By Sister Dana Van Iquity–
Sister Dana sez, “Okay, so at his testimony to Congress, Robert Mueller wasn’t exactly a knight in shining armor; but at least he did get in several deadly stabs at the obsequious Orange Ogre!”
Race Bannon, Jared T Hemming, Alex Ray and STRUT invited us to MAGNEKINK, a social event for San Francisco’s queer leather/fetish/kink community held on July 22 at Strut HQ, 470 Castro Street in the heart of the Castro. The event was free, and all were welcome. This was their 6th annual event, and was held in honor of UP YOUR ALLEY FAIR weekend. Before we jumped into that busy weekend of leatheriffic events, we got to join these fine folks to socialize with our fellow enthusiasts. This was a great chance to catch up with old friends, meet some new ones, and to square up our plans for the weekend festivities. This year’s event featured a live DJ, raffle prizes, complimentary refreshments and a clothes check. We wished veteran leatherman Race a happy birthday—complete with that stupid HBD song sung always out of key. I hugged Race. We enjoyed chocolate cake. By the way, if you’re interested in keeping South of Market kinky, help manage SF’s new LEATHER AND LGBTQ CULTURAL DISTRICT. More info is at https://bit.ly/2MHqCpB
Sister Dana sez, “Whenever I hear Trump rage on TV, I am reminded of Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth,’ Act V: It is a tale. Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing! Thanks, William, you summed it all up perfectly!”
UP YOUR ALLEY FAIR was Sunday, July 28. It was just hot enough to show a whole lotta exposed flesh! Prudes did not dig nudes. And if you weren’t properly outfitted, there were plenty of booths selling appropriate leather and kink gear and toys, including the OFFICIAL FOLSOM STREET clothing spot and MR. S LEATHER. A few of my fave t-shirts spotted: “Alcohol you later!” “Luv to Flip!” and “Very stable genius,” as an insult to T-rump. I always look forward to STEAMWORKS BATHS and their naked Twister game: “Right hand/red!” Another favorite of mine is the 2020 BARE CHEST CALENDAR booth benefiting PRC with bare-chested calendar men signing their particular month and offering bear hugs. A big stage on the street provided live music and other entertainment. There was a dearth of drag queens this year, unless you count some of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence greeting the fairgoers. Someone said they saw Juanita MORE!, but alas I did not run into her. My friend Troy Brunet told me about a monthly cruise ship event, DAYBREAKER SF, which sounded like a fun time. After the fair, I delighted in the GARDEN OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS party hosted on the nearby Natoma Street cul-de-sac by my buddies Steve Pi, Tamale Ringwald and Dylan Peet. It was truly a delight, and I hope they offer it again after the FOLSOM STREET FAIR on September 29. Well, that’s the report from Dore Alley by this leather nun.
THE HARVEY MILK LBGTQ DEMOCRATIC CLUB presented their 43RD ANNUAL DINNER AND GAYLA on July 29 in the San Francisco War Memorial Green Room. Founded in 1976 as the San Francisco Gay Democratic Club, it was the City’s first Democratic club with the word “gay” in its name. The club was renamed for Supervisor Harvey Milk after his assassination in 1978. The event opened with a special performance by DQ Dee Jae Galaxy, followed by the President’s Address in which Milk Club President Kevin Bard brilliantly spoke of the past, the present and the future of the Club. Three different awards were given. The “Bill Kraus Leadership Award” was presented to OUR TRANS HOME SF, a coalition campaign calling for City leaders to address the crisis of transgender homelessness and housing instability in SF. The “Jazzie Collins Award” was given to Aria Sa’id, a transgender advocate, award-winning Bay Area political strategist, executive director of the Compton’s Transgender Cultural District, and founder of Kween Culture Initiative for Black trans women. And the “Community Ally Award” was accepted by former SF Supervisor for District 6, Jane Kim—mostly for her tireless work to save and strengthen City College. The Gayla closed with a special performance by Per Sia.
Sister Dana sez, “Republi-can’t Senators deserve their August recess, after all the work they have NOT accomplished! Special (dis)credit to ‘Moscow Mitch’ who just blocked two vital election security bills!”
RALLY AGAINST ANTI-LGBTQ and FAITH-BASED HATE was held in Harvey Milk Plaza on August 1 at 6 pm. The rally honored murdered Russian LGBTQ activist Yelena Grigoryeva, who was killed in St. Petersburg, Russia, on July 21 of this year. Grigoryeva had been the target of numerous death threats, and found her name on a Russian snuff website that encouraged the killings of queer people in exchange for money all over Eastern Europe. A vigil took place in honor of her life on August 1 with local activists such as Carly McCarthy and invited elected politicians such as Tom Temprano, legislative aide to Supervisor Rafael Mandelman and the Vice-President of the City College of San Francisco Board of Trustees; Farris Peale, a representative for Senator Scott Wiener; and Milk Club Board Member Jeffery Kwong to speak. Closing the event, three of us Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence performed an exorcism with audience participation against anti-LGBTQ violence and hatred.
Speakers addressed the fact that hate groups led by The World Congress of Families, and its shell game of players under various group names, have been exporting faith-based hate, and specifically anti-LGBTQ hate, to Africa, Eastern-Europe and other regions under the guise of “family values.” They’ve done so largely because their efforts to stop gays in the military and queer marriages in the U.S. have utterly failed as equal rights for LGBTQ Americans have taken hold. Americans realize that hate is not a family value. Neither is using the internet to hunt and kill LGBTQ people. One of the demands noted at the rally was to call on the Russian government to step in and shut down such horrifying websites. For more info about these hateful sites, see https://bit.ly/2KkJLMw
Sister Dana sez, “Here are some august August activities to check out!”
THE CASTRO ART WALK was (as usual on every first Thursday) on August 1. But you can still go to the venues listed at the end here and enjoy the art displayed all month long. My first stop was ART ATTACK, 2358 Market Street, where painter Ariel Gold is featured with 20 lovely acrylic on canvas modern art pieces. My second choice is the four spraypaint faces on oil canvas pieces by David Puck. Last but not least are four glass mosaics on wood created by Ramona Minjoe—three having a musical theme. At DOG-EARED BOOKS I enjoyed the paint on wood whimsical pictures by Mr. Wylie. I was thrilled to find my friend, Sister Golda Lox, whom I introduced to the Art Walk; she had purchased two of these delightful drawings. My final stop was SPARK ARTS, 4229 18th Street, where artists Jenny Feinberg and Jen Meyer have come together for their first joint exhibition. Their modern art, BLOOM, has been defined as “a state or time of beauty, freshness and vigor; high development of achievement; to mature one’s potential; to shine out or become more fully expressed; or to occur unexpectedly or in a remarkable quantity or degree.” These definitions loosely point to an outcome while inviting the audience to relate their own journey to the works. Meanwhile check out these venues for art on display all August: https://www.castroartwalk.com/
For the month of August, the STRUT gallery is exhibiting the woodcuts of artist BEARPAD. The Art Opening was on August 2 at 470 Castro Street. In gay bars around the world there has been a tradition of erotic woodcut artwork—usually made from industrial subflooring or rough plywood, depicting fellas in various states of play and arousal. These artifacts of queer history have purpose: to set the scene, the mood and a standard by which the patrons might strive. The majority of these dudes tend to be cis, white and ripped, so their relate-ability is limited to an unrealistic (and, for most folks, impossible) standard. This collection of work proposes an alternative—of diversity in many forms and tenderness not usually seen in the format. It is a celebration of beautiful round imperfect bodies and the potential for love and acceptance that our greater queer community should be striving for. These new figures reach towards an evolving cultural identity within the subculture of “bears” that began as a refuge for those not fitting the norm. Created in that dusky watering hole tradition, this art was cut and carved by hand from loose sketches on high quality plywood, painted, sealed for durability and ready to hang. Each is named after a color. Of these ten cartoon “adorable erotica,” my three faves are “Tutti Frutti” four-way, “Grape” with three bears hugging, and “Rhu Barb” with two kissing bears.
A graphic designer and casual carpenter by trade, BEARPAD has spent the last 5 years drawing cuddly fuzzy fellows on the side and has slowly grown into a self-run brand of shirts and queer accessories sold ’round the world. Born and raised in Southern California, he makes art in a big dusty backyard in Vallejo. http://www.shopbearpad.com/
THE RICHMOND/ERMET AID FOUNDATION presents “HELP IS ON THE WAY XX: CELEBRATING BROADWAY,” their Silver Anniversary concert & gala featuring many, many Broadway stars in concert. Sunday, August 18, Herbst Theater & Green Room of San Francisco. VIP reception: 5 pm, Green Room; Performance: 7 pm, Herbst Theater; “CLUB REAF” after party with cast: 9:30 pm, Green Room. There are way too many stars to mention here (hint = Hamilton plus a dozen), so I strongly suggest those who are not “veteran REAF attenders” like myself to check out https://bit.ly/2OJc2AC
Join the TENDERLOIN MUSEUM for a screening of a tremendous documentary film on one of the City’s most preeminent LGBTQ activists, Hank Wilson. THANKS TO HANK” is Bob Ostertag’s first feature film, for which he is the producer, director, writer and editor. The film tells the story of the life and work of Hank, an extraordinary gay leader with whom Bob and myself were very close. The Tenderloin Museum hosted a fundraiser for Thanks to Hank last November featuring the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and Cleve Jones; the film successfully debuted at Frameline in June. But now with added footage, it will screen on August 20 at 398 Eddy Street. Doors at 6:30 pm, screening at 7 pm. Q&A with Bob immediately following the film. $10 suggested donation; no one turned away for lack of funds. https://bit.ly/2Kt5h0m
An ad hoc group of a half dozen Bay Area activists is organizing the MONTH OF MOMENTUM, 30 DAYS OF ACTIONS TO CLOSE THE CAMPS, a month-long protest outside ICE, 630 Sansome Street in downtown San Francisco, organized through word of mouth, networking, and social media, every day from noon to 1 pm by a different sector, group or organization ranging from librarians to lawyers. Stop immigration discrimination! https://bit.ly/2ZAd3fj
Come to this year’s RUNWAY 31, GAPA Foundation’s annual drag competition and entertainment extravaganza, CIRQUE DU RUNWAY! Watch contestants vie for the titles of Mr. GAPA and Miss GAPA 2019 through an exciting series of fashion, talent and Q&A before a panel of API & LGBTQ+ community leader judges. Returning as co-hosts are Mr. GAPA 2013 Nguyen “Sir Whitney Queers” Pham and Miss GAPA 2012 Jezebel Patel. Saturday, August 24, 5 pm, Herbst Theatre. https://bit.ly/2GQhhIg
Sister Dana sez, “Stop gun violence! We know our Democratic Congress people are fighting for sensible gun control. But until the useless, heartless Repugnican CongressMEN grow a pair, we just have to suffer along with every other person with a heart that is bleeding.”
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