"Camp, Chaos & Democracy" event on November 4 features Peaches Christ fireside chat, political activism panel, and a rooftop party—all while election results roll in at official SF voting location
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Commonwealth Club World Affairs is launching a new LGBTQ+ Cultural Series with a special Election Night event featuring drag horror icon Peaches Christ on Tuesday, November 4, at its headquarters at 110 The Embarcadero.
The inaugural event, "Camp, Chaos & Democracy: Peaches Christ on Making Queer Art When Politics Gets Ugly," marks a bold fusion of cultural celebration and political engagement as California votes on Proposition 50 and the nation watches election returns.
The evening will feature a VIP reception with Peaches Christ, a panel discussion titled "When the Real World Gets Scarier Than Horror Movies," and an intimate fireside chat with Christ exploring the cultural significance of camp, horror, and drag in preserving queer history and resisting political erasure. The event will be live-streamed and archived on YouTube and podcast platforms, with support from inaugural series sponsors Alaska Airlines and the Human Rights Campaign.
"When democracy gets ghoulish, we sing, we perform, we make art," said Michelle Meow, senior producer and co-host. "The Commonwealth Club has been a nonpartisan forum for public discourse since 1903—for over 120 years. On Election Night 2025, we're using that platform to remind people that LGBTQ+ voices, stories, and culture are not optional parts of democracy. We're essential to it."
Election Night at a Voting Location:
The timing and location carry deliberate significance. The Commonwealth Club building at 110 The Embarcadero serves as an official voting location on November 4, meaning attendees will gather to celebrate queer culture and resistance in the same space where San Franciscans cast their ballots.
"People will literally be voting in the same building where we're celebrating queer art and resistance," said Chris Knight, creative director and co-producer of the event series. "As California votes on Proposition 50—a measure to counter Texas's aggressive partisan gerrymandering—and as the nation watches returns that could reshape our democracy, we're making a statement: LGBTQ+ culture isn't separate from political engagement. It is a political engagement."
The event's first panel, "When the Real World Gets Scarier Than Horror Movies," will feature an in-depth discussion with Kochina Rude, a local artist, activist and advocate for safe nightlife, and Tom Temprano, managing director for Equality California and former public office holder, being interviewed by Celso Dulay about survival strategies when the political landscape turns hostile.
The panel discussion will be followed by Peaches Christ's fireside chat moderated by Bay Area broadcast journalist Michelle Meow exploring how 25 years of drag, horror, and camp have always been inherently political.
Born from Human Rights Summit Success:
The new LGBTQ+ Cultural Series builds on the success of programming presented during the Commonwealth Club World Affairs' third-annual Human Rights Summit in June 2025, where a panel on "Addressing AI and Tech for the LGBTQIA+ Movement" drew significant audience engagement and media coverage. That discussion, moderated by Celso Dulay and emceed by drag activist Donna Sachet, featured Sister Roma, Susan Gonzales (AI and You CEO), and sex educator Amp Somers examining digital discrimination against LGBTQ+ voices.
"When we saw how hungry audiences were for substantive LGBTQ+ cultural and political content—content that goes beyond surface-level representation—we knew we needed to create an ongoing series," said Dulay co-host and co-producer. "The Human Rights Summit panel sparked conversations that continued for weeks afterward. This series allows us to deepen those discussions while celebrating the artists, activists, and cultural workers who are preserving our history against deliberate erasure. And on Election Night, we're putting that mission front and center."
The new series' three co-producers—Knight, Dulay and Meow—bring decades of combined experience in LGBTQ+ media, advocacy, and community organizing. Knight and Dulay are co-founders of THE GAYGENCY, MOUSA.I's specialized LGBTQ+ marketing division, and were lead plaintiffs in the Divino Group v. Google/YouTube class-action lawsuit challenging algorithmic discrimination. Meow is an award-winning broadcaster whose "The Michelle Meow Show" has been a fixture of Bay Area LGBTQ+ media for more than a decade.
"As someone who's been documenting and amplifying LGBTQ+ voices through media for years, I understand the critical importance of creating permanent records of our stories," Meow said. "This series isn't just entertainment—it's cultural documentation and political resistance. By archiving these conversations with icons like Peaches Christ in the Commonwealth Club's permanent collection, we're ensuring that future generations will know our history, our struggles, and our joy. By doing it on Election Night, we're saying: we're here, we're queer, and we're not going anywhere."
Peaches Christ: 25+ Years of San Francisco Legacy:
Peaches Christ (Joshua Grannell) has been a cornerstone of San Francisco's LGBTQ+ arts scene since the late 1990s, creating the legendary "Midnight Mass" movie series, directing the cult horror film "All About Evil," and co-creating the annual Terror Vault immersive experience.
She is currently directing "Who Does That Bitch Think She Is?"—a film about the making of the 1991 drag classic "Vegas in Space" and its creator, the late Doris Fish, who died of AIDS complications just months before the film premiered.
"San Francisco's drag history—from the Cockettes in the '70s to "Trannyshack" and Heklina in the '90s to today's diverse scene—represents a vital lineage of queer cultural resistance that's largely absent from mainstream narratives," Knight noted. "Peaches Christ has dedicated her career to preserving and building on that legacy. On Election Night, her fireside chat will explore not just her work but how drag and queer art have always been acts of political resistance—especially when the real world gets scarier than horror movies."
The event will also feature a rooftop after-party overlooking the Bay Bridge and San Francisco Bay, providing a space for community gathering and celebration as election results come in.
120+ Years of Public Discourse:
Founded in 1903, the Commonwealth Club of California is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization dedicated to fostering civic engagement by informing, educating, and provoking debate on significant public affairs issues. It hosts hundreds of programs, presentations, podcasts, and broadcasts on topics ranging from politics and culture to technology, serving the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.
The Club maintains its nonpartisan stance to serve as a neutral platform for public discourse and education—a mission that takes on special significance on Election Night 2025.
The series will continue beyond the November 4th launch, with future events planned to feature LGBTQ+ artists, activists, historians, and cultural icons whose stories deserve broader platforms and permanent preservation.
Event Details:
An Evening with Peaches Christ
"Camp, Chaos & Democracy: Peaches Christ on Making Queer Art When Politics Gets Ugly"
When: Tuesday, November 4, 2025 (Election Night)
- 4:00-5:15 PM: VIP Reception with Peaches Christ
- 5:15-6:00 PM: General doors open, drinks + networking
- 6:05-6:50 PM: "When the Real World Gets Scarier Than Horror Movies" panel discussion
- 7:05-7:55 PM: Featured fireside chat with Peaches Christ & Audience Q&A
- 8:00-9:00PM: Rooftop after-party overlooking the Bay Bridge and San Francisco Bay
Where: Commonwealth Club World Affairs
110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA
Tickets:
VIP: $50 - includes early access, meet & greet, photo opportunities, preferred seating and complimentary wine and appetizers; General admission tickets are $25 while they last.
Tickets go on sale today,10/23.
Please visit the Club's website for all the details:
https://www.commonwealthclub.org/
Livestream: Free access via the Commonwealth Club's YouTube channel
The event will be livestreamed live and archived for future viewing on the Commonwealth Club's YouTube channel and podcast platforms, with support from Alaska Airlines and the Human Rights Campaign and all event goers on 10/29. Wearing costumes at the event is highly encouraged.
About the Commonwealth Club World Affairs:
Founded in 1903, the Commonwealth Club is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum, bringing together diverse perspectives on the most pressing issues of the day. The World Affairs Center serves as a hub for international dialogue and cultural programming. Learn more at commonwealthclub.org.
About the Producers:
THE GAYGENCY is the LGBTQ+ marketing division of San Francisco-based MOUSA.I., founded by Chris Knight and Celso Dulay. The agency provides comprehensive marketing services for nonprofits, community causes, and authentic brands seeking to reach LGBTQ+ audiences.www.mousai.ai
Michelle Meow is an award-winning broadcaster, producer, and LGBTQ+ advocate whose work has shaped Bay Area media for over a decade.www.michellemeow.com
Editor's Note:
Co-producers Chris Knight, Celso Dulay, and Michelle Meow are available for interviews about the new LGBTQ+ Cultural Series, San Francisco's drag history, LGBTQ+ cultural preservation, and downtown revitalization. Peaches Christ is available for select media interviews. High-resolution photos and additional background materials available upon request.
Media Contact
Chris Knight, Divino Group, 1 4157869226, [email protected], www.divinogroup.net
SOURCE Commonwealth Club World Affairs
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