The Sac Queens Agenda Oct 1

We know some of you have had your pumpkin spice latte order saved in the app since August. Well, put down the scarf, sweetie. Mother Nature is still serving 90s this week, so Tom and I suggest you take that PSL iced and pretend it's a choice. Sweater season will come, just not on your schedule.

This week brings drag bingo, movies under the stars in Old Sac, brunch and bottomless mimosas at Teneral Cellars, pickleball lessons, and plenty more to drag your friends to, or to go make new ones.

Lastly, the deadline to sign up for fall dodgeball with Outloud Sports is coming up. I suspect a few of you got plenty of practice dodging things at Folsom Street Fair and are ready for the real thing. If you can dodge your ex at Badlands, you can dodge a ball. You'll find it in the listings under its Oct 13 start date.

Last week we asked what's in your hand at Faces, and 28 of you answered. Something with three ingredients and a garnish won with 8 votes, one ahead of vodka soda at 7. "Whatever costs five dollars" and "Diet Coke, I'm driving" tied at 5 apiece, which is the most responsible thing this newsletter has ever printed. Beer came in last with 3. Tip accordingly.

And one more number. Sac Queens just crossed 500 subscribers! We started this in May on a hunch that queer Sacramento wanted one place to find out what's happening this week, and 500 of you showed up to prove it.

To every subscriber, every Sugar Daddy and Fairy Godmother keeping the lights on, and everyone who forwarded us to a friend or sent in an event: thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We're so excited, and we're nowhere near done!

This week, we want to know:

October 1 – 7.

Golden Grounds: Senior Social
Thu, Oct 1, 1 to 2:30 PM, online, free, 55 and up
The Center runs its seniors group on first and third Thursdays over video, so nobody has to find parking on K Street. Two and a half hours with people who remember what this city used to make them hide. Read more

Coming Out Group
Thu, Oct 1, 6 to 7 PM, Sacramento LGBT Community Center (2031 K St), free, 18+
A weekly drop-in room for anyone at any point in the process, with nothing to register for. Some people come once and some come for years, and the room does not keep count. Read more

Youth Group
Thu, Oct 1, 6 to 7:30 PM, Sacramento LGBT Community Center (2031 K St), free, ages 13 to 17
The Center's teen room, separate from the young-adult group that meets on Tuesdays. Pass it along to the kid who has been waiting for a reason to leave the house. Read more

TransMasc & Non-Binary Support Group
Thu, Oct 1, 6 to 7:30 PM, Gender Health Center (3823 V St), free, 18+
First and third Thursdays, facilitated by community members, masks required and nothing to sign. The TransFemme group takes the second and fourth, so neither has to share a week. Read more

Parents Support Group
Thu, Oct 1, 6:15 to 7:30 PM, Sacramento LGBT Community Center (2031 K St), free
A weekly room for parents and caregivers who are still working out the language. Better they practice in there than on you. Read more

Karaoke Night at Teneral
Thu, Oct 1, 6:30 to 9:30 PM, Teneral Cellars (1050 20th St, Ste 110)
Tock has karaoke on the first, second and fourth Thursdays, which makes October a generous month for it. Three hours at a queer- and women-owned wine lounge is long enough to talk yourself into the big song. Read more

Eclectic? Trash? Book Club
Thu, Oct 1, 6:30 to 8 PM, Lavender Library (1414 21st St), free
The archive's original book club has been running for more than twenty-five years, mostly on contemporary queer fiction. You do not have to have read the book, which may be the most welcoming sentence in Midtown. Read more

Drag Queen Bingo
Thu, Oct 1, doors open at 6 PM, games 7 to 9 PM, Mango's (1930 K St), $20 cash only
DoMe Moore calls eight games on first Thursdays, and the series has raised more than $400,000 for local nonprofits since 2009. Cash only and seating goes in the order people walk through the door. Read more

Drag Bingo with Apple Adams
Thu, Oct 1, 7 PM, arrive by 6:45, Tipsy Putt (630 K St #120), $5
Five dollars covers every round and extra cards run a dollar each, first come and no reservations. Get there at 6:45 so the drink, the cards and the dot marker are handled before Apple starts calling. Read more

Movies Under the Stars
Thu, Oct 1 and Fri, Oct 2, check-in 6 PM, movie 7 PM, Old Sacramento State Historic Park (111 I St), $10 to $35
Not a queer show, but the outdoor series opens with Jurassic Park and then hands Friday over to Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as witch sisters. Sound comes through headphones, and ten dollars buys a patch of lawn you bring your own blanket for. Read more

Faces Thursday: Song and Dance
Thu, Oct 1, 9 PM to 1:30 AM, Faces (2000 K St)
The biggest floor in Lavender Heights splits Thursday between the dancing side and the karaoke side. Four and a half hours is enough runway to commit to one and then change your mind. Read more

SGMC Karaoke
Thu, Oct 1, 9:30 PM, Roscoe's upstairs (2007 K St)
Rehearsal lets out and the Sacramento Gay Men's Chorus takes over the upstairs mic. A room full of people who can genuinely sing, none of whom will make that your problem. Read more

Thirsty Thursday
Thu, Oct 1, shows 11 PM and 12 AM, Badlands (2003 K St), free, 21+
Two pop-up drag shows an hour apart, with go-gos working the room in the gap. The cast and the theme change every week, so the timing is the only part you can plan around. Read more

Pickleball at Jonas Larkspur Park
Fri, Oct 2, 10 to 11:30 AM, Jonas Larkspur Park (1063 Jonas Ave)
Sacramento Gay Men's Events brings spare paddles and balls for anyone who has never held one. Food after for the people who earned it and the people who mostly watched. Read more

Sac Gay Men's Happy Hour
Fri, Oct 2, 4:30 to 6:30 PM, Roscoe's (2007 K St)
First Fridays at a gay-owned bar that always allows separate checks, which is the detail that keeps a group coming back. Turnout usually runs four to ten, so it stays a conversation instead of an event. Read more

Murder Mystery Drag Show
Fri, Oct 2, doors 7 PM, show 8 PM, Roscoe's downstairs (2007 K St), free
Roscoe's starts October with a free Halloween whodunit, with LL Cool Gay, Miz Charm, Sir Vix, Flawless Envy and Loveli Mohair as the suspects and the audience deciding who did it. Costumes are encouraged. It's the rare murder investigation where showing up in disguise helps your standing with the detectives. Read more

Friday Happy Hour with Caloy
Fri, Oct 2, 6 to 8 PM, Faces (2000 K St)
Two hours at the front end of the night, before K Street gets any ideas. Caloy works the early shift, which is the easiest one to say yes to. Read more

Fridays Are a Drag
Fri, Oct 2, 8 PM, Badlands (2003 K St), free, 21+
Hellen Heels and Saiyohni Gray host Badlands' Friday drag show, with Kashmere K, Jessica Monroe and Starlight Erotica. It's free, starts at 8, and leaves the rest of your Friday open for whatever comes after. Read more

Paleta
Fri, Oct 2, 9 PM to 1:30 AM, Faces (2000 K St), ticketed, $10 - $18, 21+
Lokera Latin Party brings reggaeton, Latin EDM and perreo with Refresh as the special guest and DJ LG and DJ ZAY on support. The name means lollipop and the flyer does not treat that as a metaphor. Read more

Say YAS! A Drag Discussion Salon & Kiki
Fri, Oct 2, 10 PM, STAB! Comedy Theater (1710 Broadway), $10
Suzette Veneti runs a first-Friday panel of Sacramento drag names on questions along the lines of whether a queen can wear sneakers. It streams as well, but the dressing-room energy does not travel. Read more

Illusions: The Drag Queen Show ***(Sold Out)***
Fri, Oct 2 through Sun, Oct 4, Illusions (910 2nd St, Old Sacramento), ticketed, 21+
Old Sacramento's celebrity-impersonation room runs across the weekend. Despite the dinner-show branding it is drinks only, so eat somewhere first. Read more

Sacramento FrontRunners & FrontWalkers
Sat, Oct 3, 9 AM, Guy West Bridge (945 University Ave), free
The standing five-mile Saturday loop, runners and walkers together, coffee at the end. Oct 3 is a first Saturday, so the group brunch that follows the third one is not part of this. Read more

Brunchy Bites & Bottomless Mimosas
Sat, Oct 3, 10 AM–1 PM, Teneral Cellars (1050 20th St), $25, 21+
Every Saturday, Teneral Cellars and Grub N Graze Charcuterie serve brunch boards with bottomless mimosas. It's in Midtown next to LowBrau, and it wraps up at 1, so you have the rest of the afternoon to recover. Read more

Sacramento Pagan Pride
Sat, Oct 3 and Sun, Oct 4, 10 AM to 6 PM, VFW Post 6158 (8990 Kruithof Way, Fair Oaks), free, all ages
Two days of vendors, classes, seminars and food trucks out in Fair Oaks, with fire dancing on the Saturday evening. Admission and parking are both free and donations go to the event's chosen charities. Read more

Self-Defense Series
Sat, Oct 3, 1 to 3 PM, Gender Health Center (3823 V St)
Kira Lee, a queer trans femme with eight years of martial arts behind her, runs this on first Saturdays with no registration. Arrive by 1:15 at the latest, so treat the start time as a real one. Read more

Sacramento Bootlab & Cigar Social
Sat, Oct 3, 2 to 4 PM, The Bolt (2560 Boxwood St), free, 21+
First Saturdays, two afternoon hours of boot care and cigars before the bar fills up. BLUF takes the same room that night, so the leather calendar has built you a full day. Read more

BLUF SF Cuero: October Edition
Sat, Oct 3, 9 PM to midnight, The Bolt (2560 Boxwood St), free, 21+
Zander works the bootblack stand and shoots in-gear photos for BLUF applications while a raffle auction raises money for the Lavender Library. Gear is encouraged and everyone gets in, which is how The Bolt runs every night of the year. Read more

Hush at Badlands
Sat, Oct 3, 9 PM, Badlands (2003 K St), 21+
Badlands starts October with Hush, its first-Saturday party, with DJ Cliffy on the decks and an all-women lineup of go-go dancers. The flyer calls it "your favorite night to summon her," which sounds like a spell and is clearly meant to. Read more

FrontRunners Sunday Long Run
Sun, Oct 4, 8 AM, location announced weekly, free
The Sunday long run happens during race season and the meeting point moves every single week. Check the club calendar before you drive anywhere. Read more

Pickleball at Jonas Larkspur Park
Sun, Oct 4, 10 to 11:30 AM, Jonas Larkspur Park (1063 Jonas Ave)
The second session of the week, same spare paddles, same shade, still no experience needed. Two in one week is roughly how a hobby gets started. Read more

Accessible Yoga
Sun, Oct 4, 10:30 to 11:30 AM, Sacramento LGBT Community Center (2031 K St), free, all ages
A weekly class built around the body you actually walked in with rather than the one in the video. One hour, no age limit, nothing to sign. Read more

Roscoe's Drag Brunch: Libras vs. Scorpios Birthday Bash
Sun, Oct 4, seatings 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM, Roscoe's upstairs (2007 K St), ticketed
This month's theme puts the Libras and Scorpios head to head, with Eva Changing Envy hosting Khamiyah B. Punani, Valentin Rowzay, Felix Orion and Amelia Need-Moore. The Libras will want everyone to get along, and the Scorpios will keep track of who didn't. As usual, there are two seatings upstairs, an entree plus eighteen-dollar bottomless mimosas, and a two-hour clock somebody always argues with. OpenTable is the only door, so handle it before Sunday. Read more

Queer Crafternoon
Sun, Oct 4, 1 to 3 PM, Lavender Library (1414 21st St), free, all ages
First and third Sundays at the archive, all materials provided, bring your own if you are particular. Two hours of busy hands and loose opinions. Read more

Spotlight: Halloween Edition
Sun, Oct 4, 8 PM, Badlands (2003 K St), free, 21+
Eva Changing Envy and Hissteria host Badlands' Spotlight drag show in its Halloween edition, with Jet Blaq, Ava Rice, Matilda Deepdish and Karly Rae Marx in the cast. The flyer is styled like found footage, complete with a REC light, so you can expect something closer to a horror movie than a pageant. Eva is also hosting the Roscoe's brunch that morning, so she'll be putting in a double shift on Oct 4. Read more

Sacramento FrontRunners Monday Run/Walk
Mon, Oct 5, 6:30 PM, Sacramento Running Company (2673 21st St), free
Three miles through Curtis Park on a Monday evening, running or walking, either counts. Oct 5 is a first Monday, so the business meeting that follows the second one is not on. Read more

Queer Yoga
Mon, Oct 5, 6:30 to 7:30 PM, Sacramento LGBT Community Center (2031 K St), free
Bring a mat, a block and a water bottle, because the Center supplies the room and the hour. No age limit and no conversation required. Read more

Monday New Drag Showcase
Mondays, 9 PM, Badlands (2003 K St), free, 21+
Badlands gives the stage to new drag talent every Monday. This week Bijou Bentley and Ava Rice are hosting, and Polaris is the special guest for the lip sync distraction. Cocktails are 30% off all night. It's a good chance to see performers before they're booked everywhere else, and possibly before their wigs are fully settled. Read more

Monday Night at Faces
Mondays, 9 PM–1:30 AM, Faces (2000 K St), free, 21+
DJ Vic handles the dance floor and KJ Jeo runs karaoke, so the same room covers both people who want to dance and people who have been waiting all week to sing. Admission is free and there are drink specials. Monday is the one night nobody expects anything from you, and Faces seems to have planned around that. Read more

Single's Lunch in the Park
Tue, Oct 6, 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM, East Portal Park (1120 Rodeo Way), free
Gay and bi singles bring their own lunch and the group supplies the coals and utensils for the park barbecue. Free parking in the shade, which at 10:30 AM is the actual selling point. Read more

Pickled Pink Beginners' Session
Tue, Oct 6, 4 to 6 PM, Southside Park, free, all ages
The LGBTQIA+ pickleball group runs a beginners' session every Tuesday, no equipment and no experience needed. Allies count as part of the plus, so bring the straight friend who keeps hinting. Read more

Transgender Group
Tue, Oct 6, 5:30 to 7:30 PM, Sacramento LGBT Community Center (2031 K St), free, 18+
First and third Tuesdays, and at two full hours it is the longest slot the Center runs. Free, drop in, nothing to fill out. Read more

FTM Sacramento Support Group
Tue, Oct 6, 6 to 8 PM, Lavender Library (1414 21st St), free
First Tuesdays at the archive for transmasculine, gender non-conforming and questioning people. Two hours in a room where the background does not need explaining. Read more

Men's Group
Tue, Oct 6, 6 to 7:30 PM, Sacramento LGBT Community Center (2031 K St), free, 18+
A weekly drop-in for LGBTQ+ men to unload whatever the week produced. No sign-up, and nobody else in there has it sorted either. Read more

Youth Group (18 to 24)
Tue, Oct 6, 6 to 7:30 PM, Sacramento LGBT Community Center (2031 K St), free, ages 18 to 24
The Center's young-adult room, running opposite Thursday's group for teenagers. Those are the years this kind of room earns its keep. Read more

Queer's Gambit Chess Club
Tue, Oct 6, 6 to 7 PM, A Seat at the Table Books (9257 Laguna Springs Dr #130, Elk Grove), free, 16+
First Tuesdays out in Elk Grove, casual play, boards provided and every skill level welcome. No opening theory required, only a tolerance for losing a pawn early. Read more

$2 Movie at The Crest
Tue, Oct 6, doors 6 PM, movie 7 PM, Crest Theatre (1013 K St), $2
Sacramento Gay Men's Events takes over a two-dollar screening and October opens with The Faculty. Open seating, previews run to about 7:20, and two dollars is less than the parking. Read more

Maxx Drag
Tue, Oct 6, doors 7:30 PM, show 8 PM, Badlands (2003 K St), 21+
Season nine of the Tuesday drag competition is a few weeks in and the cast is still thinning out. Early enough in the run to pick a favorite without having to defend it. Read more

Pink Party: Back to the '80s
Tue, Oct 6, shows at 10:30 PM & midnight, Faces (2000 K St), 21+
Nayelli San Román hosts a pink-themed '80s night at Faces, with two shows, the debut of Fernanda H., and DJ Kevin playing between sets. The dress code is whatever you'd have worn in the '80s, which for a lot of the crowd means their best guess and for some means a trip back to the closet. Pink is strongly encouraged. Tuesday is a strange night to time-travel, but the shoulder pads won't know the difference. Read more

Faces Karaoke Tuesday
Tue, Oct 6, 9 PM to 1:30 AM, Faces (2000 K St)
A full Tuesday of karaoke on the biggest stage on K Street, running alongside the Latin night in the same building. Four and a half hours leaves room for the song, the regret and the rematch. Read more

Show Tune Request Night
Tue, Oct 6, 9 PM, The Depot (2001 K St)
DJ Ryan takes requests, musicals only, and there is no appeals process. Put yours in early, because the Wicked window closes fast. Read more

Karaoke Night with Diana Hole
Tue, Oct 6, 9:30 PM, Badlands (2003 K St), free
Diana Hole hosts every Tuesday with two dollars off cocktails all night and no cover. It is half a block from the other karaoke night, so pick a lane or do both. Read more

Haus of Hormones: ConneQT with QTs
Wed, Oct 7, 6 to 9 PM, Gender Health Center (3823 V St)
First and third Wednesdays, three hours for trans and nonbinary people to be in a room together. Masks required and nothing to register for. Read more

Yap Sesh
Wed, Oct 7, 6:30 to 8 PM, Gender Health Center (3823 V St), ages 16 and up
A non-clinical peer space for trans, gender diverse and questioning people, whether you are out, exploring or undecided. Facilitated by a community member rather than a clinician. Read more

Spooky HoHs
Wed, Oct 7, 6:30 to 8 PM, Gender Health Center (3823 V St), 18+
Haus of Hormones brings in Lifewflo for a workshop on dismantling cisnormative intimacy scripts and rebuilding sex ed on other terms. Registration is open and this is the one on the list that is strictly over eighteen. Read more

GenderQuark
Wed, Oct 7, 7 to 9 PM, Lavender Library (1414 21st St), free
First Wednesdays, a closed group run with the Gender Health Center for nonbinary, trans and genderqueer people. Allies are pointed toward other rooms, and the listing says so plainly. Read more

Sacramento FrontRunners Wednesday Run
Wed, Oct 7, 6:30 PM, McKinley Park tennis courts (601 Alhambra Blvd), free
Three miles around McKinley Park, meeting at the tennis courts rather than the Alhambra frontage. Oct 7 is a first Wednesday, so this is the plain run and not the monthly social hour. Read more

Piano Bar & Karaoke
Wed, Oct 7, piano 6 to 9 PM, karaoke 9 PM to close, Roscoe's downstairs (2007 K St)
Live piano until nine and then the mic opens, downstairs, every Wednesday. Two rooms' worth of night without having to move. Read more

The Trivia Show
Wed, Oct 7, 8 PM, The Depot (2001 K St), free
Just Josh hosts, it is free to play, teams cap at six and the top three take prizes. Recruit one sports person, one theater person and one person who reads footnotes for pleasure. Read more

Faces Wednesday
Wed, Oct 7, 9 PM to 1:30 AM, Faces (2000 K St), free
A DJ and a karaoke jockey split the night, with the names changing week to week. Free entry midweek is the entire argument. Read more

In 1960, college student body president Dennis Mangers heard JFK say "ask not what your country can do for you" and, unlike most of us, actually followed through. He went from Parks and Recreation Commissioner to school board trustee to Democratic assembly member from Huntington Beach. That meant being a Democrat from Orange County in the '70s, which took nerve.

He came out in the early '80s, started over in Sacramento as a lobbyist, and decided the city could do better by its gay residents. Over the next 45 years he helped found the Sacramento Men's Chorus (the word "gay" had to wait a few years to get into the name), CARES, the Capitol Network, CAP/PAC and the Stonewall Democratic Club. He also helped build the LGBT Center, which is a lot of founding for one lifetime. At Equality California, he helped win the right to marry, and then he used it to marry Michael Sestak. That's what we'd call follow-through.

His wish for us is pointed. More of us are signed up for kickball than for politics, and he'd like those numbers to trade places. So vote, and join HRC, Equality California or Stonewall. If activism isn't your thing, pay the dues and let someone else attend the meetings. You can still keep the kickball league.

Remember when the news was about what happened, not how to feel about it? 1440's Daily Digest is bringing that back. Every morning, they sift through 100+ sources to deliver a concise, unbiased briefing — no pundits, no paywalls, no politics. Just the facts, all in five minutes. For free.

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Golden Rule Services opened its doors in January 2000 to take on the health and racial inequities facing Black, Indigenous and other communities of color in Sacramento County. It spent about seven months on juvenile justice before deciding its real calling was HIV prevention for local Black gay and bisexual men. Some people take seven months to answer a text. GRS found its purpose.

In 2001, GRS conducted Sacramento County's first African American gay men's needs assessment. It is still the only one, and honey, that says a lot, just not about GRS. They took those findings and built the Men's Soul Food Project, the county's first HIV prevention program made specifically for that community. Nobody handed them a seat at the table, so they cooked.

Twenty-six years later, that little pilot is a full-blown HIV, STI and hepatitis C prevention and care powerhouse. The menu includes rapid HIV and HCV testing, three-site STI screening (yes, all three, don't be shy), PrEP and DoxyPEP navigation, street outreach, outreach to people experiencing homelessness, condoms by the handful, and case management for people living with HIV. All of it is free. They even have a mobile testing unit, so if you've been "meaning to get tested" since the last Pride, the clinic will come to you. There are no excuses left, sweetie.

In 2020, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors declared racism a public health crisis. GRS had already been treating it like one for twenty years by then. They didn't need a memo, and the California State Assembly has handed them several resolutions saying so. GRS says it literally saves lives, and for once a mission statement isn't overselling it.

www.sacgrs.org / https://sacgrs.org/get-involved/ways-to-donate/

Movies Under the Stars
Thu, Oct 8 and Fri, Oct 9, check-in 6 PM, movie 7 PM, Old Sacramento State Historic Park (111 I St), $10 to $35
Not a queer show, but Thursday's E.T. brings a stranded alien looking for a phone, and Friday's So I Married an Axe Murderer brings Mike Myers wondering if his new wife has a body count. Sound comes through headphones, and ten dollars still gets you the lawn, blanket not included. Read more

Legends and Villains Trivia Night
Thu, Oct 8, 6:30 PM, A Seat at the Table Books (9257 Laguna Springs Dr #130, Elk Grove), $5
Quizmaster Michelle runs Halloween-season trivia on legends and villains, costumes encouraged, teams or solo. The cafe stays open until seven for beer, wine, pizza and pastries. Read more

Ace/Aro Group
Thu, Oct 8, 7 to 8:30 PM, Lavender Library (1414 21st St), free
Second Thursdays at the archive for ace and aro people and anyone in the neighborhood of either. Ninety minutes where the explaining part is already done. Read more

TransFemme & Non-Binary Support Group
Thu, Oct 8, 6 to 7:30 PM, Gender Health Center (3823 V St), free, 18+
Second and fourth Thursdays, masks required, nothing to register for. The TransMasc group holds the first and third, so the two never collide. Read more

K!NK or Treat
Thu, Oct 8, 7 PM, The Boardwalk (9426 Greenback Ln, Orangevale), ticketed
Plot Twist, Live! opens its Halloween season with burlesque and variety out in Orangevale. Orangevale is a commitment, so settle the driving before the costume. Read more

Big Gay Halloween
Thu, Oct 8 through Sun, Oct 25, Thu and Fri 8 PM, Sat 7:30 and 10 PM, Sun 7 PM, Great Star Theater (636 Jackson St, San Francisco), ticketed
Road trip: three weekends of acrobats, ghouls, drag royalty and dancers in North Beach. The two Saturday shows are the detail that makes a whole weekend schedulable. Read more

Jonathan Van Ness: Hot & Healed
Thu, Oct 8, doors 7 PM, show 8 PM, Channel 24 (1800 24th St), ticketed, 18+
Van Ness brings the Hot and Healed tour into Midtown. Channel 24 checks physical ID at the door, which the phone wallet does not satisfy. Read more

$2 Movies at The Crest
Thu, Oct 8, Sun, Oct 18, Tue, Oct 27 and Wed, Oct 28, doors 6 PM, movie 7 PM, Crest Theatre (1013 K St), $2
Sacramento Gay Men's Events keeps the two-dollar screenings running all month with The Shining, Beetlejuice, The Craft and Halloween. Four horror classics for eight dollars total, which is less than one ticket almost anywhere else. Read more

Pride Week Drag Show with Raven
Thu, Oct 8, 7:30 PM, University Union Ballroom (6000 Jed Smith Dr), free
The University Union celebrates Pride Week with Raven from RuPaul's Drag Race and local favorite Taryn Thru-U. It's a free show with a Drag Race name on the bill, which usually means the ballroom fills up well before 7:30. Read more

Las Vegas Pride
Parade Fri, Oct 9, Downtown Las Vegas, and festival Sat, Oct 17, Desert Breeze Events Center
Road trip: this year's theme is Break the Cycle, with the slogan Rise, Resist, Rejoice. The parade and the festival sit eight days apart, so Sacramento visitors pick one or stay the week. Read more

Liquid Therapy
Fri, Oct 9, 5:30 to 7 PM, Badlands (2003 K St), 21+
Outword's happy hour is back at Badlands with cocktails and a prize drawing. The pool includes Broadway Sacramento ticket packs, two premium pairs for the Sacramento Gay Men's Chorus holiday show and a pair for Ricky Martin at Thunder Valley on Nov 6. Read more

So You Wanna Be A Bentley
Fri, Oct 9, 8 PM, Roscoe's, Ticketed,$12.50, (2007 K St)
Bijou Bentley auditions candidates for the Bentley name, live, in front of the room. A drag family expanding in real time with no edit in post. Read more

Electric Feels
Fri, Oct 9, 8 PM, Ace of Spades (1417 R St), ticketed, 18+
An indie and electronic night that in practice runs Daft Punk into MGMT into Charli XCX. Dress for a floor you will not be standing still on. Read more

Gaymer Night
Fri, Oct 9, 9 PM to midnight, The Bolt (2560 Boxwood St), free, 21+
Second Fridays, The Bolt puts video games up on its screens. The flyer surrounds a controller with leather cuffs and a flogger, which describes the crowd accurately. Read more

Sacramento Turn Verein Oktoberfest
Fri, Oct 9, doors 6 PM and Sat, Oct 10, from 3 PM, both to 11:30 PM, Turner Hall (3349 J St), $25 advance, $30 door, $5 ages 6 to 12, under 6 free
Not a queer event, but lederhosen have always been doing something: the Turn Verein's 57th, with the Gruber Family Band in the Main Hall, AKA Live upstairs, the Alpenmeisters in the Biergarten and three kitchens working. Kegs come from Munich and the Biergarten closes at ten. Read more

Farmers Market at Teneral Cellars
Sat, Oct 10, 10 AM to 1 PM, Teneral Cellars (1050 20th St, Ste 110)
Redfin has a table at the farmers market with their Wine Wheel. Spin for a chance to win Teneral wine, bottomless mimosas or Pride swag, and Amanda and David will be there to answer questions about Redfin's money-saving programs for homebuyers and sellers. Read more

Coming Out Day Festival
Sat, Oct 10, 11 AM to 4 PM, Township 9 Park (611 Riverine Way), free, all ages
Local LGBTQ+ performers, vendors, a photobooth, a sound bath and resource tables out in the River District. Go early for the tables, before the stage pulls everybody to one end of the park. Read more

Drag for Liberty
Sat, Oct 10, 2 to 5 PM, Davis, venue to be announced, tips encouraged
Davis Pride's family-friendly afternoon drag show, with the location still unannounced two weeks out. Watch davispride.org rather than setting off hopeful. Read more

Drink & Draw
Sat, Oct 10, 3 to 6 PM, The Bolt (2560 Boxwood St), $10 suggested donation, 21+
Lady Bones hosts with live models, supplies included and proceeds going to a local charity. It skipped September, so the sketchbooks are well rested. Read more

Man Candy
Sat, Oct 10, go-gos at 9 PM, Badlands (2003 K St), 21+
Badlands gives Man Candy a Halloween theme this month: trick or treat, with go-gos starting at 9 and DJ Mario on the decks. The candy in question is not the kind that comes wrapped, and the flyer makes that clear. Read more

Folsom Family Pride Festival
Sun, Oct 11, 10 AM to 3 PM, Folsom City Lions Park (403 Stafford St, Folsom), free
Folsom's Pride falls on National Coming Out Day, with music, speakers, vendors and an ASL interpreter for every act on the bill. Hellen Heels performs during the opening hours with a new song dedicated to the city of Folsom, so arrive early if you want to see it. It's a suburban Pride that actually made room in the budget for everyone in the park. Read more

California Freethought Day
Sun, Oct 11, 11 AM, California State Capitol, free with registration,
Not a queer show, but Hellen Heels is the emcee: the 25th annual California Freethought Day brings speakers to the Capitol for a day about free inquiry and speaking up. The lineup includes Rep. Jared Huffman, Assemblymember Alex Lee, actor Tim Russ, science communicator Forrest Valkai and singer Candi Carpenter. Registration is free, and the event is livestreamed for anyone who can't get downtown. Read more

Makeup & Mimosas Drag Brunch
Sun, Oct 11, doors 11 AM, show 12 PM, Punch Line (2100 Arden Way, Ste 225), Ticketed, 13+ with a parent or guardian
LOLGBT Presents brings its drag brunch back to Punch Line with a Halloween theme, starring Suzette Veneti, Bebe Gunn, Bijou Bentley, Ava Rice and Liz. There's a two-drink minimum per person, and the mimosas count toward it. Teens 13 and up can come with a parent or guardian, which makes this one of the few drag brunches where the whole family can go and only some of them will get all the jokes.. Read more

LLACE Game Day
Sun, Oct 11, 12 to 2 PM, Lavender Library (1414 21st St), free
Second Sundays, two hours of board games at the archive. Bring one, or trust that somebody else remembered. Read more

SOMA Origins Walking Tour
Sun, Oct 11, 1 to 3 PM, SoMa, San Francisco, free
Road trip: the SF Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District runs a free two-hour walk through the neighborhood's leather history. It sits on the same day as Folsom Family Pride, so this Sunday is an either-or. Read more

Glow Party
Sun, Oct 11, 9 PM, The Bolt (2560 Boxwood St), free, 21+
The Bolt switches on the blacklights for a Sunday glow party. Neon body paint counts as an outfit, and less fabric leaves more to glow. Read more

Banned Book Club
Mon, Oct 12, 7 to 8 PM, Lavender Library (1414 21st St), free
Second Mondays, working through the titles somebody tried to get pulled off a shelf. An hour of very well-organized spite. Read more

FrontRunners Monthly Business Meeting
Mon, Oct 12, 7:30 PM, Sacramento Running Company (2673 21st St)
The club's monthly business meeting follows the second-Monday run. Come for the three miles, stay if you want a say in them. Read more

OutLoud Sacramento Fall Dodgeball ***REGISTRATION ENDS 10 Oct***
Tuesdays, Oct 13–Dec 1, 6–8:30 PM, Capital YMCA, $85–$95 plus $2 fee, 21+
OutLoud Sacramento's indoor dodgeball league starts an eight-week fall season, open to every skill level. You can register with a team or sign up as a free agent and get placed on one. Regular registration is $85 and runs through Oct 3. After that, it's $95 until Oct 10. The difference is $10, which is about what it costs to learn you shouldn't wait. Read more

SIN Sacramento
Tue, Oct 13, 6 to 7:30 PM, Sacramento LGBT Community Center (2031 K St), free
The Center's social support program for people living with HIV meets on second Tuesdays. The name stands for Strength in Numbers, which is the whole proposition. Read more

Trans Youth Group
Tue, Oct 13, 6 to 7:30 PM, Gender Health Center (3823 V St), ages 12 to 17
Second and fourth Tuesdays at the Gender Health Center, run by mental health trainees under licensed supervision. One registration covers every youth and parent group they offer. Read more

Gay Out the Vote 2026: Bricks & Ballots
Wed, Oct 14, 6–8 PM, Badlands (2003 K St), 21+
The Sacramento Stonewall Democrats are holding an evening in support of their 2026 endorsed candidates, with Hellen Heels as guest host. It's three weeks before Election Day, and the event is RSVP only. Read more

Library AF Book Group
Wed, Oct 14, 6:30 to 7:30 PM, Sacramento LGBT Community Center (2031 K St), free
Sacramento Public Library's queer YA group meets at the Center on second Wednesdays. October's book is Gods of Jade and Shadow. Read more

LGBT Grief Group
Wed, Oct 14, 6 to 7 PM, Sacramento LGBT Community Center (2031 K St), free, 18+
Second and fourth Wednesdays, one hour for the grief the rest of the week makes no room for. Free and drop-in. Read more

Bi+Pan Sacramento
Wed, Oct 14, 7 PM, Lavender Library (1414 21st St), free
Second Wednesdays at the archive for bi and pan people and anyone who lands near there. The one room where the question does not come up. Read more

Critical Core Queer Gaming Group
Thu, Oct 15, 7:30 to 9:30 PM, Gender Health Center (3823 V St)
Sac Queer Gaymers run a tabletop night at the Gender Health Center on third Thursdays. Bring a game, snacks are handled, masks required. Read more

Blazin' Saddles with Diplo, Dustin Lynch and Wuki
Fri, Oct 16, 4 to 11 PM, Hornet Heartbeat (3001 Ramona Ave), ticketed
Sac State's homecoming weekend puts country and dance music on the same stage entirely on purpose. Boots solve both halves of the bill. Read more

Bootblack & Leather Care with Rae
Fri, Oct 16, 8 to 11:30 PM, The Bolt (2560 Boxwood St)
Third Fridays, Rae runs boot and leather care at The Bolt. Bring the gear you have been meaning to deal with since Folsom. Read more

Drag Not Bombs
Fri, Oct 16, 9 to 10 PM, STAB! Comedy Theater (1710 Broadway), $15, all ages
A third-Friday comedy and variety benefit for the Lebanon Solidarity Collective. No host is named anywhere on the listing, which is either an oversight or the bit. Read more

Sacramento Leather Invasion: Bar Crawl
Sat, Oct 17, from 7 PM, starting at The Mercantile Saloon (1928 L St)
Four bars in one night for The Trevor Project, opening at The Mercantile at seven and closing at The Bolt at ten, with Badlands and The Depot in between. The harness is optional and the pacing is not. Read more

Pup Mosh
Sat, Oct 17, 2 to 6 PM, The Bolt (2560 Boxwood St)
Third Saturdays, four afternoon hours for pups and anyone who enjoys the energy. It finishes right as the leather bar crawl starts across town, which is either convenient or a warning. Read more

Fluff with Manni Peddi
Sat, Oct 17, seating 6:30 PM, show 7 to 9 PM, Roscoe's upstairs (2007 K St)
The third-Saturday counterpart to The Velvet Room, same upstairs room, different host entirely. Manni Peddi runs this one, with dinner and drinks part of the sitting. Read more

The Ghouls are Calling
Sun, Oct 18, 4:30 to 7:30 PM, Radclyffe's (1330 H St)
Radclyffe's runs an early-evening Halloween hang with paintable pumpkins, craft kits while supplies last and a costume contest at seven. There is a free clothing and costume swap too, so the costume you swore you would wear again can become somebody else's promise. Read more

Queer Magic Monday
Mon, Oct 19, 7 to 8:30 PM, Lavender Library (1414 21st St), free
Third Mondays at the archive, ninety minutes on queer magical practice. It runs once a month, so missing it costs four weeks. Read more

Club 55
Wed, Oct 21, 4 to 5:30 PM, Sacramento LGBT Community Center (2031 K St), free, seniors
The Center's monthly social for LGBTQ+ seniors, ninety minutes and free. The room with the longest memory in the building. Read more

Board Game Night
Wed, Oct 21, 5 to 7 PM, A Seat at the Table Books (9257 Laguna Springs Dr #130, Elk Grove), free with RSVP
A board game night at the Elk Grove bookstore with the cafe serving food and drinks throughout. More than a dozen people came to the last one, which in board game terms is enough for a real argument about the rules. Read more

Wildcard! Open Mic Story Swap
Wed, Oct 21, doors 6 PM, show 7 PM, Teneral Cellars (1050 20th St, Ste 110), $15, 21+
A third-Wednesday story swap at the wine lounge, open mic format, fifteen dollars. Bring something true or something you can sell as true. Read more

Latine Queer Group
Thu, Oct 22, 7 to 8:30 PM, Lavender Library (1414 21st St), free
Fourth Thursdays at the archive, built around nights where members present on where they come from. The table has not once been full. Read more

Boas & Bow Ties Gala
Thu, Oct 22, 6 to 9 PM, Hilton Arden West
The Rainbow Chamber's annual scholarship gala, this year honoring departing director Fred Palmer. Register now and work out what to wear later. Read more

Nevermore Gorelesque: Cabaret Macabre
Fri, Oct 23, 8:30 PM, Historic Colonial Theatre (3522 Stockton Blvd), ticketed, 21+
Burlesque, drag and horror on one bill with Rob Roberts hosting and a VIP meet and greet available. Fake blood is a real possibility, so dress like it. Read more

Honeypot
Sat, Oct 24, doors 6 PM, Badlands (2003 K St), $5 before 9 PM, 21+
Badlands' bear and leather community night reaches its 21st volume, with music, drinks and go-gos all night. It costs $5 to get in before 9, and anyone wearing leather or gear gets $2 off cocktails. With a 6 PM start, you can put your harness on before dinner and still get the discount. Read more

Rocky Horror with Amber's Sweets
Sat, Oct 24, VIP entry 7:45 PM, GA 8:15 PM, show 9 PM, Historic Colonial Theatre (3522 Stockton Blvd), $25.49 GA, $36.99 VIP
The first of two Amber's Sweets shadowcast nights this month. VIP gets you a prop kit and an onstage photo with the cast. Read more

Soul Food then Rocky Horror
Sat, Oct 24, 7:15 PM, Fixins Soul Kitchen then Historic Colonial Theatre (3522 Stockton Blvd)
Sacramento Gay Men's Events pairs dinner at Fixins with the Amber's Sweets shadowcast straight after. Eat first, because nothing sold at a Rocky Horror counts as a meal. Read more

Two Dykes and a Mic: Soaking Wet Tour
Sat, Oct 24, 3 PM, Punch Line Sacramento (2100 Arden Way), ticketed
The lesbian comedy podcast brings its live tour to Arden Way. Meet-and-greet packages come with a signed poster for a wall of your choosing. Read more

#STFU! Drag Lip-Sync & Stand-Up
Sat, Oct 24, 9 PM, STAB! Comedy Theater (1710 Broadway), $10 in person or $5 virtual
Fourth Saturdays, lolgbt+ puts comics and drag queens on one bill and makes each attempt the other's job. The failures are the show. Read more

Bear Claw
Sat, Oct 24, 9 PM, The Bolt (2560 Boxwood St), free, 21+
Fourth Saturdays, the monthly bear night, open to otters, cubs, bears and anyone who admires the category. The Bolt never charges a cover, which leaves the entire budget for the bartender. Read more

Hotties & Hops
Sun, Oct 25, 3 to 6 PM, At Ease Brewing (1825 I St), $10 suggested donation
The October edition of the monthly craft social for women, trans and nonbinary folks. All-gender restrooms, supplies to borrow, low-key by design. Read more

Q-Prom: Camp Heebie Jeebies
Sun, Oct 25, 6 to 9 PM, Ace of Spades (1417 R St), free, ages 13 to 20
A substance-free queer prom for teenagers who did not get one, or got a bad one. Camp theme, free entry, and a second attempt at the dance. Read more

Midlife Queers Club
Wed, Oct 28, 6 to 8 PM, Tri-County Diversity (201 D St Ste L, Marysville), ages 30+
Fourth Wednesdays in Marysville for queers over thirty. A room where nobody has to explain a reference from 2003. Read more

Queer Writers Salon
Wed, Oct 28, 6 to 8 PM, Lavender Library (1414 21st St), free
Fourth Wednesdays at the archive, two hours for queer writers working on something. Bring pages or bring an excuse. Read more

Orville Peck: Man Turned Mule Tour
Wed, Oct 28, doors 7 PM, show 8 PM, Channel 24 (1800 24th St), ticketed
The masked cowboy brings Man Turned Mule to Midtown. Physical ID at the door, so the fringe is not the only thing to remember. Read more

Club A$tro: Sapphic Spooky Scorpio Halloween
Thu, Oct 29, 10 PM to close, Faces Nightclub (2000 K St), 21+, $10 and rising closer to the date
Club A$tro's party for the girls returns with performers, local vendors, a red carpet runway, and drink specials, all two days before Halloween, which counts as Scorpio season if you don't check. The ticket price goes up the longer you wait, much like everything else. The flyer suggests bringing ones. The flyer is right. Read more

Last Stop: The Haunting of 28th Street
Fri, Oct 30, 5 to 9 PM, Blue Cue (1004 28th St), $25 to $50, 21+
Sigma Gamma Rho's alumnae chapter throws a Halloween scholarship fundraiser with a best costume contest. The ticket carries into Blue Cue's own event straight after, so nine o'clock is not the end of it. Read more

Vaquero Night: Día de los Muertos
Fri, Oct 30, 9 PM, The Bolt (2560 Boxwood St), free, 21+
The Bolt marks Día de los Muertos with vendors, food and an outside bar pouring tequila, mezcal and Mexican beer. The flyer promises dancing until forever, and The Bolt closes considerably earlier than that. Read more

Pumpkin Pedal
Sat, Oct 31, check-in 9 AM, ride 9:30 AM, Touchstone Brewing Co. (116 N 16th St, Suite 100), $50
NorCal AIDS Cycle's Halloween ride leaves Touchstone for either a 28-mile or a 50-mile route up the American River Parkway, with SAG support, stocked rest stops and a $30 food and drink voucher for afterward. Costumes are encouraged as long as you can still see, hear and steer, so the full-face mask can wait for the evening parties. Read more

OUT! at the Movies: Clue Halloween Potluck
Sat, Oct 31, 4 PM, Tri-County Diversity (201 D St Ste L, Marysville), free
The queer film night screens Clue as a Halloween potluck. Bring a dish and a theory. Read more

Bewitched: A Glowy Ghoulish Halloween Party
Sat, Oct 31, 7 to 11 PM, Teneral Cellars (1050 20th St, Ste 110), no cover, 21+
DJ David Andersen runs a blacklight Halloween dance party in Teneral's garden with no cover. Anything that glows will do more work than anything that does not. Read more

Icons of Horror
Sat, Oct 31, 7 PM to 1 AM, Radclyffe's (1330 H St #110), free, 21+
Radclyffe's Halloween theme is Icons of Horror, with DJ Bishop Envy and a costume contest where only horror costumes count. That rules out the sexy cat and finally rewards whoever has been sitting on a slasher mask. Read more

Halloween Kink Show: Cirque Erotique
Sat, Oct 31, 8 PM to midnight, The Bolt (2560 Boxwood St), free, 21+
The Bolt runs a circus-themed Halloween kink show with contests, raffles, games, jello shots and a spanking booth. The costume contest has Classic, Kinky and Couples categories, costs ten dollars to enter and closes registration at ten. Read more

Halloween at Faces
Sat, Oct 31, 8 PM to 1:30 AM, Faces (2000 K St), ticketed, 21+
Faces spreads Halloween across all three dance rooms, with a $3,000 costume contest split into Sexiest, Most Creative and Best Group. Halloween is on a Saturday this year, so buying at the door is a bold strategy. Read more

Rocky Horror Halloween with Amber's Sweets
Sat, Oct 31, doors 8:30 PM, show 9 to 11:30 PM, Historic Colonial Theatre (3522 Stockton Blvd), $26.99 GA, $41.99 VIP, 18+
The second shadowcast night, on the date the entire thing was built for. Free parking, no refunds, fishnets strongly encouraged. Read more

Palm Springs Pride
Fri, Nov 6 through Sun, Nov 8, Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, free
Road trip: the fortieth Palm Springs Pride runs on the theme Be Included, with the parade Sunday at 10 AM. It is nine hours of driving, so this one is a flight or a genuine commitment. Read more

Kathy Griffin: New Face, New Tour
Sat, Nov 14, 7 PM, Crest Theatre (1013 K St), ticketed
Griffin brings New Face, New Tour to the Crest. Decades of documented grievances, performed live and by name. Read more

Pour It Forward: A Blind Beer and Bourbon Tasting
Fri, Nov 20, 6 to 8 PM, private West Sacramento address sent with your confirmation, $50, 21+
Sunburst Projects' second annual blind tasting, six bourbons or six local beers alongside a welcome cocktail and charcuterie. Proceeds support local people and families affected by HIV and AIDS, which makes the drinking the point rather than the excuse. Read more

Transgender Day of Remembrance Candlelight Vigil
Sat, Nov 21, 6:30 to 9 PM, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral (2620 Capitol Ave), free, all ages
The annual community memorial for those killed because of their gender identity or expression, co-sponsored by PFLAG Sacramento, TransFamilies Sacramento and Trinity Cathedral. Open to people of all traditions and streamed for anyone who cannot be in the room. Read more

Run to Feed the Hungry with Team SFR
Thu, Nov 26, 10K at 8:15 AM, 5K at 9 AM, J St just west of Sacramento State
Sacramento FrontRunners are running it again on Thanksgiving morning and have opened the fundraiser to anyone, with a $1,000 goal for Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services. Running, cheering and donating all count as taking part, and only one of them involves getting up early. Read more

DOCO Makers Market
Sat, Dec 5, 11 AM to 4 PM, Downtown Commons west plaza, free, all ages
Not a queer event, but choosing small makers over Amazon is a position: jewelry, candles, art, bath and body and plants across the west plaza, with DJ Valleyghoul on the decks. A December date puts it squarely in gift-buying season, which is either convenient or dangerous. Read more

Sacramento Gay Men's Chorus: Holiday Hits with a Splash of Sass
Sat, Dec 5, 2 PM and 7 PM, Sacramento Memorial Auditorium (1515 J St), ticketed
This year's edition is subtitled Slay Bells and Sequins, which tells you roughly where the sincerity stops. Buy through the box office at (916) 808-5181 to skip the fees. Read more

A Drag Queen Christmas
Wed, Dec 9, doors 6:30 PM, show 7:30 PM, Channel 24 (1800 24th St), ticketed, 18+
The touring Drag Race holiday show is already on sale. Buying now is a gift to December you. Read more

Sacramento Ballet: The Nutcracker
Tue, Dec 22, 2 PM, SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center (1301 L St), ticketed
Not a queer show, but a Sugar Plum Fairy and that many men in tights qualify on a technicality. Sort downtown parking before a December matinee rather than during one. Read more

Sin City Classic
Thu, Jan 14 through Mon, Jan 18, 2027, Las Vegas
Road trip, and a long way out: the Sin City Classic turns twenty next year and expects more than 10,000 athletes across a weekend of competition and social events. The host hotel room block is already open, and 10,000 athletes is a reason to use it. Read more

Dreams Come True: A Tribute to GLEE
Sacramento Lavender Chorus, ongoing fundraiser
The Lavender Chorus is raising three thousand dollars to license the music for its winter GLEE tribute. Sheet music, as it turns out, is not free. Read more

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Three things before we go:

See you next Thursday.

Thomas & Tom

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