Author: David Hyman

Bob Goldfarb was invited to join a panel called “Lavender Talks: The State Of San Francisco’s LGBTQ Cultural Districts” at the Commonwealth Club, on May 28, 2020.

The program explored the status of San Francisco’s LGBTQ cultural districts. How and why did they come into being? How are they used today? What’s next? It featured leaders from the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District, the Transgender District, the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District, and the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development.

The program was produced in association with San Francisco Pride, and made possible by the generous support of Comcast.

Here is the video:

On Saturday, May 9, 2020, the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District celebrated its second anniversary, joining with others in the Bay Area’s queer, leather and kink communities for an online celebration called BALL Gag.  The event featured live and silent auctions of dozens of leather-themed items, emceed by Lenny Broberg, plus performances from Midori, Justin Hall, Danny Nyugen, Sadie Payne, Star D. Love, Shay Tiziano, and Eye Zen Presents.

The BALL Gag event also included three exciting contests,  for Best Beverage, Best Outfit, & Best Pastry, sponsored by the Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District in celebration of its 2nd anniversary!

Contest 1:
Prepare a special beverage for yourself.  It can be hard or soft, hot or cold, served in a crystal goblet or a dog dish.  Make a short video showing you presenting the beverage, describing it, and sampling it.  

Contest 2:
Dress up for the event. Your outfit can be an amusing costume or just sexy gear.  Make a short video of you describing and modeling it.

Contest 3:
Prepare a birthday cake, cupcake or any other pastry or dessert.  Make a short video of you presenting your pastry, describing it, and sampling it.

Contest Results:

The coveted “LCD Award for Best Beverage” went to Patty,  IMsL 2014 and the beverage “Cherry Wood Smoked Chocolate Martini”.

• • • • In a shaker with some ice mix equal parts white creme de cacao and vanilla vodka.
      • On a surface that can handle fire (such as a marble slab), gather a small pile of cherry wood chips.
      • Using a kitchen torch or another butane source (such as a cigar lighter), set the cherry wood chips on fire then extinguish the flames by placing an overturned martini glass over them capturing the smoke.- 
      • Once filled with the smoke, flip the glass over and quickly pour the cocktail in the glass.
      • Ideally you place some flat over the top of the glass (like a plate) and trap the remaining smoke in with the liquid to better infuse the drink (I did not do this step in the video for the sake of time).
      • When it looks like the smoke has been absorbed into the drink, garnish with the chocolate of your choice and enjoy!

The winner of the coveted “LCD Award for Best Outfit” was Purple Anon and her Diamond Rope Harness.

The much-lusted after “LCD Award for Best Pastry ” went to Bob Goldfarb for his concoction, the De-floured Chocolate Cake.

Defloured Chocolate Cake
(Modified from David Lebovitz, Ready for Dessert)
Makes one 9-inch (23-cm) cake; 10 to 12 servings

• • • • Cocoa powder, for preparing the pan
      • 10 ounces (280 g) 70% chocolate (e.g. Valrhona Guanaja), chopped
      • 3/4 cup (6 ounces/173 g) salted butter (e.g. Lurpak or Plugra), cut into pieces
      • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (e.g. Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla)
      • 6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
      • 1/2 cup (100 g) plus 2 tablespoons (30 g) granulated sugar
      • 2 tablespoons (20 g) cocoa nibs (optional)
      • confectioners’ sugar, for dusting the cake (optional)
      • Mini Handcuffs, 2”x3” Leather Pride flag, Mini Leather jacket, Mini aluminum butt plug, and slivers of a LGBTQ Pride flag sticker for decoration!

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C).  Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch (23-cm) spring-form pan, dust it with a bit of cocoa powder, and tap out any excess.
   2. Place the chocolate, butter and espresso in a large heatproof bowl.  Set over a small saucepan of simmering water and using a spatula, stir until the chocolate and butter has melted and the mixture is smooth.  Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the vanilla; set aside.
   3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg yolks and the 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and creamy, about 1 minute.
   4. Place the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl and using a hand-held electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites on low speed until they begin to hold their shape.  Add the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 g) granulated sugar and whisk on high speed until the whites hold soft peaks.
   5. Fold the beaten egg yolks into the melted chocolate mixture, then fold in half of the whipped egg whites.  Fold in the remaining whites, folding just until there are no visible streaks of egg whites. Don’t overfold.
   6. Pour the batter into the prepared spring-form pan, sprinkle with cocoa nibs (if using), and bake until the cake feels as though it’s just barely set in the center, about 25 – 30 minutes. (It shouldn’t feel too firm.)  Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
   7. Run a knife around the sides of the cake to help loosen it from the pan. Release the sides of the pan and dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar (if using).
   8. Slide the cake onto a cake plate.
   9. Place decorative items on top, serve.

Congratulations to you, and thanks to all the contestants who mixed, dressed or baked, and to everyone who watched, voted, and donated during BALL Gag.  And Happy Birthday to the LCD!

The LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District is pleased to present another edition of our bi-weekly online event for persons 18+ only:

An Erotic Storytelling Hour!
Come hear some erotic, sexy, and funny stories and more
from selected writers of our community!

Tuesday, July 7, 2020, from 8 to 9 p.m.
Join via Zoom
or call +1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
and enter Meeting ID: 856 5465 2578 and Password: 007266
(Find your local number here.)

Have you done some erotic writing?  A memoir, a fantasy, a poem, a short story, a blog entry?  If you would like to read it to an appreciative audience from the comfort and privacy of your home, here’s your chance!  Please contact manager@sflcd.org to sign up!

If you enjoy listening, please donate to
Bay Area Leather Lifeline: https://ball.leatheralliance.org/,
or the SF Queer NightLife Fund: https://sfqueernightlifefund.org/.

And don’t forget to become a member of the Cultural District: https://join.sflcd.org 

For over three years, SF Catalyst has provided a social and educational space to the SF bay area kink community. Now, SF Catalyst has taken a leap of faith and signed a lease, expanding Catalyst into the rest of the property located behind the existing play space.

This will allow easy wheelchair access to the main space, expand maximum capacity, create additional event space, and provide a secure outdoor area. Once permitted to reopen, SF Catalyst will be able to provide the community with options to hold two or more events simultaneously and to provide meeting space for more smaller groups than it can currently accommodate. They will also be able to host cigar socials and other outdoor community activities.

As an entirely volunteer-run venue, operating as part of the non-profit SF Bay Area Leather Alliance, Catalyst will need the community’s support to make it happen, and ijdeed to survive through the difficult times we are now in.

You can help make sure that SF Catalyst is there for us then, by making a monthly donation now, through their Patreon campaign.  For full info and to make your donations, please visit www.patreon.com/sfcatalyst.

For more info about SF Catalyst, visit www.sfcatalyst.org.