Bridges to Belonging 3rd Annual Gala

Update 5/14: Event Canceled

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Outdoor Terrace @ 620 Jones  |  San Francisco, CA
Saturday, May 18th 12:00 to 5:30 pm  |  Afterparty 6:00 to 8:00 pm
This year's gala theme is about strengthening the bridges that connect our incredibly diverse and vibrant LGBTQIA+ community together.

Join us as we celebrate Queer LifeSpace's 3rd Annual Gala supporting affordable access to mental healthcare!

 

Can't attend but want to donate?

 

🍸 VIP Reception 🍸 Luncheon 🍸 Open Bar 🍸 Live Singing 🍸 Drag Performances 

🍸 String Trio 🍸 Silent Auction 🍸 Awards 🍸 Tea Dance 🍸 Gift Bags 🍸 Photos by Gooch

JOIN US IN SUPPORTING AFFORDABLE ACCESS TO LGBTQIA+ MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

Imagine a world where mental health care is actually accessible and affordable...

A world where mental health stigma is replaced by understanding, empathy, and acceptance...

A world where our queer and trans loved ones can seek help without fear, and where their well-being is prioritized...

This is the world we can create for the LGBTQIA+ community — with your generous support. 

SPEAKERS & ENTERTAINERS

Juanita MORE!

Co-Host; Her Majesty of MORE! Mental Healthcare & The Queen Mother of QLS 

A denizen of the limelight for three decades, the laudable hostess has blitzed San Francisco with high glamour, drag irreverence, and danceable beats that have illuminated the entire city. She inspires those around her to make positive differences in their lives and communities and does it all with timeless elegance and an innovative spirit. By far Queer LifeSpace's biggest supporter over the past decade, she has helped us raise MORE! than $220,000.

Sister Roma

Co-Host; Philanthro-Queen of Charitable Queer Causes & Patron Saint of QLS

For more than three decades, Sister Roma has been one of the most outspoken and highly visible members of San Francisco’s Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, dedicating more than half her life to community service, activism and fundraising in order to make the world a better place. Roma is blessed to travel the globe as an LGBTQIA+ ambassador and event host, striving to uphold her Sisterly vows to expiate stigmatic guilt and promulgate joy.

Lambert Moss

Singer, Storyteller, & Performer Extraordinaire

The incredibly talented Lambert Moss hails from New York City, where he learned his craft from working in the city's musical theater, nightclub and cabaret scenes. Now a resident of San Francisco, he has performed in many of the city's most famous venues. His soaring vocals are guaranteed to give you goosebumps and rock your soul to the core. We are absolutely thrilled and delighted to welcome him back to sing for us a second year in a row!

Ryan MacCarrigan

QLS Executive Director

Ryan works behind-the-scenes to ensure that QLS's clients can continue to have affordable access to top-notch mental healthcare. This is the third year he is producing the QLS gala. In addition to fundraising, Ryan works in product management & teaches at UC Berkeley.

Christopher Holleran

QLS Co-Founder & Clinical Director

For more than a decade, Christopher has been the brains and brawn behind QLS's internationally-recognized clinical training program, preparing the next generation of queer-affirming therapists. He started QLS in 2011 with four other co-founder therapists.

Miss Rhani Nothingmore

Celebrated SF-Based Drag Artist

Witness the sensationally talented and award-winning fixture of the San Francisco drag community dazzle the stage. Winner of Miss Gay Northern California (2013), Champion of Stoli's Dancing with the Drag Stars (2013), and Miss Gay San Francisco (2022-2023). 

String Trio

Serenade Events

Experience the sublime elegance of live classical music. Serenade Events is musician owned and run. Their string players have performed on stages and in theatres around the world and play a wide variety of music from pop and modern covers to the most traditional classical strings music. They will elevate our afternoon with a captivating blend of arrangements, weaving together an exhilerating tapestry of sound.

Poetry Reading

Announcement coming soon!

We're planning something special! Stay tuned!

DJ Stanley Frank Sensation

Daytime Realness

Known for his positive, contagious energy and bright sound aesthetic, Stanley’s song selection, mixing skills, and spunky dance moves behind the DJ booth are guaranteed to move your feet and make you smile. 

Pictures from Last Year's Gala @ 620 Jones: Truth in Pink

What could be more fun than dressing up colorfully and celebrating on one of the biggest, lushest, most beautiful rooftop terraces in all of San Francisco? All in the name of a great cause!

...Won't you join us?

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
12pm to 5:30pm

SINGLE

Luncheon w/ Beer & Wine Included

$100

/ticket
Your Generous Contribution:
Funds 3 therapy sessions
What's included:
Cocktail Reception (12pm to 1pm)
Lunch Program (1pm to 3:30pm)
Tea Dance (3:30pm to 5:30pm)
Wine & Beer Included
Gift Bag 

VIP SINGLE

VIP Reception + Luncheon + OPEN BAR

$150

/ticket
Your Generous Contribution:
Funds 5 therapy sessions
What's included:
VIP Cocktail Reception (12pm to 1pm)
Lunch Program (1pm to 3:30pm)
Tea Dance (3:30pm to 5:30pm)
Open Bar for Full Event
VIP Gift Bag 
Drink Tickets for After Party @ The STUD

ARTISTS & STUDENTS

$30*

/ticket
What's included:
Cocktail Reception (12pm to 1:00pm)
Lunch Program (1pm to 3:30pm)
Wine & Beer Included
Tea Dance (3:30pm to 5:30pm)
Limited quantity available, email events@queerlifespace.org

GALA TABLES
12pm to 5:30pm

TABLE CAPTAIN (x6) 

6 VIP tickets + your own table + OPEN BAR

$900

/table
Your generous contribution has a huge impact:
Funds 30 individual therapy sessions
What's included:
Table for your friends or colleagues
VIP Cocktail Reception (12pm to 1pm)
Lunch Program (1pm to 3:30pm)
Tea Dance (3:30pm to 5:30pm)
VIP Gift Bag 
Open Bar for Full Event (12pm to 5:30pm)
Drink Tickets for After Party @ The STUD
Photo Album feat. Your Table

TABLE QUEEN (x10)

10 VIP tickets + your own table + OPEN BAR

$1500

/table
Your generous contribution has a huge impact:
Funds 50 individual therapy sessions
What's included:
Table for your friends or colleagues
VIP Cocktail Reception (12pm to 1pm)
Lunch Program (1pm to 3:30pm)
Tea Dance (3:30pm to 5:30pm)
VIP Gift Bag 
Open Bar for Full Event (12pm to 5:30pm)
Drink Tickets for After Party @ The STUD
Photo Album feat. Your Table

AFTER PARTY
5:30pm to 8:00pm

The Stud is San Francisco's oldest LGBTQIA+ bar and one of the world's most famous drag bars. After a multi-year hiatus due to the pandemic, they are alive and kickin' in a beautiful new space at 1123 Folsom Street (btwn 7th & 8th).

*** VIP ticket holders will receive drink tickets for the after party. ***

Transportation from 620 Jones to the Stud will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis between 5:15 - 5:30pm.

NOW MORE THAN EVER, WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT. DISINFORMATION IS HARMING THE WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY LGBTQIA+ YOUTH.

"The spread of propaganda and disinformation about LGBTQIA+ people contributes to a climate of fear and hostility, which can lead to increased rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide."

HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN

"Disinformation about LGBTQIA+ individuals is not harmless. It contributes to a culture of intolerance and hate that can have serious consequences for the mental health and well-being of these communities."

NATIONAL CENTER FOR TRANSGENDER EQUALITY

"The negative impact of propaganda and disinformation on the mental health of LGBTQIA+ individuals cannot be underestimated. It creates a hostile environment that can lead to feelings of isolation, depression, and anxiety."

THE TREVOR PROJECT

YOUR CONTRIBUTION WILL HELP US PROTECT THE DIVERSE MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF THE ENTIRE LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY

“Queer LifeSpace allows people to drop all assumptions and just show up as they need to be to make connections. It also serves as a space for the community outside of bars, clubs, or the gym that we don’t often have. It functions as an example of how the community can come together and exist outside of those other spaces.”

Audriannah Levine-Ward, PsyD, LMHC
Former Trainee at Queer Lifespace

MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES:
Designed by Queer People. For Queer People.

Founded in 2011, Queer LifeSpace (QLS) is a nonprofit counseling agency that provides affordable, evidence-based mental health and substance abuse services to the LGBTQIA+ community in the Bay Area. Individual therapy starts at just $30 per session, a fraction of the typical cost. We also run an internationally-recognized clinical training program for the next generation of queer-affirming therapists.

At QLS, we strive to serve the underserved and are passionate about providing services to clients from all walks of life. Above all, we make it our priority to provide a safe, non-judgmental environment for fellow members of the queer community. 


YOUR TICKET OR DONATION SUPPORTS AFFORDABLE ACCESS TO VITAL SERVICES
#THERAPYSAVESLIVES

Core Services:
Individual, Couples, & Group Therapy

We cultivate a welcoming and inclusive environment for all of our queer clients. Our intake process involves screening each client and matching them to the therapy program and therapist that best fits their needs and goals. 

Youth Services:
Rural Youth Outreach Program

Our youth programs are designed to address the unique mental health challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ adolescents and transitional youth and to promote resilience, empowerment, and self-acceptance. RYO specifically helps youth who live in rural counties where services are scarce.

Clinical Training:
Queer-Affirming Training for the Next Generation of Therapists

Our internationally-recognized clinical training program runs for 12 months each year. The goal of the program is to give students and associates the skills and tools to provide queer-affirming psychotherapy to the LGBTQIA+ community.

Outlandish!:
Outdoor Hiking & Nature Conservation Program for Youth

Outlandish! is a new program that takes LGBTQIA+ youth on chaperoned outdoor hikes where they can build social connections with peers and learn about themselves and the complex natural ecosystems of the Bay Area. In partnership with Save the Redwoods League.

EQUARTY:
Emerging Queer Artists in Their Youth 

This new program aims to connect local, emerging queer artists to individual and group counseling so that they can continue to invest in their creativity without sacrificing their mental health needs and wellness in the process. With support from Pinterest, Diamond Wave, and Harvey Milk Center for the Arts.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Gala

If you have questions in addition to those listed below, please contact: events@queerlifespace.org

Is my ticket or table tax deductible?

Queer LifeSpace is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and your donation is tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. To claim a donation as a deduction on your U.S. taxes, please keep your email donation receipt as your official record. We'll send it to you upon the successful completion of your donation. This receipt will also tell you the total percentage you can claim on the deduction. In most cases, this will be about 75-80% of the value of your ticket or table, which excludes the fair market value of goods and services provided during the event.

What is the dress code for the gala?

Daytime semi-formal to formal with unabashed creative flair. We strongly encourage guests to incorporate vibrant color into some aspect of their attire, even if it's just an accent. Be playful and adventurous...this is your time to shine! Scroll up to the section with pictures from last year's gala if you need inspiration.

Are there COVID protocols for the event?
  • While there will not be specific COVID protocols enforced at the event, we advise the following since many LGBTQIA+ community members are immunocompromised or work with high-risk populations.
  • If you are not vaccinated, please consider wearing a mask so that you do not put others at risk. (Also, get vaccinated!) Stay home if you have symptoms or feel unwell. Be especially mindful of cold or flu-like symptoms. Take a rapid COVID test.
  • If you're uncertain about either of the above, wear a mask when you aren't eating or drinking during the gala.
Will attending the gala or tea dance turn me into a gay?

Yes, 100%.

Can I decide how my donated funds will get allocated at Queer LifeSpace?

Yes! When you register for your ticket, you will have the option to select which of our programs your funds will be allocated toward.

What if I decide I want a VIP ticket after purchasing a regular ticket?

We can modify tickets up until 24 hours before the event. If you decide on the morning of the event that you want to upgrade to VIP, we can take cash or a check when you arrive at 620 Jones. Email us if you need to make a modification: events@queerlifespace.org.

I'm an artist or student with limited funds. Can I attend the gala?

Yes, you're welcome to attend! Reach out to  events@queerlifespace.org. Quantities are limited.

What is Queer LifeSpace's federal tax ID?

Our EIN # is 45-2451077

Is the venue wheelchair accessible?

Yes, there is a wheelchair-accessible ramp that leads into the venue.

Ready To Attend?

Don't miss the chance to help us celebrate an action-packed year of events, program launches, and fundraising — all in support of affordable access to LGBTQIA+ therapy.

Producer:
Ryan MacCarrigan

620 Jones Events Director:
Jennifer Dorland

Audio/Visual Production:
Thor Audio Solutions

Entertainment Director:

Juanita MORE!

Photography:
Photos by Gooch

Volunteers:
 QLS Clinical Trainees '23-'24


2275 Market Street, #7
San Francisco, CA 94114


Open from 9AM - 6PM weekdays

Queer LifeSpace is a registered 501(c)(3) organization

EIN: 45-2451077

 

+1-415-358-2000

events@queerlifespace.org

media@queerlifespace.org