The San Francisco Pride Celebration will be held June 24-25, with gates opening at 11 a.m. on Market Street from Embarcadero to the celebration at Civic Center. This annual event continues to serve as a reminder of the progress made in acceptance and the importance of unity in creating a more inclusive society.
This marks the 53rd year of the celebration, which has gained immense popularity not only within the city but throughout the United States. As a symbol of inclusion, this event has become a national beacon of hope for the LGBTQ+ community and its allies.
The first organized pride event, the Christopher Street Liberation Day March, took place on June 28, 1970, to commemorate the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. It began as a small gathering of around a few hundred LGBTQ+ activists and community members who marched from the Castro district to the Civic Center.
The early San Francisco Pride parades served as a rallying point for the LGBTQ+ community, providing a platform for visibility and demands for equal rights. Over the years, the parade grew in size and significance, attracting a wider range of participants.
The timing of the parade has also invited new opportunities. SF Pride conducted its 1st annual Human Rights Summit on Thursday.
“We wanted to bring people together and address the Anti-Trans and LGBTQ+ legislation,” said Robyn Adams, creative communications director of the San Francisco Pride Committee.
“The Human Rights Summit is a way to combat a lot of the Anti-Trans legislation and actually have an event that voices concern,” said Melissa Duefrt, program associate at the SF Pride committee.
The Anti-trans legislation restricts the rights and protections of transgender individuals. These laws have a detrimental impact on the transgender community, such as discrimination and societal marginalization.
The parade is not only a massive celebration of pride and unity but also a testament to the amount of preparation and organization required to bring such a grand event to life. Behind the colorful floats, energetic marchers and vibrant displays lie a dedicated team of organizers, volunteers and community members working to ensure the SF Pride Parade is a resounding success.
“This is our most visible moment,” said Adams. “There are so many moving parts. We have to raise money, promote community spirit, distribute information, try to communicate to the public, and get ready for a really big event.”
Funding is essential for organizing an event as significant and impactful as the SF Pride Parade. The organizers reach out to corporations, community organizations, and individual donors who support LGBTQ+ causes.
“We are completely dependent on donations and what people are willing to give us,” said Duefrt. “A large part of making pride happen is through corporate sponsorship, while at the same time, we can’t ask money from people because they are struggling to live.”
Securing sponsorships is essential for the committee for the necessary funding to cover any costs, including sound systems, stages, performances and permits.
“Reaching out to different companies, some of them renew from past contracts, some we go and seek, some of them are referred, just all of the above,” said Duefrt.
These financial contributions also help provide essential resources for community outreach, awareness campaigns and ensuring the accessibility of the event. As the event attracts numerous sponsors, each with varying levels of support, organizers face the delicate task of honoring sponsorship commitments while strategically positioning participants. This requires careful coordination to ensure that every sponsor receives the designated placement they signed up for.
One of the most fascinating aspects of the SF Pride Parade is the array of elaborately decorated floats and costumes. Months before the parade, teams work diligently to create intricate displays that embody the event’s spirit.
“The events that are selected are ignited by the response of the current environment that we have around,” said Duefrt. “Throughout the parade, there will be different contingents that include corporate sponsors, local community members, dance troupes and children troupes.”
The SF Pride Parade is deeply rooted in the LGBTQ+ community, and engaging community members is vital to its success. The organizing team actively collaborates with LGBTQ+ organizations and community centers to ensure broad representation and work on issues related to HIV/AIDS, cancer, homelessness, housing rights and animal welfare.
“Pride is a party but also a protest,” said Adams. “This 53rd pride serves so many purposes. Originally it was about visibility, resistance, and gay marriage and now the threats we face today are: 18 and more states are enacting Anti-Transgender and queer legislation, which are serious violations of human rights… There is always a reason to march.”
With every passing year, the SF Pride Parade reinforces the message that love is love, togetherness, celebrating and cherishing the diversity of everyone.
“It’s an expression of queer joy,” said Adams.
