The country's first public park named after a leather community leader will have its latest design review meeting Monday morning. But plans for the South of Market neighborhood site are moving forward with artistic fencing that has more subtle nods to the LGBTQ community rather than a design that would have been a more forceful depiction of queer and transgender individuals.
As the Bay Area Reporter first reported last summer, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission elected to call the planned greenspace at Natoma and 11th streets Rachele Sullivan Park. A beloved leatherwoman and cis straight ally, Sullivan was a native San Franciscan and traditional Filipino healer who died in 2022 at the age of 54.
While the SOMA park space falls outside the boundaries of the Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District, whose establishment in 2018 Sullivan had advocated for, many leather and LGBTQ community members, along with Sullivan's friends and family, had pushed to see her be honored with the park naming. Last September, they also had gathered to dedicate a special heart-shaped plaque for Sullivan at the leather-themed Eagle Plaza.
The public parklet, whose creation by the city Sullivan had also supported, is on a stretch of 12th Street and celebrates the local leather scene. It is named after the adjacent gay-owned bar that caters to a leather and LGBTQ clientele, and Sullivan's unique marker can be found near the entrance to the Eagle's backyard patio where it holds its Sunday beer busts.
The parklet is a short walk away from the new park site that is nearly half an acre in size and will replace several warehouse structures. Among its proposed features are a garden area, adult fitness area, half basketball court, and a play area and nature exploration zone for children.
It is also to have several dog relief areas, drinking fountain, and seating for park users. The main entrance will be from 11th Street, while a second entryway is proposed from Natoma Street.
Last fall, as the B.A.R. had noted, the city's arts commission was reviewing three options for a series of panels to be affixed to park's perimeter fence along 11th Street between Minna and Natoma streets. One concept, by queer muralist Juan Manuel Carmona, would have featured images of leather people and members of the drag nun philanthropic group the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
The Sisters are fixtures of the city's two leather and kink street fairs produced by nonprofit Folsom Street, on whose board Sullivan had served. LGBTQ SOMA leaders had pushed to see Carmona's "SF Love" concept be selected.
But in December the oversight body for public artwork in the city opted to instead go with artist Jenifer Wofford's proposal dubbed "Natomarama." The series of yellow panels feature naturalistic scenes evoking what the area looked like prior to being developed, with trees and views of San Francisco Bay.
According to a description of Wofford's concept, a kite to be featured on the fencing will be "emblazoned with manufacturer's leather symbol as a subtle nod to SOMA's leather community." The mango and gingko trees it will depict were chosen for their "symbolic and mythological motifs in Philippines, Asian, queer, and trans communities," per city reports about the park site and its planned design.
Gingko trees have caught the eye of queer ecologists, as explained in this YouTube video, due to their ability to change their sex. Mangoes, whose flowers can be hermaphroditic, also have been adopted by LGBTQ people as a queer reference and show up in the names of everything from a long-running San Francisco dance party for queer women to service providers focused on Asian and Pacific Islander LGBTQ individuals.
"As for Wofford's approved conceptual proposal, the artist is now refining her design and intends to engage community members in one or two workshops to receive input on the cultural symbols represented in her current design. We will share more details once they are available," noted the Rec and Park Department in mid-December.
Bob Goldfarb, a gay man who is executive director of the Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District, expressed disappointment in Carmona's fencing proposal not being picked. But, overall, he told the B.A.R. that he has only heard positive reactions to the larger design plan for the park.
"Naturally, we are very disappointed that the LGBTQ-themed design was not chosen, and we are delighted that the park was named after Rachele," said Goldfarb. "The decision has been made on the artwork for the fence; that ship has sailed."
He doesn't plan to speak at Monday's San Francisco Arts Commission's Civic Design Review meeting. It will begin at 11 a.m. in Room 416 at City Hall.
"We are, of course, delighted to have a new park in SOMA since there is such limited greenspace," said Goldfarb. "We think it is a good addition to the neighborhood."
The park project has a $12,775,000 price tag, with construction of Rachele Sullivan Park alone pegged at $5 million. Work could begin as early as this summer.
For more information about today's meeting, and to watch it online, click here.
Keep abreast of the latest LGBTQ political news by following the Political Notebook on Threads @ https://www.threads.net/@matthewbajko and on Bluesky @ https://bsky.app/profile/politicalnotes.bsky.social.
Got a tip on LGBTQ politics? Call Matthew S. Bajko at (415) 829-8836 or email [email protected]
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!
