San Francisco Pride announces official Pride 50 online celebration
On May 20, 2020, the Board of Directors of San Francisco Pride announced the official program for Pride 50, bringing the nation’s largest gathering of the LGBTQ+ community and allies completely online for its historic 50th anniversary.
Taking place Saturday and Sunday, June 27-28, 2020, the festivities will include live performances, speeches from LGBTQ+ elected officials and thought leaders, highlights of the accomplishments of Pride’s 2020 Community Grand Marshals and Honorees, conversations, reflections on 50 years of the Pride movement, and more, in a weekend-long tribute to LGBTQ+ luminaries and queer solidarity.
San Francisco Pride will also take part in Global Pride — a 24-hour, live-streamed festival uniting hundreds of Pride organizations from around the world — on Saturday, June 27.
Led by Interpride, a collection of Pride organizers around the world, Global Pride will be an opportunity for the more than 350 Prides from around the world that have been cancelled or otherwise affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, allowing them to share individual messages of support and solidarity.
Pride is always a citywide effort, featuring events from supporting organizations and promoters, and this year is no different.
SF Pride is glad to help bring awareness to events which are supporting Pride 50, such as Mayor London Breed’s Pride Kickoff (Friday, June 5), Frameline44 Pride Showcase(Thursday-Sunday, June 25-28), the Trans March 2020 (Friday, June 26), Openhouse’s LGBTQ+ Senior Prom (Friday, June 26), Gary Virginia and Donna Sachet’s Pride Brunch 2020 (Saturday, June 27), and Illuminate the Pink Triangle (Saturday, June 27).
SF Pride is working to determine the streaming platform which will best elevate the voices of the San Francisco Bay Area LGBTQ+ communities and will be sharing those plans with the public soon.
“While this year’s landmark anniversary is very different from what we originally envisioned, we are grateful that we can share Pride 50 with our friends and allies around the world — and we know the world is turning to San Francisco,” said SF Pride Executive Director Fred Lopez.
“Our online celebrations not only highlight the spirit of Pride but help us broaden our visibility as we continue to build solidarity in our LGBTQ+ communities during a time when we must be apart.”
“Pride is one of my favorite times of the year in San Francisco, and no one wants to celebrate with the entire community more than I do,” Mayor London N. Breed said.
“However, we are in an unprecedented public-health emergency with an uncertain future, and we must do everything we can to protect our entire community and put public health first. The City will continue to work with SF Pride to celebrate everything Pride stands for in the weeks and months to come, and San Francisco will emerge from this pandemic stronger than ever.”
“Our staff, board, production team, and partners have worked hard to bring new and creative ways to commemorate LGBTQ+ Pride,” adds San Francisco Pride Board President Carolyn Wysinger.
“At a time when there is so much uncertainty, the Pride 50 online events have the potential to touch millions of lives, providing joyful inspiration and highlighting the resilience in our communities.”
“Frameline wishes San Francisco Pride a happy 50th birthday,” said the LGBTQ film festival’s Executive Director James Woolley.
“Frameline will be celebrating Pride with a major virtual event, the Frameline44 Pride Showcase. We’ll be hosting four days of brand new feature films, documentaries, and even some of our signature shorts programs — all available for screening at home, June 25–28.”
For decades, San Francisco Pride’s Parade and two-day Celebration have brought hundreds of thousands of LGBTQ+ revelers and allies to Downtown San Francisco. As 2020 is a historic 50th anniversary, upward of a million people were expected to attend.
Though the COVID-19 pandemic has brought these festivities online, an even larger global audience can now experience the celebrations from the world leader in the Pride movement from the safety and comfort of their own homes.
Calendar of Events
San Francisco Pride 2020 Kickoff with Mayor London Breed
Friday, June 5 (time TBD)
In lieu of the annual in-person Pride Flag Raising Ceremony, Mayor London Breed will host a virtual Pride Kickoff livestream celebration featuring a number of performances, community conversations, and more. The event will include highlights and information on Pride events happening throughout the month of June.
San Francisco Pride’s 2020 Online Celebration
Saturday, June 27, 1-9 p.m. and Sunday, June 28, 2-7 p.m.
Available online at sfpride.org
A full suite of live and pre-recorded musical performances, greetings from elected officials, and reflections on 50 years of Pride. These 13 hours of programming over two days represent the core of Pride Weekend.
Lavender Talks: A Celebration of SF Pride’s 2020 Awardees, presented by The Commonwealth Club
Thursday, June 25, noon-1 p.m.
The fourth in a series of moderated panel discussions produced by SF Pride in collaboration with the Commonwealth Club, this discussion is moderated by Michelle Meow, a radio host and former president of SF Pride’s Board of Directors. Confirmed panelists for the June 25 Lavender Talk include Gabby Rivera, Mike Wong, and Cleve Jones.
Frameline44 Pride Showcase
(*A production of a partner organization of SF Pride, Frameline)
Thursday-Sunday, June 25-28
Presented in partnership with the Castro Theatre, this four-day virtual event includes a sneak preview of “Ahead of the Curve,” as well as the return of perennial favorites “Fun in Boys Shorts,” “Fun in Girls Shorts,” and “Transtastic” short film programs, a raucous showcase of the finest in short films.
A special screening of “Ahead of the Curve” will also take place at the West Wind Drive-In Theater in Concord. The full programming lineup will be announced Wednesday, June 3, and tickets will be on-sale at frameline.org beginning Thursday, June 4.
Openhouse LGBTQ Senior Prom
(*A production of a partner organization of SF Pride, Openhouse SF)
Thursday, June 25, 4-6 p.m.
Openhouse, the non-profit organization providing housing, housing assistance, social services and community for LGBTQ seniors in San Francisco, presents its annual LGBTQ Senior Prom, with an evening of entertainment, inspiration, and celebration via video conferencing and Facebook streaming.
Usually held at the San Francisco War Memorial’s Green Room, this intergenerational dance event reimagines high school prom for seniors whose memories of high school are less than nostalgic. Including a lineup of performances by community members and special friends of Openhouse, the Openhouse Dance Troupe will lead guests in a distance dancing routine.
For community members without internet access, Openhouse Is looking for a solution to include them in the celebration.
Trans March 2020
(*A production of a partner organization of SF Pride)
Friday, June 26, time TBA
Online-only for 2020, full information TBA, at transmarch.org
Gary Virginia and Donna Sachet’s Pride Brunch 2020: Live at home!
Battle of the Queens Brunch Challenge
(*A production of a partner organization of SF Pride, the Positive Resource Center)
Saturday, June 27, noon-1:30 p.m.
Ticket information will be available on Tuesday, May 26 at 10 a.m. PDT at www.prc.org
Hosts Gary Virginia and Donna Sachet bring their legendary Pride Brunch into homes across the world as they get saucy and battle it off in the kitchen, competing for the title of Pride Brunch Queen.
Ticket holders will enjoy hosted cocktails and a delicious brunch delivered, just in time for the celebration, featuring the San Francisco 50th anniversary Pride Parade Grand Marshals, live entertainment, live auctions, and special surprises.
All proceeds from the Pride Brunch support Positive Resource Center’s (PRC) integrated legal, social, and health services for those affected by HIV/AIDS, mental health issues, and substance use.
Global Pride
(*A production of Interpride, a partner organization of SF Pride)
Saturday, June 27 – a 24-hour Livestream
Illuminate the Pink Triangle
(*A production of a partner organization of SF Pride)
Saturday, June 27, at 8 p.m.
Livestream: illuminatethepinktriangle.org/join-us/
For its 25th year, The Pink Triangle will shine as a symbol of resilience, hope, and remembrance atop Twin Peaks to celebrate the 50th anniversary of San Francisco Pride, thanks to a special partnership with the nonprofit organization, Illuminate, the masterminds behind the Bay Lights digital art installation that illuminates the western span of the Bay Bridge.
Previously, hundreds of volunteers have gathered on Twin Peaks in San Francisco to assemble The Pink Triangle, a reminder of one of the darkest chapters of human history that is now embraced as a beloved symbol of hope and inclusion. In 2020, a community-driven effort will keep the Pink Triangle shining brighter than ever.
Using more than 2,700 LED nodes, which will be installed safely by a small team of volunteers, an acre of glorious pink light will form a vibrant and mesmerizing triangle on Twin Peaks—making it more visible than ever before. The global grand lighting will be streamed live on Saturday, June 27 at nightfall.
The illuminated Pink Triangle will light up Twin Peaks for the following three weeks, offering a reminder of resilience, in memory of the HIV/AIDS crisis and the current COVID-19 crisis.
“Fifty Years of SF Pride” — CBS Televised Special
Sunday, June 28, 2020, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. PDT
Broadcast on KPIX / KBCW in the Bay Area, livestreamed at kpix.com
This special will feature archival parade footage as well as reflections on the many voices of the annual Pride Parade and the diverse viewpoints of LGBTQ+ communities.
PRIDE 50 HONOREES
Community Grand Marshals (6)
- GLBT Historical Society Executive Director Terry Beswick (Members’ Choice)
- Documentary filmmaker StormMiguel Florez
- Photographer; Founder and Project Director of the Bay Area Lesbian Archives, Lenn Keller (Lifetime Achievement Grand Marshal)
- LGBT Asylum Project (Public Choice, Organization)
- Spahr Center Founder Rev. Dr. Jane Spahr (Public Choice)
- CEO of San Francisco Community Health Center Lance Toma
Awardees (3)
- San Francisco AIDS Foundation Founder Cleve Jones (Gilbert Baker Pride Founder’s Award)
- Author Gabby Rivera (José Julio Sarria History Maker Award)
- San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band Artistic Director of the Marching & Pep Bands Mike Wong (Audrey Joseph LGBTQ Entertainment Award)
SPONSORS OF SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE 2020
Principal Sponsors: Kaiser Permanente, Bud Light
Premiere Sponsors: Genentech, Gilead, KPIX CBS Bay Area, and KBCW 44 Cable 12
Visionary Sponsors: Facebook, Hilton San Francisco Union Square, Parc55 San Francisco
Supporting Sponsors: The Commonwealth Club, the GLBT Historical Society, Smirnoff, T-Mobile, and Xfinity
For a complete list of San Francisco Pride sponsors, visit sfpride.org/sponsor/
ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE
The San Francisco Pride Celebration Committee is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded to produce the San Francisco Pride Celebration and Parade. The mission of the organization is to educate the world on LGBTQ issues, as well as commemorate the heritage, celebrate the culture, and liberate the people of all LGBTQ communities.
A world leader in the Pride movement, San Francisco Pride is also a grant-giving organization through its Community Partners Program. Since 1997, San Francisco Pride has granted over $3 million dollars in proceeds to local nonprofit LGBTQIA organizations and organizations working on issues related to HIV/AIDS, cancer, homelessness, housing rights, and animal welfare.
