Labor Day Weekend Fun in the Castro and SOMA: Parties, Barbecues and Election Drama

Jake Berkowitz and Naomi Akers at the St. James Infirmary beer bust at the Eagle Tavern

There were multiple festive parties and barbecues — and election drama unique to San Francisco — during the Labor Day holiday weekend in San Francisco's Castro and South of Market (SOMA) neighborhoods.

Drag icon Cookie Dough hosted a "New Whoreleans or Bust" pre-Big Easy party at the Lookout in the Castro on Sept. 2 to benefit the performers who wanted to join the more affluent Trannyshack drag stars in New Orleans. A big raucous crowd dived into the Jell-O shots being sold by Mercy Fuque and enjoyed Lady Bear and Holy McGrail’s lip-synched songs. The raffle prizes were erotica-themed and a bartender sauntering through the bar in just overalls and sneakers added to the excitement. Trannyshack’s Heklina and Bearracuda’s Rentecca (“The Filthiest Person Alive”) will be at future New Whoreleans Thursday parties. Cookie Dough, to the delight of her punk and millennium clone fans, is running full throttle for Grand Duchess.

Hostess Cookie Dough and Mercy Fuque

Lime’s marvelous hors d’oeuvres and champagne set the mood for former San Francisco Emperor John Weber’s birthday party on Sept. 4, and Weber warmly greeted his guests as they swarmed into the lounge. Delicious mini-burgers and grilled cheese sandwiches joined distinctive deviled eggs on the bar and were matched well to inventive cocktails.

The drama of two elections converged at Weber’s party: the Grand Ducal Court charity organization is having their election on Sept. 18 and the San Francisco District 8 city supervisor election is Nov. 2.

Rebecca Prozan, Christopher Humphries, John Weber and Jason Husted

Grand Duke candidate Jason Husted and Grand Duchess candidate Ana Mae Coxxx were subtle as they worked the room. Husted is young and eager to please and is glowing with a new romance with Christopher Humphries, who also is a champion charity fundraiser. District 8 city supervisor candidates Rebecca Prozan and Rafael Mandelman introduced themselves in the chic space and agreed to pose together for photographs with the birthday guy.

Weber and some of his guests lip-synched and danced through the lounge for the pleasure of his friends and the thrilled young straight couples in the back. Then the throng paraded down Market Street from Lime for the second half of the party at Greg Bronstein’s other popular lounge, Trigger.

The San Francisco Leather Daddy’s Boy Contest was on stage at the Eagle on Sept. 4 with a large happy audience, and sexy Powerhouse manager Scott Peterson was a friendly but demanding judge. Hunky Adam Schwenk won and he thanked everyone profusely.

The first of two packed beer busts at the Eagle Tavern occurred on Sept. 5 when the St. James Infirmary sex worker clinic hosted the kind of beer and soda spectacle that has made the Eagle infamous worldwide. The St. James Infirmary takes care of sex workers’ medical needs and empowers them by letting them know that people care about their lives.

Derrick Hanson and Todd Quackenbush at the Eagle Tavern

Hundreds of primal men surged around each other, cruising, touching and making contact, with some women acquaintances looking on. A bountiful comfort food buffet was presented with sausages, hot dogs and fried chicken. Raffle prizes included a three-day weekend at the Russian River Resort in Guerneville.

Sultry erotic-film star Derrick Hanson and Todd Quackenbush sold raffle tickets and Sister maeJoy Bee withU and Becky Dukes joined clinic executive director Naomi Akers and tempting Jake Berkowitz to welcome people to the sex-charged event for a good cause. District 8 city supervisor candidate Rafael Mandelman showed up with a group of young energetic supporters to educate undecided voters.

Candidate Rafael Mandelman (second from left) with campaign supporters

On Labor Day, Sept. 6, Barbecue Master Dan worked the grill at the Eagle. Adventurous single horndogs and lover tag-teams had their last chance before the holiday weekend was over to meet up with guys they communicated with on Grindr and hookup websites.

A Special Mama’s Day Benefit at the Eagle Tavern

Curtis Michael Brown, Sandy "Mama" Reinhardt, Boy Tyler, and Mark Paladini

A huge crush of Levi/Leather people and their friends were pressed against each other for a special Mama’s Day beer bust at San Francisco’s Eagle Tavern on May 16. The day was named for leather icon Sandy "Mama" Reinhardt, who heads a family of over 900 fundraising volunteers who have helped non-profit organizations for more than a decade.

The event was coordinated by Reinhardt and San Francisco Leather Daddy XXVI Ray Middling, with Jay Hemphill and Michael Holeman of the Alameda County Leather Corps working the front counter. The East Bay guys collected $10 for spaghetti dinner and all of the beer or soda that the guests could put away.

One of the most spectacular sights at the Eagle used to be the shirtless and unbuttoned blonde German stud who sauntered through the crowd with two pitchers of beer, pouring with a smile. That was ended by a sour Alcohol Beverage Control bureaucrat a few years back, who demanded that beer be dispensed only by bartenders who could evaluate states of inebriation.

There were lots of provocative men and some women at the beer bust, and the excitement level shot up when raffle sellers knelt and closed in to measure inseams with the tickets that benefited Locks of Love, a charity that provides hairpieces for low-income children suffering from long-term medical hair loss. The organization helps gives self-confidence to youth under 21 who have a medical need.

Reinhardt also coordinates the annual Mama's Family Breast Cancer Emergency Fund Gala with co-producer Mark Paladini. This year’s benefit will be at San Francisco’s City Forest Lodge on August 27. Faith Fancher, a former KTVU reporter helped to found the event with Reinhardt and Paladini. The fundraiser features a silent auction, amazing entertainers, and surprise guests. It is one of those events where the incredibly sexy men on the covers of the erotic DVD’s in the auction can be seen slinking around like hungry panthers.

LeatherWalk, another event coordinated by Reinhardt and Paladini, is the annual fundraising kickoff to San Francisco Leather Month that features hundreds of leather, S&M, and kink enthusiasts walking from the Castro to the Eagle with banners and a huge leather flag behind a truck with singers.

The December holidays are the time of the year for Reinhardt and her annual Mama’s Family Toy Drive. It starts with Reinhardt requesting toys for needy children, then more and more gifts pour into the door of sponsoring bars, and then she bursts into tears because of the outpouring of generosity. There is an intensity to the fundraising that is rarely seen in San Francisco, and the huge horde of volunteers are an inspiration to non-profits and corporations that seek to make a difference in people’s lives.

All of these events are planned months in advance, which results in successful, well-attended parties.