<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style=""><font size="4">Dear friends,</font></div><div class="gmail_default" style=""><font size="4"><br></font></div><div class="gmail_default" style=""><font size="4"><span id="gmail-docs-internal-guid-f15c8538-7fff-ea31-f498-c91576f92552"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Rachele Sullivan, a longtime Exiles member and supporter, and an icon of the San Francisco leather community, passed away on January 17th after a too-short battle with cancer. </span></p><br><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Whether you knew her or not, your life in our leather community has probably been touched by Rachele. S</span><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">he was an organizer, fundraiser, sacred healer, and community activist. Rachele was instrumental in the establishment of Venus Playground at the Folsom Street Fair, raised money for HIV/AIDS organizations, and was a key figure in the establishment of both the Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District, and</span><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> the San Francisco Eagle Leather Plaza.</span><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> We are all greatly saddened by her loss. </span><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(70,70,70);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">A memorial gathering for her at the Eagle is being planned.</span></span><br></font></div><div class="gmail_default" style=""><br></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><font size="4"><font color="#000000"></font><span class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"></span>Rio</font></div><div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 20px;width:1379px;font-family:Roboto,RobotoDraft,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"><div style=""><div style="margin:8px 0px 0px;padding:0px"><div style=""><div dir="ltr" style=""><div dir="ltr" style=""><div dir="ltr" style=""><div dir="ltr" style=""><div dir="ltr" style=""><div dir="ltr" style=""><font style="" size="4"><div style=""><font face="arial, sans-serif" color="#000000">She/her pronouns</font></div><div style=""><font face="arial, sans-serif" color="#000000">Co-Coordinator, The Exiles</font></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><font face="arial, sans-serif" style=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/theexilessf" target="_blank">Facebook</a>  |  <a href="https://fetlife.com/users/2319325" target="_blank">FetLife</a>  |  <a href="https://www.patreon.com/theexilessf" target="_blank">Patreon</a>  |  <a href="http://theexiles.org/" target="_blank">Website</a></font><span style="color:rgb(32,33,36)"> </span></div></font></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><font color="#000000"> </font><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">Ask yourself "What can I do to make a difference?" Then do it from your heart. - Mama Reinhardt</span></div></div></div></div></div>