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David Cameron Strachan’s ‘Memoir of a Reluctant Giant’
David Strachan is perhaps best known as a member of the Board of Directors of the Intersex Society of North America or as a founding member of the SF Transgender Civil Rights Implementation Force. His new memoir tells the story of his fascinating life.
Pansy Division: Groundbreaking queercore band plays its 1000th show at Bottom of the Hill
Pansy Division has been charming us with songs like “Fem in a Black Leather Jacket,” “James Bondage” and “That’s So Gay” since 1991. The band has planned a homecoming for their thousandth concert and they’re happy to be coming home to where it all began.
Pop music and AIDS: The good, the bad and the silent in a long overdue history
Astonishingly, Matthew J. Jones "How to Make Music in an Epidemic: Popular Music Making During the AIDS Crisis, 1981–1996" is the first academic book on pop music's response to AIDS before effective AIDS drugs.
In through the out door with David Bowie - Sexuality and sexual culture from "Hunky Dory" to "Let's Dance"
David Bowie exploded on the scene in 1972 and it caught the world off guard. But his glam rock influences can be traced to multiple artists including Jayne County, Tony Zanetta, Leee Black Childers and Cherry Vanilla. His 'gay' affairs soonmade headlines.
Top of the pops: Fall Arts Preview in pop, rock and more music 2024
San Francisco band Sly and the Family Stone sang about "Hot Fun in the Summertime" in the 1960s, but those of us who have been here for a while we know that the real hot music comes to the Bay Area in the fall.
Besties Nightlife 2024: Oasis, Disco Daddy and more winning nightclubs, bars and events
Whether you're up for a show, down to get dirty or just need a good stiff drink, our readers who voted in our annual Best of the Bay survey have recommendations for you as to where is the best places to go.
Besties Nightlife People 2024: DJs, comics, queens and kings
We've got Bestie-winning comedians, performers, DJs, dancers and photographers. What an impressive roster. Congratulations to all of our winners, to the runners-up and to the community for participating in choosing them.
'Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution' - PBS documentary dances and dishes
With "Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution" PBS provides a vibrant three-part documentary on the history of disco that is entertaining, thoughtful and at times poignant.
Remembering Gina LaDivina: Trailblazer, performer and local trans icon
When Gina LaDivina performed "Don't Rain on My Parade" at the opening of the Stud on April 20 I had little idea it would be the last time I would see her perform. The longtime drag artist died on June 4 after a brief illness.
The Stud's return: historic bar's triumphant third time's a charm
The Stud bar's fascinating history, going back to 1966, is matched by its festive reopening on April 20 at a new SoMa location, where many longtime patrons celebrated its multiple eras.
AsiaSF's grand finale: popular nightclub/restaurant to close after 26 years
AsiaSF, the visionary transgender cabaret spot which has called 201 9th Street home for 26 years, is leaving its permanent location to continue as a pop-up performance troupe, with performances at 9th St. continuing through its last shows on April 23.
Turned-on town: Damon Scott's 'The City Aroused: Queer Places and Urban Development in Postwar San Francisco'
"The City Aroused: Queer Places and Urban Development in Postwar San Francisco" is the perfect introduction to a tale of maritime workers, labor unions and the building of a sexual subculture that has its roots in the city before World War II.
Finding David Bowie's queer roots
David Bowie introduced alternative sexuality and caught people's attention before many knew about Stonewall. But where and when did his exposure to queer culture happen? Two recent books explore the gay London music scene of the 1960s and '70s.
'The Bars Are Ours' – Celebrating the spirit of bars and community spaces
Lucas Hilderbrand seeks to redress the notion that in the early days, queer culture only happened at places like The Black Cat in North Beach and the Stonewall Bar in New York by introducing us to bars throughout the country.
JD Doyle's '1981: My Gay American Road Trip'
"1981: My Gay American Road Trip," a journal of music and queer culture historian JD Doyle's cross-country trip to 29 cities in 24 states, shares a bounty of stories from our collective past, including San Francisco's pre-AIDS heyday.
Drag queens & DJs & drinks, oh my! Besties nightlife venues & events for 2023
Yes, some bars have closed, but more nightclubs and bars have recently opened than in years past, despite the pandemic. This includes winners and runners-up, many in Oakland. Celebrate them all by going out.
Gogos & other great talents: Besties nightlife talents for 2023
From your favorite DJs to drag performers of all kinds, you, our readers, selected their favorite people in nightlife. Live bands, bartenders, gogo dancers and more talented folks get a nod for 2023.
'The War On Disco' – PBS documentary recalls Disco Demolition Night
What cultural conditions lead to a rock shock jock blowing up disco records and starting a riot at a ballpark? "The War on Disco," the PBS documentary, seeks an answer regarding the "Disco Demolition" at Comiskey Park in Chicago in 1979.
'P.S. Burn This Letter Please' – fascinating '50s New York drag scene told in new book
The discovery of a series of letters addressed to someone named Reno Martin from a writer using the name Daphne talking about drag in New York in the 1950s has led to a fascinating documentary and now a book by Craig Olsen.
The Brave Bull: Modesto bar's still kickin' at nearly 50
The Brave Bull opened on Modesto's South 9th Street in 1973, and became a gay bar a year later. At almost 50, it's been the home of drag shows since the '70s, where local and visiting patrons enjoy its inclusive appeal.