The museum at San Francisco International Airport is showing several Pride-themed short films during June, and passengers can check them out while waiting for their flights or watch some of them online.
"Join us in celebrating Pride Month at SFO," a description on the SFO Museum website stated. The films are all 20 minutes or less and the website gives a brief synopsis.
"Unity Mosque" is a 2021 film by Nicole Teeny. It celebrates one of the world's first queer-affirming and gender-equal mosques in Toronto, Canada that was co-founded by Imam El-Farouk and his husband Troy.
"La Amante" ("The Mistress") (2020) is by Puerto Rican-born filmmaker Pati Cruz Martínez. The 2020 short is about Maritere (Tete), who receives a visit from an old friend during her husband's funeral that reawakens old feelings from the past.
In "Wishes" (2021), multi-disciplinary artist and filmmaker Amy K. Jenkins reveals the secret yearnings of a child for an alternate identity by tracing a decade of birthday wishes.
Finally, in "Queen Harold" (2019), London-based filmmaker Balan Evans reveals the fierce determination, resilience, and hope of the LGBTQ community in Sierra Leone, where homosexuality is illegal.
Timothy O'Brien, assistant director at SFO Museum, stated in an email that two of the films, "Unity Mosque" and "La Amante," have restrictions preventing them from being shown on the museum's website, though excerpts are available. The other two can be viewed online.
As the Bay Area Reporter has previously noted, SFO regularly shows short films on a rotating basis for free in the SFO Museum's Video Arts room, located in the pre-security area of the departures level in the International Terminal. The operating hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
For more information and to watch excerpts or the films, click here.
In related SFO news, the Harvey Milk Terminal 1 recently won the American Institute of Architects, San Francisco's People's Choice Award for projects over $10 million.
"Harvey Milk Terminal 1 set a new benchmark for the airport experience at SFO," stated airport director Ivar C. Satero in a May 4 news release. "This facility embodies the very best values of our region and celebrates the legacy of pioneering civil rights leader Harvey Milk. We are truly honored to receive the People's Choice Award from the American Institute of Architects, San Francisco. My thanks go out to the entire project team for this achievement."
The $2.4 billion Harvey Milk Terminal 1 project is comprised of four phases. The first phase opened in July 2019 with the nine departure gates, followed in April 2020 by nine additional gates, an exterior façade with Harvey Milk signage and a new ticket counter area. The third phase opened in May 2021 with the final seven departure gates, a new post-security connector to the International Terminal, a new museum gallery and a new display of exhibit content honoring the life and legacy of Harvey Milk.
The fourth and final phase of Harvey Milk Terminal 1, which will create a new North check-in lobby, was postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but has now resumed. Originally scheduled for completion in spring 2023, this final phase is now expected to be completed in spring 2024, the release stated, and will see two artworks inspired by Milk installed at the terminal.
Commonwealth Club Pride mixer
The Commonwealth Club of San Francisco is having its Pride mixer Friday, June 10, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at its offices, 110 The Embarcadero.
"Bay Lights Mixer: Be Bold, Loud and Prideful" will feature emcee MZ am Erika, founder of Fiestas Fridas; DJ Mike Biggz and DJ Rosa La Rumorosa; and drag entertainment by Haus of Moore Productions and many more throughout all four floors of the building, which looks out on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and its lights.
This is an in-person only program and COVID protocols will be followed. Tickets are $25 for members and $35 for non-members.
To purchase tickets and for more information, click here.
Author of gay DC history book at Commonwealth Club
James Kirchick, the author of the just-published "Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington" (Henry Holt and Company), will be at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco for a special free program Monday, June 13, at 6 p.m.
Kirchick used declassified documents, interviews with more than 100 people, and material unearthed from presidential libraries to tell the story of how homosexuality shaped presidential administrations starting with Franklin D. Roosevelt through the end of the 20th century. Cultural and political anxiety over gay people sparked a decades-long witch hunt, impacting everything from the rivalry between the CIA and the FBI to the ascent of Joseph McCarthy, the struggle for Black civil rights, and the rise of the conservative movement, a synopsis stated.
This program is free thanks to generous supporters of "The Michelle Meow Show" at the Commonwealth Club, officials stated. There are two types of tickets available: in-person and online-only. People can pre-register to receive a link to the livestream event.
Copies of the book will be available for sale at the in-person event and online.
COVID protocols are in place for the in-person event, which is at 110 The Embarcadero in San Francisco.
For more information and to register, click here.
Sisters to hold drag show at Alameda brewery
Almanac Beer Company in Alameda is having its Summerfest June 17-19 and has enlisted the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to spice up the weekend with a drag show for Pride Month.
A news release from Sister Tilda NextTime stated that the Sisters will be participating Saturday, June 18, from 2 to 5 p.m.; the drag show is at 3.
Other weekend activities include DJs, beer, and food. Almanac has recently released Beyond the Binary, a German-style dark lager brewed by trans and gender-nonconforming beer professionals in support of the National Center for Transgender Equality, the release stated.
The weekend is free to attend, no ticket needed, no entry fee, no reservations. All space is first come first serve, and food and drink are pay-as-you-go, the release stated.
Donations to the Sisters are welcomed and appreciated, and they all come back to the community, the release noted.
Almanac is located at 651 West Tower Avenue in Alameda.
For more information, check out the event's Facebook page.
Pride in Half Moon Bay
CoastPride will hold its second annual Pride celebration Saturday, June 18, from 2 to 6 p.m. at 785 Main Street in Half Moon Bay.
The theme is "Cool World, A Celebration of 1980s Music" and the event is being produced with Fancy Pants Costume. The new production will take attendees on a journey that is a reflection of the world — the war in Ukraine, and the survival, passion, and determination of the Ukrainian people, as well as loss, love, and hope of humans everywhere, a news release stated.
San Francisco artist Lubov, originally from Siberia, will open the show with a live painting demo that will continue throughout the afternoon and will be for sale at the end. There will also be a raffle with fun and exciting prizes.
Tickets are $30, with proceeds benefiting CoastPride. To purchase tickets, click here.
News is Out newsletter goes live
News is Out: A Queer Media Collaborative on June 7 launched its first newsletter highlighting the seven LGBTQ publications that are part of the project that's supported by a Google News Initiative Innovation Challenge.
The Bay Area Reporter is one of the seven LGBTQ outlets that make up the group.
The weekly newsletter includes exclusive pieces by the various publishers, as well as news stories from the different outlets and collaborative articles from the participating publications.
In addition to the B.A.R., the other media outlets in the initiative are Tagg, a national Black queer-owned magazine; the Dallas Voice, the premier media source for LGBTQ Texas; Philadelphia Gay News, a weekly LGBTQ newspaper; Q Voice News in Long Beach, California, an online publication; the Washington Blade in Washington, D.C., a weekly LGBTQ publication; and the Windy City Times in Chicago, an LGBTQ newspaper and website that covers Chicago and its suburbs.
The newsletter is free. The B.A.R. gets a small payment for each subscriber it signs up. To do so, click here.
Openhouse Intergenerational trans brunch
Openhouse, the LGBTQ senior housing agency, is partnering with several other nonprofits for the annual intergenerational trans brunch Friday, June 24, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Mission Dolores Park (19th and Dolores streets) in San Francisco.
This year the event has been renamed the Señora Felicia Flames Trans Intergenerational Brunch, in honor of Felicia "Flames" Elizondo, a longtime trans leader and AIDS survivor who died last May at the age of 74.
Joining Openhouse in sponsoring the brunch are the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, LYRIC, and the Trans March. (The annual Trans March and rally will take place later that same day.)
The event is centered on the trans and gender-nonconforming community, although all are welcome, according to Openhouse's newsletter announcement. There is no need to RSVP.
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