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Serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities since 1971
Vol. 54 • No. 26 • June 27-July 3, 2024
Collage by Max Leger, made from images generated by Midjourney
SF hoping to be ‘Beacon of Love’ for Pride
by John Ferrannini
T
he San Francisco LGBTQ Pride parade will start making its way up Market Street from Beale Street at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, June 30. The parade is the highlight of a full weekend of festivities celebrating the 55th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, the beginning of the modern movement for LGBTQ rights in the United States. This year’s theme is “Beacon of Love.” The parade will go from Beale Street to Eighth Street, where it intersects with a second day of a celebration at the Civic Center Plaza from noon to 6 p.m. The
first day of the Civic Center Plaza celebration will be Saturday, June 29, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. “In the spirit of love, and as we prepare for the world’s most iconic Pride Parade and Celebration, we affirm the principle of radical inclusion,” the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee Inc.’s website states, explaining the theme. Suzanne Ford, a transgender woman who is the executive director of the SF Pride organization, stated that the theme was chosen because it “encapsulates the spirit of San Francisco Pride.” “As we prepare to welcome millions of
participants from around the world, we invite everyone to join us in celebrating love, diversity, and the ongoing fight for justice,” Ford stated. “Together, we will light the way toward a more inclusive and equitable future.” Nguyen Pham, a gay man who is president of the Pride board of directors, stated, “We are proud to unveil ‘Beacon of Love’ as the theme for this year’s Pride celebration.” “In the face of adversity, San Francisco continues to shine as a beacon of hope and progress for the LGBTQ+ community and a place that authentically champions radical inclusion,” he continued.
“This theme reflects our commitment to love, acceptance, and the ongoing fight for equality.” The organization that puts on the parade and celebration will also be hosting a party inside San Francisco City Hall Sunday afternoon, from 1 to 5 p.m., featuring grand marshal and the celebration’s main stage headliner Billy Porter. The gay actor who is HIVpositive starred as Pray Tell on the FX series “Pose.” Porter, a Grammy, Emmy, and twotime Tony Award winner, is also known to many for his Broadway performance in “Kinky Boots.” Porter did not return
requests for comment for this report through his representatives. Admission to the parade and celebration is free; tickets to the City Hall event start at $150 and can be bought on Eventbrite. There will be several stages of entertainment and programming at the celebration on the plaza, including a trans futures community stage, a youth community stage, a Soul of Pride community stage, an Asian and Pacific Islander community stage, and the Latin stage. See page 18 >>