SF District 8 candidate forum at Rikki’s centers on queer community spaces, resources
San Francisco District 8 supervisor candidates Michael Trung Nguyen, left, Gary McCoy, Darshini Patel, and Emanuel “Manny” Yekutiel attended an April 16 forum at Rikki’s, the women’s sports bar in the Castro.
Photo: JL Odom
The Castro women’s sports bar Rikki’s was packed Thursday night – but not for a televised Golden State Valkyries or Bay FC game. Instead, attention turned to San Francisco District 8 supervisor candidates during a community forum.
At the forum, which organizers said focused on queer women, nonbinary, and transgender individuals, the four candidates – three gay men and one queer bisexual woman – homed in on preserving community spaces and ensuring equitable resources.
The hourlong event, held from 7 to 8 p.m. on April 16 and open to the public, featured Gary McCoy, a former longtime political aide to Congressmember Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) who is currently campaign manager of Pelosi’s Save Our Health Care Campaign; Michael Trung Nguyen, a patent attorney who performs as drag queen Juicy Liu; Emanuel “Manny” Yekutiel, owner of the eponymous cafe and event space on Valencia Street just outside the district boundaries; and Darshini Patel, a Noe Valley resident who has worked on presidential campaigns and as a B2B marketing director for DoorDash. Patel just recently entered the race.
The quartet fielded questions from moderator Michelle Meow, a lesbian event producer and a former president of the San Francisco Pride board of directors.
Gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who is currently board president, is termed out of office in January. District 8 covers the Castro, Duboce Triangle, Noe Valley, Twin Peaks, Corona Heights, Diamond Heights, and parts of Cole Valley. The forum was one in a series scheduled in the coming weeks, alongside endorsement and headquarters announcements ahead of the November 3 general election, as noted by the Bay Area Reporter.
