Queer giving
SF LGBT Center’s annual gala radiates resilience
The soirée on 4/20 raised $360,000; Hosted by Sister Roma and Honey Mahogany with an after party setlist by Juanita More.
April 20th is the day everything happened in San Francisco. We celebrated 4/20. The Stud reopened. BART retired its legacy trains, there was a naked bike ride, and oh yes: The SF LGBT Center hosted its annual gala, raising $360,000 in support of queer causes.
Here is an invite that felt impossible to get, in second place only to the San Francisco Opera. SF LGBT Center forgot my name for last year’s after party and declined a media seat for this year’s dinner, which then sold out. Luckily, Daddy pulled through, and I arrived promptly in a poofy pink gown and an even bigger smile. I wanted to hate this soirée given the circumstances, but admittedly: They showed us a pretty good time.
Plus it was at the Metreon, so no problem if the party actually sucked — Lots of movies, Target, and ice skating just downstairs. The theme this year drew heavily from Barbie, because life in plastic is fantastic, and like Elle Woods warned us in 2001: “Whoever said orange was the new pink was seriously disturbed.”
The San Francisco LGBT Center is a nonprofit organization that provides a wide range of services and support to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community in San Francisco. Their annual event makes my bucket list as an out-and-proud gay man, and Soirée had a few distinctive features that set it apart from your typical gala: An amazing drag show, family-style eating, and a hilarious auctioneer.
Dinner fundraiser Michael Tate served cut-a-bitch realness that had me rolling — He literally said “shut up” to D’Arcy Drollinger.
“Why you gotta get up in my business like that? You’re the drag laureate, not the auctioneer, dear,” Tate said teasingly. Drollinger’s the nicest queen in San Francisco, so to me that’s like mouthing off to drag Mother Teresa.
Dinner’s most poignant remarks came from Executive Directer Rebecca Rolfe, who said, “We have forged hard-won resilience when we fought against the laws that criminalized our love for each other; in the AIDS epidemic, when we came together creating community to fight for the lives and the dignity of all those in our found and created families; when we survived bullying, harassment, and violence because we were too queer, too feminine, too butch, too sparkly.”
Then on the flip-side: The most-cringe award easily goes to a silent donation round that felt a tad like a hostage situation. At about $8,000 shy from their $50,000 goal, hosts began going table to table.
“I have a keen sense of finding rich people,” said Sister Roma. “This table’s got money!” They reached their goal in another 10 minutes.
Juanita More alongside Mr. David really brought the after party — And I’m not just saying that. Electric shows by Ehra Amaya, Raya Light, and Bettyie Jane served up all the sequins, costumes, and dance moves. I am not a die-hard drag lover, so believe me when I say these performances surprised me in the best way.
Many cleared out while a new crowd filled in. Public figures like Supervisors Rafael Mandelman, Hillary Ronen, Aaron Peskin and Ahsha Safaí presumably moved on to The Stud opening or perhaps some sleep. Having done the party circuit hard in April, I’m floored by the stamina these people have alongside Juanita, Roma, Gary Virginia, Donna Sachet and Drollinger, who all give the illusion of being everywhere all the time.
“We are lucky to live in a place where we can be our authentic selves,” Drollinger said during the after party, adding later that we are “assholes” if we don’t do that.
Who knows if I’ll come back to this party, but I’ll say the vibe at Soirée feels welcoming. I caught up with several I worked with on a queer prom with Peaches Christ last year, and many others who celebrate me from afar online — giving me a chance to praise them in return. This was not a crowd that felt cliquey or exclusive, and I loved sharing laughs and dances with attendees.
So many of us share struggles, resilience, and breakthroughs in the LGBTQ+ community. I wear the most audaciously loud couture at every event while being my most authentic, gayest self — and I never feel more at home doing so than when I’m in a room of my peers.
Saul Sugarman is editor in chief of The Bold Italic.
The Bold Italic is a non-profit media organization that’s brought to you by GrowSF, and we publish first-person perspectives about San Francisco and the Bay Area. Donate to us today.
Thank you
I’m grateful to Sister Roma and Honey Mahogany for facilitating some pre-gala conversations. Roma had this to say in a phone call:
“I’ve been to events at the center many times and bumped into people outside on the street who are literally new in town, queer and don’t know where to go. They come to the center, and it’s a starting point and learn about all the different resources that the center has to offer. I think it’s fabulous for all the things they have established for our community. For me it’s the outreach to newcomers who would otherwise be lost without the LGBT Center to use as a resource to start their lives here.”
SF LGBT Center Soirée 2024 party details
- Music by LadyRyan
- Hosted at City View at the Metreon, 135 4th St., San Francisco, CA
- Sponsors include Amazon, Waymo, Cruise, PG&E, Genentech, Sutter Health, JP Morgan Chase & Co., and U.S. Bank
More photos from Soirée 2024
Photos by Saul Sugarman for The Bold Italic.
