Housing in San Francisco, and anywhere in the country and world, should be considered a human right — vote “yes” on Prop 33.
2024 marks my 32nd year as a being drag queen; a philanthropist; a civil rights activist; a community leader; and a mom to many in San Francisco (and elsewhere in the country). Each of these roles I take seriously—all of which is made easier because of my undeniable beauty.
To date, my community of friends, family, and supporters has helped me raise over $1 million for local charities by supporting events that I have organized over the years. (Among them have been GBLT Historical Society & Archives, Our Trans Youth, Queer LifeSpace, Transgender Law Center, and more.) It’s a feeling of gratitude
Each year in June, I plan my annual Pride Party and choose a local nonprofit organization as its beneficiary. In 2022, it was the Q Foundation — they are a San Francisco-based nonprofit that’s building a community where all people have a safe place to live.
To date, my community of friends, family, and supporters has helped me raise well over $1 million for local charities by supporting events that I have organized over the years. (Among them have been GBLT Historical Society & Archives, Our Trans Youth, Queer LifeSpace, Transgender Law Center, and more.) It’s a feeling of gratitude
Over the past 20 years, Q Foundation has had some amazing accomplishments for our community including:
- co-founding the first LGBTQ+-focused adult shelter, Jazzie’s Place, which was named after Jazzie Collins — a Tenderloin-based African-American Transgender housing advocate,
- spearheading the creation of Marty’s Place — the only tenant housing co-op run by and for people with HIV/AIDS,
- catalyzed the creation of the LGBQI+ and Transcultural districts in the Tenderloin, SOMA, and Castro,
- And becoming the primary rental subsidy provider for the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development.
One of the most exciting moments I’ve seen happen in recent memory is when they persuaded the owner of 324 Larkin Street to restore the name of the building to the Gilbert Baker Rainbow Flag Apartments and to start flying the rainbow flag there again — 10 years after it was taken down by a previous owner. Sometimes symbolic victories have meaning. The visible claim of the Tenderloin as queer space has been so important for me over the past three decades.
Across the United States, people still dream of leaving home to follow the rainbow that glows over San Francisco. However, the cost of living is so high that it’s becoming more and more difficult to survive here without community support. People flee rejection from their families, unsupportive schools, and communities due to homophobia and transphobia. Many of them are arriving here without employment, housing, and/or a support network. They also face incredible hardship finding affordable housing, culminating in the city’s homelessness crisis but with your help, we can begin to end this cycle.
Juanita MORE! is a denizen of the limelight. For almost three decades, the laudable hostess has blitzed San Francisco with high glamour, drag irreverence, and danceable beats that have illuminated the entire city. MORE! continues to be a heaping dollop of generosity and a sprinkle of nerve. She inspires those around her to make positive differences in their lives and communities — and doing it all with timeless elegance and an innovative spirit. Most recently, after her reign, Miss MORE! holds the title of Absolute Empress 56 of the Imperial Council of San Francisco –– one of the oldest non-profit organizations globally.
To date, MORE! has helped raise over 1 million dollars for local charities — among them GBLT Historical Society & Archives, Our Trans Youth, Q Foundation, Queer Lifespace, Transgender Law Center, and more. In addition, MORE! tirelessly fundraises for organizations in San Francisco that are adamant about helping communities in the seven-by-seven thrive, all while shining light and offering support to those who’ve been overlooked for far too long.
MORE! embodies what it means to be a conduit of connection. MORE!’ brings the people together to fundraise, celebrate community, and demand social change around San Francisco and elsewhere. Her culinary expressions are an extension of what mothers have been doing in their kitchens for generations — which, simply states, is sharing “loads of love.”