The 47th Annual San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration and Parade will be held on June 24 and 25, 2017. The Parade/March is Sunday, June 25th in the heart of downtown San Francisco beginning at 10:30 AM. A two-day Celebration and Rally is scheduled from Noon to 6:00 PM on Saturday, June 24th, and from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sunday, June 25th at San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza and surrounding neighborhood.
“For 47 years San Francisco Pride has been part of the fabric of Pride events around the globe that have created a space for LGBTQ people and their allies to gather and express their authentic selves in a supportive and loving environment,” according to San Francisco Pride Executive Director, George Ridgely, Jr. “Our theme for 2017, A Celebration of Diversity, is emblematic of what we believe is the strength of our communities, the strength of our movement, the strength of our city, and the strength of our nation. The power to draw millions of people in solidarity around the world is something the Pride movement has been doing for decades and San Francisco Pride is committed to continuing in its leadership.”
San Francisco Pride is excited to announce initial programming for the 2017 Main Stage. Maysam Sodagari, a legal immigrant from Iran, and a PhD in chemical engineering, who has been living in the United States for the past nine years, is scheduled to speak at the Celebration/Rally. U.S. Customs officials detained Sodagari during the executive order that temporarily banned people from seven predominantly Muslim countries, and all refugees from entering the United States. More speakers addressing critical issues facing LGBTQ communities are being planned for both Saturday and Sunday.
“San Francisco Pride was born out of a protest in order to fight for LGBTQ liberation. The current actions to regress on the progress we’ve made in the last 47 years are a threat not only to our community, but also a threat to American democracy,” said Michelle Meow, President of the San Francisco Pride Board of Directors. “We will show the world our unity, love, and resilience through the freedom of expression for which SF Pride has traditionally provided a platform. We are proud to stand in solidarity with all of our communities, whether it’s sending a message through a peaceful protest or celebrating our beautiful diversity. We will stand up for human rights and resist against any actions that threaten our existence.”
In solidarity with the resistance movement that has been building momentum since the Women’s March in January, the San Francisco Pride Board of Directors – along with long-time activist Cleve Jones and one of this year’s Community Grand Marshals, Alex U. Inn – will lead this year’s parade/march with a resistance contingent. This contingent will stand in defiance to the policies and actions of the current Administration that threaten the most vulnerable members of our community and undermine the hard-fought victories we have secured in our fight for equal rights.
San Francisco Pride honors and applauds this year’s Community Grand Marshals and Awardees, in recognition of their contributions to the LGBTQ movement. “Our Community Grand Marshals and Honorees are true reflections of LGBTQ communities in the Bay Area and their contributions are powerful examples of leadership and creativity,” said Ridgely.
Get to know this year’s honorees HERE!
Australian pop sensation Betty Who will also be performing on the Main Stage at the 2017 Celebration and Rally on Sunday, June 25! On the heels of releasing her new album, The Valley, SF Pride is teaming up with JUNGLE Pride at The Armory to bring the Australian pop star to the Main Stage.
“San Francisco Pride has been privileged to have some of the best and brightest talent from around the globe on our stages, and this year is no exception,” said George Ridgely, SF Pride Executive Director. “Music aficionados already know Betty Who as a rising star and we are excited to have her grace our Main Stage at this year’s Celebration.”
“I’ve always been the type of person who will tell you everything and put myself out there totally unglossed,” says Betty Who. “Writing is therapeutic in that way. I want other people to be able to hear a song and say, ‘That’s how I felt but was too afraid to say it.’ And that’s the beauty of music, you can really say anything you want with a catchy hook.”
Therein lies the magic of Betty Who and her explosive rise to fame on the strength of her breakout debut EP, ‘The Movement.’ Her songs exercise vulnerabilities and weaknesses, reclaiming them as anthems of joy and independence. Lead single “Somebody Loves You” debuted at #4 on Spotify’s Most Viral list, racking up more than six million streams and earning her raves from BuzzFeed and Perez Hilton to SPIN and Nylon, along with spreads in Elle, Cosmo, and more. TIME named her one of 14 To Watch in 2014, NY Mag described her as a mix of “early Madonna…Katy Perry and Robyn, with spunk and confidence,” and Billboard hailed her “shimmering tracks…and arresting pop textures.”
See the complete 2017 main stage lineup HERE!
The San Francisco Pride Celebration and Rally is a free community event, and organizers are asking attendees for a $1.00 donation at the gate to help cover costs. Check sfpride.org for details.
Celebration and Rally
Civic Center Plaza
Saturday, June 24 | Noon to 6:00 PM
Sunday, June 25 | 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
47th Annual SF Pride Parade and March
Sunday, June 25 | Starting at 10:30 AM
Along Market Street, from Beale to 8th Street
#SFPride #SumerofLove50 #Resist