By Sister Dana Van Iquity
Sister Dana sez, “If Repugnicans win control of the Senate this November, and the Tea Party increases its power in Congress, they will impeach President Obama. Our votes can stop this travesty!”
It has been such a tremendous journey for the fine folks at MAGNET, the Castro hub of health and well being for gay and bi men at 4122 18th Street. On July 9th to the date, they celebrated their 11thYEAR ANNIVERSARY. Sister Dana was there even before they opened, way back when we only had the vision of a revolutionary concept: a sexual health clinic with floor to ceiling windows—not hiding in shame, but proclaiming their existence openly with pride. They have had 11 tremendous years of success thanks to a wonderful supportive community, and they look forward to a bright and exciting future ahead with many more years of service to our community. We enjoyed delicious food, great drinks, fabulous company, and even a photo booth to help capture the evening.
Magnet Director Steve Gibson announced that, by winter, they would be moving into their new, much larger space around the corner at 474 Castro. He noted they served over 14,000 men a year but hoped to have an even larger clientele once they hired more staff. Gibson pointed out his boss, Tim Patriarcha, who previously served Maitri for over a decade as executive director. Gibson also asked the crowd to applaud the current leadership: Chris Hall, MD, Medical Director; Pierre Crouch, PhD,ANP-BC, ACRN, Nurse Director; Jesse White, RN, Assistant Nurse Director; and also staff: Matt Beard, Concierge; Michael Blake, RN, Staff Clinician; Adrian Cano, Phlebotomist; Luis Guzman, CPT, HIV Testing Services Coordinator; Jared T Hemming, Community Organizer; Rob Kennedy, Concierge; Lindsey Padjen, HIV Data Manager; Joaquin Ramos, RN, Staff Clinician; Hannah Sabet, LINCS Staff; David Wilson, Lab Technician; and Jeremy Zondlo, Volunteer Coordinator.
They brought out a cake with the Magnet “circle M” logo in frosting and a big “11” candle for the staff to blow out. Everyone went home with a complimentary “No Blame! No Shame! Magnet” tee shirts, reflecting Magnet’s new campaign.
And speaking of which, MAGNET is thrilled to be hosting the work of EssEff artist JB HIGGINS for the month of July. Higgins, a buddy of mine from back in the early ‘80s as a bartender at the Castro Station bar (now Qbar), is a freelance photographer with extensive experience in both portrait, glamour and product photography, in production and still photography on video filming sets, and in general art and fashion photography. He is showcasing his gorgeous B&W work titled MOMENTS OF REALIZATION. He uses a two and a quarter Roleflex camera with Tri-X or T-MAX film. Negatives are then digitally screened to create archival digital prints.
Higgins says, “By the time we reach adulthood, many of us have been shattered by rigid, dogmatic religious belief systems. But still we seek, in the midst of all our games and drama. Whether we know it or not, we continue asking ourselves that essential, fundamental question…Who am I, really?” He adds, “Contemplation and meditation are essential to a spiritual path. I strive to create photographs that inspire contemplation, often by showing the nude form in studio and landscape. I like to think this work is about some of those moments of contemplation, realization.”
My faves on display all month are “Joey with Guns,” in which a gun tattoo on the model’s thigh appears to be real as he “holds” the weapon in his hand; and “Two Men Celebrating,” where the couple embraces wearing just tiny miniskirts of American flags while holding a much larger rainbow flag. Available on his website, JBHiggins.com, are more stunning photographs, some in color.
Especially engaging is the one of the photographer in the nude photographing his model in the nude. There are also divine photos of DQ Divine, and some of Divine’s creator, a very early John Waters, in an almost invisible pencil-thin mustache.
PEACHES CHRIST PRODUCTIONS presented THE WIZARD OF OZ with the adults-only pre-show parody, THE WIZARD OF ODD starring Sharon Needles as the Wicked Witch & Peaches Christ as Peachy Gale at the Castro Theatre. There’s no place like homo when Peaches writes and directs the drag cast, and the frequent scene changes and elaborate costumes make it all so professional. After we have listened to ALL the Judy Garland classic numbers, the screen suddenly plays a black and white scene of the main actors out of drag and not in costume, bickering about their parts. A sudden, fierce earthquake devastates San Francisco and sweet, innocent Peachy Gale falls deep into the earth, where she eventually lands and kills some queen with flawless shoes. But before that, Jason Brock appears in Peaches drag to sing live “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” because the real Peaches can’t carry a tune and needs her stand-in to sing the theme. The audience is encouraged to always sing along when the cast breaks out in song. For instance, when the dragkins (munchkins in drag) come to celebrate the death of the witch, we sang along “Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead” appropriately. Peachy Gale and her dog Toto (played by Annecy) are visited by Glen or Glenda the Good Witch (Peggy L’eggs) who tells Peachy of the power of the ruby platforms and the need to visit the Wizard of Odd (Heklina) to get back home. The wicked witch (Sharon Needles in green face and hands) rises from a puff of smoke and tries to steal the shoes but is repelled. Peachy must follow the yellow brick road (skipping up and down the theater aisles) and along the way meets up with The Scare-Ho (Suppositori Spelling) who stuffs her bra with straw, The Tin-Tran (Raya Light), who gets lubed with Gun Oil, and The Cowardly Lioness (Cousin Wonderlette) who shrinks in fear at tiny Toto. The witch tries to stop their journey by the use of poppers not poppies; but when the erotic effect wears off, they continue on to eventually meet The Great and Powerful Wizardess, demanding the witch’s broom before she can grant the tranny trio’s wishes for a brain, a heart, and courage, and a return home for Peachy and Toto. The witch sends her flying monkeys to attack them, but is eventually done in when Peachy throws a bucket of glitter on her, and witchy melts into green smoke. The wishes are sort of granted (Heklina admits to having no power when exposed behind the curtain) in that by clicking her heels, Peachy comes home. The entire cast gathers to celebrate as the Peaches stand-in Jason sings most apropos “I’m Coming Home” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The screen suddenly shows a B&W scene where we discover it was all a dream as Peaches (out of drag) recovers from a head injury from the earthquake and somehow recognizes her fellow cast mates were part of the dream. Just an amazing show! Brava, Peaches!
CASTRO LIONS CLUB held their 29TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER, a celebration of the 2013 -2014 year at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church Hall with Installation of Officers & Grant Presentationsin the amount of $126,000. Some of the grantees included AIDS Emergency Fund, AIDS Memorial Grove, Bay Area Young Positives, Lions Eye Foundation, Positive Resource Center, and SF LGBT Community Center – among many more.
CUMMING UP!
PEARLS OVER SHANGHAI sadly has its final extension this weekend, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 8pm at The Hypnodrome, 575 10th Street, starring old and new Cockettes. Sister Dana sez, “Rock out with your Cockette out! Don’t miss it!” thrillpeddlers.com
Enjoy a Cosmo and hilarity by heading down to The Victoria Theatre for a 12-night limited engagement run of SEX AND THE CITY – LIVE opening July 24th-August 10th, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, 8pm; Sundays, 7pm, 2961 16th Street between Mission & Capp Streets. An all drag queen/drag king cast with your favorite Manhattan maidens on the town: Heklina as Carrie Bradshaw, D’Arcy Drollinger as Samantha Jones, Lady Bear as Miranda Hobbs, Alaska as Charlotte York, and Leigh Crow as Mr. Big. sexandthecitylive.eventbrite.com
UP YOUR ALLEY FAIR is Folsom Street Fair’s naughty little brother – smaller and therefore more intimate than Folsom Fair. Also known as DORE ALLEY FAIR, it is located on Dore Alley between Howard and Folsom, continuing on Folsom from 9th to Juniper and the adjoining block of 10th Street. Sunday, July 27, 11am-6pm. Wear your leather, feather, rubber, furry, kink, fetish, costume, or other fun wear – or risk being branded a [shriek!] tourist!
THE HARVEY MILK LGBT DEMOCRATIC CLUB’s Dinner and Gayla is Thursday, August 7th, 6-9pm, City College of San Francisco’s Mission Campus, 1125 Valencia Street. milkclub.org
Sister Dana sez, “The Overturn Citizens United Act, Senate Bill 1272, is on Governor Brown’s desk right now. Please send him a message today to sign this important bill, joining the movement nationwide, insuring that our government is responsive and accountable to the people and not to corporate greed and interference!”
then digitally screened to create archival digital prints.
Higgins says, “By the time we reach adulthood, many of us have been shattered by rigid, dogmatic religious belief systems. But still we seek, in the midst of all our games and drama. Whether we know it or not, we continue asking ourselves that essential, fundamental question…Who am I, really?” He adds, “Contemplation and meditation are essential to a spiritual path. I strive to create photographs that inspire contemplation, often by showing the nude form in studio and landscape. I like to think this work is about some of those moments of contemplation, realization.”
My faves on display all month are “Joey with Guns,” in which a gun tattoo on the model’s thigh appears to be real as he “holds” the weapon in his hand; and “Two Men Celebrating,” where the couple embraces wearing just tiny miniskirts of American flags while holding a much larger rainbow flag. Available on his website, JBHiggins.com, are more stunning photographs, some in color. Especially engaging is the one of the photographer in the nude photographing his model in the nude. There are also divine photos of DQ Divine, and some of Divine’s creator, a very early John Waters, in an almost invisible pencil-thin mustache.
PEACHES CHRIST PRODUCTIONS presented THE WIZARD OF OZ with the adults-only pre-show parody, THE WIZARD OF ODD starring Sharon Needles as the Wicked Witch & Peaches Christ as Peachy Gale at the Castro Theatre. There’s no place like homo when Peaches writes and directs the drag cast, and the frequent scene changes and elaborate costumes make it all so professional. After we have listened to ALL the Judy Garland classic numbers, the screen suddenly plays a black and white scene of the main actors out of drag and not in costume, bickering about their parts. A sudden, fierce earthquake devastates San Francisco and sweet, innocent Peachy Gale falls deep into the earth, where she eventually lands and kills some queen with flawless shoes. But before that, Jason Brock appears in Peaches drag to sing live “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” because the real Peaches can’t carry a tune and needs her stand-in to sing the theme. The audience is encouraged to always sing along when the cast breaks out in song. For instance, when the dragkins (munchkins in drag) come to celebrate the death of the witch, we sang along “Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead” appropriately. Peachy Gale and her dog Toto (played by Annecy) are visited by Glen or Glenda the Good Witch (Peggy L’eggs) who tells Peachy of the power of the ruby platforms and the need to visit the Wizard of Odd (Heklina) to get back home. The wicked witch (Sharon Needles in green face and hands) rises from a puff of smoke and tries to steal the shoes but is repelled. Peachy must follow the yellow brick road (skipping up and down the theater aisles) and along the way meets up with The Scare-Ho (Suppositori Spelling) who stuffs her bra with straw, The Tin-Tran (Raya Light), who gets lubed with Gun Oil, and The Cowardly Lioness (Cousin Wonderlette) who shrinks in fear at tiny Toto. The witch tries to stop their journey by the use of poppers not poppies; but when the erotic effect wears off, they continue on to eventually meet The Great and Powerful Wizardess, demanding the witch’s broom before she can grant the tranny trio’s wishes for a brain, a heart, and courage, and a return home for Peachy and Toto. The witch sends her flying monkeys to attack them, but is eventually done in when Peachy throws a bucket of glitter on her, and witchy melts into green smoke. The wishes are sort of granted (Heklina admits to having no power when exposed behind the curtain) in that by clicking her heels, Peachy comes home. The entire cast gathers to celebrate as the Peaches stand-in Jason sings most apropos “I’m Coming Home” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The screen suddenly shows a B&W scene where we discover it was all a dream as Peaches (out of drag) recovers from a head injury from the earthquake and somehow recognizes her fellow cast mates were part of the dream. Just an amazing show! Brava, Peaches!
CASTRO LIONS CLUB held their 29TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER, a celebration of the 2013 -2014 year at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church Hall with Installation of Officers & Grant Presentations in the amount of $126,000. Some of the grantees included AIDS Emergency Fund, AIDS Memorial Grove, Bay Area Young Positives, Lions Eye Foundation, Positive Resource Center, and SF LGBT Community Center – among many more.
CUMMING UP!
PEARLS OVER SHANGHAI sadly has its final extension this weekend, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 8pm at The Hypnodrome, 575 10th Street, starring old and new Cockettes. Sister Dana sez, “Rock out with your Cockette out! Don’t miss it!” thrillpeddlers.com
Enjoy a Cosmo and hilarity by heading down to The Victoria Theatre for a 12-night limited engagement run of SEX AND THE CITY – LIVE opening July 24th-August 10th, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, 8pm; Sundays, 7pm, 2961 16th Street between Mission & Capp Streets. An all drag queen/drag king cast with your favorite Manhattan maidens on the town: Heklina as Carrie Bradshaw, D’Arcy Drollinger as Samantha Jones, Lady Bear as Miranda Hobbs, Alaska as Charlotte York, and Leigh Crow as Mr. Big. sexandthecitylive.eventbrite.com
UP YOUR ALLEY FAIR is Folsom Street Fair’s naughty little brother – smaller and therefore more intimate than Folsom Fair. Also known as DORE ALLEY FAIR, it is located on Dore Alley between Howard and Folsom, continuing on Folsom from 9th to Juniper and the adjoining block of 10th Street. Sunday, July 27, 11am-6pm. Wear your leather, feather, rubber, furry, kink, fetish, costume, or other fun wear – or risk being branded a [shriek!] tourist!
THE HARVEY MILK LGBT DEMOCRATIC CLUB’s Dinner and Gayla is Thursday, August 7th, 6-9pm, City College of San Francisco’s Mission Campus, 1125 Valencia Street. milkclub.org
Sister Dana sez, “The Overturn Citizens United Act, Senate Bill 1272, is on Governor Brown’s desk right now. Please send him a message today to sign this important bill, joining the movement nationwide, insuring that our government is responsive and accountable to the people and not to corporate greed and interference!”
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