Tag Archives: Widow Norton

Live! From the Jose Sarria Memorial…

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Gay Highwaymen! Coming to you Live with Sights Seen at the Jose Sarria memorial in San Francisco. Queens to the left, politicos dead and center. Everyone is here. SRO already. The solemn music begins. Gay funeral of the decade! Service at Grace Cathedral, internment in Colma, reception at the Lookout Bar. Updates throughout the day. For more on this until-recently living legend, click here.

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“From the Black Cat to the Great Cathedral. Imagine THAT!” – Maurice Gerry

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The current reigning Empress of San Francisco – Patty McGroin, a small-town girl made good! She spoke at the funeral. We said “hello” to her highness, a son of a local political family, and told her where we were from. She replied “Oh! I’ve heard about your parties…and the mud pit!!” Cool. We are also known as “the faggots south of town.” No contest!

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Famous (or infamous) gay photographer Danny Nicoletta shooting royalty.

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Leather and lace at the Widow fashion show outside Grace.
And from the after party…

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A veteran, a politician, and a drag queen. Jose was all of these, and there were many of all at his celebration of life.

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Beautiful!

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Handsome!

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Cute! Times two…

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Ouch! (See how the camera lies? No priests were injured…)

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Dan, framed by Widows. Checking on his equipment. And ready to shoot!

(Haiku for Danny. Widow Norton’s funeral. Written for this pic.)

photos: GH

An Empress and a Gentleman: So Long, Jose Sarria…

20130824-113529.jpg Soldier. Homosexual. Native Son. Candidate. Empress. Activist. Gentleman. Widow. San Francisco Legend. R.I.P. Jose Sarria, aka the Nightengale of Montgomery St, the Widow Norton and Empress Jose I. born December 12, 1922/23. died August 19, 2013.
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First Gay Candidate.

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Empress of San Francisco.

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Regal Departure.

(Haiku for Jose Sarria)

Funeral service at 11am on Friday, September 6th at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Internment in Colma, reception at Lookout Bar on 16th Street.

Mike Caffee, who knew Jose, says his friends sometimes jokingly called him “the Nightmare of Montgomery Street” – instead of “Nightengale!”

The Bay Area Reporter has more here.

Photos 1, 2 & 4 Courtesy of the GLBT Historical Society (San Francisco).