2024 Big Check Celebration (Press Release)
Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation celebrates a record-breaking 35th year with $328,000 in grants and scholarships—total lifetime giving to the LGBTQ community has far exceeded $4 million since 1989.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA. November 10, 2024 — The Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation is excited to announce the results of its unprecedented 35th season of fundraising events. This year, the Foundation awarded a record-shattering $328,000 in grants and scholarships, granting more money to more Bay Area LGBTQ nonprofits and students than ever before.
Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation is proud to support a whopping 17 local LGBTQ nonprofits with grants this year. Mark Weston, Events Chair for 2024 said, “We are blown away by the overwhelming response to the 35th season of events and the generous giving by our community. The amount we’re granting reflects the dedication, hard work, and spirit of our members and volunteers. as we work to change lives in the Bay Area LGBTQ community.”
With this year’s exceptional results, Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation has now given more than $4.2M back to the community since 1989. The success of this year allowed us to give community grants to these 17 organizations:
SFLGBT Center, Girls Rock Camp, LYRIC Center for LGBTQQ+ Youth, Give Us the Floor, Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District, Lyon Martin Community Health, Food For Thought, LGBT Asylum Project, Maitri, National AIDS Memorial, Oasis Legal Services, Pepper Diet Academy, Queer Life Space, SF AIDS Foundation, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, TurnOut, UCSF Alliance Health Project
We also awarded nine We Rise LGBTQ Scholarships of $2,500 each this year. This program was born of the notion that we can lift the entire community by helping individuals achieve their goals. Our grants provide support for education or vocational training programs—helping recipients launch their careers and change the trajectory of their lives.
The Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. GRGRF has raised and donated more than $4.2 million to local and national nonprofits since 1989.
2024 Season of Events (Press Release)
Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation Announces 2024 Season of Events, Non-Profit Beneficiaries, and DJs for REAL BAD 35
The Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation is proud to announce the 2024 DJs and non-profit beneficiaries. The all-volunteer organization looks forward to welcoming you home to 1015 Folsom twice this year to dance into the night as we come together to celebrate our circle of friends and raise funds for a number of excellent organizations serving the broader Bay Area's LGBTQ community.
On Friday, July 26, 2024—opening Up Your Alley weekend—GRGRF will be hosting REAL BAD: RITUAL at 1015 Folsom. With the move to Friday night primetime, RITUAL will feature enhanced and expanded production, elevating the weekend event lineup. REAL BAD DJ alumni Matt Effect (REAL BAD 32) and Alfonso Tan (REAL BAD 34) return for an unforgettable night.
Our infamous marquee event, now in its 35th year, closes out Folsom Weekend on Sunday, September 29, 2024 at 1015 Folsom. Following tradition, the GRGRF committed to donating 100 percent of the general admission ticket price of the historically sold-out REAL BAD, as well as 100 percent of net proceeds generated by RITUAL After Hours to six worthy LGBTQ nonprofits. Last year, the Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation donated $265,000, and has given back more than $3.9 million to the community since 1989.
This year’s non-profit beneficiaries are Bay Area Girls Rock Camp, Give Us The Floor, Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District, Lyon-Martin Community Health, LYRIC Center for LGBTQ+ Youth, SF LGBT Center.
Non-Profit Beneficiaries
The four LGBTQ non-profit organizations named as Tier A 2024 beneficiaries of the Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation represent diverse causes within the community. The beneficiary organizations selected to receive new or continued unrestricted Tier A grant funding this year are:
LYRIC Center for LGBTQ+ Youth (2024 & 2025)
LYRIC’s mission is to build community and inspire positive social change through education enhancement, career trainings, health promotion, and leadership development with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQQ) youth, their families, and allies of all races, classes, genders, and abilities.
SF LGBT Center (2024 & 2025)
The mission of the SF LGBT Center is to connect the diverse LGBT community to opportunities, resources, and each other, aiming for a stronger, healthier, and more equitable world.
Bay Area Girls Rock Camp (2023 & 2024)
Bay Area Girls Rock Camp is a nonprofit organization that empowers young people through music, promoting an environment that fosters self-confidence, creativity and teamwork. The camp centers the experiences of girls, trans and/or non-binary youth in their explicit commitment to gender justice and creating an inclusive environment that supports a wide range of marginalized gender identities and expressions.
Give Us The Floor (2023 & 2024)
Give Us The Floor (GUTF) is a San Francisco-based non-profit organization. GUTF provides LGBTQ+ teens in distress with the peer-positive human connection that they are too often missing. GUTF helps LGBTQ+ teens deal with distress through inclusive, innovative and unique online peer Supportive Group Chats that provide constant contact and anonymity in a safe teen-only community, breaking the isolation and shame cycles they are experiencing.
Tom Tarn, Beneficiary Committee Chair said, “I want to thank my fellow members of the Beneficiary committee for thoughtfully reviewing every one of the grant applications. It was a very fulfilling, but sometimes difficult task to shortlist from a pool of so many worthy Bay Area nonprofits. In awarding the SF LGBT Center and LYRIC Center in 2024, GRGRF is demonstrating a balanced interest in supporting programs for both queer youth and queer art in our community.”
Tier B 2024 beneficiaries are:
Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District
The Leather & LGBTQ Cultural Disctrict's vision is to commemorate and protect the contributions of our predecessors, contemporaries, and successors rooted in the Leather & LGBTQ community, including all its diverse and marginalized peoples. The cultural district memorializes the past through commemorative plaques at sites of historic significance, place-making features and murals, Leather Pride street banners and pole wraps, and the Cultural District's forthcoming custom street signs.
For 45 years, Lyon-Martin Community Health has been the heartbeat of San Francisco’s queer community. Their mission is to provide compassionate, trauma-informed healthcare services that are responsive to the unique needs of the overlapping communities of trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming, intersex (TGI) people, and LGBQA+ women, regardless of immigration status or ability to pay. Their clinician training program is one of the only programs in the country focused on TGI healthcare.
REAL BAD 35 DJs
Deanne (Tampa) - Main Room Headlining DJ
A dynamic DJ from Tampa, has thrilled clubbers for over two decades with her infectious rhythms and unique blend of Tech, House, Afro, and Progressive House. Known for her pulsating beats, strong synths, dramatic arrangements, and soulful vocals, she captivates audiences in both intimate and expansive venues. Deanne, a standout in the LGBT scene for over 10 years, relocated to South Florida in 2013 and quickly ascended, headlining major events like Masterbeat, WE Party, and Miami Beach Pride, and performing at iconic venues like Club Space Miami and Eagle NYC. As a producer and #1 Billboard remixer, her music, released on labels like Queen House Music and Pump Records, continues to resonate globally.
The Perry Twins (Los Angeles) - Main Room Opening DJ
Based in Los Angeles, The Perry Twins originally started DJing while in high school in their home state of Rhode Island. Identical twin brothers Derek and Doug have spun at events all over the world including White Party Bangkok, White Party Palm Springs, Winter Party Miami, NYC Pride Pier Dance, Purple Party Dallas, Ascension Fire Island, Provincetown Carnival, Sunland Puerto Vallarta, Infinita Madrid, Seattle's Red Dress Party and at parties including Distrkt C, Brüt, Megawoof, DILF, and for The GlamCocks at Burning Man. Doug & Derek are resident DJs at The Chapel and The Abbey in West Hollywood and have reached #1 on Billboard with original songs they write and produce as well as remixes they've produced for Calvin Harris, Dua Lipa, Janet Jackson, Troye Sivan, Jennifer Lopez, Kristine W, Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Justin Bieber, Axwell ^ Ingrosso, Christina Aguilera, Drake and Rihanna.
Peter Napoli (New York) - Underground DJ
Driving, soulful, sexy. Three words that encapsulate the musical essence of New York City based DJ/Producer Peter Napoli. Peter's professional journey began in 2009 in the vibrant metropolis of CDMX. From there, his unique talent has propelled him onto stages across Europe, South America, and the iconic grounds of Burning Man. Renowned for his legendary Brüt parties at Santos Party House and across the U.S., Peter co-founded and managed three LGBTQ+ nightlife brands over the last 10 year’s. As he now focuses on an ambitious solo career, Peter can be found alongside top artists such as Jamie Jones, Blond:ish, Roger Sanchez, and Victor Calderone. Known for his versatility in spinning a range of House genres, while maintaining his signature sound, Peter Napoli is a one-of-a-kind artist who possesses the innate ability to create an immersive and captivating atmosphere through his music.
REAL BAD 35 will also feature world-class lighting, laser, and video production. The lighting and laser show will be designed and executed by Robert Sanders of RAGERLAZER.
Learn more about our REAL BAD 35 DJs and the latest event info here.
2024 Flagging In The Park (Press Release)
Flagging In The Park joins Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation’s fundraising portfolio
SAN FRANCISCO, CA. May 1, 2024 — Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation today announced Flagging In The Park, the Bay Area’s unique flow-arts community building event, is now a part of GRGRF. The two groups have enjoyed an 11-year partnership with a shared mission to support and promote a happy, healthy, and connected Bay Area LGBTQ community.
Flagging In The Park is a beloved, quintessentially San Francisco event. It started in 1997 when a small group of flaggers gathered in the newly dedicated National AIDS Memorial Grove to celebrate life through music, dance, and, most importantly, flagging. Twenty-four years later, it’s still going strong as DJs, organizers, and participants donate their time and energy to help raise money for local and national charities.
Over the years, FITP with matching contributions and support from GRGRF has raised more than $345,000 for the LGBTQ community.
“We’re thrilled to join forces and welcome Flagging In The Park to our family,” said Eric Holmgren, GRGRF’s Board of Directors President. “FITP exemplifies ‘happy, healthy and connected.’ It is a perfect fit with the We Rise LGBTQ Scholarship and our signature fundraising events, bringing even more benefit to our community.”
"FITP is most grateful for the warm support extended to us by GRGRF, to deepen our partnership," said Xavier Caylor, Executive Producer. “We’ll have the expanded reach of GRGRF while continuing to operate our community building events the same way we have for over two decades."
Since 1989, GRGRF has raised and donated more than $3.9M to Bay Area LGBTQ nonprofits through fundraising efforts, scholarship grants, and major events, REAL BAD and RITUAL. Two years ago, the Foundation launched its We Rise LGBTQ Scholarship program to help queer youth, transgendered individuals, and members of the BIPOC community gain access to education and trade skills. Flagging In The Park joins this portfolio of programs and fundraising events, extending the Foundation’s impact to change lives in the Bay Area LGBTQ Community.
This year’s first Flagging In The Park event will be held on Sunday, May 12, 2024 at 1PM at the National AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park. Please join us to kick off a beautiful season of joy and community support!
For more details on Flagging In The Park, see the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/210802948952331
2023 Check Celebration (Press Release)
Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation grants $240,000 to beneficiary organizations and $25,000 in scholarships in 2023, totaling more than $3.96 million since 1989
SAN FRANCISCO, CA. November 12, 2023 — The Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation is excited to announce that our extremely successful season of fundraising events allowed us to grant $240,000 to ten local LGBTQ nonprofits. Additionally, we awarded $25,000 in We Rise LGBTQ Scholarships.
Tom Tarn, Events Chair for the 2023 said, “I’m humbled by the success of this year’s events. The amount GRGRF is able to grant to our incredible beneficiaries today is reflective of the spirit and dedication of our members and of our volunteers. I want everyone to know what a joy it’s been for me to serve in this role, in an organization with such an estimable history of doing good and changing lives in the Bay Area’s LGBTQ community.” Our grants were made to the following organizations:
Larkin Street Music Connects Foundation
Ten We Rise LGBTQ Scholarships of $2,500 each were awarded to our sophomore class of recipients. This program was born of the notion that helping out an individual lifts our entire community. Our grants provide support for individuals attending schools or vocational training programs—launching their careers and changing their futures.
Spencer Adam, incoming 2024 Events Chair said, “I’m incredibly honored to serve in this new capacity, and I look forward to working with such a passionate team of volunteers for our Season of Events including REAL BAD 35. I hope my year of service to this organization helps further its mission of changing lives by promoting a happy, healthy, and connected Bay Area LGBTQ community.”
The Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. GRGRF has raised and donated more than $3.96 million to local and national nonprofits since 1989. For more information, visit www.grgrf.org.
2023 Season of Events (Press Release)
Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation Announces 2023 Season of Events, Non-Profit Beneficiaries, and DJs for REAL BAD 34
SAN FRANCISCO, CA. May 22, 2023 — The Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation announced their 2023 DJs and non-profit beneficiaries. The all-volunteer Foundation produces the annual REAL BAD fundraising event that follows San Francisco’s world-renowned Folsom Street Fair on Sunday, September 25th at 1015 Folsom. The Foundation also throws RITUAL After Hours featuring DJ Juanma Escudero during Up Your Alley Weekend on Sunday, July 30th, 2023 at 1015 Folsom—tickets available now at ritualafterhours.com. Following tradition, the Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation committed to donating 100 percent of the general admission ticket price of the historically sold-out REAL BAD, as well as 100 percent of the net proceeds generated by RITUAL After Hours to six worthy LGBTQ nonprofits. Last year, the Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation donated $230,000, and has given back more than $3.6 million to the community since 1989.
Non-Profit Beneficiaries
The four LGBTQ non-profit organizations named as Tier A 2023 beneficiaries of the Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation represent diverse causes within the community. The beneficiary organizations selected to receive new or continued unrestricted Tier A grant funding this year are:
Bay Area Girls Rock Camp (2023 & 2024)
Bay Area Girls Rock Camp is a nonprofit organization that empowers young people through music, promoting an environment that fosters self-confidence, creativity and teamwork. The camp centers the experiences of girls, trans and/or non-binary youth in their explicit commitment to gender justice and creating an inclusive environment that supports a wide range of marginalized gender identities and expressions.
Give Us The Floor (2023 & 2024)
Give Us The Floor (GUTF) is a San Francisco-based non-profit organization. GUTF provides LGBTQ+ teens in distress with the peer-positive human connection that they are too often missing. GUTF helps LGBTQ+ teens deal with distress through inclusive, innovative and unique online peer Supportive Group Chats that provide constant contact and anonymity in a safe teen-only community, breaking the isolation and shame cycles they are experiencing.
Larkin Street Youth Services (2022 & 2023)
Larkin Street serves the more than 1,100 youth (ages 12-24) who sleep on San Francisco’s streets on any given night. Larkin Street’s integrated model of care includes housing, healthcare, education, and employment services to help youth achieve stability, self-sufficiency, and improved lifelong health outcomes.
Queer LifeSpace’s mission is to provide evidence-based training & mental health services for the LGBTQ+ community for Queer People by Queer People.
Brian Abascal, Beneficiary Committee Chair said, “We were fortunate this year to have an outstanding group of finalist organizations to choose from. We wish we could award them all! We are thrilled to have awarded Bay Area Girls Rock Camp and Give Us The Floor this year, two organizations reaching the queer community at their most vulnerable stage in life–in their youth. Providing a safe space for queer youth to explore their own gender and sexual identities helps build belonging and fosters a thriving and healthy Bay Area LGBTQ+ community for the future.”
REAL BAD 34 DJs
Moussa (Barcelona) - Main Room Headlining DJ
Coming from a European background, Moussa was born and raised in Germany with a Turkish heritage. Having lived for 13 years in Barcelona, Moussa’s European background embraces its multicultural influence, which also defines his musical diversity. During his musical education and career of almost 20 years, he holds various primary residencies throughout Europe at brands like Matinee Group and Circuit Festival in Barcelona, and Revolver in Berlin - to mention only a few. Moussa is not only headlining significant parties in Europe but also being regularly booked in North- and South America and even in Africa. His sound reflects a more techy spectrum of Circuit House and covers Techno and Progressive, which he says his roots are based on. Whatever he plays, his sets never lose the Moussa-Twist and capture the crowd wherever he plays.
Alfonso Tan (Seattle) - Main Room Opening DJ
Alfonso Tan is a DJ and Producer specializing in house and adjacent forms of dance music. He can frequently be found crushing the dance floor at one of Seattle's largest LGBTQ clubs, the Cuff Complex, where he's a resident DJ. Alfonso has rocked parties for Polyglamorous, TrophyDad, DILF, HustlaBall, travelled far to events like Darklands, and more. He is hyper-focused on providing the proper groove for his audience, whether it be bright and happy or dark and dirty. His productions are known for heavy-hitting kicks, groovy drums, and classic house music elements.
Simon Harrison (Los Angeles) - Underground DJ
Simon Harrison, coming to us from Los Angeles, is a self-taught music producer and DJ known for his deep, melodic, and ethereal soundscapes. His music, a compelling blend of current Progressive House, Melodic Techno, and Tech House, has quickly gained him recognition in the industry along with his performances at iconic events such as Halloweenie, Burning Man, and Lightning in a Bottle. Simon's talent transcends the boundaries of live performances, producing tracks that echo his own distinctive sound.
REAL BAD 34 will also feature world-class lighting, laser, and video production. The lighting and laser show will be designed and operated by Robert Sanders of RAGERLAZER; visuals by Kristen Violet.
From Our 2023 Events Committee Chairperson
Tom Tarn, 2023’s Events Chair for REAL BAD 34 and RITUAL said, “I am honored to be entrusted with executing another season of exciting events for which this organization is renowned. For thirty four years, this community–a circle of friends–has delivered joy and connection while raising funds for life-saving services. Aware of the times we live in, I hope the message sent in our 2023 beneficiary selections is received: That every vulnerable, young queer person’s life must be protected and allowed to freely flourish.”
Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation Mission
The Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation changes lives by supporting organizations that promote a happy, healthy, and connected LGBTQ community. For more information, visit www.realbad.org and www.grgrf.org
2022 Check Celebration (Press Release)
Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation grants $230,000 to beneficiary organizations in 2022, totalling more than $3.6 million since 1989
SAN FRANCISCO, CA. November 29, 2022 — The Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation is excited to announce that its extremely successful season of fundraising events allowed us to grant $230,000—up from $158,000 in 2021—to ten local LGBTQ nonprofits.
GRGRF's all-volunteer teams had many successes and accomplishments in 2022 coming out of the pandemic. We streamlined our beneficiary application process, which delivered larger grants to smaller, local grassroots nonprofits. We updated the Host program with a focus on fundraising, which brought in an additional $39,000 for the big check. And we launched the We Rise LGBTQ Scholarship, individual grants that focus on the development of skills necessary to find meaningful employment opportunities in the Bay Area.
Will Vitagliano, Events Chair for the 2022 season of events said, "I am ecstatic with how successful our year was and with the total amount that we were able to donate to our amazing beneficiary organizations. I am so proud that they represent such a vast array of communities within the LGBTQ+ umbrella and how they encapsulate so many vital aspects of our community that makes it so vibrant, unique, and special. We built stronger relationships between our Hosts, community, and our Circle of Friends while remaining true to our roots and by showing the world who we are and what we represent." Our grants were made to the following organizations:
Tom Tarn, incoming 2023 Events Chair said, “I’m incredibly honored to be given this new responsibility, and I look forward to working with such an inspired and joyful community of fellow volunteers. I hope my year of service to this organization helps further its mission of changing lives by promoting a happy, healthy, and connected Bay Area LGBTQ community.”
About the Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation and its Season of Events
The Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our annual fundraising events are completely volunteer-produced, with the production costs of our signature REAL BAD event underwritten by our loyal Hosts and Sponsors. This unique support enables 100% of the general admission ticket price from REAL BAD to be donated to charity. The Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation has donated more than $3.6 million to local and national nonprofits since 1989.
The Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation changes lives by supporting organizations that promote a happy, healthy, and connected LGBT community. For more information, visit www.grgrf.org and www.realbad.org.