The late gay disco sensation Sylvester James will be honored by the city of San Francisco and the Board of Supervisors Friday, February 13 at 2 p.m. at the star's plaque on the Rainbow Honor Walk in the Castro.
Friday will be proclaimed "Mighty Real Day: Honoring Sylvester and his Music," according to a news release. The event coincides with a new musical, Mighty Real: A Fabulous Sylvester Musical" that plays through March 1 at Brava Theater.
In attendance at the ceremony will be the show's creators, Anthony Wayne and Kendrell Bowman, along with the New York cast, Anastacia McClesky, Jacqueline B. Arnold, DeAnne Steward, and Rahmel McDade, along with Brava Executive Director Anastacia Powers Cuellar and actress Sheryl Lee Ralph of the DIVA Foundation. Paul Boneberg, executive director of the GLBT Historical Society is also expected to be on hand.
Sylvester, as he was known, was a singer-songwriter who had a string of hit singles in the 1970s. He lived in the Castro and died in 1988 at the age of 41 from AIDS-related complications.
CUAV open house
Community United Against Violence will have an open house Thursday, February 19 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at its offices, 427 South Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco.
According to a news release, community members are invited to learn about the work CUAV is doing through its wellness services and community organizing. There will be refreshments and music. Oakland artist Adee Roberson, a black feminist, will be the open house artist.
For more information, visit www.cuav.org.
Help Tenderloin Tessie's clean house
Tenderloin Tessie, the nonprofit that holds holiday dinners for those in need, is seeking volunteers to help clean out its storage locker, reorganize it, and take an inventory. Board president Michael Gagne said the clean-up will take place Saturday, February 21 from noon to 4 p.m.
To sign up and receive the address information, email [email protected].
Educational conference on dementia and LGBTs
A conference aimed at increasing awareness of LGBT older adults with dementia will take place in San Francisco next week, with continuing education units available for registered nurses, certified nurse assistants, and others.
The conference, titled "Preparing for the Changing Horizon: Dementia Awareness and Caregiving for LGBT Older Adults from Diverse Communities," takes place Friday, February 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Milton Marks Conference Center in the lower level of the State Building, 455 Golden Gate Avenue. It will look at cultural beliefs and practices about dementia, early symptoms, and strategies for accessing and using LGBT-affirming resources in a variety of health care and social service settings.
Organizations sponsoring the conference include the UCSF Northern California Geriatric Center/Institute on Aging, Stanford Geriatric Center, Family Caregiver Alliance, Openhouse, the San Francisco Department of Aging and Adult Services, and the Alzheimer's Association.
Registration is $20 for the general public (without CEUs), $25 for CNAs (including CEUs), and $65 for RNs (including CEUs). To register, visit http://app.certain.com/profile/form/index.cfm?PKformID=0x19153538ef8