Miss November Deana Dawn, AHA/SF Executive Director Brian Basinger, Conrad Frank (aka, Miss February Katya Ludmilla Smirnoff-Skyy), AHA/SF’s James Nykolay (back), photographer Kingmond Young (front center), AHA/SF Ambassador Miss Anita Fi

The Desperate Divas 2007 calendar, created by the AIDS Housing Alliance, was released at a festive party at Under One Roof on Sept. 29. The calendar features some of the Bay Area’s most fabulous drag divas photographed in high style by San Francisco native Kingmond Young. It is twelve months of pure glamour for a good cause. Under One Roof’s Operations Manager Deana Dawn represents the store as Miss November. The other divas in chronological order are Starr, Miss January; Katya Smirnoff-Skyy, Miss February; Garza, Miss March; Trauma Flintstone, Miss April; Giselle Velasquez, Miss May; Monistat, Miss June; Marlena Phoenix, Miss July; Syphillis Diller, Miss August; Donna Sachet, Miss September; Pollo DelMar, Miss October; and Juanita More, Miss December. The event was hostessed by AHA Ambassador Miss Anita Fixx. Pollo informed me that they already sold out the first shipment of calendars at Under One Roof (and had to restock), and they moved well over 100 autographed calendars at the Castro Street Fair.

“The beautiful thing about the pageant and calendar is it brings entertainers from all of the City’s drag communities together. Even better, in my opinion, is that Kingmond’s photography is so gorgeous, so inventive,” Pollo told Bay Times. “From the glamour aspect, this is a fabulous project. Knowing that it benefits people living with AIDS and all the tremendous work of the AIDS Housing Alliance/San Francisco makes it even more rewarding.” T.Q. was our excellent bartender, who had just arrived in town from New Orleans a week ago and immediately volunteered to help out at UOR. He said he could really use a permanent job bartending.

Deana Dawn introduced UOR Executive Director Mike Marshall. “The AIDS Housing Alliance has put together an amazing calendar,” said Marshall. “The photographer is beautiful. I mean, Deana is beautiful, but when you put a chandelier on someone’s head and she still looks beautiful, that is really extraordinary.” He added, “We love the idea that Under One Roof supports AIDS Housing Alliance and thirty other AIDS organizations in town.” He said, “It has not been a good couple of weeks. We know what’s happening in D.C., and the mayor and Nancy Pelosi have been brilliant in trying to stop this, but the fact is Republicans are sons of bitches and they’ve come after San Francisco.” He said, “So projects like this are indicative of what we need to do in the coming years for funding, and while projects like this can never offset the federal government, we have to try.” He said people are going to be severely hurt by the funding cuts and it is up to organizations such as Under One Roof to help them. “It’s great that we can have a fun time shopping here and at the same time help to take care of our neighbors and ourselves.”

AHA Executive Director Brian Basinger pointed out that AIDS is still the number one cause of premature death of all men in San Francisco, ages 15 to 54. “Sometimes we lose track that the crisis is far from over and we have to redouble our efforts towards helping people in need,” he said. He gave the alarming statistic that people with AIDS who lose their housing die at five times the rate of people who keep their housing. In the Castro, 25% of all Ellis Act evictions are targeting gay men with AIDS, he said. AHA was founded three years ago by Basinger and his partner James Nykolay in attempting to craft some sort of response to all this. AHA has been able to pass “no fast pass to eviction,” to help prevent targeting of seniors, disabled, and catastrophically ill people for eviction. He said 80% of all Ellis evictions fall under those three categories. He said with the support of Supervisors Chris Daly and Bevan Dufty they were able to get one million dollars added to this year’s budget for AIDS housing needs—attempting to deal with the loss of 22% of AIDS housing in the last three years.  “We are trying to change the tide, and through Supervisors Bevan Dufty and Tom Ammiano we just formed a working group to create a comprehensive AIDS housing plan to find a vision for the future.”

“I want to thank the girls for letting us twist and mold and manipulate you into places and things you’d never done before,” said Anita Fixx. Jimmer Cassiol from the mayor’s office complimented the calendar, saying, “You’re hearing this from a former calendar person with the Bare Chest Calendar years ago. Maybe next year I’ll try for this one!” He brought certificates of recognition from the mayor for AHA, the photographer, and the divas. “There was love and there was bitching involved in this,” photographer Young joked. “But seriously, this experience has made a big difference in my life.” I was informed that each shot had something to do with housing, construction, tools, and such. Be sure to check that out when you purchase your calendar at Under One Roof or order online via underoneroof.org. The calendar has an impressive Vogue/Vanity Fair professional look that would make a perfect gift.