Sister Dana sez, “Rep. Jerry Nadler, Judiciary Committee Chairman, said on September 16, ‘We have to vindicate the Constitution; leading the President to become more and more of a tyrant cannot be tolerated … that’s why impeachment is necessary.’

By Sister Dana Van Iquity–

Sister Dana sez, “Rep. Jerry Nadler, Judiciary Committee Chairman, said on September 16, ‘We have to vindicate the Constitution; leading the President to become more and more of a tyrant cannot be tolerated … that’s why impeachment is necessary.’ Yes, impeach and remove!”

THE RICHMOND/ERMET AID FOUNDATION (REAF) and producers Ken Henderson & Joe Seiler presented their benefit cabaret, PROTEST! REVEL WITH SOME REBELS, featuring cast members from the touring cast of the Tony Award-winning show HAMILTON. It was an awe-inspiring evening of music and dance with guest emcees Judd Winick & Pam Ling from TV’s Real World San Francisco on September 16 at Marines’ Memorial Theatre. For Act One, the entire company sang “Bread and Roses,” and then broke up into duets and trios to such inspirational numbers as “A Change Is Gonna Come,” the haunting anti-lynching “Strange Fruit,” “Don’t Dream, It’s Over,” the ever hopeful “Someday We’ll All Be Free,” and “Make Them Hear You.” Included was a humorous, but thought-provoking, monologue about God’s administrators helping to create human beings—addressing racism, feminism, and inequality.

Act Two continued the inspirational protest theme with “Get Up Stand Up,” the Hippie Movement’s “Let the Sunshine In” from HAIR, “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” old school protest song “This Land Is Your Land,” and concluded with everyone on stage and in the audience boldly singing “Rise Up/Stand Up For Something!” The whole evening was a revelation!

PROJECT NUNWAY X: DECADES OF INDULGENCE hit the runway with maximum fierceness to werk it to filth on September 21, once again at SOMArts Cultural Center. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence returned with San Francisco’s fashion event of the year, “Project Nunway,” our unique trash-to-treasure extravaganza, celebrating our tenth year. This is also when we Sisters mark 40 years of promulgating universal joy and expiating stigmatic guilt. At Nunway, every model was a genuine SF nun. And every designer spent the least possible amount of money to include recycled materials for their original couture. It was TV’s Project Runway meets the “trashy” Sisters!

The beneficiary was CASA (Children’s After School Arts), an independent, nonprofit, creative arts after-school program with an emphasis on social justice and social emotional wellness. CASA has special outreach to marginalized communities, including LGBTQ families and gender expansive youth.

Emcees were the delicious Honey Mahogany & Sister Roma. Celebrity Judges were our awesome stars Trixie Mattel, Chi Chi LaRue, Emperor Terrill Grimes, Empress Baby Shaques Munro, and Mr. SF Eagle Leather 2019 Manuel Ojeda. There were delightful performances by Herman Wishes in a drag king number and Kippy Marks playing electric violin.

In walking order, the supermodels were: Sister Dana Van Iquity, Sister Mary Media, Sister Chola De Dah, Postulant Pippa, Sister Hera Sees Candy, Sister Stella Believin Magick, Sister Flora Goodthyme, Guard Theo, Sister Zsa Zsa Glamour, Sister Betty Tastewell, Sister Amor Ah Quality, Pope Dementia the Last, and Sister Koko D’Amore. Sister Dana fiercely worked the runway with my fantastic eight-times designer, Trash Mash-up (aka Bridget McCracken), ushering me along—having spent zero dollars—in recycled trash fashioned into a gorge couture yellow dress and train, not to mention a giant (recycled) cross pendant.

The winner was Sister Amor Ah Quality with more empty orange pill bottles on her headdress than one could ever imagine! It was a tremendous statement regarding our community’s need for pharmaceuticals and recycling of drugs. You go, girl!  

THE 9TH ANNUAL GREEN FILM FESTIVAL showed 60 films in six days with over 100 guest speakers and filmmakers. The Festival is a nonprofit organization committed to using the power of film to bring audiences into the global conversation on environmental solutions. PUSH had its Opening Night Premiere at the Castro Theatre on September 24, with a lovely VIP party before. PUSH Director Fredrik Gertten followed Leilani Farha, U.N. Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, around the globe as she investigated an escalating crisis in our cities. Both were fascinating guest speakers. https://www.greenfilmfest.org/

STRIKE FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE! was a lively nonviolent demonstration on September 25 at Market & Montgomery hosted by EXTINCTION REBELLION SAN FRANCISCO and 10 others, including 1,000 GRANDMOTHERS BAY AREA, all stating: “We understand that the beautiful system of life that has supported humanity for hundreds of thousands of years is being destroyed by capitalism, greed, and misguided leadership. Most of our elected officials have been co-opted by corporate directors and do not act according to the will of the people. They have utilized vast sums of money to discredit concerned groups of citizens and confuse the public.”

The anthology of queer horror comics, THEATER OF TERROR: REVENGE OF THE QUEERS, had an epic launch party at Strut on Hump Day of Folsom Week! This book of the damned, edited by Justin Hall and William O. Tyler and hosted by drag demoness Peaches Christ, featured over 30 of some of the greatest LGBTQ comics creators illustrating what keeps them awake at night. There was a screening of comics with live commentary, followed by the drag king Goth boy band Nine Inch Males.

MARKING TIME is the 20th Anniversary Exhibition of the BAY AREA PHOTOGRAPHERS COLLECTIVE on exhibit now through October 26 at Harvey Milk Photo Center Gallery, 50 Scott Street. Reception was on September 26. Curated by Meg Shiffler, the exhibit features 21 photographers’ photos that are on display.  http://harveymilkphotocenter.org/exhibits/marking-time/

EUREKA REC CENTER COMMUNITY GROUP ART EXHIBITION, at 100 Collingwood Street, is a mixed media exhibition of the works of 22 local artists that is hosted by artist Thomasina DeMaio. An opening show was held on Sept 28 with amazing entertainment. The exhibition closes Nov 2. https://www.facebook.com/events/698453067298527/

FOLSOM STREET FAIR 2019 was on Sunday, September 29, where The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and Folsom Street Events continued our decades-long partnership helping to collect donations for charities. Over 400,000 folks gathered South of Market where leather, fetish, and any form of erotic self-expression was an act of liberation, as much as it was a celebration. Jaded nun that I am—having been to the Fair every year since its inception—I tried to find something new. Alas, it was only a gigantic purple eggplant upon which folks could do selfies. Yawn. At least the after-parties were fierce!

Sister Dana sez, “Now that it’s Fall, why not fall by some of these great upcoming events?!”

HORIZONS FOUNDATION GALA is on October 5 at Fairmont San Francisco with reception at 5:30 pm, dinner at 7 pm, and after-party. They will be celebrating what they’ve built so far, and raising critical funds that allow them to keep building, through both the support that they give to organizations today and their permanent endowment for tomorrow. https://one.bidpal.net/horizons/welcome

Founded in 1974 by the late Harvey Milk, the 46th annual CASTRO STREET FAIR is one of San Francisco’s longest-running fundraising community celebrations. Come enjoy live music and performances, art and information, games, tasty food & beverages, and great shopping from street vendors and the local merchants of the Castro. They ask a $5–$10 donation at the gates, and that money goes back to neighborhood nonprofits, as well as helps to maintain the world-famous RAINBOW FLAG at Castro and Market. October 6, 11 am-6 pm. https://www.facebook.com/events/474172303436917/

NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY is October 11. Every year on National Coming Out Day, we celebrate coming out as LGBTQ or as an ally. This year marks the 30th anniversary of NCOD. Thirty years ago, on the anniversary of the NATIONAL MARCH ON WASHINGTON FOR LESBIAN AND GAY RIGHTS, we first observed NCOD as a reminder that one of our most basic tools is the power of coming out. One out of every two Americans has someone close to them who is gay or lesbian. For transgender people, that number is only one in 10.

SPIRIT DAY is October 17. Millions of Americans wear purple on Spirit Day as a sign of support for LGBTQ youth and to speak out against bullying. Spirit Day was started in 2010 by teenager Brittany McMillan as a response to the young people who had taken their own lives. Observed annually, people and organizations wear purple, which symbolizes spirit on the rainbow flag. Getting involved is easy—participants are asked to simply “go purple” on October 17 as we work to create a world in which LGBTQ teens are celebrated and accepted for who they are. https://www.glaad.org/spiritday

Sister Dana sez, “I used to think of a joyful marching band when I heard the word ‘whistleblower.’ These days I realize that a whistleblower can bring about impeachment! So, bring on the marching band!”