights both performance and everyday expressions of identity, featuring studio portraits from Finocchio’s and the Jewel Box Revue alongside personal ephemera, candid photographs, activist materials, and more.
Featured in this groundbreaking exhibition are important historical figures such as Stormé DeLarverie, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, David de Alba, Li-Kar, and Red Jordan Arobateau, along with community organizers like Brenda Lee and members of the Filipino Task Force on AIDS, who fought for access to care and dignity during the HIV/AIDS crisis. Ms. Bob Davis, curator, is the director and founder of the Louise Lawrence Transgender Archive. She served two terms on the GLBT Historical Society board of directors, one as secretary, and has presented at the Moving Trans History Forward conferences in 2014, 2018, and 2020 at the University of Victoria. “The exhibit presents 100 years of trans history depicting the universality and diversity of the trans experience,” said Ms. Bob. “We hope visitors will leave with a greater understanding and appreciation of Asian, Black, and Latinx trans lives and culture.”
Countering all the aforementioned, last week, Trump basically admitted his tariffs were hiking grocery prices and tried to rally his way out of a collapsing economy. He tossed out wild, made-up tariff numbers, floated trillion-dollar fantasies, asked the Supreme Court to make his sexual abuse verdict disappear, and even pushed to slap his name on a new stadium. And he wants donors to give to his museum! As if!
Sister Dana sez, “But, hey, surprise with good news from the Supremes: they actually passed on the chance to cancel our same-sex marriage rights! Is the Supreme Court actually following the rule of law? Am I dreaming?!”
On November 6 at Fabulosa Books, I had the ghoulish delight of attending another of their deliciously informative Q&A author sessions—this time with Lindsay Merbaum, author of Vampires at Sea. Immortal beloved ones Hugh and Rebekah are on vacation at a sea cruise. This pair of chic emotional vampires from San Francisco are not the blood-sucking type, but rather the emotional vampires that will suck the air out of a conversation—or worse yet—one’s life! But they’re here to relax, on a little vacay, maybe join an orgy with fellow passengers, feast on their desires, sorrows, and fears. But Hugh becomes enchanted by an alluring, possibly magical, nonbinary social media influencer named Heaven. All hell breaks loose! A smutty horror-comedy ensues, and all are suddenly at sea! Buy this beauty of a book at Fabulosa Books, 489 Castro Street!
After four decades of leadership, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi has announced her retirement from Congress. She made history as the first woman House speaker. I can recall in 1987 being so proud when she announced she was there to represent San Francisco and the people with AIDS. This was the first time the epidemic had been addressed in Congress. And now I am hoping she will be replaced by openly gay state Senator Scott Wiener.
On November 18 on the steps of the California Supreme Court, Senator Wiener and advocates announced the No Kings Act, new legislation to hold federal officials and agents accountable for violating constitutional rights. In the face of the Trump Administration’s dangerous crusade to illegally harass and deport people during immigration enforcement, target political opponents for investigations, and cut off university funding, California will stand up for civil rights and the rule of law.
Governor Gavin Newsom at his “Yes on 50” inspirational victory speech in Houston, Texas, exclaimed, “I get why you say, ‘Don’t mess with Texas’; but also, ‘Don’t poke the Bear!’” He added, “Thank you not only for showing up for yourselves, but also for your state, for our nation, for the world, for not giving in to cynicism, for not giving in to the fear and anxiety that fills so many people, thank you for inspiring the state of California, and thank you for Proposition 50!”
Representative Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) pledged to fight on behalf of LGBTQ Americans during a speech she made on November 12 after finally being sworn into Congress. She had waited 50 days to be sworn in after winning a special election, and immediately promised to sign a discharge petition to release government files about the high-profile clients of convicted and deceased child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. “It’s past time for Congress to restore its role as a check and balance on this administration and fight for we the American people,” Grijalva said in her speech. “We need to fight for our immigrant communities and our veterans. We need to stand up for our public schools, children, and educators. We need to respect tribal sovereignty and our environment. We need to stand up for LGBTQ rights, because that’s what the American people expect us to do—fight for them.”
The government shutdown is over, and I hear a lot of Democrats are angry—believing that their lawmakers caved and should have held out longer to force Republicans to extend health care subsidies to ensure millions of Americans don’t lose their health insurance or see their premiums skyrocket. But I think we won the shutdown war! Let’s face facts, folx! Those cold-hearted Repugnicans were never going to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies no matter how long the shutdown dragged on. The shutdown ended with polls showing voters blamed Republicans over Democrats for the whole ordeal. In fact, Trump’s average approval rating is now under 40%—an utterly dismal number that, if held, will tank Republicans in the 2026 midterms. Who can forget the images of a smiling Trump at a “Great Gatsby”-themed Halloween party, while he was cutting off food stamps to the poorest Americans. Or the images of Trump demolishing the East Wing of the White House to build an ostentatious $300 million ballroom, while Americans went unpaid, and food stamp money was running dry.
Sister Dana sez, “Stop all the useless whining and hand-wringing! The shutdown gave Democrats a ton of material to work with for the midterms! We are winning!”
For the month of November, Strut, 470 Castro Street, is exhibiting the incredibly sexy black and white manly photography of Stuart Goldstein. Stuart is a San Francisco-based photographer, born in Brooklyn and raised on Long Island. After spending 30 years living in Manhattan—25 of those with weekends on Fire Island Pines—he has built a life rooted in art, connection, and observation. A graduate of the University at Buffalo with a BFA, Stuart has traveled the world, yet finds his greatest inspiration in the intimacy of photographing people. Whether capturing a headshot,
portrait, or candid moment on the street, the personal connection with his subject is vital to a successful image. When a story begins to unfold within a frame—that’s when the photograph becomes magic. Call Strut at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation to make sure they are welcoming visitors, and go to the second floor to enjoy Stuart’s gorgeous art! https://www.sfaf.org
San Francisco Playhouse, 450 Post Street, is thrilled to announce the opening of Into the Woods. A baker’s quest to fulfill a witch’s demands entangles him in a dark web of wishes and consequences in a twisted mashup of fairy tales. This Stephen Sondheim classic Tony award-winning musical is now playing through January 17. https://www.sfplayhouse.org
The 47th annual Milk/Moscone Vigil will occur on November 27 (Thanksgiving night) at 7 pm where participants will gather at Harvey Milk Plaza to hear inspirational speeches from outstanding community members. We celebrate Milk’s living legacy by renewing his (and our) commitment to resistance, queer joy, and community care, organizing for a more just and accepting world, and building one another up despite the division promoted by our federal government. As tradition, after the memorial we will walk down Castro Street to what was once Harvey’s camera shop, now QAF (Queer Arts Featured). https://www.milkclub.org
Get ready for a night of laughter, wit, and local star power as the Great Star Theater presents San Francisco Squares—a Bay Area spin on the legendary TV game show, The Hollywood Squares! Hosted by the fabulous Sister Roma, and featuring Lady Camden (RuPaul’s Drag Race) in the coveted center square, along with Wayne Justmann, Broke-Ass Stuart, Scrumbly Koldewyn, JR Topdog, Leigh Crow, Shane Zal Diva, Shanti Charan and Juicy Liu. November 29, 7 pm, 636 Jackson Street.
https://www.spectrumtheatresf.org
Google wrote massive checks to fund Trump’s new ballroom. Days after, the administration greenlit Google’s $32 billion merger with cybersecurity firm Wiz—a deal experts say never should’ve passed antitrust review. The timing is too perfect to ignore. Big Tech funneled millions into Trump’s political machine this fall, and Google’s merger approval came right after donations hit Trump’s accounts. Trump’s ballroom isn’t just a White House expansion; it’s a pay-to-play marketplace, and Congress must investigate.
Sister Dana sez, “Tell Congress to closely examine Google’s golden ballroom bribe. Subpoena DOJ officials, Google executives, and Trump operatives now! As the line from the classic musical ‘Three Sisters’ might emphasize: ‘We won’t dance; don’t ask us!’”
Sister Dana Sez, Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun
Published on November 20, 2025
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