SF Pride

Featuring one of the oldest and largest parades in the US, SF Pride is a parade and festival usually held at the end of June each year in San Francisco. And, it's a big ol' party: most recently, over 288 groups and an estimated 50,000 marchers participated in the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade, with hundreds of thousands of people watching. Now that's impressive!

The first event resembling the modern San Francisco Pride parade and celebration was held in 1970 - with a march down Polk Street and a small "gay-in" in Golden Gate Park. Since 1972, the event has been held each year. The name of the festival has changed over the years. Today, San Francisco Gay Pride is organized by the San Francisco Lesbian, Gay Bisexual, Transgender Pride Celebration, which endeavors to educate the world, commemorate LGBTQ history, celebrate culture, and liberate people.  

The Rainbow Flag, which is associated with the LGBTQ community, was created by Gilbert Baker for the 1978 San Francisco Pride Parade. It originally had eight stripes but was later simplified to the current six stripes. A six-stripe Rainbow Flag flies over Harvey Milk Plaza in the Castro, the best-known LGBTQ village in the world.

The parade itself is held on the Sunday morning of the festival, with the route usually traveling west along San Francisco's Market Street. Hundreds of thousands line the parade route along Market Street, and some even arrive hours in advance to claim a prime spot. You can see the local committed spirit to Pride in San Francisco! 

The parade consists of hundreds of groups from various organizations, including some well-known like Dykes on Bikes and Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). Many San Francisco companies have groups, sometimes chaptered by LGBTQ employees of the company, as a community outreach or public relations effort to show support for LGBTQ causes. So, with a mix of political activism and a lot of fun, what's not to love about SF Pride?

We look forward to seeing you there! 

For full details on San Francisco Pride, be sure to check out the official event program. Happy Pride!  

© Bill Weaver/Facebook/San Francisco Pride