14 years before the first Rainbow Honor Walk plaque went into the sidewalks of San Francisco’s Castro District, a dedicated group of community members, including RHW founding member Gustavo Serrina, established The Pink Triangle Memorial: the first historical landmark in the USA remembering LGBT victims persecuted in Fascist Europe between 1933-1945. Today I took a stroll through. Thank you to all the volunteers who maintain the site, including its wonderful flowering garden. — David Eugene Perry
Today on the anniversary of her birth, we celebrate the life and legacy of Rainbow Honor Walk honoree Barbara Jordan (February 21, 1936 – January 17, 1996). A groundbreaking congresswoman, constitutional scholar, and powerful voice for civil rights, Jordan became the first Black woman from the South elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Known for her historic role during the Watergate hearings and her unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and the rule of law, she also stands as an important figure in LGBTQ+ history — a woman who lived authentically and whose legacy continues to inspire generations fighting for dignity, representation, and democracy.
Capricorn Framing Celebrates 20 Years of Craftsmanship, Community and Conservation Framing in San Francisco Co-owners Lloyd Haddad and Keith Wicker mark two decades of preservation-focused design, philanthropy, and expansion
19 February 2026 — SAN FRANCISCO: According to Edgar Degas, “The frame is part of the painting.” Lloyd Haddad and Keith Wicker would agree. Capricorn Framing (www.capricornframing.com), the San Francisco-based custom framing studio they founded, is celebrating its 20th anniversary, marking two decades of craftsmanship, innovation, and community engagement that have helped shape the Bay Area’s design and arts landscape.
“Twenty years ago, Capricorn Framing began with a simple idea: treat every piece — whether it’s a priceless artwork or a family photograph — with the same level of care and respect,” said Haddad and Wicker, who are both partners in life and labor. “Over time, that philosophy grew into a business built on preservation, collaboration, and community. We’re proud that our work supports artists, designers, and nonprofits throughout San Francisco, and we’re deeply grateful to the clients and partners who have trusted us with their most meaningful objects. As we celebrate this milestone, we’re excited to continue evolving while staying true to the values that brought us here.”
Founded in 2006 with a commitment to archival-quality framing and expert design consultation, Capricorn Framing has grown from a single workshop into a respected industry leader known for preservation framing and bespoke solutions for collectors, designers, and nonprofits alike. The business expanded significantly in recent years with the acquisition of Walter Adams Framing, strengthening the partners’ ability to serve clients across multiple neighborhoods while maintaining a deeply personal, service-driven approach.
Over the past two decades, Haddad and Wicker have championed conservation framing — a discipline focused on protecting artwork, documents, and heirlooms for generations — helping to shift industry standards toward long-term preservation. Early in their careers, the pair saw firsthand how improper framing damaged artwork, motivating them to build a business grounded in the principle of “doing it right the first time.”
Today, Capricorn Framing works closely with interior designers, collectors, and families throughout the region, offering custom framing solutions that blend aesthetics with technical expertise. Their background in engineering, aviation, and design has contributed to a reputation for solving complex installation challenges and delivering tailored results that tell a story.
A Commitment to Community:
Beyond craftsmanship, Capricorn Framing has built a strong legacy of philanthropy and civic engagement. Through both Capricorn Framing and Walter Adams Framing, Haddad and Wicker regularly donate framing services and resources to arts organizations, schools, and charitable initiatives — including Art for AIDS, Southern Exposure, The Denali Foundation, and Creativity Explored — reinforcing their belief that art should remain accessible and preserved within the community.
Their work reflects a broader mission: to educate the public about proper preservation and archival care while supporting the cultural fabric of San Francisco through partnerships with artists, designers, and nonprofit organizations. Wicker, a former military helicopter pilot, has made a commitment to fellow veterans a centerpiece of their “giving back” efforts.
“From conservation framing techniques and archival materials to innovative design collaborations, Capricorn Framing remains dedicated to helping clients preserve the stories behind their art — ensuring that the pieces framed today will endure for decades to come,” summed up Haddad and Wicker. “All of our work is done with conservation and/or archival materials and methods, unless the client specifies otherwise. We believe that framing is an art unto itself.”
Perhaps Vincent van Gogh said it best: “A picture without a frame is like a soul without a body.”
Six Planets Over California A February Evening When the Solar System Lines Up
On the evening of February 28, 2026, Californians from the desert to the Pacific coast will have a chance to watch a quiet celestial choreography unfold. Astronomers call it a “planetary alignment” — six planets appearing along the same arc of sky after sunset — but the experience will feel less like an event and more like a moment of stillness shared across the state.
From Mercury and Venus near the fading glow of the Sun to bright Jupiter rising higher overhead, the planets will trace the ancient pathway known as the ecliptic, the same sky-road navigators and astronomers have followed for centuries. They are not physically lined up in space — only visually aligned from our vantage point on Earth — yet the illusion is powerful, a reminder that perspective shapes how we see the universe.
Watching From the California Coast:
Along the Pacific — especially in places like San Francisco — viewers will enjoy one of the simplest horizons imaginable: open ocean to the west. With nothing but water beneath the sunset, the lowest planets may linger a little longer in view.
Find a spot facing the western sea, allow your eyes to adjust as twilight deepens, and begin by locating Jupiter, the brightest anchor in the sky. From there, your gaze can drift downward toward the sunset glow, where Venus and Saturn hover close to the horizon. Mercury, elusive and fleeting, may appear briefly before slipping into the ocean haze.
The experience along the coast feels almost nautical. The planets seem to sail toward the horizon like distant vessels, disappearing one by one into the evening — a reminder that California’s maritime identity has always been tied to the sky as much as to the sea.
Watching From the Desert — Palm Springs and the Shadow of San Jacinto:
In the Coachella Valley, the same alignment takes on a different character. The towering mass of Mt. San Jacinto rises west of Palm Springs, lifting the “local horizon” higher than the true one. For observers in central Palm Springs, this means the lowest planets may vanish earlier than expected — hidden behind the mountain long before they technically set.
The solution is simple: begin looking sooner, roughly 15–20 minutes after sunset, or consider driving a bit east in the valley, where the western view opens and the mountains no longer block the sky. Even if Mercury or Saturn slip behind the ridgeline, Jupiter will remain bright and unmistakable, offering a reliable guidepost for the rest of the lineup.
What changes between coast and desert is not the sky itself, but the geography beneath it. California’s landscapes — cliffs, mountains, and valleys — shape how each community experiences the same cosmic moment.
A Shared Alignment:
Planetary parades are not rare in astronomical terms, yet seeing so many worlds gathered in one evening sky feels quietly extraordinary. The alignment will be visible for several nights, but around February 28 the planets appear most closely grouped, forming a gentle arc that mirrors the path of the Sun.
There is a timelessness to such evenings. Ancient observers watched similar alignments without knowing the physics behind them; Renaissance astronomers sketched them into early charts; modern Californians might photograph them from a beach in San Francisco or a patio in Palm Springs. The technology changes, but the human instinct to look up remains the same.
As twilight fades across the state — waves rolling in along the Pacific, desert air cooling beneath the San Jacinto peaks — the planets will slowly sink from view. No grand finale, no dramatic flash. Just the steady motion of a solar system revealing itself for a brief moment to anyone willing to pause, face west, and watch the sky move.
James “Gypsy” Haake: A Lifetime in Drag, A Legacy in Motion
Happy 94th Birthday James “Gypsy” Haake, a Palm Springs legend and the World’s Oldest Working Drag Queen!
In an industry where reinvention is often the key to survival, few performers embody endurance quite like James “Gypsy” Haake. Born on February 14, 1932, Haake’s remarkable journey across the stages of Broadway, cabaret, film, and drag performance spans more than seven decades — a living testament to the resilience and artistry that have shaped American queer performance culture.
Haake’s career began in 1951 as a Broadway chorus boy, a launching point that would set the tone for a lifetime of theatrical expression. From the beginning, he possessed a rare ability to adapt to changing audiences and evolving forms of entertainment. That adaptability would become his signature, allowing him to remain relevant through shifting eras of nightlife, from mid-century cabaret glamour to modern pop-culture collaborations.
Perhaps most famously, Gypsy became a beloved master of ceremonies for La Cage Aux Folles, guiding audiences through evenings of laughter, spectacle, and unapologetic celebration. He was also a fixture of cabaret nightlife, performing in — and at times operating — the legendary venue “Gypsy’s,” a space that became synonymous with community, performance, and queer visibility long before such visibility was widely embraced.
Beyond the stage, Haake’s presence extended into film and television, with appearances in productions such as To Be or Not To Be and The Morning After. Yet even as screens changed and audiences evolved, Gypsy’s greatest strength remained his live connection with viewers — a performer who thrived on intimacy, humor, and the electricity of shared experience.
What sets Haake apart most, however, is longevity. At an age when many performers have long since retired, he continued to work, collaborate, and inspire new generations. His appearance in Miley Cyrus’s “Younger Now” era — both in video and live performance — introduced him to younger audiences and affirmed his role as a cultural bridge between past and present.
In 2023, at age 91, James “Gypsy” Haake was honored as a Palm Springs Pride Parade Grand Marshal, a fitting recognition of a life lived boldly in the spotlight. The honor was not simply a celebration of years served, but of a legacy shaped by persistence, humor, and a deep commitment to the art of drag as both performance and cultural expression.
Today, Gypsy stands as a reminder that drag is more than glitter and gowns — it is history, survival, and storytelling. His journey from Broadway chorus lines to Pride parades reflects the arc of LGBTQ+ visibility itself: hard-won, joyful, and defiantly alive.
In honoring Gypsy, we celebrate not only a performer but a living archive of queer entertainment history — a performer who never stopped stepping onto the stage, no matter the decade.
