The San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Celebration, usually known as San Francisco Pride, is a parade and festival held at the end of June each year in San Francisco to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and their allies. The Mission of the San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Pride Celebration Committee is to educate the world, commemorate our heritage, celebrate our culture, and liberate our people. The 40th anniversary parade in 2011 included over 200 parade contingents, and is described on the official website as “the largest gathering of LGBT people and allies in the nation.”
2012 Event Theme: Global Equality
The event theme for the 42nd annual San Francisco Pride Celebration & Parade was selected by Pride’s Membership at our Annual General Meeting on September 10, 2011.
SF Pride Celebration
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Noon to 6:00 p.m. in SF’s Civic Center
Sunday, June 24, 2012
11:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in SF’s Civic Center
San Francisco Pride has been said to be “one of the last remaining pride events that can truly be called a rite of passage.”
The SF Pride Celebration will be held over the weekend of June 23 and 24, 2012, in downtown San Francisco in Civic Center at the foot of San Francisco’s historic City Hall where Harvey Milk once stood and addressed Pride-goers more tha thirty years ago.
With over 200 parade contingents, 300 exhibitors, and more than 20 stages and venues, the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration and Parade is the largest LGBT gathering in the nation.
The Celebration at Civic Center is host to our Main Stage which has been host to incredible acts like Lady Gaga, the Backstreet Boys, Asian pop sensation BoA, Solange Knowles, the Cliks, Margaret Cho, Kat DeLuna, Inaya Day, Crystal Waters, and Big Freedia, among others.
SF Pride Parade
Sunday, June 24th, 2012
The Parade kicks off at 10:30 am on Sunday, June 24 at Market & Beale and ends at Market & 8th Street in downtown San Francisco [MAP]
What is a Parade Contingent?
Art meets politics in a fleet of floats, vehicles, and marchers along Market Street.
A Parade contingent is fundamentally about representing a cause, message, or belief in front of a diverse audience of Parade-goers. Parade contingents generally organize their contingent’s look around some central theme: celebrating self, celebrating diversity, standing against LGBT discrimination, speaking out for one’s ideals, honoring LGBT history, recognizing friends and allies, or standing for a loved one lost. The possibilities are many.
What is a Multiple Group Contingent?
A “Multiple Group Contingent” consists of related and affiliated organizations with different addressees marching together with a common theme. You are considered a multiple group, for example, if your contingent is, “Queers for XYZ,” and you have ten different chapters marching with you.
By Iuha Park (EC Student Ambassador)