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Sister Dana, in honor of Leather Week in SF, advises in rhyme: “Whatever the weather, you’d better wear leather!”
Leather Week officially began with the Raising of the Leather Flag in Harvey Milk Plaza during Sandy “Mama” Reinhardt’s 21st ANNUAL LEATHER WALK, beginning at Harvey Milk Plaza and ending up in several SOMA bars, as a fundraiser for AIDS Emergency Fund and Breast Cancer Emergency Fund. Senator Mark Leno presented a Senate Certificate of Appreciation to Mama, and commented, “Mama continues this tradition supporting AEF and BCEF for people with life threatening illnesses - with over 90% of money raised going to direct services.” He noted that in the midst of a state budget crisis, we are able to keep our AIDS Drug Assistance Program untouched by any cuts.
He urged everyone to vote for Prop 30 to keep vital government services funded.
Mama granted leather community awards to the SFPD (especially Sgt. Chuck Limbert); SF Girls of Leather; Randy Schiller for sound; Daddy Mike of Steel Erections for the sound truck; Travis for ASL signing; the Color Guard; Kok bar; 440 bar; Powerhouse bar; Daddy Vick and Dykes on Bikes; Mama’s Rick for the balloons; Troy Brunet; and the entertainers on the truck: Empress Alexis Miranda; Emperor John John; Raquela; Mark Paladini; Marco Middlesex; Mr. New York Leather 2004 Brian Kent; Krewe de Kinque King Tony Leo; and Sister Pat N Leather. Paladini sang “You Raise Me Up” as everyone released red, blue, white, black balloons (the official leather colors) into the heavens and Sister Eve Volution - with us other nuns - blessed the start of the Walk with prose and holy glitter.
I know I will see all my fellow leather/ feather/ SM/BD fetish freeeeks on Sunday September 23 for the annual FOLSOM STREET FAIR, 11am to 6pm, on Folsom between 7th and 11th Streets. And please donate as you enter the gates when Sisters and their friends raise big bucks for charities.
LYPSINKA gave us much Mommie Dearest at her fabulous run at the Rrazz Room with Lypsinka: In the Passion of the Crawford by John Epperson. Dripping in rhinestones, she lip-synched a classic, caustic Joan Crawford interview, along with videos of JC screened overhead.
She mourned the loss of “true Hollywood glamour” and her co-stars of the Golden Age. JC reenacted the “Christmas with the Crawfords” special with her adopted, assaulted Christina and Christopher. And she closed with a dramatic reading that had everyone alternately laughing and crying. Lypsinka is truly queen of the lip-synchers!
And speaking of the Rrazz Room, Tom Orr appears there (222 Mason Street) for one performance only, September 21st, 10:30pm in THE DEVIL WEARS NADA, with his always witty, funny, naughty parodies of show tunes and lampooning current events. Tix and info at TheRrazzRoom.com.
GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) presented the national networking event series for LGBTQ professionals and straight allies in SF, “Thank GLAAD It’s Friday,” featuring Absolut vodka and Miller beer. We gathered at Rebel bar to support GLAAD’s work.
From standing up for Ellen DeGeneres when anti-gay activists called for her to be fired, to working alongside an Ohio mom to get the Boy Scouts to end its policy banning gay scouts and scout leaders, GLAAD is sharing the stories that move us closer to equality. GLAAD’s Adam Sandel spoke of future fun events, including the fabulous Oct. 27 Halloween fundraiser, “Haunted Broadway,” 7-11pm at Metronome (17th and De Haro).
The AIDS Emergency Fund’s EMPTY YOUR DRAWERS campaign (a part of the Every Penny Counts program) with the Bridgemen group from Stop AIDS and a couple of us nuns managed to raise $1,119.29 on September 8 & 9 for AEF. “This new campaign is about awareness and you really helped with that,” said Lance Brittain, Every Penny Counts coordinator, to the volunteers. People emptied their drawers and pockets, dug under the sofa cushions, and broke open their piggy banks to find elusive loose change or bills.
History lesson: In November 1987, Fred Skau, a bartender on Polk Street, put an empty glass jar on his bar with a sign asking for donations for people with AIDS. In the following month, other bars joined the effort, and over $10,000 in coins was collected. The Every Penny Counts Project was born. Over 500 jars were placed in restaurants, bars, retail stores, and small businesses. Since 1987, Every Penny Counts has raised over $3 million for AEF clients. Please keep putting loose change in those jars in stores everywhere!
TERRIBLE TWOS was a beer bust fundraiser at The Edge bar by Sister Pat N Leather and Sister Eve Volution, celebrating two years of fun and over $20,000 raised and given back to various charities. “Great new stars were discovered,” said Sister Pat. “Lasting memories and oh what fun we have had,” added Sister Eve. Sister Dana, door whore collecting the money, invited everyone to join us as we celebrated our monthly shindig at The Edge. It was the draggiest drag revue ever, hosted by 2012 Grand Ducal Candidate, Paloma Volare. Go-Go boys teased and pleased. The entertainers included BeBe Sweetbriar, Danielle Logan, Mutha Chucka, Jackie O’Nasty, Chastity Belle, Ana Mae Cox, Patty McGroin, Jada, Sasha, Mehela, Tara Wrist, Kenya Fister, Roxy Cotton Candy, Pearl Teese, Paloma Volare, and even Sister Dana braved the stage - dodging flying fruits and vegetables. Naw, no produce was thrown. Proceeds benefited The Sisters’ re-launch of our Play Fair! safer sex booklet.
THE CALL at the Regency Center, 1290 Sutter at Van Ness, on September 29, 6 to 9pm, is an experience in acknowledgement of the heroes and heroism of the past 30 years of the AIDS epidemic and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. It is an evening (featuring NO speeches) in which all messaging will be done theatrically in a new format of four, short vignettes/ acts offering an evocative retrospective of the experience here in SF of the AIDS pandemic, our response to it, and what came of our response - as well as what yet remains to be done.
Organizers promise it will be dramatic and powerful, lyrical and exciting, with plenty of time between Acts for noshing, networking, tweeting, reflecting. Tix at (415) 487-3013 or answerthecall@sfaf.org.
Krewe de Kinque presents our monthly first Wednesday FULL MOON CONTEST “where some lucky a-hole wins $100 for the best bare butt.” Krewe de Kinque is a Mardi Gras themed fun and fundraising organization with the leather and feather crowd celebrating N’awlins style, hosted by KdK King I Gary Virginia. The judges are KdK Queen Bebe Sweetbriar, KdK King Tony Leo, and KdK Queen VII Sister Dana. We give points for poise, answers to probing questions, and of course, better buttocks! Last Wednesday’s winner was Turk Mason, with 1st runner-up Leo Forte and 2nd runner-up Levi Ryder. Bebe lip-synched to her own recorded versions of Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know” and Rihanna’s “We Found Love.” Next Full Moon Pageant is Wednesday, October 3rd, 9 to midnight at The Edge bar. Come out and show off your assets)!!!
Thrillpeddlers presents SHOCKTOBERFEST 13: THE BRIDE OF DEATH, the 13th Annual Extravaganza of Terror & Titillation including one classic Grand Guignol thriller; two world-premiere One-Act plays; a musical spectacle; and a Lights-Out Spook-Show Finale. September 27 – November 17, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 8pm), special Halloween performances October 30 & 31, 8 pm at Hypnodrome, 575 10th Street, between Bryant & Division Streets. Tix and more info at Thrillpeddlers.com, (415) 377-4202.
Scott Richard is currently exhibiting his artwork, “RAINBOW SKIN AND THE NEW MONA LISA” at Magnet on 18th and Castro. “My focus on this show is pro-sexual because it’s really quite site specific, and homoerotics is a very fractional part of my overall work,” says Richard. “I love painting the human body, both male and female.” He continues, “As a painter, I am overly passionate about two dimensional concepts of freezing time and the intimacy of graphic details. My work is an effort to counter-balance this gravity-enforced natural law of death – the point where something has fallen apart completely.” He enjoys trying to create lasting imagery for the gay community, explaining, “We are a legendary clan. It takes guts and magic to step into our circle. We are known for being powerful and intelligent, injured and deviant. Inside all of these paradigms, it is our love and desire for one another that brings us back. Our basic unification is sexual and relational.”
BREAKING NEWS: Lady Satan has just become the new reigning Faux Queen 2012, drag queen trapped in a bio woman’s body. Details in my next column.
Sister Dana wonders: Is it wrong for me to picture President Obama in a jockstrap and leather chaps?!
