Latest news with #Reparations'
San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Is SoSF the Bay Area's Fyre Festival?
What was supposed to be San Francisco's hottest new Pride Weekend celebration has devolved into confusion and controversy, leaving many ticket holders frustrated and struggling to secure refunds. SoSF, a waterfront concert scheduled for Saturday, June 28, with headliner Kehlani, faced backlash earlier this month after the Oakland R&B singer withdrew from the lineup. Her exit followed a string of concert cancellations due to her outspoken support for Palestinians. DJ Adam Kraft, founder of event company Fake and Gay, and drag queen Nicki Jizz, who created the 'Reparations' drag show, subsequently dropped out, citing disagreements with the festival's stance on the issue. Organizers offered refunds to ticket holders due to the lineup changes, but mere days before the outdoor event, many report they're struggling to get their money back as promised. 'It's pretty sketchy behavior,' Jackson Bowers, 29, told the Chronicle. In the weeks that followed the lineup changes, organizers changed the event's name, switched its venue and wiped its social media presence. 'I was excited that they offered refunds but now it seems like they're just totally ghosting us.' The Cole Valley resident said that organizers sent out an email on June 5 announcing the lineup change. The event, set to take place outdoors at 900 Marin St., across the street from Pier 80's warehouse where it was originally booked, is still set to feature 'Nasty' singer Tinashe and Grammy-winning pop star Kim Petras, among others. After consulting his friends who had also purchased tickets, Bowers decided to request a refund on Thursday, June 19, via the email address provided by organizers. He said he paid a little more than $100 for one ticket. The Chronicle has reached out to SoSF organizers for comment. 'I texted my friend and I asked him, 'If we were rich, would we have fallen for Fyre Festival?' because I kind of feel like I did,' said Manuel Gallardo, referencing the disastrous luxury music festival that was meant to take place in the Bahamas in 2017 but was quickly canceled after its initial attendees lacked basic amenities. The 32-year-old Mission District resident said that he spent more than $200 for two tickets after fees, but decided to request a refund after the lineup changed and the event rebranded to Pride 2025 Block Party, sparking confusion. Like Bowers, he is waiting for his SoSF ticket refund, despite having reached out to organizers several times since June 18. 'I don't have very strong feelings about the political arguments that are being made, but I think that the response to Kehlani's political stance was offputting to me,' he said. 'It's a bummer that the event didn't really seem that it had its attendees top of mind or made us feel very good about going.' Oakland resident Julie F. was similarly bothered by the way organizers responded to the 'After Hours' singer's politics, and said that she and her partner requested refunds to ensure that they're 'standing in solidarity with what we feel is the deplatforming of Kehlani.' She declined to share her full last name due to safety concerns regarding her political opinions. While Julie's partner reached out at the beginning of the month and received a refund on June 11, she is still awaiting a response after sending her own request on June 15, plus several follow-ups. Jeshua John, 31, also received a refund on June 11 after submitting his request on June 8. The Haight-Ashbury resident said he decided not to support the event because it didn't align with his values, and he wanted to respect the local artists who had voiced concerns. 'I think it's important to not just have your ear to the ground but also be able to take cues from local artists that we all know and respect,' he said. 'I just feel better about myself knowing where my dollars are going.' John said that he was already skeptical of organizers when they announced the lineup change on Instagram, and screenshotted the post in which they asserted that all ticket holders would be eligible for a refund. The post has since been deleted. 'It's been frustrating but not necessarily surprising,' Julie, 27, said. 'They haven't really been very forward about what to do, what the process is, and also applying an unfair standard for people based on when they had the capacity to process refunds.' She said she paid $95.61 for her ticket by using a discount code, and has attempted to cancel her transaction directly through her credit card, though the process typically takes a few weeks. Even if their refunds aren't issued before Saturday, Julie, Bowers and Gallardo all said that they don't plan to attend. Instead, Bowers plans to hang out in Dolores Park, while Gallardo says he'll check out a different event. Julie doesn't have anything lined up yet. Gallardo noted that he was particularly disappointed by the SoSF shakeup because he wanted to support the revitalization of San Francisco's party scene. 'I just feel like with nightlife kind of coming back in the city after the pandemic I was wanting to support something that was gonna be new,' he said. Bowers also noted he was looking forward to something different. 'It's a shame since everything has unfolded since then,' he said.
San Francisco Chronicle
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
S.F.'s new Pride festival faces backlash over stance on war in Gaza
Two Bay Area artists have pulled out of SoSF, because of organizers' stance on the war in Gaza, and are instead planning their own competing Pride event. DJ Adam Kraft, founder of the event company Fake and Gay, and drag queen Nicki Jizz, who created the 'Reparations' drag show, opted to part ways with the outdoor music event scheduled for June 28 shortly after Oakland native Kehlani decided to drop off the lineup as SoSF's headliner last week. 'SoSF made a statement regarding Kehlani's stance and language being pro-Palestine, which resulted in a wave of comments asking them to clarify exactly what issues they had with Kehlani's position and language,' Kraft told the Chronicle on Monday, June 9. 'We, along with the majority of our community, stand with the Palestinian people, and felt that message should not be obfuscated.' The Chronicle has reached out to SoSF organizers for comment. The since-deleted statement by SoSF was posted to social media in May shortly after Kehlani faced concert cancellations by Cornell University and Central Park's SummerStage Pride concert over what the Ivy League deemed 'antisemitic, anti-Israel sentiments.' As first reported by the Standard, the statement noted that the festival's team 'fundamentally disagree' with Kehlani's language, and went on to explain they were seeking to 'engage with her team' instead of canceling her San Francisco appearance. A joint statement by Kehlani and the festival was also included in an effort to smooth over any new criticism. 'No person should ever fall casualty of a war they did not choose and do not support,' the statement read. 'This sentiment extends to Jewish people, the same way it extends to Palestinian people, the same way it extends to all people.' In April, Kehlani responded to her Cornell concert cancellation with an Instagram video clarifying that she is 'anti-genocide' and 'anti the actions of the Israeli government.' But she has continued to be criticized for her views. The singer has frequently used her platform to voice her opposition to Israel and Zionism, and included the phrase 'long live the intifada' in the music video for her 2024 song 'Next 2 U.' The phrase translates to 'uprising' or 'resistance' in Arabic, but is also considered by some as a call for violence against Jews. While announcing Kehlani severed ties with the event on Instagram, SoSF organizers revealed that the one-day celebration would no longer be at Pier 80's warehouse. Instead, it's set to take place as a block party across the street at 900 Marin St. That post has since been deleted, though this information is still on the event's website. It is still unclear why Kehlani, who identifies as a lesbian and uses she/they pronouns, withdrew from SoSF. But Kraft said that it did influence his and Nicki Jizz's plans to cancel their appearances. 'We pulled out of SoSF because we felt like our and our community's voices were not being heard or considered and for a Pride event, especially in this moment under the current administration, uplifting queer voices should be of the utmost importance,' Kraft said. 'I just couldn't bring myself to be a part of an event which started to feel more and more exploitative of pink dollars during such a crucial time.' 'This was an easy decision to make to stand up for what's right,' Nicki Jizz added. Looking ahead, Kraft and Nicki Jizz are determined to pull together their own Pride weekend event. 'We would love to be able to provide an alternative space where people feel more comfortable and excited to attend, and know that their money is not going to a cause or entity that is actively in opposition to their own views,' Kraft said. 'It is super last minute to attempt to do something, but we are trying our best.' Both Kraft and Nicki Jizz noted that the SoSF organizers they have worked with throughout the process have been 'understanding' and 'supportive.' But Kraft pointed out 'it feels like mixed messaging,' as the way in which organizers have continued to promote the event doesn't align with their behavior behind the scenes. One example he cited is that when SoSF shared its new flyer, sans Kehlani, they made no mention of his or Nicki Jizz's departure. 'To me that speaks volumes,' Kraft said. 'They were only using us for our local audience reach and did not value us as contributors to the event.'
