By Sister Dana Van Iquity
Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun
Sister Dana sez, “Scientists reported last Wednesday that 2015 was the hottest year in the historical record by far, breaking a mark set only the year before–a burst of heat that has continued into the new year and is shaking up weather patterns all over the world. In the United States, the year was the second-warmest on record, punctuated by a December that was both the hottest and the wettest since record-keeping began. And yet the Repugnican idiots keep saying there is no such thing as climate change. Yeeeesh!”
Sister Dana was attacked for several weeks by the Horrible Bronchitis Demon, thus rendered incapable of attending events and doing his usual intrepid reporting. Therefore my column will be a bit flimsy–echoing the state of my health at this time. Cough! Choke! Sigh.
The GGBA (GOLDEN GATE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION) held their JANUARY MAKE CONTACT at the New Conservatory Theatre Center, providing the opportunity to network with friends and colleagues while having enjoyment to sample some of San Francisco’s great LGBTQ arts and theater offerings throughout SF. President JP Leddy spoke about GGBA. Founded in 1974, the Golden Gate Business Association is the nation’s first LGBT Chamber of Commerce and the first business organization founded by LGBT entrepreneurs. With members who live and do business across San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Marin counties, and beyond, GGBA proudly serves as the voice for the San Francisco/Bay Area’s LGBT business community. Their mission is to champion opportunity, development, and advocacy for the LGBT & Allied business community. The Make Contact event included food, drinks, and performances by Avenue Q (puppets singing the hilarious “If You Were Gay”), ManDance (with a lovely and very queer interpretation of The Nutcracker Suite), and Velocity Circus (with a scary sword swallower with no gag reflex) and a genuine whirling dervish, his twirling skirt forming something like the rings of Saturn up and over his head. ggba.com
KREWE DE KINQUE, the all-volunteer Mardi Gras-themed social club and fundraiser, held our members meeting to plan the upcoming BAL MASQUE XIII, a masked ball with the theme of “Saints & Sinners” to be held on Saturday, March 12, at Beatbox, 314 11th Street and Folsom: 5–6 pm VIP reception, 6–9 pm general admission. The Ball will benefit JAZZIE’S PLACE, the new LGBT Homeless Shelter operated by DOLORES STREET COMMUNITY SERVICES. It should be noted that 29% of San Francisco’s homeless population identify as LGBTQ, and finally have a unique, safe place for temporary shelter and services. For more info or to join our club (tell ‘em Queen VII Sister Dana sent ya) browse sfkinque.com
We joined ACADEMY OF FRIENDS to TOAST THE NOMINEES OF 2016 at Sui Generis clothiers in the Castro. Academy of Friends has been in existence and evolving for nearly 34 years. Soon after the onset of the HIV epidemic, they dedicated themselves to the mission of working to ease the burden of this disease through the raising of funds in support of direct care for those with HIV/AIDS and making available educational programs to prevent infection. As the pandemic grew, so did their scope; “to help…where the need is greatest, until the crisis has passed.” Through their annual Academy Awards Night Gala, they have raised over $8.6 million to support more than 72 HIV/AIDS service organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area. At this event we toasted the nominees of the 88TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS. We enjoyed cocktails, delicious appetizers, and a Bowtie Tying Clinic (in case we wanted to learn), and shopped for our fabulous frocks for the 36TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS NIGHT GALA on February 28 at the San Francisco Design Center Galleria. Vice Chair Matthew Denckla welcomed everyone. Board Chair Gil Padia spoke of the beneficiaries this year: AIDS LEGAL REFERRAL PANEL (ALRP), HIV/AIDS NIGHTLINE, MAITRI, PROJECT INFORM, PROJECT OPEN HAND, and POSITIVE RESOURCE CENTER. The Gala is a fabulous way to view the Oscars on big screens while helping out six deserving charities. academyoffriends.org
ART SAVES LIVES Studio and Gallery gave us FACES OF THE CASTRO, a chance to check out recent oil portraits by renowned artist THOMASINA DEMAIO depicting over 50 people from the Castro community (and a few beyond) at the AHF San Francisco Men’s Wellness Center/studio on 518 Castro Street. It was a give-back party to all of Thomasina’s sitters to take home their portraits. It was also a festive birthday party for Thomasina and a belated bday–January 1st–party for Sister Dana. I wore a custom-made red velvet mini-dress with bottles of red wine painted onto the gown by Thomasina. Because Sister Dana LOVES red wine, that’s why. There were sexy ladies in costume distributing canapés throughout the night. Suddenly there appeared a guy in gold–waving gigantic sweeping gold wings and enveloping several of the bystanders to their delight; and then he became a literal whirling dervish—skirt gradually twirling up over his head! Sister Dana posed almost endlessly before portraits of him and of his alter ego journalist guy, Dennis. There was an abundance of wine and food and music and a toast to a great neighborhood! Thank gawd for this studio–a jewel in the Castro! Long will it live there! Facebook.com/sfartslave
I’m thrilled to share this news about the results of SF GAY MEN’S CHORUS’s 2015 holiday fundraiser. Volunteers raised $30,378.32 for the HARVEY MILK CIVIL RIGHTS ACADEMY, a local K-5 public elementary school in the Castro neighborhood. You saw us with our buckets begging for donations, and it paid off! Thanks so much for contributing!
COMING UP!
The RICHMOND/ERMET AID FOUNDATION (REAF) presents a special ONE NIGHT ONLY BENEFIT CABARET with the Tony Award-winning cast of JERSEY BOYS in an evening of music, dance, and comedy on Monday, February 1, 7:30 pm at Brava Theater, 2781 24th Street (at York Street). Songs from Jersey Boys will not be performed, but the cast will show us their talents with other great numbers. The Richmond/Ermet Aid Foundation has worked with over 45 touring casts to date to produce “One Night Only Cabaret” events. To date, REAF has distributed over $3 million to AIDS service agencies. helpisontheway.org
BEACH BLANKET BABYLON, the hilarious long-running parody musical, has announced the latest cast of characters getting razzed: Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, Adele, Bill Cosby, Hillary & Bill Clinton, Kim Kardashian, Lady Gaga, President Barack & Michelle Obama, Jeb Bush, Sia, Taylor Swift, Vladimir Putin, Orange is the New Black, Nicki Minaj, Princess Leia & Darth Vader, Caitlyn Jenner, Kim Davis, Empire’s Cookie, Oprah and the Golden State Warriors.
BBB’s Special Super Bowl schedule: Tuesday, February 2–Thursday, February 4 at 8 pm, Friday, February 5 and Saturday, February 6 at 6:30 & 9:30 pm, but no performances on Super Bowl Sunday, February 7. Regular performance schedule: Wednesdays–Fridays at 8 pm, Saturdays at 6:30 & 9:30 pm, Sundays at 2 & 5 pm. Come for the music, and enjoy the elaborate giant head pieces! BeachBlanketBabylon.com
Due to popular demand and sold-out houses in the Summer of 2015, the THRILLPEDDLERS hit musical, CLUB INFERNO, returns for 16 performances. It’s a Glam Rock Musical–based on Dante’s THE DIVINE COMEDY playing February 4–March 5, (Thursdays, Fridays, & Saturdays, 8 pm), plus a Special Valentine’s Day Performance–Sunday February 14, 8 pm. hypnodrome.org
THE ART OF JACKS is 33 years of Erotic and Celebratory Art. The Inaugural Art Exhibit in the new home of STRUT (formerly Magnet), will be the final flourish of the SF JACKS, celebrating the group’s 33 years of providing a hands-on safer sex alternative, while commissioning great art. Bay Area artists represented include Seth Eisen, Jack Davis, Dan Becker, Lord Huckleberry, Dogtor Woof!, Lou Rudolph, and Jim James. On display now through the end of January at 470 Castro Street. strutsf.org
The GLBT HISTORY MUSEUM celebrates its FIFTH ANNIVERSARY with an after-hours fundraising party featuring drinks, bites, live DJs, loads of cute history buffs, and special guest hostess JUANITA MORE! What better reason for queer history lovers to mingle with local glitterati in the galleries? Five special guests will lead a very short tour, with each picking a favorite object in the museum and telling a five-minute story about why it caught their eye. And everyone who attends will be invited to engage in a bit of queer-history speed dating by posting photos of their own favorite objects to social media. The party is Friday, January 29, 7–9 pm at the GLBT History Museum, 4127 18th Street. Admission: $10 general, $5 for members. glbthistory.org/museum
Sister Dana sez, “Cheers to singer/actress/gay icon Cher for donating more than 180,000 bottles of water to the residents of Flint, Michigan, as the city struggles with a drinking water crisis linked to lead contamination. Jeers to Republican’t Governor Rick Snyder for knowing in advance of the danger and not acting accordingly. Hisssss!”
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