January is as close to winter as San Francisco gets, a month of cold and rain with few major events to tempt you to venture outdoors. You can, however, San Francisco, take advantage of a little down time by bundling up and checking out some of the city’s gayest indoor destinations.
Check 'em out after the jump.
Visit the SF LGBT Community Center at 1800 Market St., where many local organizations maintain offices (including SF Pride Parade & Celebration and the SF Gay Men’s Chorus) where the bulletin boards bulge with information (social, business, spiritual, romantic, etc.). This is the only major LGBT center in the country built from the ground up with dollars from generous individuals and businesses alike, creatively merging an existing Victorian with modern architecture. One glance at their calendar and you’ll know that there is something there for everyone, including career counseling, job fairs, computer lab, social activities, mentorships, youth meals, daycare, various workshops and much more.
The nearby Castro neighborhood is always welcoming, steeped in LGBT history and alive with current activity. No other city in America has this unique concentration of bars, restaurants, businesses and homes, largely populated by our Community and recently enhanced by plantings and outdoor seating. Dine elegantly or casually, shop top of the line or bargain, trim a little off the top or indulge yourself, find the usual rainbow logos or the shockingly unexpected, but whatever you do, stroll slowly, because the sights and sounds are all around you. Imagine, at last count, there are 18 gay bars within this area, each with a different ambiance and clientele, but each with smiling bartenders ready to serve you. The hours will fly by!
Krewe de Kinque, the local club modeled after the historic New Orleans tradition, kicks off the season Feb. 6, 2010 with Bal Masque VII, a Mardi Gras celebration complete with costumes, celebrity grand marshal, carefully rehearsed presentations, music, and food, all reflecting this year’s theme of Time Warp 2010!. Hotel Whitcomb, 1231 Market St., provides the convenient location and elegant ballroom. This group always hosts incredible events, bringing colorful Creole traditions to the Bay Area while raising money for worthy, non-profit charities. This year it’s the AIDS/Breast Cancer Emergency Fund. Laissez les bon temps roulez! (Let the good times roll!)
What better way to celebrate Valentines’ Day than by joining Equality California on Feb.13, 2010 under the dome of City Hall where the modern same-gender marriage fight really took off, thanks to our Mayor Gavin Newsom, City Attorney Dennis Herrera and many others. This annual gala includes cocktails, dinner, silent auction, awards and special speakers, not to mention one of the most elegantly dressed guest list. Last year’s emcee was the hilarious Wanda Sykes and she let us have it! This year’s honorees include Sam and Julia Thoron, longtime national advocates for PFLAG, and Carlos Moreno, associate justice of the California Supreme Court. So grab your honey, married or not, and support Equality California in this incredible, historical setting.
And rounding out the month on Feb. 28, 2010 is Imperial Coronation at the Gift Center Pavilion, 888 Brannan St., when Reigning Emperor Paul Maka Poole and Empress Angelina Josephina Manicotti step down and the new Emperor and Empress of San Francisco, yet to be determined, are crowned. This lavish five-hour extravaganza, titled When You Wish Upon a Star… Celebrating 45 Years of Tradition, begins promptly at 6 p.m. and includes spectacular musical production numbers, elaborate costumes, stunning jewelry and regal pageantry, all with an element of camp thrown in. The International Court System spans more than 70 chapters in Canada, Mexico and the United States and is the second largest LGBT organization in the world. Dignitaries from across the continent attend, local elected officials often pay their regards, and everyone is in their finest attire and on their best behavior. If there were ever a time to dress up, this is it!
Start off March at the long-running theatrical dinner experience Teatro Zinzanni under an elaborate circus tent at Pier 29 along the waterfront. During a sumptuous evening of cocktails and a four-course gourmet meal, you are periodically entertained by roving jugglers, mesmerizing acrobats, and lively musicians, who often pull audience members into the action. Thursday, March 4 is LGBTZ Night, featuring international recording artist Thelma Houston (Don’t Leave Me This Way!) in the Hearts on Fire production, hosted by local drag personality Donna Sachet and including a raffle with proceeds going to a local LGBT charity.
Move over Hollywood! Since 1980, San Francisco has the best way to celebrate the Oscars at The Academy of Friends’ (AOF) glamorous party at the Ft. Mason Festival Pavilion Sunday, March 7. This gala always includes a stunning array of lounges, bars, restaurants, silent auction, raffle drawings and live entertainment, in addition to multiple large screen simulcasts of the awards ceremony and thousands of well-heeled guests. Cheer for Penelope or Meryl, Colin or George, Precious or Avatar! Even if the awards ceremony itself isn’t your cup of tea, you’ve never seen a more beautiful, friendly, lively LGBT assemblage. The money raised by the AOF over 29 years has been distributed to worthy LGBT organizations throughout the Bay Area.
So, don’t let a little unpleasant weather hold you back! 2010 holds limitless possibilities for the LGBT Community and there’s no better place to participate in our diverse, engaged, hopeful family than in San Francisco.
