Divas :: Trans Enclave in the Park

The first thing one might notice when entering Divas, the transgender watering hole on Post Street, is that the bar is hardly the den of sin and sleaze some have said it is. Simply put, Divas is a bar frequented by transgender women, their admirers, and friends. The bar has long been considered a hub for trans prostitution, but on the recent Saturday night that we checked it out, there wasn't a hint of any such activity to be seen.

Divas manager Alexis Miranda wouldn't allow it, though she admits that prostitutes are among the club's customer base.

"There are prostitutes who come in and out of Divas," said Miranda. "They do not work at Divas. As long as they don't do it in the bar, I will serve them a drink."

Divas, Miranda said, isn't all that different from any other nightclub in San Francisco. "We have birthday parties and bachelorette parties," she said, pointing out that provides an important service to the trans community.

"Trans girls need a place where they feel comfortable," she said. "The Castro is anti-trans. We still have a long way to go to teach people how to respect other people's spaces."

Miranda, whose real name is Freddy Miranda, came to San Francisco in 1988. Already established as a drag performer in her native Miami, where she appeared in two episodes of the TV series Miami Vice , Miranda quickly became a popular performer in the local club circuit.

"My family wasn't accepting," she recalled. "I was an abused child. I felt relieved when I left Florida."

Upon her arrival in San Francisco, she got a job at Denny's, launching her local performing career at The Black Rose soon after. A long stretch headlining at Esta Noche, the late, lamented Latin gay bar in the Mission, followed.

In 1998 Miranda was crowned Empress of San Francisco. She was the first Latina Empress to serve in that position. She calls her reign "an honor."

"I wasn't the choice of the Imperial Family," she recalled. "But if you want something, you have to fight for it." She noted that former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown attended her coronation.

It was on a lively Saturday night at 11pm that Miranda hosted her weekly show at Divas. The bar was filled with drag queens, transgender women, guys (both gay and straight) and even a straight couple, who had to leave before the show concluded because their babysitter needed to be home by midnight.

It was a diverse crowd, not only in terms of races and genders, but also in terms of ages. Older folks, some in their sixties and beyond, sat at the bar comfortably chatting with girls in their twenties. Patrons included a small group of deaf gay men who happily signed as they drank their beers. It was a laidback and friendly crowd.

Miranda took to the stage in a flaming red dress and high heels. She lip-synced to a Spanish recording and commanded the stage. Some drag performers are known to be a few seconds "off" when they try to follow a record, but not Miranda. Her lip movements and her sensual dance moves were in perfect unison with the song; it was an impressive performance.

"San Francisco is bigger than the Castro," she told the crowd, to much applause. "Here at we have gay people, straight people; nobody cares as long as you have a good time. And if you flip-flop, its nobody's business."

As she introduced the other performers, she embraced them, calling some of them her daughters. "I have thirteen daughters," she said.

One of her daughters, Princess Jackie, sizzled as she performed to "Amore La Mexicana," a hot Latin number by Mexican superstar Thalia.

Miss Tiffany proved to be quite popular with the audience as she twirled madly about the stage to the Bonnie Tyler classic "Total Eclipse of the Heart."

About a dozen numbers were performed during the one-hour set. Audience members approached the stage, throwing dollar bills at their favorite performers. There was much laughter and friendly catcalls as each of the girls took their bows.

Miranda, who clearly enjoys her work, decried rumors that was closing.

"Divas is not closing," she said. "One sale fell through, but we're currently seeking a new owner who will keep the club as it is." She said there were a few potential buyers. "I've been through two owners," she said. "I've been here for 29 years."

She said that it's important to keep Divas as is. The bar is currently the only trans bar in the City, and there are only a small handful of trans bars in the country.

Divas contributes to the community, having recently raised $700 in support of AIDS Lifecycle. The bar has three levels. Regular events include a karaoke night, gogo girls (Wednesdays at 10PM features naughty schoolgirls) and many other fun happenings. Many of the performers also tend bar at the club, including Miranda.

"San Francisco used to have over one hundred gay clubs," Miranda said. "Some have reopened as 'metrosexual' hangouts, which isn't a bad thing. But people of a certain age are having a hard time adjusting. Some just want to go to a gay bar and know what they're dealing with."

Divas, 1081 Post St. 474-3482. www.divassf.com www.facebook.com/divassf