Let this post serve as an introduction for all recently transplanted San Franciscans to a perennial local candidate for office who has, for over a decade now, helped make our city the kooky and colorful place that it is — and hopefully will continue to be. Behold Starchild, who because it's another election season has gotten a fresh profile by KALW, who found him out campaigning in the Castro for Gary Johnson this week.

If you haven't heard about him or seen him at various public meetings or protests, or voted for him for SF Supervisor — he's a devout Libertarian who ran, unsuccessfully, in 2010 (against Scott Wiener), and a couple of times against Bevan Dufty in District 8, and also ran for school board a few times. As KALW notes, his first political campaign was in 2002, running for supervisor — he's always been campaigning to "Make San Francisco more like Black Rock City." "Basically, running for office, I see it as a soap box, what’s important is hearts and minds," he tells the station. "I want to spread the idea of the non-aggression principle and freedom.”

As for the name, that was his online screen name back in the 90's, subsequently his Burner name, and he had it legally changed in 1998.

As a bisexual sex worker he's also campaigned for the legalization of prostitution, and his chosen mode of dress at public meetings tends toward 1970's hustler with Burning Man flair, cut-off shorts and all. His choice of dress has bristled some fellow Libertarians who would prefer not to be seen as a bunch of kooks. (Oh, you mean like this?)

Says one Libertarian commenter, "I first encountered Starchild online many years ago. He impressed me with his well reasoned and well stated positions. I first saw him in person at a Libertarian Party convention where he was dressed as a butterfly and my initial reaction was 'Good grief, there are national press here! What will people think when they see him?'"

Like some other fringe candidate for local office in SF's colorful past — Sister Boom Boom, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence persona of late astrologer Jack Fertig, and nudist activist George Davis come to mind — Starchild doesn't give up easily and doesn't necessarily expect to ever get elected.

"I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it," Starchild tells KALW, saying that he's also running for State Assembly this year since they didn't have a Libertarian to run for his district's seat. "There would probably be people who would want me to give up sex work and I think that would be a really interesting conversation to have."

Below, you can see him speaking out at a 2013 rally over the Bradley/Chelsea Manning controversy relating to SF Pride.

It wouldn't be an election year in SF without perennial underdog candidate Starchild in the race. Starchild is among a gaggle of candidates vying for Bevan Defty's seat on the Board of Supervisors in District 8, which is comprised of the Castro, Duboce Triangle, Dolores Park, Noe Valley, Diamond Heights, and Glen Park.

As the Bay Area Reporter reminds us, Starchild has run twice before against Dufty, and in the 2006 campaign he was also fighting prostitution charges after he was busted in a sting operation in a Fremont hotel. His campaign slogan? "Let's try freedom," because of course freedom is in short supply in the Castro.