Pink Saturday's Future Still Uncertain

The future of Pink Saturday, the pre-Pride street party that draws thousands of people to San Francisco's Castro neighborhood every June, remains uncertain as organizers continue discussing possible changes to the fundraising festival, which has been marred by violence in recent years.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the charitable drag nun group that has produced the festival for 16 years, was part of a community meeting with police, Castro residents, and others in September to talk about the event's future, and the Sisters had been expected to vote in October on whether to take it on again in 2015.

Sister Mora Lee D'Klined, whose given name is Kevin Roberts, is abbess and president of the Sisters. Roberts didn't directly respond last week to emailed questions about the outcome of the vote, and didn't say whether there had been one.

But in an exchange of text messages with the Bay Area Reporter, he said, "Currently there are no solid plans for Pink Saturday."

Roberts said the Sisters are working to form a plan with District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener's office, which represents the Castro, and the San Francisco Police Department.

"There is a positive energy surrounding our continued participation as hosts of Pink Saturday, but we recognize the need for changes to the current model, both logistically and safety-wise," he said. "We should have a solid answer/plan by mid-January, and will make announcements regarding future plans at that time."

Roberts said it's accurate to say it's uncertain whether the Sisters will organize Pink Saturday in 2015.

It's unclear who would take over if the Sisters stepped out, he noted.

Asked whether it would be correct to state it's not definite there will be a Pink Saturday next year, Roberts said, "We wouldn't be able to comment on whether the city or another organization would step in as organizers," so he couldn't comment.

Suggested changes have included ending the party earlier in the evening, before the crowds get too unruly. (This year's festival ended at 10:30 p.m.) Some have supported shutting down the event altogether, but many seem determined to try to fix it rather than end it.

In an interview last week, Wiener, who's previously said he doesn't support canceling Pink Saturday, continued to back the Sisters.

"I very much hope the Sisters will continue to participate," he said. "They've done terrific work, and we want to work with them and support them in continuing the event."

The Sisters have been working with police and others to address concerns about safety, which have grown since Stephen Powell, 19, was shot to death around the time the festival ended in 2010. This year, one of the Sisters was attacked in an apparent hate crime.

Captain Daniel Perea, who oversees the Mission police station, which includes the Castro and other neighborhoods, expressed support for the drag nuns and the party.

"The Sisters have an exceptional amount of operational and logistical knowledge of Pink Saturday," Perea said in an email. "I think everyone has recognized the value of evaluating the event and discussing changes and improvements for the benefit of all."

He also credited Wiener for bringing together the Sisters, merchants, and residents together to talk about improvements.

"I believe our meetings have been productive and yielded strategies which could improve Pink Saturday even further," Perea said, adding that he's looking forward to working more with Wiener and the others "to secure the type of Pink Saturday desired by all involved."