Noted for being one of the first "homophile" organizations in the United States in 1950, the Mattachine Society were an anarchistic bunch of fun gays who liked to drink while being pinko political. The way things should be, really. Now, in their honor, John Cameron Mitchell brings his noted Mattachine Dance Party -- a smashing road party now touring the states -- from NYC to SF on Saturday with a bash at El Rio. Think disco party meets Radical Faeries meets Hard French. There you go.

Queerty notes:

Three years ago, Mitchell and fellow DJs PJ DeBoy and Paul Dawson (both stars of Shortbus) and multifaceted cabaret performer Amber Martin started the party, which is named for the Mattachine Society, a pre-Stonewall gay-rights group that famously challenged New York’s “no service for homos” rule at Julius in 1966. A hit with gay celebs like Justin Bond and Alan Cumming, and New York hipsters of all persuasions, the Mattachine party stands in opposition to “the metronomic, inorganic kind of thump, thump, thump traditional gay folk music. The fascist body culture. The age phobia. The conformist, sheep-like quality of mainstream gay culture today," says Mitchell.

The ridiculously youthful 49-year-old goes on to reminisce that, “when I grew up, ‘gay’ meant ‘nonconformist’—each person was unique in their own gay way, rather than subscribing to a checklist of gay criteria. Which is part of the Radical Faerie thing too—find your own queerness. Harry Hay, the founder of the Mattachine Society, actually coined the term 'Radical Faerie' in the 1970s."

Mattachine will involve the smooth stylings of Mr. John Cameron Mitchell, (director: Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Shortbus, Rabbit Hole), Amber Martin ('NYC performance queen"), Paul Dawson (Shortbus), PJ Deboy (Shortbus), and of course, San Francisco's very own DJ Carnita (Hard French, Daytime Realness).

When: Saturday, August 18th
Time: 3pm-8pm
Where: El Rio (3158 Mission Street)
Cost: $8, $6 before 5pm