By Sister Dana Van Iquity
Sister Dana sez, “Have we already broken our New Year’s resolutions? Well, take my annual Resolution Solution: ‘I resolve to be the best me I can possibly be.’ It’s foolproof!”
“SALVATION SISTERS” was a Ringing Success. On December 17, the SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE and volunteers from KIMO BEAR PROJECT met at 18th and Castro to ring in awareness about the Salvation Army’s continued discriminatory policies toward the LGBTQI Community. The group joined with several other Houses of SPI last month in raising funds and awareness. If readers would like to make further donations, please see kimobearproject.com to specifically help this 501c3, or to donate to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, go to thesisters.org
Curator Gerard Koskovich led an informal tour of “THROUGH KNOWLEDGE TO JUSTICE: THE SEXUAL WORLD OF DR. MAGNUS HIRSCHFELD,” an exhibition that ran through the end of December at the GLBT History Museum. Koskovich offered an overview of Hirschfeld‘s life and legacy, highlighted the significance of the historical materials on display, and showed and discussed a sampling of further rarities from his personal collection. The talk was sponsored by the CALAMUS FELLOWSHIP as part of its ongoing series “FAGGOT SENSIBILITY: AN EXPLORATION OF GAY CONSCIOUSNESS.”
Among the scarce artifacts on display were the 1904 booklet distributed by the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee to advocate repeal of Germany’s sodomy law; one of the handful of volumes known to have survived the first book-burning of the Nazi regime, where the library of Hirschfeld’s Institute for Sexual Science was consigned to the flames; and a review copy of the last of Hirschfeld’s books published during his lifetime, inscribed by the author three weeks before his death in exile in Nice, France.
We joined the COUNTESS KATYA SMIRNOFF-SKYY for her award-winning show at Oasis Nightclub & Cabaret, “KATYA…A HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!” which was sure to make my yuletide Gay. Hailed as best Drag act by the Bay Guardian (2008) Katya delighted us with a fun-filled evening of belting, banter, and ball gowns to bolster our holiday spirit(s)! The show closed with a very clever nativity version of “Proud Mary” and then a lovely “Ave Maria.” Katya, I love ya!
SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES threw a fantastically festive party for staff and friends at the fabulous home of TOM & JERRY, high in the hills of the Castro, with a 65-foot holiday tree in an architectural showpiece offering breathtaking views of the Bay Area from its multiple decks. Delicious food and drinks were served while we sang carols with the LESBIAN/GAY FREEDOM BAND brass and woodwind ensemble. We needed a party pretty badly after the terrible T-rump fiasco of an election. The Band had just wrapped up that year’s highly successful DANCE-ALONG NUTCRACKER, and Bay Times was getting ready for its 39th year serving the LGBTQI/SBNN (Straight But Not Narrow) community. Fun was had by all!
The December GOLDEN GATE GAYME (3G) NIGHT was held at Lookout bar to the joy of many happy gamers. “REINDEER GAMES” was presented by the IMPERIAL COUNCIL OF SAN FRANCISCO as a social mixer hosted by Mr. and Miss Golden Gate, Mr. Bill & Mimi Osa. The event featured some of The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Games, frivolity, Jell-O shots and more were on the agenda. Empress Emma Peel facilitated “Cards Against Humanity,” and as a virgin player, Sister Dana actually three-way tied second place for the win. Net proceeds will go to the RAINBOW WORLD FUND, the world’s first and only all-volunteer, LGBT- based humanitarian aid organization.
Every year, the SAN FRANCISCO GAY MEN’S CHORUS comes together on Christmas Eve to celebrate the holiday season with three not-to-be-missed concerts at the historic Castro Theatre! Conducting the Chorus was the inimitable Dr. Timothy Seelig—whom I believe was joking when he announced the Chorus had turned down a request to perform at the Trump Inauguration. This year was the 27th annual iteration of “HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS,” and the boys had quite a few tricks up their holiday sweater sleeves, including the stunning voice of opera soprano Melody Moore, who joined them twice on stage. Sister Danain XXXMas gear got to join Sister Kitty Catalyst and Naughty Elf handing out programs to eager attendees. Glorious news: it was a full house. The Chorus sang many of the usual standard holiday favorites, but then got all sparkly jingly gay gay gay with “Sparklejollytwinklejingley,” complete with cray-cray choreography, props, lights for days, frolicking, and overall gayness. Homphonics (an ensemble culled from the Chorus), posed this musical question: “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?”
SFPD CHIEF’S LGBT COMMUNITY ADVISORY FORUM, in association and collaboration with the LEATHERMEN’S DISCUSSION GROUP, SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE, CASTRO COMMUNITY ON PATROL, COMMUNITY PATROL SERVICE USA, and various other community groups invited the public to participate in a “TOWN HALL MEETING” at Eureka Valley Recreation Center as a follow up to the Community Safety Meeting held in SOMA in November of 2016. The reason: the election of President Elect, Donald Trump, has raised significant community concerns regarding safety, security, possible escalation of hate crime incidents, and many other worries. Panelists were from the Mayor’s Office, the newly appointed Supervisor, District Attorney’s Office, Chief of Police, Captains of Mission and Park Police Stations, SFPD Chief’s LGBT Community Advisory Forum, Castro Community on Patrol, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and Leathermen’s Discussion Group. Safety whistles were distributed to audience members who desired them.
Since Mardi Gras season started officially on TWELFTH NIGHT (12 days after Christmas), KREWE DE KINQUE, the celebratory San Francisco Mardi Gras-themed social and fundraising club, was ready to ROLL with the best season in our history! We’re gearing up for “14 KARAT GOLD,” our BAL MASQUE XIV benefiting HOMOBILES at The Cafe on February 11 with Grand Marshal Juanita More! Per tradition, at 12th Night, we announced our to-be-appointed KING & QUEEN XIV privately at our MEMBERS +1 TWELFTH NIGHT PARTY at the Imperial Palace (Donna Sachet‘s beautiful home.) Cajun/creole cuisine was served along with N’awlins style hurricane cocktails.
Sister Dana sez, “ The new Congress has been sworn in, controlled by a Republican Party willing to shred longstanding political standards and conventions for pure partisan advantage. Its leaders—who will steal a U.S. Supreme Court seat—are gearing up to repeal the Affordable Care Act before D-rump is even sworn in. T-rump is set to be inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States—giving Republicans control of the House, the Senate, and the White House. But no matter what happens—and no matter how bad it gets—our community will be there to resist, sound the alarm, and tirelessly work to win back power! Are you with me??!”
SISTER DANA SEZ, “HERE ARE SOME GREAT UPCOMING EVENTS TO DISTRACT YOU FROM THE ORANGE OGRE OCCUPATION! YES, I AM REFERRING TO THE DREADED ‘RUMP.”
Don’t miss the PRE-TRUMPOCALYPSE HAPPY HOUR! January 19 is the last day before the dreaded PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION. Our final moment of freedom before a horrid human Cheeto strolls into the Oval Office and puts the whole world’s future at risk! (My apologies to Cheetos.) Let’s gather to communicate, commiserate, have a couple cocktails, and—most importantly—start planning a strong, Progressive response to institutionalized oligarchy, xenophobia, racism, and misogyny. Now more than ever, it’s up to us to spread SAN FRANCISCO VALUES to the world. Please join Progressive media leader 48 HILLS (Tim Redmond, Sana Saleem, Marke B), members of the SOS! Save Our Stud! collective (the worker/owner co-op that just purchased the beloved 50-year-old Stud bar in SoMa), and a stellar array of SF progressive speakers and guests. This is a fundraiser for 48 Hills. Thursday, January 19, 6–8:30 pm, STUD SF, 399 9th Street. $25 donation requested (no one turned away FLOF). Tickets here: 48hills.org/support-donate
Celebrate the art of ZULFIKAR ALI BHUTTO, multidisciplinary artist of mixed Lebanese and Pakistani descent. The month-long show at STRUT, the first-ever home for gay/bi/trans men in the Castro hub of social and physical wellness from San Francisco AIDS Foundation, is titled MUSSALMAAN MUSCLEMEN, which explores a homoerotic world between East and the West, the feminine and the masculine through fabric embroidery and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Check it all out at Strut gallery at 470 Castro Street. strutsf.org
Exhibition opening, “BEARTOONIST OF SAN FRANCISCO: SKETCHING A SUBCULTURE” is Friday, January 27, 2–5 pm, The GLBT History Museum, 4127 18th Street. $5; free for members. A new exhibition featuring the work of cartoonist Fran Frisch as a starting point for exploring the history of the bear community, a subculture that developed in the 1980s to celebrate older, larger, hairier, ruggedly masculine gay men who had been largely excluded from standards of attractiveness in gay popular culture. Covering the mid-1980s to the mid-2000s, the show will focus on San Francisco, one of the places where the bear community first emerged. “Beartoonist of San Francisco” will include original art by Frisch, along with photographs, objects and ephemera from the collection of curator Jeremy Prince and the archives of the GLBT Historical Society. Drinks for the reception will be sponsored by 440 Castro. Cheers!
Also on Saturday, January 28, 4:30–6:30 pm at The GLBT History Museum, $5; free for members, Curator Jeremy Prince will join cartoonist Fran Frisch in presenting an informal gallery talk about “BEARTOONIST OF SAN FRANCISCO: SKETCHING AN EMERGING SUBCULTURE,” the new exhibition at the GLBT History Museum. The show features Frisch’s drawings as a starting point for exploring the community of bears. Grrrrrrowl!
TONY VAGUELY presents: “POE-POURRI 5″: EDGAR ALLAN POE’S 208TH BIRTHDAY PARTY READING & PERFORMANCE ART SHINDIG! Poe-Pourri returns this year to a new location at Dog Eared Books Castro, 489 Castro Street, Thursday, January 19, 7–8:30 pm. This event falls on inauguration eve so, of course, the theme will be “fight horror with horror!” It is a FREE event, but they’ll be passing the hat for donations to the AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION. How could we live without the ACLU?! No way.
ARTSAVESLIVES STUDIO AND GALLERY presents “15 LOCAL ARTISTS OPENING PARTY“ on Friday, January 13, 6–9 pm by curator and owner of the studio, THOMASINA DE MAIO at 518 Castro Street @18th. More than a dozen local artists are displaying everything from art on canvas to sculpture to pottery. Incredible musical performances will astound you given by several talented live artistes: Whitney, Alotte Boutte, Debby Dorisal, and Grace Towers, and more. As always, most art displayed is offered for sale—not ever commissioned for income by the curator. She gets not a cent from these endeavors.
Sister Dana sez, “Ya needs ta know that LOVE-A-THON will be a three-hour FACEBOOK live broadcast on Inauguration Day (gag! barf! shart!) January 20. This awesome movement is a part of an effort to raise money for three wonderful organizations—THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, PLANNED PARENTHOOD, AND EARTHJUSTICE. These dedicated organizations notably focus on topics ranging from preserving civil rights for all, to preventing climate change, to fighting for women’s reproductive rights. These are hot button topics that came under fire during President-elect Donald T-Rump’s presidential campaign. Celebrities such as Jane Fonda, Jamie Lee Curtis, Judd Apatow, Patricia Arquette, Christopher Guest, and Tim Robbins are taking part. Singer Jeff Tweedy of Wilco will also join. Bonus points for not watching the inauguration. Low ratings would crush ‘rump’s fragile ego.” Sad. Not.” loveathon-facebook-live/index.html
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