By Sister Dana Van Iquity, Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun–
Sister Dana sez, “HAPPY FOLSOM WEEKEND, which is September 23, 24, and 25—so plenty of opportunities to wear leather or whatever suits the occasion!”
FOLSOM STREET FAIR, this year on September 25 all day long Sunday, is an annual BDSM and leather subculture street fair that caps San Francisco’s “Leather Pride Week.” The Folsom Street Fair, sometimes simply referred to as “Folsom,” takes place on Folsom Street between 8th and 13th Streets, in San Francisco’s South of Market district. It is open to everyone, but encourages participation—however one chooses to interpret that.
The mission of FOLSOM STREET is as follows: “Folsom Street is committed to cultivating a safe, open, and inclusive environment for the kink, leather, and alternative sexuality communities while centering equity for BIPOC and LGBTQA2I+ people in our work. We are rooted historically in the fight against gentrification and displacement both here in San Francisco, on unceded Ohlone land, and worldwide. We unite, strengthen, and affirm the community through support, resources, education, advocacy, visibility, and celebration. We are dedicated to sexual liberation and the right to pleasure as a crucial part of the whole liberation movement. Folsom Street is an explicitly anti-racist organization, and we are committed to decolonizing our practices. We welcome feedback and guidance from our communities.”
SCHLOMER HAUS GALLERY presents PHOTO REALNESS: THE QUEER AESTHETICS OF PHOTOGRAPHY”: a group show curated by Christopher Tradowsky featuring Zackary Drucker, Clifford Prince King, Matt Lipps, Alec Marchant, Joe Sinness, and Suzanne Wright. The six artists in Photo Realness are not all, or not strictly, photographers. Yet each artist exploits the dynamism of the photographic medium to slightly different ends, through candid and formal portraiture, intimate reportage, faux-fashion tableaux, appropriated imagery, archiving and collage, and photorealist drawing. With an emphasis on portraiture, Photo Realness explores the playfulness of photography and the ease with which, in the 21st century, this ubiquitous medium allows for the public projection of a private self. Photo Realness celebrates the ways photography helps queers do what queers do best: playing with the boundaries of gender and sexuality, testing, and expanding them beyond norms and expectations, discovering new ways to live more openly, more expansively, more queerly. My fave is “All In: Jack of Diamonds” by Lipps (that is quite overtly GAY!). Pieces on exhibit now through October 15 at 2128 Market Street.
Sister Dana sez, “It must just totally kill Trump that he’s never won an Emmy; but President Barack Obama won one! Eat your heart out, Donald!”
On September 7, Senator Tammy Baldwin had told CNN news that Democrats are “darn close” to getting 10 Republican senators to back a marriage equality bill, saying she “absolutely” wants it passed before November. With a Supreme Court that has shown itself not just willing but eager to overturn far longer-standing precedents than Obergefell v. Hodges, Congress has to act to protect the marriages of millions of people! But is Senator Baldwin perhaps too “darn” hopeful?
At the Castro Theatre, I enjoyed a special screening of the new gay romantic comedy, BROS, on September 11. BTW, this was the international preview held especially for us at the Castro! The evening included remarks by cute co-stars Billy Eichner & Luke Macfarlane. This fall, Universal Pictures proudly presents the first romantic comedy from a major studio about two gay men maybe, possibly, probably, stumbling towards love. Maybe. They’re both very busy. From the ferocious comic mind of Billy Eichner (Billy on the Street, 2019’s The Lion King, Difficult People, Impeachment: American Crime Story) and the hit-making brilliance of filmmakers Nicholas Stoller (the Neighbors films, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and Judd Apatow (The King of Staten Island, Trainwreck, The Big Sick), comes Bros, a smart, swoony, and heartfelt comedy about how hard it is to find another tolerable human being to go through life with. It’s really very gay. I mean “tres gay!” In theaters September 30.
A solemn 21st anniversary NEVER FORGET ceremony was held at ground zero on 9/11 in NYC with the reading aloud of the almost 3,000 victims. 9/11 remembrances were held across the nation—including in San Francisco at the Fire Department with Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Rafael Mandelman attending.
Since the foreign terrorist attacks of 9/11, Homeland Security has now had to become concerned about terror at home. It is rather upsetting to realize that currently on the extremist, radical, conspiracy-spreading, Trumpie OATH KEEPERS MEMBERSHIP LIST: 373 people serve in law enforcement, 117 serve in the U.S. military, and 81 hold or are running for public office. This is really alarming!
Sister Dana sez, “It is exciting to hear that some 40 subpoenas have been issued by the Department of Justice regarding the January 6 Insurrection inquiry! Some of these are even against sitting Congress people!”
LOCKDOWN COMEDY has been running monthly on Zoom since July 2020, having celebrated its 2nd anniversary show this July. Since the monthly shows still cater to audiences of some 50–100 people monthly throughout the U.S., and since the pandemic is not yet over, the show will continue on Zoom for the foreseeable future. Please note: The show is now Closed Captioned enabled. On September 15, we enjoyed Betsy Salkind (LA), Sandra Valls (LA), Jeff Kreisler (NY), and show producer and comic Lisa Geduldig (who had just come down with COVID, dammit, but she carried on nevertheless in Florida)! https://www.koshercomedy.com/
Sister Dana sez, “We absolutely must insist the January 6 Hearings be held on Major Networks Primetime TV, so the whole nation can hear the truth and vote for justice!”
Trump and the DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE have been proposing and arguing about a Special Master over the seized Mar-a-Lago classified top secret documents, with Trump’s lawyer interfering greatly. Sister Dana sez, “Frankly, I think the whole idea of needing a Special Master is FISHY, and the DOJ shouldn’t have taken the Master BAIT!”
On September 13 from the White House lawn, President Biden spoke regarding the INFLATION REDUCTION ACT as “one of the most significant laws passed in our nation’s history.” He added two times, “With this law, the American people won, and special interests lost!” He noted, “The other team did not play,” because not one Republican Congress person voted for the bill. His words rang out: “The soul of America is vibrant; the future of America is great; and the promise of America is real!”
THE NATIONAL AIDS MEMORIAL is bringing sections of the AIDS MEMORIAL QUILT to communities throughout the Southern U.S. to highlight and honor Black and Brown lives lost to HIV and AIDS as part of “Change the Pattern,” a new initiative to reimagine the response to the epidemic in the region. Partnering with SOUTHERN AIDS COALITION, the multi-city initiative will address opportunities to take action and support communities in the fight to end the Southern epidemic. Funded by a $2.4 million grant by Gilead Sciences, “Change the Pattern” will focus on reaching, engaging, and sharing the experiences of marginalized communities disproportionately impacted by HIV and AIDS.
The first major “Change the Pattern” Quilt display will take place in Jackson, Mississippi, from September 28 to October 4 with a week of free events and programs drawing multigenerational audiences for community activities and fellowship. More than 500 hand-stitched Quilt panels, many from the local area, will be displayed for the first time at various locations in Jackson and surrounding communities. It will be the largest display of the AIDS Memorial Quilt ever in the state.
KREWE DE KINQUE, a fun fundraising social club based on love of leather and Mardi Gras, held our monthly festivities on September 17 at the Midnight Sun bar in the Castro. This time the theme was THE ROYALS because it was VOTING DAY for the next Grand Duke & Duchess of the Ducal Court of San Francisco, and we were honoring ALL ROYALS from Imperial Court to Ducal Court to Krewe de Kinque to self-acclaimed—we love ’em all! Emceeing the live show was the lovely KdK Queen XIX Tawdry Hepburnn! We celebrated the birthday of KdK Queen XVIII Christina Ashton (who “Turned Back Time” with an awesome Cher rendition),and we cheered on KdK XVI Queen Kelly Rose running for Grand Duchess. KdK Queen VII Sister Dana sat on his royal ass and took donations at the door.
The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) is proud to present JUANITA: 30 YEARS OF MORE!, an exhibition that highlights and celebrates the groundbreaking and radical work of San Francisco drag icon and denizen of the limelight, philanthropist, fashionista, DJ, activist, community leader, chef, and drag mom to many: Juanita MORE! On view at the SFAC Main Gallery in the War Memorial Veterans Building, 401 Van Ness, #126 from September 30 through November 12.
I look forward to dancing in the streets with all of you at the 48TH CASTRO STREET FAIR all day Sunday, October 2. The Fair has been celebrating the Castro District and all of San Francisco since its founding by Supervisor Harvey Milk in 1974. Directors have also been able to give back more than $1.5M to their beneficiaries through the years. Go, Castro, go!
Sister Dana sez, “HAPPY BISEXUAL VISIBILITY DAY, which is September 23! Now is the time to go out and be even MORE VISIBLE than ever!!!”
Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdom from a Fun Nun
Published on September 22, 2022
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