Remembering Mary Pat Sager (1944–2023)

I am saddened to announce the death of Mary P. Sager, 78. She passed away after a short illness at her San Francisco home on April 22, 2023, with her partner, Michelle Jester, by her side.

Mary grew up in Wisconsin and cherished her many memories and good friends from those days. When she came to California, she found a home where she could express her sense of adventure and freedom.

Mary was the longtime partner of lesbian pioneer Rikki Streicher [owner/operator of groundbreaking, historic lesbian bars Maud’s and Amelia’s, and a co-founder of the Gay Games] until Rikki’s death in 1994. She spent the last two decades with her partner, Michelle.

She enjoyed a long and happy teaching career, which flourished because of her special rapport with children.

Mary always enjoyed walking her beloved dogs in the city’s many beautiful places, especially Stern Grove.

She was a vibrant member of many of San Francisco’s communities and supported a wide variety of charities. Donations in her memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the San Francisco SPCA would be appreciated.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: https://tinyurl.com/4v3btz64

San Francisco SPCA: https://tinyurl.com/589w79ar

Susan Fahey of Maud’s Reunion ( https://tinyurl.com/ysnzhyfe ) was the former Bar Manager at Maud’s, the historic lesbian bar at 937 Cole Street that o pened in 1966 and closed in 1989.

By Susan Fahey

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The news media is broadcasting the dramatic influx of people migrating in unprecedented numbers across our southern border. Title 42, which was initiated in the previous presidential administration, was supposed to expedite immigrant cases with the goal of reducing the chances of COVID-19 spread throughout the U.S. On May 11, 2023, Title 42 implementation ended at midnight and Homeland Security is implementing the standard Title 8 for processing asylum cases.

Immigrating to the U.S. is complicated and confusing. The major crises are mostly on the southern border of the U.S., with large numbers of people mostly from Central and South America seeking asylum here due to the dangers they face in their own countries. Among this group seeking asylum are LGBTQ+ individuals. This article will attempt to clarify the immigration process for such individuals and highlight the challenges concerning it moving forward.

Phase one of this process is entering the U.S. through its borders legally and documented as seeking asylum to avoid being abused and killed in their own countries. Typically, in the past, people entering the U.S. for asylum would have a sponsor assigned to them by a sponsoring agency to