The Transgender Law Center (TLC) celebrated seven years of service last Thursday with a splashy party, not at an upscale hotel, but at the warm and welcoming End Up. The oversold VIP reception featured special guest Chaz Bono in his first official San Francisco appearance. Emcees Tita Aida and Margaret Cho welcomed an extraordinary crowd that packed the inside bar, jammed the back room's extensive buffet, and spilled out onto the patio.
Politics were in the air represented by elected officials Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, Supervisors Carmen Chu and David Campos , Treasurer Jose Cisneros and announced candidates for supervisorial races Laura Spanjian, Rebecca Prozan , Scott Wiener, and Debra Walker. Among the presentations of well-deserved awards to Cecilia Chung , Jamison Green, and others were eye-catching performances by The Rice Rockettes, Lipstick Conspiracy , and Monistat and a beautiful musical set by Josh Klipp . We were delighted to see so many allies of TLC in attendance, including new Executive Director of the SF Human Rights Commission Theresa Sparks, Juanita More! , Allison Laureano , Jack Ryder, Martin Rawlings-Fein, Geoff Kors & James Williamson , Michael Daniels , Vicky Kolakowski and the B.A.R.'s own Cynthia Laird .
The elegant Four Seasons Hotel hosted the 10th annual San Francisco Gala of the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) last Friday. The outer room was filled with celebrity-affiliated silent auction items, and the ballroom sparkled with huge white orchid centerpieces and twin video screens which were used throughout the evening. The crowd inside certainly included those people often called the "A-Gays," but also a generous component of our straight allies, including Kenneth Cole of shoe fame, Paul Pelosi , Denise Hale, Beth Townsend, Vanessa Getty, and Joy Venturini Bianchi . At our table, Mark Calvano and Joel Goodrich made one of the most generous live auction bids of the evening. Our real impetus for attending, however, was to join in honoring a long-time friend, Peter Poulos, who ran a special events company when he lived here and generously supported many of the early AIDS organizations, particularly amfAR. He was introduced on stage by fellow Greek and former Mayor of San Francisco Art Agnos , who lovingly detailed Peter's commitment to the cause and hilariously called him the hardest working Gay Greek since Alexander the Great! Rex Lee of the television show Entourage served as host, and emcee and supermodel Maggie Rizer shared a very personal story of her own father's struggle with AIDS. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were raised, and hope was rekindled during a truly special evening.
Saturday evening we joined a throng of dedicated dance aficionados at Hotel Whitcomb for California Dreaming DanceSport Festival, an all-day celebration of same-sex ballroom dancing. Although this event has been held in Oakland for years, the move across the Bay to San Francisco, envisioned by Producer Jeff Chandler, increased attendance several fold. Workshops and competitive events went on all day, but the evening session, which we enjoyed, included all kinds of dance demonstrations by extremely talented same-sex couples, finishing with the winning couple from this summer's Dancing with the Drag Stars, Jesus Ortiz and Garza Peru . The incredibly enthusiastic crowd included Sean Ray, Jorge Hernandez , Ron Jenkins, Steve Valdez, Wade Crosson, Ken Henderson , Ruby Tourk, Lord Martine, Richard Sablatura, and Zac Berlik . At the afterparty later at Trigger, we caught up with our co-host of Dancing with the Drag Stars, Patrik Gallineaux, and popular Atlantis cruise comedian Shann Carr, visiting from Palm Springs.
Finally, at Sunday's a Drag this weekend, we were thrilled to greet a celebrity guest in the audience for the second show, Val Diamond. Now in our fourth year of providing two shows every Sunday, we are always particularly pleased when fellow performers and San Francisco legends spend the afternoon with us.
Tonight, Nov. 12, we congratulate the Reverend Cecil Williams on 45 years of ministry at Glide Memorial Church with a gala benefit at the War Memorial Opera House, featuring Maya Angelou, Rita Moreno , David Gockley, and a profusion of dance and choral ensembles. Please consider supporting this celebration for a true San Francisco icon who has given hope to so many over the years.
With the recent cancellation of the Mr. and Miss Gay Pageant and of Rue McClanahan's personal appearance at the Castro Theatre, this weekend has really opened up. Take this chance to catch your breath, support your favorite restaurant or club, and on Sunday, enjoy the Eagle Tavern Beer Bust from 3-6 p.m., where Leather Daddys' boys Carl Anderson, Angle , and Mikey Shirts will be collecting toys for Mama's Toy Drive and raising money for Sunburst Projects summer camp for HIV/AIDS children.
The following week, AIDS Emergency Fund invites you to eat out on Wed., Nov. 18, at their annual Dine Around, when restaurants donate a portion of every bill to charity. On Thursday, DIFFA's Dining by Design at the Galleria Design Center promises delectable dinners in sumptuous settings. On Friday, the Reigning Emperor Paul Maka Poole and Empress Angelina Josephina Manicotti invite you to Back to Our Roots, a musical cabaret at The Purple Onion, featuring Irene Soderberg , Founder of the Court System Jose Sarria , Bebe Sweetbriar , Brian Benamati , and other singing members of the local Imperial Court. And Sat., Nov. 21, is the memorial service for our own Marcus Hernandez at City Lights starting at 1 p.m., and a Cheer SF drag show benefit at Trigger at 6 p.m., followed by Sunday's FRESH at Ruby Skye with DJ Kimberly S. Aren't you glad you had the weekend before to rest up?