Posse protests gay rodeo

Like a showdown from the days of the wild wild west, San Francisco’s Best Buck in the Bay Saturday fundraiser at Powerhouse bar in SOMA drew a posse of protestors.

Protest organizer Andrew Zollman of LGBT Compassion told the SF Examiner that they were there to bring an end to “goat dressing” in the gay rodeo.

The Best Buck in the Bay Rodeo & Festival has an event every year in which two cowboys or cowgirls race through a dirt arena and attempt to put ladies’ underwear on a goat. The event is sanctioned and governed by rules set forth by the International Gay Rodeo Association.

Every gay rodeo has 13 events, and goat panty teams happen to be one of them. After every eight “dressings,” the goats are allowed a rest period to prevent fatigue or injury.

DuBray told the Ex he doesn’t think the goats are bothered by the fashion statement:

“They just sort of stand there. I don’t know. I don’t speak goat.”

For humane reasons, the rodeo also uses breakaway lassos for calf roping events.

Zollman is a well-known figure in San Francisco’s activism scene. LGBT Compassion was key in recently having the sale of live chickens banned at several markets in San Francisco.

Part of LGBT Compassion’s anti-panty strategy includes protesting sponsors of the gay rodeo and one previously supportive winery canceled its sponsorship in October.

The International Gay Rodeo Association was founded in 1985 and lists 25 affiliates from across the United States and Canada. Best Buck in the Bay is one of the Golden State Gay Rodeo Association’s events.