Welcome to San Francisco Pride, where every identity, gender, kink and kind are celebrated! Hundreds of thousands of visitors from outside the Bay Area will attend San Francisco Pride this year. The 46th annual San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration and Parade takes place June 25 and 26. With over 240 parade contingents, 350 exhibitors, and 20 community-run stages and venues, the two-day SF PC&P is the largest free gathering of LGBTQ people and allies in the nation.
For a fun, quick history lesson, check the last two paragraphs of this article.
Celebration Location & Times
On June 25 and 26, the Civic Center is the location for the Celebration and all the booths and stages. On Saturday, the hours are noon to 6 pm. On Sunday, the hours are 11 am to 6 pm, when you may be asked to make a donation of $10 at the entry gates in support of more than 60 local nonprofit community partners.
With over 350 exhibitors and nonprofit booths at the event, San Francisco Pride offers a wide variety of artists, local and national businesses, nonprofits, artisans, food and beverages. SF Pride makes a special effort to make exhibitor booths affordable to local nonprofits that often use their space to educate, raise much needed funds and connect with the community. There’s something at Pride for everyone!
Stay Hydrated! Stay Standing! Stay Proud!
Throughout the site you’ll find booths selling water, soda, juice and other nonalcoholic beverages. If you choose to purchase alcohol at the event, please drink responsibly and remember to stay hydrated. Civic Center Plaza and UN Plaza are designated as official smoke-free spaces.
Parade Route & Times
The Pride Parade is along Market Street with kickoff at 10:30 am, starting at Beale Street and ending at 8th Street. This year’s theme is “For Racial and Economic Justice.” The social mission is “to educate the world, commemorate our heritage, celebrate our culture, and liberate our people.” We have the obligation to vote and be vigilant. A world leader in the Pride movement, SF Pride is also a grant-giving organization through its Community Partners Program. Since 1997, SF Pride has granted over $2.5 million dollars in proceeds to local nonprofit LGBTQIA organizations and organizations working on issues related to HIV/AIDS, cancer, homelessness, housing rights and animal welfare.
Facilities & Accessibility
Free child-care facilities and a range of services for people with disabilities are available. With special parade-viewing areas and sign language interpretation at all performance stages, the aim is to make the event accessible to everyone. For details about accessibility, log on to the website: sfpride.org/access
Recycling and Composting
In an effort to be environmentally responsible as people continue to pioneer green event practices, San Francisco Pride provides disposal areas for recycling, composting, and trash. All cups, plates, and utensils used at the event are 100% compostable and are made from natural derivatives. Please toss these into the compost bins.
Parade Grandstand Tickets and VIP Party
There is no fee to watch the Parade (except in the case of Grandstand Seating along the Parade route). They do request a $5–$10 donation at the entry gates to the Celebration area. Grandstand seating is available for the Parade, and SF Pride will host its annual VIP Party at City Hall on Sunday from 2–5 pm. Tickets and info for both are available at sfpride.org
Safety & Wellness
The Parade’s volunteer Safety Monitors work hard to provide a safer Pride Celebration and Parade. Please make sure that your valuables and effects are secure by not leaving bags or personal items unattended. Report suspicious activity or unattended packages to the nearest member of the Safety Team or at the nearest Information Booth. You are also encouraged to protect yourself and your sexual partners by employing safer sex practices during the weekend and always. Together we can help stop the virus.
Getting to Pride
SF Pride is one of the largest outdoor events in the nation in the heart of a major metropolitan area. Please do not try to park your car anywhere near the Parade and Celebration site during Parade weekend. San Francisco has an excellent (usually) transportation system! Both the BART and Muni transit systems serve Civic Center station near both the Celebration and Parade, making access to the event easy. Bicycle parking is available. Check out the comprehensive transportation guide at sfpride.org
Grand Marshals and Honorees in Parade
Celebrity Grand Marshals: The Cast of Transcendent; Community Grand Marshals: Larry Yang, Mia Satya, Fresh! White, Janetta Johnson; Lifetime Achievement Grand Marshal: Mike Shriver; Organizational Grand Marshal: Black Lives Matter.
Heritage of Pride Honorees: 10 Years of Service Award: Joanie Juster; Community Award: St. James Infirmary; Freedom Award: Sally Miller Gearhart; Creativity Award: Mercedez Munro; and Audrey Joseph Entertainment Award: Deana Dawn. See page 24 of this issue for more info.
Celebration After the Parade
After the parade, come down to the Civic Center and spend the afternoon at one of the largest gatherings of the LGBTQ community and allies in the nation. The celebration site doubles in size to 20 Stages and Venues, plus the Main Stage, so there’s something for everyone, including a Youth Space, 60+ Space, Family Garden, Deaf/Hard-of-hearing, accessibility services, and more!
On the Main Stage: Peaches hosts Psychic TV; Hector Fonseca; BETTY; BeBe Sweetbriar; Duserock and Friends; CHEER San Francisco; Bluebird and BAAITS. Liam Mayclem and Carnie Asada host: Z LaLa; Mix’d Ingrdnts; Breathless HipHop4Change; San Francisco Dykes on Bikes; Clair Farley and Bishop Yvette Flunder.
Community Stages and Venues: Cheer San Francisco; Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gathering Space; Faerie Freedom Village; Global Village Stage; Club 21/Club BNB International Stage; Queer Youth Space; Soberfest 2016; ESTRELLA TV Latin Stage powered by Club Papi & Steamworks; LGBT Family Garden; Sonic Reducer Stage; Indie Oasis Stage; Homo Hip Hop Stage; LEFT Magazine Dance Music Celebration Stage; Sundance Country-Western Dance Corral; Women’s Stage; Tantra Trance; Soul of Pride African Diaspora Stage and Village; Leather Alley; Asian & Pacific Islander Community Pride Stage & Pavilion and Gray Pride: 60+ Space.
And Now for A Little History Lesson
Every year I read an editorial asking for the “freaks and drag queens” to please step aside and not ruin it for LGBTQ rights. And I need to remind those naysayers that it was drag queens and transgenders, way back at the end of June 1969 in New York City, hanging out at their local gay bar, the Stonewall Inn, who decided they would no longer put up with daily police harassment and arrests that were part of “normal” homosexual life for these people. At that time it was illegal to be gay, so there was no openly gay pride, no openly gay politics, and most certainly no gay parade.
On that particular night, the Stonewall patrons initiated local action that was to eventually lead to national gay liberation. They fought back. For several days and nights the Stonewall Rebellion raged on, and the so-called sissies beat the men-in-blue in a rather violent uprising (and I don’t mean just with purses). So you see, it was a very abnormal group of “freaky people wearing funny clothes” back then who made it possible for us today to cocktail and cruise undisturbed in the queer bar of our choice. And walk down Market Street holding hands. And for that matter, those nelly fellas paved the way for every one of our civil rights marches. So when you see a drag queen or “freaky person,” give ‘em the thumbs-up and thank ‘em for the legacy that continues. Flame ON, freaky people!!!
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