Queer Latine mural in SF’s Mission district defaced

A mural featuring elements of queer Latine history on an electric box in San Francisco’s Mission district has reportedly been defaced with graffiti. The artists have started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for repairing the damage.

The mural, by artists Manuel J. Carmona, who is queer, and Joshua Barry, is located at 19th and Valencia streets. It was “badly tagged on,” the artists noted in the fundraising appeal, “especially Dulce de Leche’s face and around José Sarria.”

De Leche is a multifaceted drag artist.

Sarria, who died in 2013, was a gay Latino veteran who left a lasting impact on politics and the queer community. He founded the International Court System, a drag philanthropic organization, in 1965. Sarria also made history as the first openly gay person to seek elected office when he ran for a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1961.

The GoFundMe was created about a week ago and has raised $325 as of August 11.

In an email to the Bay Area Reporter, Carmona said that he became aware that the utility box had been vandalized about a month ago. He stated that he did not report the incident to the San Francisco Police Department. An SFPD spokesperson stated that they could not locate a vandalism call for service in the area.

“This is not the first time this particular box has been tagged since it was painted, though graffiti is unfortunately a common challenge for public art in the mission,” Carmona added. “My hope is to repaint it within the next few weeks, depending on weather and material availability.”

Carmona and Barry stated in the fundraising description, “It’s probably a two-day job. At the moment, there is no available funding from Paint the City for repairs.” The Paint the City program that saw artists paint utility boxes around the city was funded by the Civic Joy Fund and Paint the Void.

 
Carmona and Barry are asking the community for funds, as the spray-painted graffiti will take fresh layers of paint to cover up, depending on what type of paint the taggers used, the fundraising page stated.

“It’s important for the LGBTQ community to have spaces like this and to keep them maintained,” the artists wrote. “We’re not asking for much, just $500-$1,000 for supplies.” Carmona stated needed materials include paint and sealant.

Additionally, Barry spends most of his time in San Diego now, so it will cover a little bit of travel expenses as well, according to the statement.

The mural is just one of many painted on utility boxes across the city. A San Francisco Standard article noted that some 322 boxes have been painted with colorful murals. Carmona began painting boxes on Valencia Street in 2023.

“Public art in high-traffic areas like this one plays an important role in celebrating and representing our community, and I’m committed to keeping it looking its best,” Carmona stated in the email.

Two years ago another queer-themed mural Carmona painted on a utility box along Valencia Street was defaced as part of the street art project funded by the two groups. As the B.A.R. reported at the time, the mural featured drag artist Juanita MORE! on a utility box at the intersection of 22nd and Valencia streets. Within 48 hours of it going up, an unknown person completely covered it with brown paint, and when Carmona went to repair it, a man yelled at him for not featuring the heralded Latino and farmworkers advocate Cesar Chavez.

"He persisted in defacing my artwork while also threatening physical violence, at which point I had no recourse but to contact the police. Ultimately, the utility box's artwork was destroyed again," Carmona had stated at the time.

It led to a rally and community repainting event of the mural.  

Updated, 8/11/25: This article has been updated with new figures for the GoFundMe and comments from Manuel Carmona.