As we count down to the final days and hours of 2006, it's time to look back and thank everyone who has helped make this first full year of the Big Gay Frat House be such an amazing experience.

We've hosted a bewildering array of private parties and public fundraisers in 2006, including the Epiphany Party in January, the Balls-Out Ball rugby fundraiser in April, the 6th Annual Cosmique Movie Awards and the "Queer Duck" reception for Frameline in June, and the Midsummer Night's Dream frisky fairy fundraiser for CUAV in August.
In the process, we managed to raise about $17,000 net profit for charity in 2006.
But we couldn't do any of that without the help of a lot of friends.
First of all, we want to thank Richard Winchester, who has produced the lighting, sound, and stage production for every single stage performance ever held at the BGFH, and to Mark Sargent, who as either Janet Fly or Ethel Merman has performed at every event here.
And there are many, many more thank you's...
Trauma Flintstone, who performed at two of our three biggest events, the Epiphany Party and the Midsummer Night's Dream fundraiser, and is working closely with us for great things to come in 2007. (Stay tuned!)
The legendary Varla Jean Merman, co-star of Girls Will Be Girls, who graced our two three-car carport one year after performing at the Sydney Opera House to headline at the Balls-Out Ball rugby fundraiser. Varla has subsequently returned to San Francisco on two other occasions to entertain us with "Under a Big Top" and "Varla Jean Merman is Anatomically Incorrect." We love her every time, but we'll always have a special fondness for her performance in our humble garage.
Our fabulous emcees: our neighbor, Empress Donna Sachet, one of the most prodigious fundraisers in her own right, and Greg the Gay Sportscaster of radio station Energy 92.7, who emceed the Balls-Out Ball fundraiser for the San Francisco Fog gay inclusive rugby team. I don't think we've ever seen Donna more stunned than when the first rugby bachelor auction went for $1,200! Well, except when she witnessed someone getting tea-bagged during the post performance photo op. (No, it wasn't Greg, but rumor has it that Greg and his boyfriend almost broke up over the event, but we're not sure if that's true. If it is, fortunately they made up.)
And another delightful emcee, adult star Brent Corrigan (aka Fox Ryder, aka Sean Lockhart), who hosted our frisky fairy Midsummer Night's Dream fundraiser for Community United Against Violence (CUAV) wearing fairy wings and underpants (both of which came off during the course of the evening). The underwear was later auctioned off of Brent's website for CUAV, fetching another $852 for the organization. If you've seen him perform in pictures or on video, it isn't anything compared to meeting this sweet, generous guy in person.
Other performers not already mentioned, which have included: Tom Shaw at the Epiphany Party; the "Rugby Rockettes" at the Balls-Out Ball; our new Queen and King of the Fairies, Katya Ludmilla Smirnoff-Skyy and Foxy Cotton, and our other contestant performers at the Midsummer Night's Dream fundraiser: Artemis Chase, Michael Phillis, Varian with a V, and Jonnie Evergreen; the incomparable Connie Champagne; and Julian Marshburn, Mr. SF Leather 2004, our delightfully butch and leathery Puck.
Our fabulous Russian bartender, Zhenya, who has been the head (and sometimes sole) bartender at numerous BGFH events, including Epiphany, the "Queer Duck" reception, and the Midsummer Night's Dream party. And all of our other fabulous, heavy-on-the-vodka bartenders: Scott, Maka, George, and an army of rugby boys.
Everyone who got partially or even completely butt naked for fun or charity, and it's a looong list. First and foremost, the aforementioned Brent Corrigan, our Midsummer Night's Dream emcee who was the first porn star (but hopefully not the last) to get naked for charity in our house. Our army of nearly-to-totally naked bartenders, bar-backs, and go-go boys at Epiphany: Z, Scott, Ambrose, Brad, Justin, Jeremy, Billy, Robert, and Maka (not to mention other guests who stripped down, Rick who helped us recruit, and a few more staff whose names we're embarrassed to have forgotten). The seven hunky rugby boys who did a full monty strip show (no, not strip tease, the full monty), allowing Varla Jean and Ethel Merman to cut off their jockstraps not once but twice. And various risqué fairies at the Midsummer Night's Dream party, including Ambrose (again) and Nathan.
Everyone who volunteered to work the door, the coat room, the bars, the cameras, the kitchens, and all the other details that pulled these events together.
The lovely sponsors who donated goods and services in order to keep our costs down to raise as much as possible for charity: BelAmi, Channel 1 Releasing, Copymat Digibranch, Domicile Properties, Don Pedro Cruz, Gay.com Local Scene, Golden Brands, Joie de Vivre Hospitality, Frantix, Holmgren & Associates, Rock Hard, the San Francisco Chocolate Factory, Steamworks, Talisker, and Young's Market.
And to all of our amazing, wonderful, fabulous guests who bought tickets and made our parties so much fun.
Of course, we've also enjoyed our wonderful neighborhood and the great talents in our community. In addition to the performers already thanked above, who of course would also be repeated here, we also want to thank those in our community who have entertained us or helped us out this year: Amanda Lay, Anna Conda, Annie Mae Manga, the Andrews Sisters, Anita Cocktail, Athena Arquez, Chi Chi LaRue, Coco Canal, Cookie Dough, Dangerous Muse, the Diamond Daggers, DJ Earworm, Felicia Fallatio, Ginger Snap, Heklina, Holy McGrail, Jackie Beat, Jake Shears, Jerry Deal, Joe Kovaks and Madame, Juanita MORE!, Justin Weatherby, Lady Bunny, Linda Leer, Kielbasia, Marc Sterling, Matthew Martin, Megan Lynch, Mercedes Monroe, Mercy Fuque, Mike Furey, Miss Nix, Monistat, MORE!Boy Brandon, Nathan Temby, Nikki Starr, Paige Turner, Peaches Christ, Pete Ross, Poison Ivy, Pollo DelMar, RAndy, Raya Light, Renttecca, Roman Heart, Shirley Q Liquor, Sister Dana, Sister Roma, the Scissor Sisters, Starr, Summer Clearance, Suppositori Spelling, Veda De Voe, Veronica Lewinski, Visa DeKlein, and many, many, many others way too numerous to mention (so we probably shouldn't have tried, but too late now). Plus a special and completely gratuitous shout out to the boys of Boy Bar, including but not limited to Gus, Alex, Andrew, Andy, Hunter, Jae, Joey, Joey C, Just, N!ck, Sean, Steven ... and the Midori Boy.
That's a lot of acknowledgements, and even after hours of proofing, we're still finding more to add. We deeply apologize to anyone omitted.
We haven't accomplished exactly everything we wanted to in 2006, but then, we had a lot of other things going on, too. Work, for one thing. Other real estate investments for some. An unbelievable amount of renovations at the BGFH. The Monster Show, Bijou, Katya Presents, Trannyshack... Various combinations of us traveling to Buenos Aires, the Caribbean, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, the Mexican Riviera, Sonoma County, Vacaville, and half of the small-town gay bars in the Midwest.
Stay tuned for announcements of many more adventures to come in 2007. The best is yet to come!

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