The 2009 Bare Chest Calendar men are (back row, left to right) Will Carvalho, Steve Charfauros, Robert Butler, Jason Hinson, Lance Holman, Coop Anderson, (front row, left to right) Troy Weakly, Jeremy Hollister, Justin Roninger, Tom Norman, Christopher Br

By Pollo Del Mar
The Notorious Glamazon About Town

Hundreds of hot daddies, furry cubs, leather men, muscle queens and horny, curious spectators make the annual Bare Chest Calendar Finals one of San Francisco’s must-see spectacles. DNA Lounge was packed wall-to-wall for the enormous event Sunday, May 4, which raised more than $43,000 for the AIDS Emergency Fund, bringing the total-to-date to over $55,600.

“The World’s Most Photographed Nun” Sister Roma, GLOSS Magazine “Sling It” columnist and Powerhouse bartender Carlton Paul and a cross-section of the city’s most influential watched as a crowd of more than 20 hopefuls narrowed to the 2009 calendar’s final dozen.  As reigning Miss Trannyshack and one of only two featured drag performers, Bare Chest Calendar Committee Chair B.J. Patnode made sure I had the best seat in the house – a dressing room filled with gorgeous finalists!

This marks my second year in a row joining Empress XXXVIII Snatch on the line-up.  Flanked by a half-dozen of the calendar hopefuls, the City’s Thigh-High Leather Empress, serving fierce gender-f*ck showgirl illusion, proved no easy act to follow! However, Miss Trannyshack Star Search 2008 Anjie Myma, Sandra O. Noshi-Di’n’t, Johnny Cocksville, porn star Justin Jameson and Mr. Gay San Francisco Johnathan Gaffney provided tantalizing (and nearly naked!) back-up for my fetish-inspired rendering of Madonna’s “Erotica.”

The real treat, though, was seeing Will Carvahlo, Steve Charfauros, Robert Butler, Jason Hinson, Lance Holman, Coop Anderson, Troy Weakly, Jeremy Hollister, Justin Roninger, Tom Norman, Christopher Briggs and Mitch Koonce named to the 25th-annual Bare Chest Calendar. The men hit the road this Saturday, MAY 80, for the first “2009 Bare Chest Calendar Sneak Peek” event at BOLT in Sacramento.

Meanwhile, across the Bay, The Bench & Bar crowned “Miss May 2009” Miss Anita Fixx to the Desperate Divas calendar. It has been a long time coming for Fixx, often called the “mother” of the AIDS Housing Alliance/San Francisco fundraising phenomenon now in its third year. Happy birthday, Anita!

Around both events, San Francisco celebrated Cinco de Mayo. What would Cinco de Mayo be without everyone’s favorite Latin promotion, Club Papi? “Ain’t no party like Papi Party” I have heard, and Saturday, May 3, up-and-coming pop music star Kat DeLuna showed fans just how true that is.

Recently I chatted with Kat, whose hit “Whine Up” featuring reggae star Elephant Man landed her atop pop charts around the world. Those who didn’t catch her, don’t worry. The 20-year-old Dominican beauty is anxious to headline the Latin Stage at San Francisco Pride Sunday, June 29! 

Before the Bare Chest Finals, I landed at Aunt Charlie’s Lounge, where most Sundays San Francisco’s Ducal Council and reigning monarchs Grand Duke Oliver-with-a-Twist and Grand Duchess Big D support some worthy cause. This past weekend, Mr. & Miss Royal Bunny Tim Valdivia and Brieona Cracker - with help from Miss Baby New Year Kira - raised nearly $300 toward the Ducal Court’s upcoming Pride float. Though we arrived late (some later than others, Sandra O.!), we caught performances by Bliss Ashton, Grand Duchess Davida Ashton and “House of Glitter” members Landa Lakes, Terra Cotta and Miso Hornay.

Watching the crowd recoil in combined fear and curiosity when Big D’s mellow, Broadway-flavored performance yielded to stage newcomer Palm Theresa, turning it out to a raging song about child abuse by metal group Disturbed, made my day! It was a perfect segue, considering The Ducals land at Metro City Bar Sunday, MAY 81, for a Mommy Dearest-inspired “Alternative Mother’s Day Party” featuring performances by a host of regulars, guests star Joan Crawford-Texas and more.

The weekend ended Monday with Pollo de Mayo, my very-own bash at The LookOut. What a star-studded affair that turned out to be! Miss Gay San Francisco BeBe Sweetbriar, Mr. Gay SF Johnathan (found serving cocktails at LookOut most nights of the week), Miss Trannyshack 2002 Suppositori Spelling, Anjie Myma, Sandra O., Ducal Crown Prince Virgil, Grand Duke Oliver, Sister Uma Gawd and more were twirling to DJ Luke B. as everybody’s favorite bouffanted Mexicana Juanita Fajita recounted the antics of Miss Trannyshack 2004 Anna Conda, gal-pal Lucy Borden and more during their party for the crazy gang at The Cinch the night before.

Late arrivals included reigning Emperor John Weber, former Miss Golden Gate Deana Dawn and Gary Virginia. Deana gushed about drag daughter Diva D, who followed her mother’s footsteps to be crowned Miss Bay Area Rodeo 2008 last weekend at Marlena’s. John Southard took home Mr. Bay Area Rodeo and Ms. Bay Area Rodeo went to Rosemary Tomasulo. Special thanks to Winnie Baygo, who along with Mr. Golden State Gay Rodeo Association Just John, invited me to be a “celebrity guest judge” for the event. Unfortunately, I had a prior commitment!

That’s the downside of life on “the circuit.” Sometimes there’s just not enough time to fit it all in.  Even when I manage to hit everything, it’s just exhausting!  It’ll put bags under a girl’s eyes even Kryolan can’t hide - but that’s the price one pays for a life of glamour, glitz and glitter, darling.  
XoXo,
Pollo!

Until next time, if you see me dragging around town, please say hello. Otherwise, hit me up on MySpace!  The Notorious P.D.M. is always looking for new friends.  http://www.MySpace. com/Pollo_DelMar