As Pride month comes to a close, the Board of Directors of San Francisco Pride shared today that more than 50,000 viewers tuned in for the official Pride 50 online celebration this past weekend, June 27-28, 2020. With concurrent live streams across two virtual stages, Pride 50 offered 26 hours of programming, which captivated viewers locally in the San Francisco Bay Area, and reached viewers around the world based on initial data.
"We are thrilled that our Online Celebration was a success," said Fred Lopez, Executive Director of San Francisco Pride. "Just about two months ago, we were unsure what we would be able to present to our communities to commemorate fifty years of Pride. While this year was not at all what any of us expected, the needs for connection and visibility remained at the forefront of our planning process, and we delivered on hours of original programming. Now, we turn our attention to how we can best present a 2021 Pride that reflects our unique circumstances."
"Pride 50 was truly a weekend dedicated to uplifting marginalized voices. From our virtual Pride content to all of the many opportunities community members took to make their voice heard in the street," said Carolyn Wysinger, San Francisco Pride Board President. "While we knew it was important for us to encourage individuals to be safe, we are happy that everyone was able to choose how they celebrated those voices. I am personally proud of the local Black LGBTQ+ artists that were able to grace our mainstage in ways some hadn't been able to before."
Set in front of a virtual backdrop of San Francisco City Hall, iconic San Francisco drag queens and activists Honey Mahogany, Per Sia,
Sister Roma, and Yves Saint Croissant hosted the weekend-long tribute to LGBTQ+ luminaries and queer solidarity. The event amplified Black voices with headliners
Big Freedia and
Thelma Houston, paid homage to the history of San Francisco Pride, and offered words of inspiration and hope for the future. Viewers were introduced to the Community Grand Marshals and Honorees of 2020, and observed the contributions of former San Francisco Supervisor Harry Britt. Featured programming also included Decades of Drag, where legendary drag icons Heklina, Honey Mahogany, Landa Lakes, Madd Dogg 20/20,
Peaches Christ, and
Sister Roma reflected on decades of activism, struggles, and victories; and a conversation between Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza and San Francisco Pride Board President Carolyn Wysinger. For additional information about Pride 50 entertainers and special guests, visit SFPride.org.
A live stream of community-programmed offerings celebrated the diversity of LGBTQ+ culture in San Francisco and beyond. The Soul of Pride Urban Global Village stage featured, among others, D'Wayne Patrice Wiggins, founding member of Tony! Toni! Toné!, and Yo-Yo, outspoken hip-hop artist, actress, and entrepreneur. The Women's Stage showcased a selection of the Bay Area's best, such as dance-club DJ, radio mixtress, and club promoter Page Hodel, as well as Christie James, Olga T, Alex D, and Rockaway. And the Don Julio Latin Stage - presented by Club Papi, Gay Club TV, and Media Concepts PR - featured performances by the legendary Ana Barbara, Natalia Jimenez, Daniel Reyes, Los Horoscopos De Durango, and more.
The livestreamed program will be uploaded to the online channels of San Francisco Pride by the end of the month, and will be available for viewing into the future.
Earlier on Sunday, June 28 - the 51st anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising that street activist Marsha P. Johnson is credited with starting - crowds maintaining strict social distances gathered next to the African American Art & Culture Complex on Fulton Street in the Western Addition, where "BLACK LIVES MATTER" had been applied to the asphalt in giant yellow type only days before. Emceed by SF Pride's own Carolyn Wysinger, the event brought Pride back to its roots as a movement built by Black, transgender individuals. Several hundred people heard from advocates and community leaders, including Janetta Johnson (executive director of the TGI Justice Project) and Janelle Luster (The Transgender District).
PRIDE 50 HONOREES
Community Grand Marshals
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
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)
