SF LGBT

SF LGBT

It's a perilous time for queer people right now. Texas is cranking out anti-trans bills like raffle tickets; Trump is policing gender rights; and Hungary just banned Pride. So you probably thought we'd lay low and start a group chat about moving to Canada. Instead we're doing what we always do in times of repression: dressing up, showing out, and turning defiance into a damn runway.

San Francisco's gay/lesbian community in the 1980s wasn't just facing an AIDS crisis, they also struggled against ongoing anti-gay violence. In 1989, in the midst of a campaign to legally establish anti-gay violence as a hate crime, MCC San Francisco made headlines when their AIDS minister was attacked in her home. The city, the police department, and the LGBTQ community rallied around the church and the minister. And when they finally solved the puzzle of who did it, the answer shocked the church.

Like a proud ima (mother), I'm honored to announce the launch of Honoring Our Queer Elders, the newest online digital exhibit of Mapping Jewish San Francisco, hosted by the University of San Francisco's (USF) Swig Program in Jewish Studies and Social Justice. Honoring Our Queer Elders features oral histories from a diverse group of LGBTQIA+ elders living in the Bay Area.

A diplomat turned activist, Casement remains one of Ireland's most complex and inspiring historical figures; he was a man of profound moral conviction and compassion. After joining the British Foreign Ministry in 1901 and serving as Consul at Boma in the Congo, Casement investigated and exposed human rights abuses under King Leopold II's brutal regime. His groundbreaking "Casement Report" (1904) helped end a 23-year reign of terror in the so-called "Congo Free State," forcing international reform.

"Having just finished my addictions, I had difficulty interacting with people and making social connections," Gilbert said during a recent interview. "The only lifestyle I knew was going to bars, just drinking. I get emotional remembering I was very lonely at the time." Gilbert then started coming to Openhouse and connected with Andrew, a young volunteer in our Friendly Visitor Program where volunteers of all ages are paired with LGBTQ+ older adults for social connection and companionship.

Participants gathered beneath The Castro's historic marquee. After an entertaining set by Marks, emcee Sister Roma began the event and explained that the Castro Street Cam, which began in 2017, is an internet-based LGBTQ+ educational service that makes it possible for viewers, located anywhere globally, to virtually visit Castro Street and experience the vibrant neighborhood. Sister Roma introduced Cliff's Variety's Terry Asten Bennett, who used an oversized pair of scissors to clip a bright orange ribbon stretched down the sidewalk under the marquee.

I'm not a big fan of rock memoirs they're the most predictable, name-droppy, sub-literature experiences. The Royal We certainly isn't name-droppy Bottum doesn't even use the surnames of his bandmates. And while he outlines the group's origins and early development, this takes a back seat to his youth escapades in San Francisco, before the internet, before that city got ruined.

Tis the season to be merry and gay! Naughty fun is guaranteed in this adult-themed holiday variety show filled with iconic guests like Peaches Christ, comedian Evan Mills, Adore Delano from RuPaul's Drag Race, and Sasha Allen from The Voice. Holiday Gaiety Monday, December 17, 2025 | 7:30p Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave., SF Get Tickets Starts at $39 (while supplies last) This program includes mature content.

Pinky Midili is a stuffed animal-collecting, heavy metal-loving, tutu-wearing, self-proclaimed "biker rock star." Born Ronald Albert Midili, Pinky got his nickname from a pink one-piece tutu that he's often seen wearing around the neighborhood. He spent the last six years living in Arizona and traveling coast-to-coast in a "big" RV. Now, he lives at Jazzie's Place, a shelter in the Mission District for LGBTQ+ people.

Whether this is your annual tradition or your very first time, this is a very silly, very San Francisco way to bring in the holidays. On the day of the event, make sure to come early to check out Santa's Village. Then stay after the course for the award ceremony, skivvies runway, and drag show. We'll provide changing booths, clothing checks, glam stations, and plenty of selfie ops.

She found herself imagining what it would be like to confront the businesses and homeowners displaying Prop 8 signs. "I would want to go up to the front door and just sort of present myself and say, 'This is my face. I'm gay and I love my soon-to-be wife. And why do you think it's not OK for us to have the same rights that you do?'"

In the late '80s, two MCC San Francisco ministers wrote an article called "We Are the Church Alive, the Church with AIDS." We wanted to know how a gay/lesbian church came to call itself "a church with AIDS." The answers lie in the years before our audio archive begins. So we started asking people. We explore two stories in what's likely a more complicated shift.

As the Bay Area Reporter writes, Jazzie's Place, which is located at 1050 South Van Ness Avenue and run by Mission Action, was awarded the grant in April by the Board of Supervisors through the city's Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, despite the agency reportedly receiving a $170 million cut this year. Per BAR, the project was completed, and the shelter re-opened its doors on October 1.

Honoring Our Queer Elders is a curated exhibition of legacy videos comprised of oral histories from a diverse group of LGBTQIA+ elders living in the Bay Area, including San Francisco Bay Times columnist Dr. Marcy Adelman and former Bay Times columnist Kathleen Archambeau, as well as Pam David and former State Senator Mark Leno, who have contributed to the paper.

Our joy is protest. Our presence is power. This Filipino American History Month, we make history with the first ever SOMA Pilipinas Pride: MAKIBEKI, happening this Sunday, October 12, 12-5PM at @ybca. Rooted in makibaka (to struggle, to defy), makibeki reclaims space for queer and trans Filipinxs to gather, celebrate, and resist through love, visibility, and creativity. 💛 What to Expect: * Unity Rally at Jessie Square featuring special guests Councilwoman Juslyn Manalo and Directress Honey Mahogany

With co-producer Olga Talamante, the San Francisco Bay Times will present the inaugural Honoring LGBTQ+ Bay Area Latine Leaders on October 24, 2025, from 6 pm-8:30 pm in the Mission District. Talamante will co-emcee the event with The Ven. Miguel Bustos. Both are legendary leaders in their own right whose LGBTQ+ activism has made a significant positive impact, not only here in the San Francisco Bay Area, but also internationally.

I got a letter from the Turk X Taylor Initiative inviting members of the community to sign on to support their mission. They are a collective driven by architects, designers, artists, and activists ['researching material to collaboratively envision a speculative design proposal that decarcerates the Turk and Taylor historic building and its vacant storefront to resurface its legacy of resistance'].

Anne Sterling Dorman, a Consulting Chief Financial Officer for venture capital backed start-up companies in Silicon Valley and beyond, died on July 19, 2025, just three months after the passing of her wife, Annette Tracy. Dorman for many years had suffered from primary progressive aphasia. Before her illness, she was a regular guest at "Betty's List" events. Both she and her wife, who shared a home in the Castro, were supporters of the San Francisco Bay Times.