AnMarie Rodgers and Jennifer Kanenaga of Dykes on Bikes join hundreds of thousands to celebrate the LGBTQ community during the S.F. Pride Parade on June 25, 2023.
Brontë Wittpenn/The Chronicle
This year’s theme for the San Francisco Pride celebration is “Beacon of Love,” a fitting tribute to the City of Love, and a potent reminder that love has always been a central tenet of the LGBTQ movement, even as it experiences hate in a hyper-polarized national political climate.
San Francisco Pride’s centerpiece parade, and the love it embodies, has always been a showy calling card in the city’s drive to be a leader in the struggle for LGBTQ liberation and social justice. The parade remains a signature event and a rallying point for both the city and the movement, and no rendition of the extravaganza would be complete without jaw-dropping costumes, outlandish floats and a beautiful spectrum of diversity. In addition to the parade, Bay Area arts organizations have many performances, exhibitions and events planned.
Sophia Eaglstun shows off their new rainbow face paint as they wait near the barricades before the S.F. Pride Parade on June 25, 2023.
Adam Pardee/Special to The Chronicle
As the presidential election approaches in November, there are ominous signs working against this backdrop of joy and love: Trans folks remain targets of the right. Books that dare to include LGBTQ voices get ripped from school library shelves. And in recent years, state legislatures have introduced more than 500 anti-LGBTQ bills.
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But the queer community has always been resilient in these difficult times, just as it was during the AIDS epidemic and the battle over same-sex marriage. The parade is perhaps the most vivid demonstration of that undiminished spirit, and a major reason why the commemoration and celebration of LGBTQ heritage still resonates today.
Since San Francisco Pride burnished itself into the national psyche five decades ago, there have been many imitators across the world. But there is only one San Francisco Pride, a zanily splendorous concoction that makes this city a unique beacon of love.
Addison Mullins, left, and Georgia Mullins embrace each other during the San Francisco Pride Parade in San Francisco on June 24, 2018.
Mason Trinca/Special to The Chronicle
How did Pride start?
Pride began 54 years ago in the aftermath of New York City’s Stonewall rebellion, widely considered the birth of the LGBTQ movement. But San Francisco’s first Pride event in June 1970 had humble origins, drawing only a few hundred brave parade participants on Polk Street.
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What is San Francisco Pride?
The official name is the San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Celebration, a festival and parade that is perhaps the most famous event of its kind in the world. The annual June extravaganza is a rainbow-colored valentine to the LGBTQ community and its allies.
People wave to the crowd as they march down Market Street during the S.F. Pride Parade in San Francisco on June 25, 2023.
Adam Pardee/Special to The Chronicle
How did San Francisco Pride turn into such a huge event?
In 1972, activists hosted their first official parade in a city that was mostly supportive of gay rights. As increased LGBTQ migration turned San Francisco into a gay mecca, the crowds at Pride ballooned. In 1978, a landmark speech by Harvey Milk, the nation’s most visible gay elected official, reverberated across the country and the world. San Francisco Pride was now a destination event for people all over the globe.
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The parade on Market Street typically draws hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts — many in eye-popping ensembles — though parade organizers have sometimes estimated attendance at more than 1 million.
Who can participate in Pride?
Anyone who identifies within the LGBTQ community — and its allies. That includes people of all ages and even pets.
Pride attendees cheer during San Francisco’s annual Pride Parade in San Francisco on June 25, 2023.
Juliana Yamada/Special to the Chronicle
What exactly is an ally?
LGBTQ activists generally consider an ally as someone who is not LGBTQ but supports LGBTQ people and promotes equality in arenas such as civil rights, gender equality and social movements.
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What does LGBTQ mean?
The acronym LGBTQ is an umbrella term for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer. The Q can also refer to those “questioning” their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Members of Sambaxe School of Samba perform as hundreds of thousands gather to celebrate the LGBTQ community during the S.F. Pride Parade on June 25, 2023.
Brontë Wittpenn/The Chronicle
Sometimes the LGBTQIA+ acronym is used. The I stands for intersex, and the A stands for asexual and/or allied. The plus sign signifies self-identifying community members who are not part of the LGBTQIA acronym.
The abbreviations reflect a movement that continues to evolve and is not easily defined.
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What are the symbols of Pride?
The most ubiquitous symbol of Pride is the rainbow flag, which can be seen at homes and establishments all over the world. There are many permutations of the flag, but the most common design is the six-color version.
Each color has a meaning: red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, blue for harmony and purple for spirit.
The flag, designed by Gilbert Baker — often referred to as the Betsy Ross of the LGBTQ movement — made its debut at San Francisco’s United Nations Plaza in 1978.
A cyclist descends Twin Peaks Boulevard as the Pink Triangle is seen on the hillside in San Francisco. The symbol, once used by the Nazis in concentration camps during World War II to identify and shame homosexuals, is now being embraced by the LGBTQ community as a symbol of pride. The installation, organized by founder Patrick Carney, was installed June 8 with the help of more than 600 volunteers.
Stephen Lam/The Chronicle
What about the Pink Triangle?
The Pink Triangle has become a powerful symbol of the repression that LGBTQ people and other minorities still face around the world. It also represents the persecution of gay victims in Nazi concentration camps.
A giant version of the Pink Triangle, which can be seen from miles around, is erected annually on Twin Peaks. This year, the beautifully illuminated triangle was erected on June 8 and will be on display until the end of the month, a strong declaration that San Francisco is not going away when it comes to being a beacon of LGBTQ pride.
Michelle Pappe, left, and Holly Reese repair a tear on a tarp while installing the Pink Triangle on June 8 along with hundreds of volunteers ahead of Pride celebrations.
Stephen Lam/The Chronicle
For more information, including on how you can volunteer to help de-install the triangle, visit www.thepinktriangle.com
Where and when is the parade and official celebration happening?
The parade will begin at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, June 30, at Beale and Market streets, near the Embarcadero, and proceed down Market before eventually ending at Civic Center Plaza and nearby streets.
From 11 to 6 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, June 29-30, there will be an official Pride Celebration in the Civic Center Plaza that is expected to include vendors, resource booths, exhibitors and live entertainment on multiple community-run stages.
More information can be found at sfpride.org.
Billy Porter speaks during a taping of P&G and iHeartMedia’s Can’t Cancel Pride event May 1 in Burbank.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartRadio
What are this year’s Pride highlights?
The Pride Parade has always had its share of star power, but this year’s celebrity grand marshal — Tony-, Grammy- and Emmy-winning performer Billy Porter — could light up a marquee all by himself. Porter first gained fame onstage in “Kinky Boots” in 2013 before his television star turn on “Pose.” Porter will be the headliner on Sunday, June 30, at the Civic Center celebrations. There will also be fun galore on Saturday, June 29, at the same location, including an appearance by drag queen Adore Delano, a singer-songwriter who gained fame as a contestant on “American Idol,” “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.”
What’s newly featured for Pride this year?
For the first time, the festivities at Civic Center will include Pride for Breakfast, which will offer a yoga class and/or a dance workout class. The event, which runs from 7:30 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 29, is meant to promote health, movement and community. Participants can access the event at the intersection of Polk and Hayes streets. For more information, go to sfpride.org
Who are the 2024 honorees?
This year, San Francisco Pride will be honoring Rebecca Rolfe, executive director of the San Francisco LGBT Center; Xavier Davenport, a transmasculine community leader; Tory Teasley, a trans musician, vocalist and activist; Nicole Adler, an advocate for the developmental disabilities and LGBT communities; Xander Briere, a nonbinary queer activist; and Children’s After School Arts, a nonprofit that guides San Francisco kids toward open creative expression.
How do I watch the Pride program?
KGO-TV will broadcast and live stream the parade live. Go to sfpride.org for more information.
Over the past two decades, the Trans March — which celebrates the transgender and gender-nonconforming communities — has become a hallmark of Pride festivities. This year’s event will commence at 11 a.m. Friday, June 28, with a brunch, followed at 3 p.m. by a stage and resource fair at Dolores Park. The march itself will begin at 6 p.m., running from Dolores Park to Turk and Taylor streets. The after-party will be held at El Rio, 3158 Mission St., and Mothership, 3152 Mission St. For more details, go to www.transmarch.org
Another long-running Pride institution is the annual San Francisco Dyke March, whose 31st reiteration will begin at 5 p.m. Saturday, June 29, at Dolores and 18th streets. For more information, go to www.thedykemarch.org.
San Francisco Frontrunners will be holding its 45th annual Pride Run — which offers 5K and 10K runs and walks — at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 29, at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Everyone is welcome. The event will commence at Middle Drive West and Metson Road in the park. For more details or to register, go to www.sffr.org/priderun
Hyseinth Mcneein cheers as the Pride Parade goes down Market Street in San Francisco on June 26, 2022.
Justin Katigbak/Special to the Chronicle
Is there more security at Pride this year?
Pride officials are boosting security for this year’s festivities in the wake of an advisory from the Department of Homeland Security that foreign terrorist organizations might target Pride celebrations in the United States during Pride Month.
Previously, Pride events in the Bay Area have increased security due to heightened political attacks on the LGBTQ community. The latest advisory from federal officials centers on threats apparently tied to the conflict in Gaza.
Pride officials told the Chronicle that they have hired a private security firm and that there will be a screening process at entry points. As is customary with huge events, San Francisco police also will have a significant presence during Pride activities.
For Pride safety tips, go to www.sanfranciscopolice.org/stay-safe/safety-tips/pride-safety-tips or https://sfpride.org/faq
David Lewis is a freelance writer.
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