March 13, 2020 5:30 p.m. addendum: The City of San Francisco is now imposing a moratorium on gatherings of greater than one hundred people. Bars and restaurants with a larger capacity will be required to reduce admission and seating. As always, please check with the event’s official listings on Facebook or other social media to verify if it has been changed or cancelled.
In response to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic, some local LGBTQ events are modifying or cancelling their events to reduce the spread of the virus.
For the rest of March, and possibly longer, the City of San Francisco has imposed the following regulations:
- City-owned facilities cannot hold any nonessential group events. (This has resulted in the cancellation of performances by the San Francisco ballet, and even the New Conservatory Theatre is in a building owned by the City.)
- Nonessential gatherings of 250 people or more, like concerts and sporting events, are cancelled.
Smaller bar events are currently still permitted, but many are choosing to cancel out of an abundance of caution. At-risk, vulnerable populations are discouraged from going to these events, and these venues are asked to promote social distancing and heightened hygiene, including: providing hand-washing stations, hand sanitizes, and tissues; frequently cleaning counters and other surfaces; and finding ways to create physical space to minimize close contact.
Although San Francisco’s policies are only for the next two weeks, they may be extended after that time if warranted. Some events farther out are preemptively cancelling in anticipation that the pandemic won’t be resolved by the end of March.
Some of the events we know of that have been cancelled include:
- Peaches Christ’s Drag Becomes Her (March 14, 2020)
- World Naked Bike Ride (March 14)
- GLBT Historical Society’s 35th Anniversary Fundraiser (March 16)
- Baloney Gets Bread (March 19-28)
- Glamcocks’ “No Place Like Home” (March 20)
- The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’s Easter Celebration and Hunky Jesus Contest (April 12, 2020)
We have heard that Los Angeles Pride is cancelling some events leading up to their 50th Anniversary Pride celebration. It’s too early to know if large San Francisco events like the Bay to Breakers (May), San Francisco Pride (June), the Up Your Alley Fair (July), the Folsom Street Fair (September), or the Castro Street Fair (October) will be affected.
If we post about events that later get cancelled, we won’t delete the post, as that could lead to confusion. Instead, we will modify the event title to say that it has been cancelled, tag the post with the Cancelled Events tag, and include a prominent message at the top like the following:
Note: Unfortunately, this event has been cancelled.
It’s also always a good idea to check the event’s website, Facebook post, or ticketing portal before the event to verify whether it is still happening.
If you are in a vulnerable population — anyone with any illness symptoms, anyone over 60, and anyone with health issues that include a compromised immune system — you are advised to avoid even smaller gatherings.
Many of San Francisco’s nightlife venues, employees, and performers will be devastated financially by the pandemic. If you are able to, please consider:
- tipping extra generously when you do go out
- absorbing the cost of prepaid tickets for cancelled events rather than seeking refunds
- buying gift cards from local restaurants so that they can survive now and you can enjoy them later when the crisis is over
- making charitable donations to local theatrical organizations and artistic groups, or the Actors Fund
- making charitable donations to local LGBTQ organizations serving vulnerable populations, or who had to cancel upcoming fundraising events.
Official Government Advisories
Be careful about circulating memes and anecdotal advice. Misinformation is being spread inadvertently. Please rely on advisories from the official government sources, including the following:
- San Francisco Department of Public Health’s Coronovirus (COVID-19) Facts
- California Department of Public Health’s Coronovirus 2019 (COVID-19) Updates
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Coronovirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Updates
A word to performers and promoters
Many performers and event promoters will face significant risks to their livelihoods due to these restrictions.
If you are attempting other creative outlets as a side gig — YouTube? Clips4Sale? other streaming? — let us know and we will do our best to amplify your promotional efforts. Tweet us at @SF_GayLife to let us know.
