A few men dressed as women also join in the fun. It has made us visible, not only in saying that we are here, but that we are a force and we have power.'Īmong the big events of the day is the Dyke March, in which lesbians in colorful costumes mingle with others in scanty outfits or simply wearing nothing at all. The Pride weekend has been vital to the gay community. Sister Eve Volution said: 'This weekend is so significant because our relationships are finally recognised in law. Dressed in outlandish garb, they are a common sight in the Castro neighbourhood, where they do a lot of community and charity work. Pink Saturday is run entirely by volunteers, and much of it is overseen by a group known as the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. at Market and Beale streets and ends about 1 p.m. It is really bringing all the emotions together.' JAKUB MOSUR / The Chronicle Today's events: The gay pride parade starts at 10:30 a.m. I never believed we would get this far so quickly.
'But it's amazing after 30 years to be where we are now, and I am stillĪlive and kicking. I have watched them die, one by one, as the disease spread through the community. I was here in the 80s, and all my friends from that time are dead now. 'They have no idea what we had to go through to get to here. 'The younger generation take a lot of this for granted,' he said. The 46th Annual San Francisco LGBT Pride Parade takes place on Sunday, June 26, in downtown San Francisco, with the theme For Racial and Economic Justice. Originally from the Netherlands, Jouke Lanning moved to San Franciscoģ0 years ago.
