By Joanie Juster–
The relentless marine layer of one of the gloomiest June Glooms in San Francisco history lifted a bit on Pride Weekend, providing some welcome warmth and sunshine for festivities in San Francisco. Parties abounded, the SF Pride Parade and Festival were packed with revelers, and there was pride and joy in the air. But the last week in June is also when the United States Supreme Court tends to hand down some of the most consequential decisions, and this year was no different. If much of the point of Pride is about celebrating freedom, the current conservative-dominated Supreme Court was there to remind us all that freedom can never, ever be taken for granted.
During the SF Pride Parade, a reporter asked Drag Laureate D’Arcy Drollinger for advice as to how the LGBTQ+ community should combat the atmosphere of hate it is facing. D’Arcy’s defiant answer: “Sparkle harder.”
Sparkle harder not just during Pride Month, but all year round. Be yourself even when the haters are trying their best to change you. Radiate joy and strength, because they are trying to rob you of both. Keep sparkling.
About the Supreme Court …
Keep sparkling, but we also need to fight. The recent Supreme Court decision on a Colorado ani-discrimination law was a wake-up call, as they enshrined “separate but equal” into our daily lives. While the ruling was narrow, and may end up having little direct impact on day-to-day business, the warning bells were loud and clear: this is a Supreme Court that has no problem taking away established rights. Not convinced? Just ask any woman in the U.S. since the Dobbs decision this time last year. And, of course, it isn’t just at the Supreme Court level that damage is being done: state legislatures and courts across the country have been doing their best to diminish the rights of already-marginalized groups.
I cringe every time I hear someone nonchalantly say, “Oh, I don’t pay attention to politics.” Well, wake up, because politics is paying attention to you. It is all too easy for San Franciscans to feel comfortable in our liberal bubble, but the danger is real, and it is everywhere. Homophobia, transphobia, antisemitism, and hate of all kinds don’t stop at state lines. It is up to all of us to wake up, take a stand, and fight.
There are plenty of places to put your time, energy, and money, but the ACLU is still a great place to start, especially since they created a division specifically to track and fight against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. Here’s the link; do whatever you can to help: https://tinyurl.com/ACLUlg
Drag Story Hour Needs You
On June 24 I had the pleasure of attending Gary Virginia and Donna Sachet’s 25th annual Pride Brunch, at the Westin St. Francis. It is one of my favorite events of the year, and not just because it is a joyful celebration. For me the main draw is that Gary and Donna invite the SF Pride Grand Marshals to speak. This is a rare opportunity to hear some of our community leaders who are being honored for the good work they do actually talk about their work. It is eye-opening and inspiring.
This year one of the speakers was Black Benatar, representing Community Grand Marshal Drag Story Hour. They spoke passionately about the good work Drag Story Hour does, engaging and inspiring children. But they also talked about the frightening opposition they can face, including a recent story hour in the East Bay where the haters far outnumbered the attendees and supporters. The threat was real, and terrifying. And they made a fervent plea: they need the supporters to outnumber the protesters. They need to feel supported and protected. They need us to come to story hours, and surround them with love and joy.
To this end, Drag Story Hour has launched a new program called “Shields Up!” that provides safety training to storytellers and volunteers to ensure that “the show must go on.” The program is designed to offer a de-escalatory and playful physical presence to ensure the safety of both the performers and the families. Shields Up! has already begun piloting in the Bay Area, and will soon roll out statewide pilots in Arizona, North Carolina, and other states.
How can you help? There are lots of ways. Go to the website (https://www.dragstoryhour.org/) to donate, join their mailing list, and learn about upcoming events where you can show up in person and be part of the solution. Also, follow this link from their website to learn about many ways you can help combat the onslaught of hate and ignorance. The article is packed with a lot of good information and action items; there is something in here for everyone to do: https://tinyurl.com/LGBTQedu
Good News: Sunday’s a Drag is Back!
Despite all the naysayers and doomloopians, there is good news to be found in San Francisco. One of the best: On August 6, Donna Sachet will bring back her beloved show, Sunday’s a Drag, to a perfect new location: Club Fugazi in North Beach.
Sunday’s a Drag had been a fixture for 15 years at Harry Denton’s Starlight Room at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, until the pandemic closed down all live performances. Bringing this long-running hit to a larger venue and a new neighborhood will be an exciting adventure.
Club Fugazi has a long, storied history, including 45 years as the home of Steve Silver’s Beach Blanket Babylon, and is now the current home of Dear San Francisco, a show that, like Donna Sachet herself, exudes a deep and abiding love for our city. The new version of Sunday’s a Drag will feature Donna plus three other drag queens performing songs that illuminate San Francisco’s drag history. One of the performers, Holotta Tymes, has especially deep roots in the North Beach neighborhood: prior to performing in Sunday’s a Drag for 13 years, Tymes performed at North Beach’s iconic drag revue, Finocchio’s, a world-renowned attraction that closed in 1999 after 63 years.
Sunday’s a Drag is sure to be a hot ticket, featuring not only a great show, but also an Italian-themed brunch by chef Tony Gemignani, famed for his Tony’s Pizza Napoletana. If all goes well, this limited run in August may be the precursor of a year-round launch in 2024. Show your support now by grabbing tickets at https://tinyurl.com/3bv479ve
More Good News: JOYRide
In case you missed it (it has been a busy year), legendary DJ Page Hodel is back spinning tunes. In May she launched JOYRide as a weekly dance party at the White Horse Inn in Oakland, which may be the oldest operating gay bar in the country. After several weeks of joyfully rocking the place, Hodel is dialing it back just a bit to a monthly dance party, instead of weekly. She announced on Facebook: “We have had an amazing run so far. The energy is completely settling in. And the vibe is just right. What we ARE going to do now is convert it to a MONTHLY party … so everyone can be there together on the same night … . Now we fine tune to make it EXACTLY what the community, our community, wants and needs … . Hot summer nights
dancing!!!!”
The next party will be on Saturday, August 5, at the White Horse Inn, 6551 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, from 8–12 pm. Wear your dancing shoes and be prepared to boogie.
Brave New Voices
At a time when queer youth are under attack across the country, it is especially important to listen to them. Brave New Voices, which bills itself as the world’s premier youth poetry event, amplifies those voices. Each year it convenes young poets and leading artists in a different U.S. city for three days of arts education, performance, and narrative change. This year it is back in San Francisco, where it all started. There are several different events, but what caught my eye was “Queeriosity.” One of the longest-running programs at Youth Speaks, this LGBTQIA+ event explores personal and historical narratives that (re)frame perceptions of language, sexuality, and gender. The workshop is created as a safe place for a diverse population of queer youth to be their authentic selves, and be not just welcomed, but celebrated.
The Brave New Voices festival, including Queeriosity, will take place at the San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center in San Francisco. Queeriosity is scheduled for 9 pm on Thursday, July 20. More info and tickets: https://tinyurl.com/bdfee22j
AIDS Walk: Why We Keep Walking
I was cleaning house the other day, and stumbled upon a letter I had written in January 1990, to a fellow Names Project volunteer I had worked with at the Quilt display in Washington, D.C., the previous October. The letter took me tumbling back in time: “I just spoke with Rebecca at the Names Project. It was very sad—all sorts of depressing news. I was telling her about all the wonderful photos I took of various volunteers who worked with us, and asked for their addresses. But every one of them is currently in the hospital or immobilized at home. It’s almost unreal.” I put down the letter and cried.
That was then, this is now. Today testing positive for HIV is no longer an automatic death sentence. Many live long and productive lives with HIV. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t still work to do. Infection rates rose during the pandemic, long-term survivors are in need of care, and there are still inequities in the medical and social network systems that make it harder for marginalized communities to access the treatment they need. Small local nonprofits need all the help they can get to keep doing their good work. AIDS Walk is a lifeline for many, raising money that stays right in our community. Anyone can walk, and anyone can help. I know this because I’ve been walking for this critical fundraiser since 1988.
Please join us for AIDS Walk in Robin Williams Meadow in Golden Gate Park on Sunday, July 16. Sections of the AIDS Memorial Quilt will be on display on Hippie Hill. To volunteer, to support an individual walker or a team, or to just make a general donation, go to https://sf.aidswalk.net/
There you have it, my friends: your marching orders for this week are to sparkle, walk, and fight. I hope to see you all at the 2023 AIDS Walk!
Joanie Juster is a long-time community volunteer, activist, and ally.
In Case You Missed It
Published on July 14, 2023
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