Thanks to a tenacious devoted group of fundraisers, AUNT CHARLIES the last drag bar in San Francisco’s Tenderloin has been saved and lives to fight another day.

This  historical landmark, and a symbol of the city’s vital queer and trans culture closed its doors in March due to COVID-19 and because its owner William Erkelens was refused stimulus money .  Since then he’d be paying all the bills out of his pocket but was running out of funds it was due to close for good on August 1st.  They ended up with $103,095 raised of $100,000 goal BUT however its never too late if you still want to make a donation : the more the merrier https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-aunt-charlies

Aunt Charlie’s  opened in 1987 near the corner of Turk & Taylor when the Tenderloin neighborhood was bustling with gay nightlife. It is  is known for Sunday fundraisers and weekly drag and disco parties: Hot Boxxx Girls, Tubesteak Connection, and Angels (formerly High Fantasy and Chasers).

In 2014, the block where Aunt Charlie’s is located was renamed to honor Vicki Marlane, a beloved performer and bar regular. Aunt Charlie’s remains an important intergenerational working class queer space that supports the neighborhood’s senior population. It is one of the few LGBTQ+ spaces open 365 days a year and keeping Aunt Charlie’s will ensure that our community will continue to have a place to safely gather.