Our very first Pridetinis Pride Kick-off celebration was a hot pink hit Wednesday evening at Casements bar in the Mission. A bespoke flight of sponsor Olga Vodka‘s mini-martinis (the Bay Laurel one was off the hook) and wildly popular Jell-O shots kept the crowd buzzing for hours, while DJ Siobhan Aluvalot’s queer classic dance anthems, community hero Tom Ammiano’s comedy, and drag queen Kochina Rude‘s gravity-defying punk performance kept everyone on their toes.
Free food, a raffle for tremendous prizes (Giants tickets, wine from Bar Part Time, beauty brushes from Blended Society), and a surprise hand-out of Narcan by Kochina, the city’s top nightlife harm reduction advocate, added sparkle and safety. This free party also functioned as a 48 Hills fundraiser—we are now majority queer-run—so if you missed the fun, you can still support our independent news mission and don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter.
Looking for more fun this weekend? Don’t miss our ULTIMATE PRIDE GUIDE 2023. All photos by Ebbe Roe Yovino-Smith
Cute crowd at Casements 
48 Hills publisher Imelda Carrasco greets partygoers 
Casements owner Gillian mixes flights of teeny tinis 
Tom Ammiano (with guest appearance by Irish drag heroine Panti Bliss) 
Tom Ammiano brought the laughs. 
Enjoying a Jell-O shot 
Enjoying a Jell-O shot, part 2, with DJ Siobhan Aluvalot and Marke B. 
Harm reduction advocate Laura Thomas applauds the scene. 
Kochina Rude performed a song by the Penetrators 
Kochina Rude will take your money. 
A surprise performance of English Beat’s ‘Mirror in the Bathroom’ had the crowd singing along. 
Nightlife’s top harm reduction advocate, Kochina brought Narcan for all. 
Tim Redmond, Marke B, Tom Ammiano’s husband Carolis, Tom Ammiano, and Imelda Carrasco
