By Carolyn Wysinger–
As of this writing we are at day 133 of Black Lesbian WNBA Baller Brittney Griner being detained as a political prisoner in Russia. We need to continually advocate for President Biden to work towards getting her home. Please sign the petition to support her release: https://tinyurl.com/mzv7vufv
In just two days we will kick off the first SF Pride in 2 ½ years and it has been a hell of a journey. I remember the day I got the call to join our then Executive Director Fred Lopez and our Festival Producer Scott Shuemake for breakfast to discuss this thing called COVID-19. What would this mean for the celebration in June? At the time it was thought that we would just be in quarantine for two weeks and then everything would be okay. We wondered, though, is it that bad? What happens when you cancel Pride?!
They said two weeks. It has been two years.
In those years, SF Pride as an organization and family has grown, stretched, contracted, expanded, and been tested in every way possible. We lost two executive directors. We cultivated the most diverse board that the organization has ever had. We created smaller opportunities for community to gather in the form of the SF Pride Golf Tournament, Chinatown Pride (in collaboration with the Chinese Cultural Center), and the Juneteenth Black Liberation Celebration (in collaboration with the African American Arts & Cultural Complex), and supported countless smaller events and organizations across the city. Fred & Scott spearheaded the very first major Pride event in a large-scale stadium by partnering with the Giants for Pride Movie Night in the Park. But more importantly, it gave us an opportunity to be thoughtful in how we could come back stronger when we were allowed a full-scale celebration again.
That day is finally here, and I will be truthful, there were days I thought we wouldn’t make it here. Even more truthfully there were days when I believed the pandemic would outlast me in this organization. But it was fellow Bay Times columnist Donna Sachet who said to me, “Your story isn’t finished being written yet. You have to lead us back to Market Street!”
Writing this column forced me to sit down and remember all the challenges it took for us to get here. The fights, the grind, the heartache, the fear. I may or may not be crying right now. I just want you all to know how grateful I am for all of you. I am so honored to have been able to meet you all and serve in this way. I am honored to share this place in the history of this organization and this city with you.
Join us at Divas & Drinks on Thursday, June 23, for the “President’s Party” as we celebrate ahead of this Pride Weekend in grand fashion. And if you are still standing after Pride Weekend, join me in closing out Pride Month with a special Campaign Fundraiser (remember, I am running for El Cerrito City Council lol) at Teeth at 2323 Mission Street on June 30 from 5:30 pm–7 pm.
Happy Pride, Y’all!
Carolyn Wysinger is an LGBTQ author, activist, and President of the SF Pride Board of Directors. She has written for Autostraddle, Everyday Feminism, and Black Girl Dangerous. She can be found starting trouble on Instagram & Twitter @CdubbTheHost
Published on June 23, 2022
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