A celebration of life will be held on Halloween for Jerry Berbiar, a gay man better known to many in the San Francisco LGBTQ community as Jerry the Faerie. Mr. Berbiar died August 5 after suffering a heart attack at a hospital. He was 69.
Mr. Berbiar was long a fixture in the Radical Faeries, a non-assimilationist gay men's spirit/culture exploration group that started in 1979.
He was also involved in the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club and a volunteer at Bound Together Bookstore, an anarchist co-operative in the Haight.
Joey Cain, a gay man who was a longtime friend and caregiver for Mr. Berbiar, announced that the October 31 celebration, titled "Flight of Faeries: A Jerry the Faerie Halloween Celebration and Memorial," will be held at the San Francisco Columbarium, 1 Lorraine Court, in San Francisco. Doors open at noon, a Circle will be held at 12:30 p.m., followed by a reception from 2 to 4. Costumes welcomed.
A link to the Columbarium's memorial page for Mr. Berbiar is here, where people can upload photos and share memories.
To RSVP, email Cain at [email protected]
The memorial will be livestreamed on Zoom.
To read the Bay Area Reporter's obituary, click here.
Updated, 10/28/24: This article has been updated with a link for the livestream.
Never miss a story! Keep up to date on the latest news, arts, politics, entertainment, and nightlife.
Sign up for the Bay Area Reporter's free weekday email newsletter. You'll receive our newsletters and special offers from our community partners.
Support California's largest LGBTQ newsroom. Your one-time, monthly, or annual contribution advocates for LGBTQ communities. Amplify a trusted voice providing news, information, and cultural coverage to all members of our community, regardless of their ability to pay -- Donate today!