LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District

After serving the SF Bay Area community since 1986, the Golden Gate Guards “rolled up their banner” and dissolved the club at their 36th Anniversary Party at the SF Eagle on Saturday, November 19th.

The Guards’ board of directors decided that after 36 years of community service, fundraising for charities, and fellowship with the leather/Levi LGBTQIA community, it was best to retire the club and preserve its legacy as one of the longest active leather/Levi clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The event was catered by long-time Guards supporter Don Ramon’s, and guests received pins, t-shirts, mugs and other classic Guards memorabilia.

There were presentations to the now-emeritus members, personal stories of past events, an a solemn reading of the honor roll of Golden Gate Guards who have passed away.

As part of the process of shutting down the guards, all remaining assets will be divided between their 2022 beneficiaries, the San Francisco Leathermen’s Discussion Group and the LGBT Asylum Project, with additional funds going to Tenderloin Tessie Holiday Dinners.

The Guards’ website. is being transformed into a lasting archive of facts and photos from the Guards’ history.

The LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District is working with the Guards to help them to find suitable permanent archives for their documents, and will take over ownership of the flags, to continue the Guards tradition of providing honor guards for LeatherWalk and other parades and events.

The Cultural District will also be taking on the famous Golden Dildeaux Awards, preserving another important historic (and fun!) community tradition. Please watch for updates about the Awards next Spring.

Special kudos to Oscar Macias at DPH for coordinating these efforts with us. We are also grateful to BayPLS, Mission Wellness Pharmacy, the SF Eagle, AGUILAS, and the volunteers working line control for their participation in this effort, and are pleased and proud to have contributed to the community effort to control MPX.

LGBTQ health-related resources can be found here.

The Academy, a LGBTQ+ social club located in San Francisco’s Castro District, will be presenting its Legends Awards on November 12, and several leaders of our SOMA community will be honored.

The 2022 Legends Archive inductee will be Graylin K. Thornton, who will take his place in the pantheon of San Francisco LGBTQ+ Legends!

As part of the celebration, several other prestigious Community awards will also be presented:

• Diane Jones Solidarity Award: Race Bannon
• The Architect Award: J Manuel Carmona, Simón Malvaez, SERGE GAY JR., Elliott C Nathan, & Xtopher J. McCutcheon (the five incredible artists who created the “Showtime” mural at SF Oasis)
• The Exemplar Award: Kochina Rude

The event will be held at the Swedish American Hall, 2174 Market Street in San Francisco, starting at 6:30 pm on Saturday, November 12, 2022.  Find full information and make reservations to attend here.

Congratulations to all the award recipients, and we will see you on the twelfth!

Next month there will be a new event at Dolores Park by and for BIPOC & QTPOC community members and their allies.

It’s Takeover:  a BIPOC & QTPOC Meetup, offering music, a picnic, and good vibes, held in Dolores Park (Church Street & 19th Street), on November 13, 2022, from 1 to 5 pm, presented by MOCAASF.

Bring your food and drink of choice along with a blanket and a willingness to connect with QTPOC & BIPOC people outside the bar scene.

This event is a call to participate in a new and exciting community in which we can build new connections in a safe space.  As the poster says, “We are a vibrant, powerful and resilient BIPOC & QTPOC community. Let’s celebrate that!”

The event will be located in the area opposite the tennis court at Dolores Park. There will be a table set up if you would like to get a name tag and say hello to other community members and collaborators.

Find more info about about the event here, and more about MOCAA here.