By Sister Dana Van Iquity
Sister Dana sez, “If any queers or friends of us have an inclination to vote for Marco Rubio for Prez, consider his latest quote: ‘If we are ever ordered by a government authority to personally violate and sin, violate God’s law and sin…if we’re ordered to perform a same-sex marriage as someone presiding over it, we are called to ignore that. We cannot abide by that because government is compelling us to sin.’ Oh my God!”
We came to The Castro on World AIDS Day for INSCRIBE, to write or allow a Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy student to write in chalk the name of someone we loved and lost to HIV/AIDS on the Rain- bow Honor Walk. A group of long- term HIV/AIDS survivors called Honoring Our Experience (HOE) teamed-up for this community sponsored and supported World AIDS Day event.
ANNUAL HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING was held outside the Castro & Market Bank of America building. We joined our neighbors, merchants, Donna Sachet, the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Free- dom Band, LGBT Chorus and the Gay Men’s Chorus to ringin the holidays with seasonal carols.
No, it was NOT a war on Christmas, which some rightwing crazies would accuse, but it was most assuredly a lovely holiday gathering.
This year’s World AIDS Day National Leadership Recognition Honoree was Robert D. Haas, awarded in the NATIONAL AIDS MEMORIAL GROVE on WORLD AIDS DAY. Haas, Chairman Emeritus of Levi Strauss & Co., served as the company’s CEO from 1984 to 1999. Under his leadership, the firm’s long- standing commitment to corporate social responsibility continued, with an unprecedented focus on the AIDS epidemic. During his tenure, workers coming back from a disability were accommodated, and health benefits and insurance coverage was offered to people suffering from the illness.
Levi Strauss became the very first Fortune 500 company to extend full medical benefits to domestic partners of employees at that critical time. Today, he is an honorary director of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, and remains dedicated to the fight against AIDS. The event was entitled “Voices Surviving: Enduring Stories of Hope.” The Thom Weyand Unsung Hero Award went to The San Fran- cisco Leather Community for its sup- port of HIV/AIDS organizations.
There was also the Reading of Names of those who passed from AIDS.
COMING UP!!! ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS LIVE: THE HOLIDAY EPISODES is at Oasis, 298 11th Street, December 4th, 5th, 8th, 9th, and 10th, pre-show cocktails at 6 pm. This live on stage version of BBC TV’s Ab Fab stars Christian Heppinstall as Patsy and Terry McLaughlin as Edina, with Peggy L’Eggs as Mother and Dene Larson as Saffron, Raya Light as Bubble, Katya Smirnoff- Skyy as Jackie, Marie Cartier as Marshall, Ginorma Desmond as Sarah, J Sykes Iness as Justin, and Lavale-William Davis as John Johnston. You can expect Eddie and Patsy to be drugging and drinking to excess as usual – but with a special holiday flair.
ARTSAVESLIVES is a festive open- ing for the new Castro gallery dis- playing work from ten local artists: Sean Casey, Tim Burns, Mar- tin Freeman, Joel Hoyer, Dominic Martello, Jerry Lee Frost, Ed Terpening, Buddy Bates, Jorge E Gamboa, and Thomasina DeMaio. The grand opening party is Friday, December 4th, 6pm – 11pm, 518 Castro Street. There will be art on display (many oil paintings of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence) and an ongoing fashion show of hand-painted clothing by models (Sister Dana will be one). facebook.com/ events/1507723316193523
THE GOLDEN GIRLS: THE CHRISTMAS EPISODES – 2015 have 12 performances only, December 3rd – 20th, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays – 8pm; Sundays – 7pm at the Victoria Theatre, 2961 16th Street. Shows are dedicated to the late great Cookie Dough. The four drag stars playing the characters the entire world has come to know and love are Heklina (Dorothy), Mat- thew Martin (Blanche), and new for 2015 – playing Sophia and Rose are Holotta Tymes (Sophia), and D’Arcy Drollinger (Rose). Manuel Caneri, Nancy French and Tom Shaw are also featured in the cast. “Thank you for being a friend.” http://www.eventbrite.com/e/gold- en-girls-christmas-show-2015-tickets- 18418946565?aff=eac2
THE RICHMOND/ERMET AID FOUNDATION presents HELP IS ON THE WAY FOR THE HOLIDAYS 14, a star-studded Holiday Concert & Celebration for every- one on Monday, December 7th at the Marines Memorial Theatre, benefiting: AGUILAS and LAR- KIN STREET YOUTH SERVICES. Featuring Celebrity Performers Martha Wash, Mary Wilson, Steve Grand, Jake Simpson, Shawn Ryan, Jason Brock, Sharon McNight, Carly Ozard, Jessica Coker, Russ Lorensen, Lea Bourgade, The Phantom’s Leading Ladies: Teri Bibb, Karen Culliver, Mary D’Arcy; cast members from Broadway’s A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, Bay Area Musicals’ cast of How to Succeed in BusinessWithout Really Trying, and others to be announced. After Party at The Clift Hotel. 7 pm: doors open for seating. Tix and info: helpisontheway.org or call 415-273-1620. reaf-sf.org
MAN CANDY is sweet art by Jason Mecier at Magnet, the Castro Center for gay and bi men, 4122 18th Street with Opening Reception on Friday, December 4, 8-10pm. Show runs through December 31st. Pop Artist Jason Mecier creates one of a kind outrageous mosaic portraits. He meticulously fabricates anybody out of anything, from Kevin Bacon out of bacon, to Honey Boo Boo out of 25 lbs. of trash. Jason’s artwork has been featured everywhere from Entertainment Weekly to The New York Times, on TV shows like Glee, Rachael Ray and TMZ, as well as music videos by Pink and Pitbull. His portraits are hanging in Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museums, countless celebrity homes, and even in The Playboy Mansion! Man Candy is a sugary new series of candy portraits inspired by the sexiest men alive! Hunky heartthrobs like Joe Manganiello and Tom Hardy will be hangin’ with Jon Hamm. Mario Lopez is one Hot Tamale! Shirtless Nick Jonas has a Jelly Belly belly button. Legendary San Francisco sex symbol Peter Berlin will be there smoking a candy cigarette! facebook. com/sfmagnet
ACADEMY OF FRIENDS 2015 HOLIDAY RECEPTION is Wednesday, December 9th, 6:30-8:30 pm, at Williams-Sonoma, 340 Post Street. This is a great place to eat, drink, and shop for holiday ornaments and gifts, while receiving 20% off all purchases during the event. academyoffriends.org
MENORAH LIGHTING is December 9th, 6pm at the Jane Warner Plaza (Castro & Market, F-line terminus). Congregation Sha’ar Zahav is holding the Menorah lighting in celebration of Hanukkah. The event will include greetings and songs of the season in addition to the traditional menorah lighting. BYO Menorah to join in. castrocbd.org
DREAMS ON THE ROCKS PRODUCTIONS presents STRANGERS WITH XXXMAS CANDY. Live on stage are your favorite Strangers With Candy characters from the Comedy Central TV classic (wmany in drag). Catch these crazies Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 pm, The Shelton Theater, 533 Sutter Street. Tix are $30 at door, or in advance online: https://www.facebook.com/ strangerswithcandysf ?_rdr=p or call 415-786-5325. From the holiday traditions of meaningful, thoughtful, and morally inspiring tales comes the heroic story of a 46-year-old boozer, user, and loser who must set aside all of her personal beliefs of nothing and open her heart to the wrong and sexy feelings of Christmas. Stroll down the halls of Flat Point High as JERRI BLANK finds all of the wrong reasons for the seasons. Directed by Dani Spinks with an original script by Ralph Hoy, Bob McIntyre and Dani Spinks and stars: Bob McIntyre, Lauren Davidson, Sadie Fenton, Donny Goglio, Lonnie Haley, Ralph Hoy, Becky Hirschfeld, Joanna Kay, Derek Lozupone, Kari McCollough, Ricky Sakow, Jaime San Felippo, and Adam Vogel.
Come join us SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE with THE SALVATION SISTERS: ARMY OF NUN. The Salvation Sisters will be ringing bells and spreading cheer as we gather donations from the public. We are giving a poke at the Salvation Army taboo for standing behind terrible homophobic and transphobic rhetoric! This is a national Sister event being done in various cities across the United States. A portion of the SF event donations gathered will be given to the QTY TREEHOUSE OAKLAND to create a fantastic costume closet that LGBTQ youth can indulge in and play with at this drop in center, as well as furniture to organizing clothing donations for youth in need. They do so much for our community, so let’s support them! The Salvation Sisters event will be on the 12th of December, from 6pm until 8 pm at the corner of 18th and Castro to ring bells there. If there is a large enough group, we may consider splitting a second group off to ring bells and collect donations by the Civic Center. Look for nuns and red kettle/ cauldrons for donations. This year’s hashtag will be #SalvationSisters2015
The 2015 DANCE-ALONG NUTCRACKER (see pages 15–18) blends Tchaikovsky’s classic fairytale with a unique adaptation of the timeless story of Oz into a musical theater treat guaranteed to delight both children and adults. Join Clara, her dog Fritz and the Stahlbaum clan on their escapade down the yellow brick road. Under the baton of Artistic Director Pete Nowlen, the SF LES- BIAN/GAY FREEDOM BAND will play “Ozian” favorites from the 1939 cinema classics, Wicked, and The Wiz. Donna Sachet, Tina Sogli- uzzio, and Leigh Crow join Zelda Koznofski, Flynn DeMarco, Joe Wicht and Noah Haydon in the cast this year to bring favorite Oz characters to life. As always, Sugar Plum wannabes are invited to join the actors onstage to dance under the spotlights of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. If twirling and pirouetting is not your thing, listening and watching is equally gratifying! Tutu fabu! Saturday, December 12th, 3pm and 7pm; Sunday, December 13th, 11am and 3pm. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission Street. ybca. org/dance-along-nutcracker
SAN FRANCISCO GAY MEN’S CHORUS presents HOLIGAYS ARE HERE at the Nourse Theater, 275 Hayes Street. Friday, December 11th at 8 pm and Saturday, December 12th at 2:30 pm and 8 pm. Tickets range in price from $25-65 and are available on SFGMC.org or by calling City Box Office at 415-392- 4400. The concert joins together joyful, raucous takes on holiday classic with stunning new choral works.
THE SANTA SKIVVIES RUN is a festive 1.5-mile romp through the Castro benefiting SAN FRANCISCO AIDS FOUNDATION. The event returns this year to its original home in the Castro with a later start time, Sunday, December 13th.
In just five short years, Santa Skivvies Run has become one of the City’s most beloved holiday events. Everyone is welcome to participate: naughty or nice, young or old, fresh-faced newbie or long-time Skivvies veteran. Don we now our gay apparel, or a favorite festive costume, or strip down to your undies to raise awareness and fight HIV/AIDS in our community.
9 am – Check In opens outside the Lookout, 3600 16th Street; 10:15 am- All participants must be checked in; 10:30 am – The run begins. Please arrive early so you have enough time to check in, pick up your fundraising incentives, and store your person- al items in Gear Holding. The event will go on, rain or shine, so please be prepared for the weather. We’ll start outside the Lookout in the heart of the Castro. From there, it is 1.5 miles around the Castro, ending where we started. Once you cross the finish line, continue the fun! Join us at SANTA’S VILLAGE on Noe Street (between Market and Beaver Street) for a line-up of performances, awards, and con- tests. Santa’s Village will be open from 9am – noon. info: santaskivvies- run.org
It’s that time of year again to join SF FRIENDLY on December 13th for the 2ND ANNUAL TOY DRIVE, at the SF Eagle, 398 12th Street, on December 13th from 3 to 6pm beer bust. Please bring a new unwrapped toy and help a child’s Christmas be cheerful and bright. All toys donated will go to Mama’s Fam- ily toy drive. There will also be Jell-o shots and raffle tickets as well as other holiday Cheers. facebook.com/ MrFriendlySF
Sister Dana sez, “Ho ho, you hoes!”
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