The SOMA West Community Benefit District is hosting a Community Forum with City Leaders and Stakeholders on August 26, 2020, at 11:00 a.m.
You can download the full invitation and details here. Or go ahead and register for the free event here.
Cal Callahan Named Cultural District Manager
After a comprehensive and competitive search, the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Cal Callahan has been selected as the new District Manager. Mr. Callahan is a nonprofit professional with more than 20 years’ experience who has been instrumental in the growth of the Positive Resource Center’s Bare Chest Calendar. Cal is the former Director of Community Engagement for the Positive Resource Center (PRC) and was chosen for this position for his many connections in the SOMA area and his commitment to successful fund-raising efforts and volunteer coordination. He also previously served at the AIDS Emergency Fund and the Breast Cancer Emergency Fund.
Mr. Callahan replaces Beth Hunt who resigned to move to the East Coast to be closer to family. The Board thanks Beth for all her hard work and networking as the Cultural District’s first District Manager. She worked tirelessly to network with the community, represent the District at city meetings, and implement our founding systems and procedures. The Board wishes her all the best in her new endeavors.
Mr. Callahan is a 37 year Bay Area resident, who is known for networking, building organizations, innovative fundraising, creative event planning, leadership skills, broadening diversity, and community relations. He takes a key position at the world’s first cultural district to focus on the leather and LGBTQ communities.
“We are thrilled to name a new District Manager with such deep community connections and experience who will help lead our organization on a path to being a cultural hub in SOMA,” said Bob Goldfarb, President of the Cultural District. “We cast a wide net in our search and believe that Cal’s management and fundraising skills will play an essential role as we work toward our goal of establishing a permanent community center in SOMA. His connections to diverse communities will increase our organization’s diversity both internally and to the constituents we serve.”
Mr. Callahan began working for the Cultural District at the beginning of August, 2020. Community members have been quick to express their support. Jack Thompson, International Mr. Leather 2019, the first trans POC to win that title and a founding father of ONYX Northwest, said, “Without needing to know anything about me, Cal showed me kindness and support. He shows it to everyone around him. I am so happy for him to be able to show that same kindness and support to the entire community as District Manager for the Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District. I couldn’t think of anyone better suited for this position.” Jon Ojinaga, Owner of Azucar Lounge said, “When Azucar Lounge opened 9 years ago, Cal came to welcome us to the neighborhood and has been a big supporter of local business. We’ve worked together on a large variety of events and I look forward to continuing our collaborations. Demetri Moshoyannis, Managing Director of Individual Giving at GMHC and formerly Managing Director of Strategic Partnerships at PRC, said, “He’s a great community organizer, an amazing listener, and an even better project manager! I’m sure he’ll do great things on behalf of the Leather & LGBTQ District and the Western SoMa neighborhood.”
“Keep SOMA Kinky” Arcade at Up Your Alley
We hope you participated, and had fun.
Look for us again at the FOLSOM STREET FAIR.
If not, see below for info about what you missed….
Are you already at Up Your Alley? Then
Click here to enter the KEEP SOMA KINKY Arcade!
(Open Sunday, 7/26/2020, 11 am to 6:00 pm PT)
It’s the last Sunday of July, and that means it’s time for UP YOUR ALLEY!
And this year its in YOUR Alley!
Dance naked with the folks of Joie de Vivre, cruise via Recon or Nasty KinkyPigs, browse through a 3D vendor mart, enjoy DJs, Dancers, Demos, and…
Visit the 100% Interactive, 100% Kinky, 92.5% fun:
“Keep SOMA Kinky” Arcade
(Why only 92.5% fun? Well, we have one Zoom breakout room set aside for serious discussion and opinion-sharing about the future of our neighborhood and community.)
So enter at
and look for us in the “Cruise / Play” Area.
(If you have already entered the fair, great! Click here to enter the Arcade.)
The Arcade Experience
When you enter the arcade via Zoom, you will be welcomed into the “Keep SOMA Kinky” Lobby, where the Host will make light banter with all guests. Feel free to chat with other guests via public or private text chat. From time to time, the Host will launch a round of:
SOMA Trivia: Guests answer questions to earn points: One point for a True/False question, three points for Multiple Choice, or five points for Jeopardy-style. Keep going until you get one wrong. The points you’ve earned will be remembered, and the high score each hour wins a prize!
Of course, you can’t win unless you’ve given your name and email address (via private chat) to our RoomMaster, who also can help you select and enter any of our currently-open Kinky Rooms.
At any given time, we might have available:
KSK Discussion: A serious room, hosted by kink community leaders, where we discuss topics like “SOMA after Covid”, “BDSM and BLM” or “A Leather Community Center?” We want your opinions!
BDSM Demos: Living-together couples (or individuals, or pods of any size) demonstrating their favorite ways of playing. Questions or suggestions from guests MAY be responded to if you ask nicely.
Porn Riffing: A volunteer will screen-share classic or specially-favorite kinky porn, with the sound off, and invite guests to join them in “riffing” (a la MST3k) with snarky comments or dialog.
Private Play: Feeling submissive? Negotiate with a dominant-looking stranger in the Lobby, then ask the RoomMaster to transport you both into a private Consent Cubicle, where you will be expected to obey their orders. (Keep it safe, sane and consensual, people!)
You can leave and return to your assigned Breakout Room as often as you like. (Or ask the RoomMaster to reassign you to a different room.) Stay as long as you like, unless we get close to 100 people in the Arcade, in which case you may get booted out. Thanks for playing!
Sound like fun? It will be! Please RSVP on our Facebook Event –And while you are there, invite your friends!
As you know, Up Your Alley is going virtual this year, with an interactive multimedia online festival on Sunday, July 26, 202, from 11 am to 6 pm. There will be stages with music and gogo dancers, a cruising area, a vendor space, and so on.
And somewhere in the “Edutainment” midway you will find the “KEEP SOMA KINKY” Arcade, created by the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District, staffed by volunteers like you!
Volunteers needed:
Optional Volunteer Practice Sessions:
Saturday, 7/25/2020
Starting at 2:00 and 6:00 p.m., and lasting as long as needed.
To participate, join the Zoom Meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89666872534?pwd=emxyM2s0alBCUnpOR1FyVUJBM3I1UT09.
You can also call in at 1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose) and enter Meeting ID: 896 6687 2534, Password: 949928 if you just want to chat.
Additional Practice Sessions can be scheduled on request.
We need volunteers to act as a Lobby Host and QuizMaster. Lobby hosts will greet guests as they enter, and host the SOMA Trivia Quiz. Hosts should be relatively glib and friendly, and at least a little familiar with SOMA history and leather culture.
We need volunteers to act as a RoomMaster. RoomMasters should be experienced with Zoom Breakout Rooms, private chat, and other Zoom features.
We need Discussion Leaders for the KSK Discussion Room. Each leader should sign up for a specific one-hour time slot and a specific topic, so we can announce schedules online. (Additional co-leaders may be assigned to some discussions.) Volunteers will be given co-host status before entering the room, so that they can mute unruly guests, etc. Volunteers should be good listeners; if they are opinionated and/or well-known and respected in the community, even better.
We need BDSM demo volunteers. We are particularly looking for couples or pods who are already playing together during Shelter in Place. Individuals who can do creative scenes alone, and couples who are capable of demoing BDSM without violating SiP safety, are also welcome. You can do an erotic / kinky encounter, a skill-share session, or anything in between. Timing is flexible: while we would like folks to commit to a specific time block, volunteers need to simply enter the Arcade and identify themselves to the RoomMaster, who will give them co-host status, create the Breakout Room for them, and after a few minutes begin to admit guests into that Room.
We need volunteers to act as Porn Riffing hosts. Volunteers should have a fair amount of suitable porn on their computer, and be comfortable using Zoom to screen-share it. Porn used should NOT be recent, modern, commercial porn where our showing it might violate copyright: Older, even vintage kinky porn would be ideal. A slideshow-style display of still images would also work. Ideally the volunteer should be capable of riffing on the porn, at least sufficiently to get guests doing it.
All volunteers need to be comfortable knowing that screen-capture or recording by guests of their participation is possible. Volunteers are urged to dress interestingly, and to provide suitable real or virtual backgrounds for themselves. This will be an adult (18+) space, so self-censorship is not required.
Volunteers who sign up using the link below will receive emails with details of how to log on and enter the Arcade. Additional materials for volunteers are available here:
If you would like to volunteer, please click here:
If you have problems with the Volunteer Form…
Or if the slot you want is full…
Or if you have questions or concerns…
Or have ideas to suggest…
Or want to discuss details of your participation…
…Please contact David Hyman directly via
email (arts-chair@sflcd.org),
phone or text (1-415-652-6790), or
Facebook (facebook.com/davidhyman415).
Submit Your Questions!
Oh yes, we also need questions for the trivia quiz. They can be True/False, Multiple Choice or Jeopardy Style (Answers/Questions), and they can cover SOMA history and geography, our clubs and bars, artists, musicians or other important people, movies, culture, BDSM practices and safety, etc. etc. Send me as many as you can. Please be sure to include the answers.
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Teaser VIDEO Script:
(carnival music under)
Step right up, folks and enter the “Keep Soma Kinky” Arcade. Fun for everyone over 18. Play a game of SOMA Trivia and win a prize! Watch a live BDSM demo from the comfort and safety of your own computer. Join a serious discussion about the future of our neighborhood! Make like Tom Servo and riff on some classic kinky porn! Or, if you’re really daring, hook up with a total stranger and enter a Consent Cubicle for a one-on-one lesson in obedience! It’s all free, brought to you by the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District. It’s the “Keep SOMA Kinky” Arcade! Step right up!
Ferris wheel footage courtesy of Videvo
Music “Circus Tent” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Letter to 1560 Folsom Developers
See and sign the letter here.
A major construction project bringing in 700 new residents is planned for 1560 Folsom Street, the site of Action Rentals and 3 auto shops that wrap around Oasis. This is the very heart of the entertainment area in the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District.
We need your help to ensure that the developer acts to mitigate the gentrification that these new residents will bring with them. We have been in discussion with the developers. We need more than the developer’s token offers. Now is the time to make the leather & LGBTQ community’s strength heard.
Save our nightlife! Save SOMA for the kinky and queer!
Please sign the letter of support at the link below. Thank you.