In January of this year, the SF Pride Board of Directors began discussing how to express these growing concerns. After careful consideration, they collectively made the decision to lead off the 47th Annual Parade with a protest contingent. Eschewing the usual floats and music, representatives from about 20 diverse organizations will lead the Parade with an all-on-foot March down Market Street.
Highlighting concerns ranging from women’s rights to immigration policies and the profiling persecution of African Americans, these voices will lead the normally celebratory event with a political statement reminiscent of the very milestone it commemorates — The Stonewall Rebellion.
The Resistance Contingent, led by the SF Pride Board of Directors, wilI immediately follow the traditional Parade openers: Dykes on Bikes and bicycle contingents. The Resistance Contingent will include The Bayard Rustin LGBT Club, SF Black Community Matters, Justice for Mario Woods, African Human Rights, DeGenderettes, Bay Area Queer People of Color, Guardian Group, International Migrants Alliance, Mission High School Queer Students Alliance, Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club, Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club, Action Action, Indivisible, The Brady Campaign (with Pulse nightclub survivors), several local unions, and one of our 2017 community grand marshals — Alex U. Inn.
Immediately following will be the “We Fought Back” contingent, comprised of 1977-78 SF Gay Freedom Day organizers who challenged the Briggs Initiative and notorious homophobe Anita Bryant. Among the remaining 250+ contingents will be our 2017 grand marshals and honorees such as El/La Para TransLatinas and the National Center for Lesbian Rights, as well as contingents organized by the Women’s March and Planned Parenthood, to name only a few. We encourage all contingents to send a message that embraces diversity as the strength of our movement, as well as resistance to any attempts to roll back our rights or exclude anyone from equal protection.
It has been a tradition for San Francisco Pride to showcase a facet of the LGBTQIA community to represent at the front of the parade each year — a unique commitment to maintaining the roots of Pride and honoring our collective history. This year’s theme, A Celebration of Diversity, illuminates the capacity of our movement to face divisive and regressive challenges with dynamic strength and vigorous dialogue. (Photos by Jho Bule)
