Sister Dana sez, “In addition to her long record as a champion for LGBTQ rights at home and around the globe, Hillary Clinton has proposed the most robust pro-LGBTQ equality agenda of any presidential candidate in history. She has called the Equality Act her ‘highest priority,’ and her policy platform specifically calls for outlawing dangerous ‘conversion therapy’ for minors, ending the epidemic of transgender violence, and supporting HIV prevention and affordable treatment. Meanwhile, disgusting Donald Trump dances between dangerous ignorance about the real challenges faced by LGBTQ Americans and outright antagonism toward our community, driven in part by his anti-LGBTQ running mate, Mike Pence.”
Based on Sean Owens’ 2009 hit play of the same name, STALE MAGNOLIAS: THE MUSICAL is packed with all the Southern archetypes you know and love. So take another trip circa 1985 back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean! Get one more chance to catch The Last Picture Show! Meet six Southern Belles suspected of Crimes of the Heart! Featuring the drag talents of Marilynn Fowler (as C.C. Chesterfield), Jef Valentine (Raven Looney), Robert Molossi (Spuvina Fetlock), Michael Phillis (Sugar Sweetly), Drew Todd (Fanny Chaffer), and Jerry Navarro (Louisiana Morales), plus show-stopping wigs by Jordan L’Moore (the higher the hair, the closer to God). Two audience members nightly will be selected for a makeover, and a chance to appear in the show’s finale! Book and lyrics by Sean Owens, music by Don Seaver, directed by Cora Values. Every time the name of a deceased person is mentioned, the entire cast crosses themselves in perfect Catholic synchronicity. Hysterical! Come visit this beauty shop in Rectal, Texas, (actually it’s the Oasis, 298 11th and Folsom Streets). Hurry, because this is your last chance Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, now through August 6 at 7 pm. Tickets are $25–$35. Advance tickets recommended, as seating is very limited. Git yer hair did, y’all, at the Last Chance Salon, where proprietor CC Chesterfield’s slogan is “Natural beauty is no excuse.” sfoasis.com
I was fortunate to attend an advance screening and VIP champagne reception for ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS: THE MOVIE at Alamo DraftHouse—hosted by our EssEff homegrown Eddie (Terry McLaughlin) and Pats (Christian Heppinstall) who do vivid live stage interpretations to perfection. Their next won’t happen until October. Squish squish. Appropriate for their big screen debut, Edina and Patsy are still oozing glitz and glamour, living the high life they are accustomed to; shopping, drinking and clubbing their way around London’s trendiest hotspots. Blamed for an accidental death of a supermodel at an uber fashionable launch party, they become entangled in a media storm and are relentlessly pursued by the paparazzi. Fleeing penniless to the glamorous playground of the super-rich, the French Riviera, they hatch a plan to make their escape permanent and live the high life forever more, sweetiedarling!
AbsolutelyFabulousTheMovie.com
The staff and volunteers of THE GLBT HISTORY MUSEUM have installed their latest exhibition, STROKE: FROM UNDER THE MATTRESSES TO THE MUSEUM WALL, a traveling show of 1950s–1990s illustrative erotic art on loan from the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art in New York City. The show opened with a public reception and is now on display for the general public. The exhibition not only explores the male form, but also offers an examination of erotic fantasies as experienced through publications that were available at nearly every newsstand in America, but that men often hid under their mattresses for fear of being discovered. The San Francisco show is its only scheduled West Coast appearance. The exhibit runs through October 16 at the museum at 4127 18th and Castro Streets. Three of my faves are Antonio Lopez’s Mike Haire 1 (1983) watercolor and pencil on paper; Kent’s The Mechanic (1992) acrylic and pencil on illustration board; and David Martin’s Boxer (1980) graphite on paper.
SISTERS SPEAK! is a series of THREE intimate evenings featuring THE SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE. Spark Arts gallery, 4229 18th Street & Collingwood, presented the second in the series with SISTER HERA SEES CANDY—who has a PhD in transpersonal psychology—speaking about gay spirituality and its effects on gay culture. Even though she had already published an award-winning coffee table book, HEATHER JACKS felt it was time for a book—photographs, essays, and stories about the Sisters—to be available. Jacks has approximately 40 hours of recorded audio interviews with 22 Sisters. Sisters Speaks! series is a fundraiser trio toward making that happen. Jacks is raising $25,000 to self-publish her book here in the Bay Area. The second series featured all sorts of perks, including a VIP swag bag, a flight of bourbon tastings, wine, beer, water, canapés, and a birthday cake for Sister Maddie ‘bout You—shared with the guests. August 25, 7 pm at Spark Arts you will be privileged to hear SISTER ROMA speak in the final third of the series. Different foods paired with beverages will be offered, as well as VIP bags.
BLACK BROTHERS ESTEEM celebrated their 20TH ANNIVERSARY GALA at Strut, the 470 Castro Street center for gay/bi men’s health and wellbeing. This was a celebration of BBE’s 20 years of work, and recognizing the legacy of its founding members. BBE Program Manager Shawn Demmons welcomed everyone. We recited along with BBE Peer Leader Rickey Beard “The Brothers Pledge,” nine stanzas, including: “We will treat each other with profound respect and love; there is already too much hate and anger in the world.” There was a Spiritual Evocation by DREAAM (LGBTQQI African American men between 18 and 30) Program Manager Tony Bradford. The evening included awards presented by Stanley Allison and Rickey Beard for six founding members, recognition of BBE’s work in the community, catered refreshments, a live DJ, and fun. BBE is the only program focused solely on Black same-gender loving men in San Francisco and providing public health awareness, community engagement, and HIV/AIDS prevention for gay, bisexual, same-gender loving (SGL), gender-variant, and transgender individuals of African descent. sfaf.org,facebook.com/BlackBrothersEsteem
UP YOUR ALLEY FAIR was Folsom Street Fair’s naughty little brother—smaller and therefore more intimate than Folsom Fair. A lovely sunny day brought out plenty of pervy peeps crowded nuts-ta-butts. Also known back in the day as DORE ALLEY FAIR, UYA is always located on Dore Alley between Howard and Folsom, continuing on Folsom from 9th to Juniper and the adjoining block of 10th Street. During the last Sunday in July, 11 am–6 pm, we celebrated folks wearing leather, feather, rubber, furry, animal, kink, fetish, costume, or other fun wear—and did not dare risk being branded a [shriek!] tourist! Since Folsom Street Events (sponsoring both leather fairs and parties) first began, the organization has donated nearly $5.5 million to San Francisco-based and national charities. Volunteers who give their time to help these events run smoothly are the biggest reason that they are able to give away as much as they do. SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE from around the world and other volunteers staffed the gates to collect donations for the UYA Fair charities. My traditional favorite game there is always Naked Twister hosted by Steamworks. But can anyone tell this jaded nun (who has worked every leather fair since inception in August 1985 as RINGOLD ALLEY FAIR, when Sister Mysteria and I asked for donations to fight AIDS to take pictures with us two leather nuns) if there is ANYTHING new under the sun?! folsomstreetevents.org
WHAT’S COMING UP, SISTER DANA?
Sister Dana sez, “Don’t miss these fine events supporting the queer community and elsewhere!”
LEANNE BORGHESI is BDSM (BEAUTIFUL DIRTY SEXY ME) at Feinstein’s at the Nikko, 222 Mason Street, August 5 and 6. The sumptuously talented Leanne Borghesi returns to Feinstein’s at the Nikko with her all-new comedic show, BDSM (Beautiful Dirty Sexy Me). After her sold-out appearances last Fall with the smash-hit show, LUSH, Borghesi returns with a twist … whipping her strengths, truths, fears, and desires into shape with a daring new solo show! Under the direction of Nicolas Minas, this powerhouse femme leads the audience through songs from prim and proper to sexy from the 20’s–40’s, Broadway, jazz and pop, with significant focus on the original Red Hot Mama Sophie Tucker. Tickets range in price from $25–$45 and are available by calling 866-663-1063 or visiting feinsteinsatthenikko.com
HARVEY MILK LGBT DEMOCRATIC CLUB presents 40th ANNIVERSARY DINNER & GAYLA on Thursday, August 11, at SOMArts Cultural Center, 6:30–9:30 pm. (See page 11 for more information.) The honor of your presence is requested as the Milk Club celebrates 40 years of queer progressive Democratic politics and activism in San Francisco. The annual dinner & gayla gathers over 300 of San Francisco’s most influential LGBTQ politicians, community activists, and grassroots organizers for a Night of Merryment. 6:30 pm: VIP Reception/Cocktail Hour; 7:30 pm: Dinner, Keynote Address & Awards Ceremony with a Night of Notables. Keynote Speakers include Bao Nguyen, Mayor, City of Garden Grove, CA, the first Vietnamese Democratic mayor in the United States and first directly elected openly gay mayor in Orange County. The Milk Club will acknowledge and honor the incredible work of eight organizations and individuals. For tickets, visit milkclub.org
GAPA RUNWAY 28: INTERGALATIC lands on Planet Earth on August 13! Get ready to uncover all the fabulousness in the universe as the GAY ASIAN PACIFIC ALLIANCE (GAPA) Foundation’s Runway XXVIII: Intergalactic makes a crash landing onto San Francisco’s Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness. Hosted by Miss GAPA 2012 Jezebel Patel and Mister GAPA 2013 Whitney Queers, this annual beauty pageant kicks into light speed and launches into a galaxy far, far away as a group of other-worldly Candydates battle for this year’s title of Mister and Miss GAPA. There’ll be guest judges, a talent competition and, of course, an opportunity to see these contestants harness the power of the FIERCE to strut their stuff on the runway. Don’t miss out on this unforgettable night of empowerment as proceeds benefit GAPA Foundation’s STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP AND COMMUNITY GRANTS PROGRAMS. May the FIERCE be with YOU! Show starts at 7 pm. Please arrive accordingly. To purchase and reserve your seats to Runway 28, visit City Box Office, located at 180 Redwood Street, Suite 100, San Francisco; online at cityboxoffice.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=2204; phoning 415-392-4400 or at the door 90 minutes prior to performance through 1/2 hour after 7 pm curtain. gapafoundation.org
The 1995 movie Showgirls, written by Joe Eszterhas and directed by Paul Verhoeven, followed on the heels of their mega-successful thriller Basic Instinct and promised to make a star out of ingénue Elizabeth Berkley as innocent wannabe dancer Nomi Malone. Instead, the film crashed at the box office and stalled Berkley’s career. But the legend of Showgirls flew like a phoenix from the ashes, spawning what so many epic flops do—a cult classic that inspired Rocky Horror-esque midnight screenings. Now, PEACHES CHRIST PRODUCTIONS brings SHOWGIRLS! THE MUSICAL!—the hilarious show that dazzled New York—to lascivious life on stage at the Victoria Theatre, 2961 16th Street, for its San Francisco premiere. This all-singing, all-dancing, all-thrusting adult parody starring April Kidwell and Peaches Christ is sure to be an utterly outrageous experience. Shows begin August 10.
Sister Dana sez, “I was truly upset to hear rude booing from the Bernie Sanders contingent on the first day of the Democratic National Convention, and to quote actress/activist Sarah Silverman, ‘To the Bernie or Bust people, you’re being ridiculous!’ So true! Now get over yerselves and be STRONGER TOGETHER!”
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