City officials including Mayor London Breed, Clair Farley of the Office of Transgender Initiatives, and Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, kicked off SF Pride 2020 at City Hall on February 18. The city’s official band, the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band, performed at the event, which was held on the Mayor’s Balcony overlooking the Rotunda.
“LGBTQ Pride Month is one of my favorite times of year, because it is truly San Francisco at its best,” Mayor Breed said. “It is a celebration of the community’s hard-fought progress and the legacy of strength, resilience, and leadership against all odds. Today, we are kicking off the historic anniversary of 50 years of Pride. It is an important milestone of our achievements and a reminder of the work we still have ahead to reach full equality.”
Farley added, “In looking back at the last 50 years of LGBTQ liberation, I am reminded how we stand on the shoulders of those that came before us. From Harvey Milk to Marsha P. Johnson, from Compton’s to the Trans March, we have an incredible history and a responsibility to keep moving forward and addressing the inequities still facing trans people of color, our trans youth, and LGBTQ immigrants. Today we celebrate, tomorrow we get back to work.”
Fred Lopez, the newly named Executive Director of SF Pride, was also in attendance. He said, “We’re incredibly honored to have the support of the Mayor’s office, as well as all city agencies, to make San Francisco’s largest outdoor event possible. It is only through collaboration and partnerships that San Francisco Pride can continue to thrive. We are working hard to make 2020 one of the most fabulous Pride celebrations San Francisco has ever seen.”
The 50th anniversary Celebration and Parade, with the theme “Generations of Hope,” will fill the streets of downtown San Francisco from the Embarcadero to City Hall on Saturday and Sunday, June 27 and 28. http://www.sfpride.org/
Published on February 27, 2020
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