Exclusive: S.F. drag club Oasis saved with multimillion-dollar gift
  • 279 points Ordinary-Coconut-715

    "We do not know the size of the charitable donation, but the Bay Area Reporter says that it is at least “several million dollars.” But we do know that the donation is from local philanthropists Mary and Mark Stevens (whose son Sky Stevens is apparently an Oasis regular). Mark Stevens is a managing partner at Menlo Park VC firm S-Cubed Capital."
    https://sfist.com/2025/12/26/christmas-miracle-oasis-nightclub-saved-from-closure-with-multi-million-dollar-philanthropic-gift/

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    153 points deadindoorplants

    A generous gift to the arts, even if non traditional. Good stuff.

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  • 260 points professorqueerman

    very happy to see this news, Oasis is a community gem

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    25 points qqqxyz

    so why wasn't it working financially? something something people don't drink anymore or

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    83 points Helovinas

    At least partially due to an increase in their insurance costs after they were robbed after hours.

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    71 points mediocreDev313

    Yeah, nothing could possibly be a community gem without making money.

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    6 points FlakyPineapple2843

    Because they didn't actually have a successful business model.

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    76 points bcask

    A successful business model and a community gem are not the same and often are in direct odds (because being a gem includes giving away a lot and not monetizing it all) and continuing to only view successful businesses as valuable is a mistake that is taking out a lot of real gems here 😭

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    -24 points FlakyPineapple2843

    I don't only view successful businesses as valuable. But the whole Oasis saga raises the question of whether the gay community actually wanted to financially support it. SF isn't short on queer people, let alone queer people with disposable income. If Oasis couldn't make it work here, without a last minute save by a rich straight couple with a queer kid, then just how important or valuable is it?

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    10 points rawfishenjoyer

    Almost as if there is a correlation between lots of queer folks living in borderline poverty and businesses needed to make obscene amounts of money to be considered "successful".

    Not sure what kind of circle your in, but in my circle most of us are struggling to make ends meet and buy groceries, let alone drop 50$ a week on alcohol at a club we love.

    parent root
    -4 points qqqxyz

    are you going to happily pay $15 for a well drink now knowing they don’t have to pay rent? 

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    7 points qqqxyz

    those drinks better be $5 now then

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    -2 points letthetreeburn

    Hard to drink when public transit shuts down at 10

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    22 points DrumsAndStuff18

    Except it doesn't.

    Muni operates the subway/rail until midnight. Busses are largely the same, with some exceptions, plus there are several 24/7 bus routes.

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    7 points letthetreeburn

    If you live directly in the city, sure.

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    1 points DrumsAndStuff18

    https://511.org/transit/allnighter

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    5 points Due_Size_9870

    People who can’t afford an uber aren’t buying enough $20 cocktails at the bar to make much of a difference.

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  • 49 points Internal_Focus_8358

    It’s a gd Christmas miracle!

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    6 points lavasca

    Absolutely!!!

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  • 69 points shitsenorita

    So relieved! Oasis is a great venue with a lot of heart.

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  • 59 points angelacandystore

    Fucking, Finally a rich person does something

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    12 points Signal_Contract_3592

    Yeah rich people have never done anything for this city before this

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    10 points StreetFrogs19

    The Zuckerburg SF General Hospital and Benioff Children's Hospital definitely don't exist. Or the museums. /s

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    5 points steesf

    You know SF general hospital was there for like 100 years before zuck was even born right. It's nice he donated the money but as a portion of his net worth it's like an average staff engineer donating a mid range bicycle.

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    0 points StreetFrogs19

    How much have you donated, in time or money, to anything? Doesn't count without receipts.

    He donated a tiny fraction of his worth, but the money has had a hugely positive effect on the services the hospital is able to offer. This hospital serves the city's most vulnerable populations, it's not Stanford or CPMC.

    The point stands. Rich people do occasionally do objectively beneficial things for the city. Even if it's a tiny part of their net worth, the donations have large impact.

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    1 points steesf

    ? I said it was nice he donated. My only point was that there would still be a hospital there regardless of whether or not zuck ever existed. Even for the new wing that bears his name, his donation was like 7% of the total cost so it’s not like that wouldn’t have been built either way.

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    2 points StreetFrogs19

    You're right. Sorry I jumped down your throat.

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  • 15 points SpiritualMaterial365

    Yaaaay feliz navidad!!!

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  • 14 points duvetdave

    Oasis puts on genuinely good shows and I’m happy it’s here to stay! I do find it funny tho someone was basically able to give their parents to donate to their favorite club lol.

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  • 12 points kiss-tits

    Amazing!!!

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  • 9 points Pristine-Assistance9

    So happy to hear this!! Now as an aging queer I have to say… please have more early/cabaret style shows Oasis!

    I want to come out and support so much more often but I ain’t coming to anything that starts after 9pm 😂

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  • 19 points ToLiveInIt

    I thought Oasis was already gone. Never been there but it is and has been important to a lot of people I know. Good news.

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    19 points Helovinas

    Come check it out sometime!!

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  • 6 points babybiancadelrio

    Oasis was one of my favorite places in my 20’s and I’m so happy they are saved!😭💖 love their cabaret shows!

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  • 5 points bsterling

    Great news

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  • 4 points lizhenry

    Oh I'm so glad! Love thst place.

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  • 4 points ViolettaQueso

    Best news ever ❤️

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  • 4 points OveremotionalCatLady

    This is wonderful news!!!!!!!!

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  • 8 points bsterling

    Great news

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  • 5 points missrichandfamous

    Paywalled, who is the donor? Also, what an amazing news

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    14 points dripppydripdrop

    Mark Stevens, billionaire venture capitalist

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    2 points aspiegrrrl

    Use archive.is to bypass the paywall

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  • 5 points karl_hungas

    Everything in the chronicle is paywalled at this point

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  • 2 points sfroma99

    Best news!

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  • 1 points fakep1astictree

    Isn’t this man also a known patron of the dolls?

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  • 1 points Flashy-Ad-2120

    Do the donors want their information put out there in that way? Seems intrusive.

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  • -118 points FlakyPineapple2843

    Will they stop incorporating pro-Palestinian crap into every show?

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    71 points jjnick2582

    Nope, Free Palestine!

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    30 points f7938

    they will double it now that you asked for it

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    -38 points FlakyPineapple2843

    If that's true, then I'll keep directing my business elsewhere as I have for a couple years now.

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    4 points Helovinas

    Please direct your business out of San Francisco as a whole.

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    -10 points FlakyPineapple2843

    Unfortunately for you, I won't be, and if you haven't noticed, most San Franciscans haven't gone for the pro-terrorism messaging. If you really want to support Palestinians and their stated goals, go join one of their terror cells. I'm sure they'd love another suicide bomber.

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    8 points Helovinas

    Did you just tell me to kill myself? Very enlightened of you.

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    -39 points Super_Philosophy_149

    A gay club supporting a band of militant Islamists who routinely execute gay people is one of those mysteries I can’t pretend to understand…

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    26 points Falmarri

    You're intentionally not understanding, or just incredibly stupid. No one is supporting the Palestine government or its policies. We're supporting the Palestinian people who are being killed by Israel 

    parent root
    2 points FlakyPineapple2843

    The Palestinian people in both the West Bank and Gaza have been polled since the war ended, and by a supermajority they support and endorse Hamas. Seems like by supporting Palestinians, you're supporting Islamists.

    parent root
    1 points Falmarri

    and by a supermajority they support and endorse Hamas.

    Literally doesn't matter

    parent root
    -10 points YouAboutToLoseYoJob

    If they were the case then why are regular Jewish people being attacked in the streets? Pure xenophobia and antisemitism blaming an entire group of people for the actions of their government.

    But here’s where it gets tricky. As with many Muslim countries. Their statehood is directly tied to their religion. So criticizing anywhere in the Islamic region is viewed as an attack on Muslim people.

    parent root
    4 points Falmarri

    If they were the case then why are regular Jewish people being attacked in the streets?

    What exactly are you talking about?

    Pure xenophobia and antisemitism blaming an entire group of people for the actions of their government.

    No one is blaming all jewish people. What the hell is wrong with you? Are you just intentionally this obtuse?

    parent root
    -6 points FlakyPineapple2843

    Nor can I.

    parent root
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