AN ORAL HISTORY SERIES ABOUT THE BAY AREA’S LGBTQ+ HISTORY
INAUGURAL PROGRAM ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 11 AT 7 PM FEATURES LEGENDARY QUEER ICONS DONNA SACHET, DEREK BARNES, SELISSE BERRY AND ALEXIS MIRANDA
AT THE CHAN NATIONAL QUEER ARTS CENTER
(SAN FRANCISCO, CA, January 3, 2023)—The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, the nation’s premier queer chorus, starts 2024 with a brand new addition to their programming MEMORY KEEPERS INITIATIVE, presented at their new home, The Chan National Queer Arts Center (170 Valencia Street). Legendary San Francisco drag icon Donna Sachet will host a panel discussion about the history of the Bay Area’s LGBTQ+ history on Thursday, January 11 at 7 PM. A donation of $30 is recommended, but in an effort to make this event accessible to all, it is “Pay What You Can”. Tickets are available at sfgmc.org.
The Memory Keepers Initiative is an oral history project intended to uplift and preserve the stories of our visionary LGBTQ+ elders. By doing so, we hope to foster intergenerational connection among LGBTQ+ communities and our allies, as well as inspire a bigger, brighter future by learning and understanding our history.
The evening will be moderated by Donna Sachet, who is affectionately known as the First Lady of the Castro. Donna is joined by Derek Barnes, a local activist, media columnist and member of several LGBTQ+ Boards of Directors; Selisse Berry, the lesbian activist and founder of Out and Equal; and SF Empress Alexis Miranda, the entertainer and Latino activist.
“Stories have transformational power, and we keep legacies alive by sharing them,” stated SFGMC Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg. “The purpose of oral history projects is to capture and record our heritage as to not become a community of forgetters; rather, to learn from the strength, courage, and wisdom of those who came before us.”
In addition to the 90-minute interactive panel discussion, attendees are encouraged to remain afterwards and record their own stories about queer history in the Bay Area. Volunteers will be on hand to audio or video record anyone with a story to tell and a desire to share it for posterity.
Presented at The Chan National Queer Arts Center in San Francisco, the Memory Keepers Initiative will include four programs in 2024: January 11, February 29, April 18, and May 16, 2024. Additional topics will be announced and will feature up to two co-moderators guiding a discussion with 3-4 panelists on a given topic.
About Donna Sachet
Donna Sachet arrived in San Francisco 30 years ago from New York City, quickly joining the SF Gay Men's Chorus and discovering the drag personality that won the titles of Miss Gay San Francisco and Absolute Empress XXX and she continues to emcee, entertain, fund-raise, and support her beloved city and LGBTQ+ Community. She co-chaired the SF GLAAD Media Awards and the 50th Anniversary of the Imperial Court at City Hall and has served on the Boards of Directors of the AIDS Emergency Fund, Positive Resource Center (now PRC), SF LGBT Community Center, State Board of EqualityCalifornia, LGBT Advisory Committee to the SF Human Rights Commission, Imperial Council of SF, International Court Council, and Rainbow Honor Walk. She is most proud of the annual Pride Brunch, benefiting PRC and honoring the Grand Marshals of the SF Pride Parade, which she co-founded with Gary Virginia, and her annual Songs of the Season, benefiting PRC and now produced by Brian Kent.
Donna's schedule of charitable work has brought her many awards and recognition from elected officials, earning her the nickname of First Lady of the Castro. Vice President Kamala Harris included Donna Sachet among the guests for her Pride Celebration at the Vice-Presidential Residence this year. Donna currently writes a biweekly column for the Bay Times, provides LGBTQ+ content to SF Travel (formerly SF Convention & Visitors Bureau), and recently revived the successful Sunday's a Drag brunch show from the Starlight Room to Club Fugazi in North Beach.
Other Participants bios TK
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About SFGMC
Founded in 1978, SFGMC sparked a nationwide LGBTQ choral movement after its first public performance at a vigil on the steps of City Hall following the assassinations of Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone. Since then, SFGMC has been embedded in the fabric of San Francisco. It has soothed souls in pain, lifted spirits in triumph, and has remained a steadfast beacon of hope.
Under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Chris Verdugo and Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg, SFGMC has established a heightened level of performance standards bringing renewed audience and choral industry acclaim. Recent touring schedules, recordings, and outreach programs have broadened its impact and reputation in the community while maintaining its signature blend of humor, personality and ground-breaking performances. In 2019, SFGMC acquired a historic facility that has become its permanent home for rehearsals and offices. The building also serves as The Chan National Queer Arts Center, the first-ever community space for LGBTQ artists and arts organizations.
For more information on SFGMC, visit www.sfgmc.org
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SFGMC Archive contact: [email protected]
SFGMC MEDIA CONTACT:
Scott Walton 415.350.5195/[email protected]
