Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, just a day after she announced that she would be retiring following 39 years in Congress, presented the 2025 Legends Award to NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt visionary and LGBTQ+ activist Cleve Jones. 2024 Legends Award recipient and San Francisco Bay Times columnist Donna Sachet, seen in the video, was the emcee of the event, which took place at the Swedish American Hall in San Francisco on November 7, 2025.
The Architect Award was presented by the Co-Publishers of the San Francisco Bay Times, Dr. Betty Sullivan and Jennifer Viegas, to Rikki’s Founders and Owners Sara Yergovich and Danielle Thoe.
Joshua Smith presented The Diane Jones Solidarity Award to SF Pride Executive Director Suzanne Ford.
Juania MORE! presented The Exemplar Award to Alex U. Inn.
Performers at the event included the San Francisco Pride Band led by Artistic Director Mike Wong, singers Verne Smith and Courtney Merrell, pianist/accompanist Russell Deason, and the Queer Chorus of San Francisco.
Many other LGBTQ+ leaders attended the event, including Supervisors Matt Dorsey and Rafael Mandelman, who is also President of the SF Board of Supervisors. Members of the Imperial Court were additionally in the audience, including Afrika America.
A reception at The Academy SF, which presents this annual awards event, followed. Academy owners Nate Bourg and Paul Miller created The Legends Awards program that each year recognizes leaders in the Bay Area LGBTQ+ community. Jones was a founding contributor to the San Francisco Bay Times, which helped sponsor the event.
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