While dozens of parade floats and throngs of rainbow-clad spectators will once again be absent from Market Street this June, San Francisco Pride has announced it will roll out a series of modified in-person festivities throughout the month for the 51st annual celebration.
The new programming slate will include two movie nights to be held at Oracle Park in partnership with Frameline Film Festival and the San Francisco Giants on June 11 and 12, with specific film titles to be revealed in April. A Juneteenth celebration is also planned for the African American Art and Culture Complex and is tentatively scheduled for Friday, June 18.
And a “Pride Expo” — described in the S.F. Pride press release as an outdoor marketplace and resource fair hosting scores of local queer-run businesses and organizations — is also set to occur that same month, with exact dates and location to be announced within the next few weeks.
“Our mission of connecting the LGBTQ+ communities of San Francisco and the Bay Area remains unchanged,” said Fred Lopez, executive director of S.F. Pride. “Knowing how deeply people miss being together, we’ve worked tirelessly with our partners at City Hall, the Department of Public Health, and elsewhere to ensure a number of incredible, safe experiences. SF Pride this year will be all about locals, from queer-owned small businesses to fellow nonprofits that have displayed true leadership over this past year. It’s truly a Pride for the people.”
It’s also a stark change to last year’s event, which primarily took place online. That’s not to say S.F. Pride’s virtual programming will go away entirely, however: The organization recently launched “SF Pride 365,” a year-round initiative spanning video conversations through “Inside Pride,” as well as a Q&A series and a podcast titled “The Queerness.”
On Thursday at 6 p.m., S.F. Pride is also set to host its very first Chinatown Pride. The event is slated to feature drag performances, cocktail demonstrations and a queer art exhibition building upon the Chinese Culture Center’s showcase “WOMEN我們: From Her to Here,” which remains on display at its gallery. The event also serves as a fundraiser for both organizations.
“Pride is one of my favorite times of year, and I am so excited that we’ll have the opportunity to come together and safely celebrate our LGBTQ community this June,” said San Francisco Mayor London Breed said in the press release. “The events planned for this celebration of more than 50 years of Pride in San Francisco give me hope for the future of our city. Despite the challenges that remain ahead, we will keep finding creative ways to keep our San Francisco spirit alive and move forward safely, together.”
S.F. Pride has acknowledged that these plans are subject to change to ensure the safety of its participants. As the CDC has not yet recommended leisure travel, the organization asks that visitors from outside of the region refrain from attending the celebration this year.
“It is SF Pride’s hope that by keeping the focus local in 2021, San Francisco may welcome everyone back in 2022 and beyond,” the organization said in its press release.