LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District

With the planting of the landscaping on the eastern side of 12th Street, Eagle Plaza now appears virtually complete.   A variety of trees and flowering shrubs now populate the space, and a reinforced Leather Pride Flag flies overhead.

Chairs and tables will soon be available on the Plaza during daylight hours, and it is expected to be converted to a pedestrian zone.   After that, expect to see more frequent programming bring activity and interest to the Plaza, perhaps including art shows, farmers’ markets, celebrations and other events.

One small construction project remains, a “curb cut” and ramp in the middle of the Plaza.   We also await the installation of additional plaques to honor and thank the generous donors who made Eagle Plaza possible.

Perhaps most welcome of all is the fact that the SF Eagle bar is now open on a regular schedule (Fridays 2PM – 2AM, Weekends: 11AM – 2AM), with a full range of events (including its legendary Sunday Afternoon Beer Bust).  [Note that the SF Eagle, along with many other local bars, is now requiring patrons to present proof of CV-19 vaccination, or a very recent CV-19-Negative test result.  See details here.]

We hope the entire community will take advantage of this civic amenity!

June 15, 2021 will be remembered as the day California re-opened.  And nowhere is the reopening more welcome than in the South of Market neighborhood of San Francisco.

The bars that were already open, like Powerhouse and the Lone Star Saloon, are now able to operate without the strict social distancing and mask requirements that kept patrons in their seats and at more-than-arm’s length from one another.

The Hole in the Wall reopened Tuesday night, and the consensus was that it was exactly the same as before the pandemic began, which was just the way folks wanted it.

The SF Eagle grand reopening has now been announced for this coming Friday, June 25.  And not a moment too soon!

Here are some of the parties and events that demonstrate that SOMA is alive and well:

SF Eagle
The SF Eagle – Pride Weekend Kick Off and Grand Reopening Party is this Friday, June 25, from 9 pm until 2 am.  DJ Manuelito from LA and special guest Rob Racine invite you to celebrate the Grand Reopening of the SF Eagle all weekend long!
	One of favorite regular events from the before-times, Leather Lounge, resumes June 26 at the SF Eagle. Leather, Gear and Cigars will be welcome on the patio, with free cover before 9:30 for those in gear.
Bearracuda is expected to be a regular first-Saturday’s event at the Eagle, beginning July 3rd.  Doors open 9pm. More info (including accurate price*) is at bearracuda.com.
	Other SF Eagle events include The KINK(dom), a show where kink and performance collide, hosted by Sadie Payne, to be held every first Sunday starting on July 4th.
Powerhouse
Scott of the Powerhouse has resumed the full schedule of parties, just a few of which we can highlight here: This Wednesday is the first monthly SOMA Bar crawl:  meet at Powerhouse at 7pm to honor the ascendency of St. Phatima Rude.  We can only imagine where the night will take you from there!
	The Powerhouse’s famous Underwear Thursdays are now called BB&J  (Boxers, Briefs & Jockstraps).  This weekly celebration of near-nudity is made possible by the trustworthy clothes-check skills of the SOMA Guardians.
The monthly “Stank” parties at Powerhouse are always worth postponing a shower or two for. The first one is Pride Friday, June 25, starting at 10 pm..  $`15 cover.* Art created by Diego Gomez, scents created by 15 months of hibernation.
	“Pride Saturday” (June 26, 2021) should be a very special day. First, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence  present an afternoon of art, music, performance, and dance called “Black, Blue and Pink All Over”. The celebration runs from noon to 6pm, in Dore Alley at Folsom .
That party leads up to the Bare Chest Calendar’s “Investiture in the Alley”, at 6 pm.  It’s live, in person, with “lots of touching”, as Team 2022 is vested.
	The party then moves into the conveniently-adjacent Powerhouse.  with Grinder’s #Comeback party starting at 9 pm, featuring Jason Godfrey Koji Táré & William Williams
Sunday the doors of Powerhouse open at 1pm Mikey Strider on the decks and Vaughn Rush on the boxes!!
Powerblouse returns on July 3, with Juanita MORE! and GlamaMore treating one lucky volunteer to a full-fantasy drag makeover. The event benefits The Imperial Court of SF.
	Also in the works at Powerhouse is a Creator event on July 11th.  Queer artists who would be interested in exhibiting their merchandise should contact Uel Renteria or Jeremy Novy for details.
Lone Star Saloon
The Lone Star Saloon happily resumes its weekly Sunday Beer Busts, from 4 to 8 pm. The first one is a benefit for SF PRIDE, on June 20. Expect Jello-shots, hot bears on the patio, and DJ Stefonik rocking with a revamped sound system
	IRON BEARDEN: A NIGHT OF METAL with DJ MetalBob THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 20218:00 PM Metal up your A$$!
Big Boys are Proud and they are coming back. This is one of most popular monthly parties and we have been looking forward to this one for a long time. Inclusive, sexy, body positive events are important to our community and this is all that and more. Big Boys know how to have fun! DJ boyshapedbox
SF Catalyst
	SF Catalyst — the all-volunteer meeting and play space operated by the SF Bay Area Leather Alliance, is once again open and accepting reservations for your next party, photoshoot or other event. The fully equipped play space offers slings, benches, beds, bondage furniture, and much more.  And the new Russ Street extension offer more room, easier access for folks with mobility concerns, more flexible options for different size events, and even an outdoor patio for your smoking or sun-tanning needs. SF Catalyst is located at 1060 Folsom Street near Russ Street, in San Francisco.
	Frisky Pups get the action going this Thursday, June 24,  with UNLEASHED: a men’s play party, from 7 pm until 1:30 am.  UnLeash your primal side, and enjoy a sweaty night of kinky fun and debauchery! Tickets and full details are here.
Eagerly returning to Catalyst, on Sunday, June 27, from 4 pm to midnight, is the CUMUNION Pride Party, for gay and bisexual men of all types, ages 18 and up. hosted by CU Events, Parties by 442 and SF Catalyst.  For more information and tickets, visit www.cumunion.com.

Expect more news soon.  (Send corrections or additions to Web@sflcd.org.)

*  NOTE:  Do not trust Facebook if it says an event is “free”. This is a known issue.

Please patronize these venues, and all the small, independent, and queer-friendly businesses of the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District of San Francisco.

Most of these businesses are struggling to survive, pay off past rent and other debts, employ our friends, and create a safe, vibrant, loving community for all of us.  Please support them in every way:  pay cover charges gladly, obey the rules of the house, tip generously, be good neighbors when you depart, and have a great time!

And take PRIDE in the unique, exciting, decadent world of SOMA!

After over a year of isolation, SOMArts is ready to host its first in-person event of 2021!

 HERE 4 U: Pre-Pride Happening transforms SOMArts’ luscious garden patio for an intimate evening of music, drag, and community on Wednesday, June 23 6-8 PM PST, at SOMArts Cultural Center, 934 Brannan Street, in San Francisco.

A celebration of queer joy and the power of chosen family, HERE 4 U features drag performances by some of the Bay’s best queens — Nicki Jizz, Dulce de Leche, and Yves Saint Croissant — and trippy acid house vibes DJ’d by Chuck Gunn.

This is a seated, in-person 21+ event at SOMArts with assigned tables. Tickets to this event are sold by the table for $80, with a maximum of 4 seats per table. Each seat is valued at $20. HERE 4 U can also be streamed online with registration ($10).

This event is sponsored by SoMa West CBD.

Info is here.  Facebook post here.     Order tickets here.

This month, San Francisco Mayor London Breed boldly proposed $12 million dollars in the city’s FY 2022 budget for the purpose of acquiring and developing a site for a new, full-scale museum of LGBTQ history and culture in San Francisco.

This is a project the GLBT Historical Society has been working on for many years. We need a larger, permanent home where we can preserve and share our incredibly diverse communities’ stories.

The LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District encourages your support for this line item in the mayor’s budget. Please sign onto the letter here no later than 12:00 noon on Thursday June 24 by completing the form linked at the bottom of the letter.

For more information about the GLBT Historical Society, its museum and archives, and other ways to support their work, please visit their Website here.