Latest news with #SFPride
CNBC
24-06-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Meta is absent from SF Pride this year, as tech industry retreats from public support of LGBTQ+
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is staying mum these days when it comes to the LGBTQ+ community. It wasn't always that way. San Francisco Pride Executive Director Suzanne Ford told CNBC she remembers when Zuckerberg personally called the nonprofit to ensure that the company then known as Facebook had a spot at the annual event. As the world's largest LGBTQ+ parade, the SF Pride event has become a symbol representing advocacy and social justice for members of the community. In 2015, SF Pride was prohibiting Facebook from marching at the event because of the company's policies that required people to use their legal names on the social network, Ford said. Members of the LGBTQ+ community were worried that bad actors were exploiting the company's account policy by reporting transgender Facebook users and others who no longer identify by their legal names. After Facebook updated the policy, Zuckerberg called SF Pride's then-executive director George Ridgely to ask him that Facebook be included in the parade, Ford said. The relationship between SF Pride and Meta has since splintered. SF Pride formally cut ties with Meta in March after the company enacted a number of new policies, including a scaling back of internal programs designed to increase hiring of diverse candidates, which CNBC reported in January. Meta also eased content-moderation guidelines as part of its policy changes, which multiple current and former employees told CNBC could instigate more online abuse toward marginalized communities, including members of the LGBTQ+ community. Zuckerberg has also made an effort to curry favor with President Donald Trump, who signed an executive order in January calling for investigations into companies that support diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives. Since the organization's decision to end its relationship with Meta, Ford said that she hasn't heard from Zuckerberg or anybody that SF Pride used to have a relationship with at the company. Meta will not be taking part in this year's SF Pride festival, set to take place this weekend at San Francisco's Civic Center. The annual parade will be held on Sunday, according to the event's website. The theme for 2025 is "Queer Joy is Resistance." "Why was it so important for Mark back then, and why is it so important for Mark now not to be associated with San Francisco Pride?" Ford said. Meta declined to comment. Meta isn't the only company distancing itself from SF Pride. Other major companies like Anheuser-Busch, Comcast, Diageo and Nissan are also no longer sponsoring SF Pride after years of support, CNBC previously reported. Given that SF Pride shares a geographic center with Meta and so much of the tech industry, the lack of support for the LGBTQ+ community after years of public trumpeting cuts especially deep, Ford said. Google-parent Alphabet has also stopped sponsoring SF Pride this year, she Francisco represents both the "home of innovation" for the tech industry and the "home and the birthplace of the LGBTQ community in the United States," said Ford, adding that it's no mistake why so much innovation comes from the region. "Creative and wonderful people want to come to San Francisco — it's not the drinking water — but they come here because you can be yourself here," she said. "You can love who you love, you can be who you are and you don't have to march to any certain drumbeat." Tech companies represent a little over 15% of SF Pride's overall sponsorship funding for the event. The organization's budget is down $180,000 from their target because of a drop of overall corporate sponsors, a spokesperson told CNBC on Wednesday. There are still large tech sponsorships from the likes of Apple, Amazon and Salesforce, but otherwise, there's a palpable silence from the tech industry this year about supporting LGBTQ+ causes, Ford said. For instance, Ford said that in previous years, her time was often spent speaking to tech companies' employee resource groups in the lead-up to SF Pride, but she has yet to receive any invitation of that kind this year. Ford said she also hopes that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who married his partner Oliver Mulherin in 2024, will be more vocal about supporting the LGBTQ+ community and SF Pride. Ford said she briefly met Altman a few months ago to discuss SF Pride, but she has not heard from him since. "One would think that OpenAI here in San Francisco, that they would think that they should be supporting the fabric of the community," said Ford, adding that the lack of support from OpenAI and Altman is "painful because Sam is a member of our community, and he certainly has resources." OpenAI declined to comment. Prominent tech companies like Meta, Amazon and Uber have posted rainbow-coated messages on their websites and social media accounts in years past to show support for Pride Month, which is observed in June, but this year, tech companies' online presence are noticeably less colorful. The threat of a lawsuit coupled with the possibility of a public tongue-lashing by Trump, other politicians and social media has caused many tech leaders and corporate executives to stay quiet on LGBTQ+ issues, said Amy Dufrane, CEO of human resource certification organization HRCI. "Anything that touches the space of DEI, we're seeing companies pull back from that out of fear," she said. Executives who support LGBTQ+ and related DEI issues are doing so under the radar to avoid drawing attention, Dufrane said. For example, a spokesperson for SF Pride said that two tech companies have recently donated to the organization but want to remain anonymous. Ford declined to name the tech companies. "Sometimes people in our community assume there's no good, there's no one at these corporations that cares about us," Ford said. "Sometimes they do, and they don't want the consequences of caring about us." Ford said that the door is still open for Zuckerberg to contact SF Pride, but ultimately, it would be up to the nonprofit's board to decide the next steps. Ford said that Zuckerberg would likely have to make a "commitment to some things that I don't think that he would be willing to do." "We have got to leave space for people to change, we got to leave space like if at Meta there's a leadership change or they come to the realization that this is just bad, the track they're going down is wrong," Ford said. "I want to leave space for them to come and have a discussion with us and to show us that they are in line with our values."
San Francisco Chronicle
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Your guide to Pride 2025: S.F. and Bay Area parades and festivities
Ships might get renamed, but rest assured that San Francisco's giant rainbow flag, waving proudly above the Castro's Harvey Milk Plaza, retains its official landmark status. Stand in solidarity and advocate for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community — as San Francisco Pride's 2025 theme, 'Resistance,' emphasizes the importance of showing up for the right to freedom of expression and love for all. Check out the Chronicle's guide to regional parades and events celebrating the Bay Area's diverse queer community throughout the month of June. San Francisco Pink Triangle Installation June welcomes the monthlong exhibition of Patrick Carney's large-scale outdoor artwork composed of bright pink canvas. There will be volunteer work parties on June 27, 29-30 and July 11 to help remove the highly visible hillside installation and clean-up the site. S.F. installation on view June 7-June 29. Twin Peaks, Christmas Tree Point, viewable around the Castro district, Twin Peaks and adjacent areas in S.F. SF Pride — Tenderloin Museum Kick-Off Party Start San Francisco Pride Week by celebrating queer legacy and joy at a fundraising event set to include live drag performances from Donna Sachet, Shane Zal-Diva, Collette LeGrande and others. The festive party centers around the Tenderloin Museum's current, immersive theater production, 'The Compton's Cafeteria Riot!' Tickets include wine and small bites. Proceeds benefit SFPride and the Tenderloin Museum. 6-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 18. $25. Tenderloin Museum, 398 Eddy St., S.F. 415-351-1912. Castro Night Market: Pride Edition The monthly night market gets an extra boost with Pride month activations including an expanded footprint, a vending marketplace, three stages with live entertainment hosted by Sister Roma and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and official entertainment zone status, allowing visitors to purchase and consume to-go alcoholic beverages while at the event. People's March and Rally: 'Unite to Fight' Activists and community leaders Alex U. Inn and Juanita More have announced details for their sixth annual Pride event. While in past years the event was held on Pride Sunday, this year it will take place one week earlier. It is set to begin with a rally featuring speakers and live entertainment, followed by a march down Polk Street, following the same route as the first Gay Liberation Protest, which occurred in June 1970. The march culminates at Civic Center where there will be a celebration of culture and community with live DJ sets, performers, vending and community group booths. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, June 22. Free. Corner of Washington and Polk Streets, S.F. Bi-BQ Bi+ Pride Potluck Picnic Bring a main dish, salad or beverages to a casual neighborhood potluck at Mission Dolores Park. Look for the bi flags and friendly faces and join a mellow afternoon party in Dolores park. After the picnic, adults can walk over and check out the BiConic Film Festival's screening event scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the Eclectic Box Theater (446 Valencia St.). 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, June 25. Free. Mission Dolores Park, 19th and Dolores streets, S.F. S.F. Pride Human Rights Summit Get fired up for the weekend with a daylong event featuring keynote speakers, breakout sessions with Michelle Meow and others, panel discussions, lectures and presentations, live entertainment and more. 9:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday, June 26. Free, donations encouraged; reservations required. Commonwealth Club, 110 The Embarcadero, S.F. 415-597-6705. Pride NightLife The Cal Academy's weekly adults-only, after-hours event celebrates love, equality, self-expression and San Francisco Pride weekend with performers from the Oaklash Festival, Verasphere, and Jax ('RuPaul's Drag Race'), local organizations and merch vendors, zine-making, food and beverages, cocktails and more. 6-10 p.m. Thursday, June 26. $25; 21 and older. California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Drive, S.F. 415-379-8000. After Dark: 'Pride — Queer Science' Celebrate LGBTQ+ heritage and culture at the hands-on science museum. Enjoy live music from Tory and the Teasers, learn about a historical secret society for queer and trans naturalists, explore the variety of forms family can take, get creative with explainer-led activities, have a drink and more. 6-10 p.m. Thursday, June 26. $22.95; 18 and older. Exploratorium, Pier 15, S.F. 415-528-4444. Women and Non-Binary Friday Morning Bike Ride The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition presents an easy-paced ride through Golden Gate Park to Ocean Beach. Bring a thermos and snack for a short break at the beach before biking back to the lodge. 7:15 a.m. Friday, June 27. Free. Meet at Golden Gate Park, McLaren Lodge, 501 Stanyan St., S.F. 415-431-2453. San Francisco Trans March: 'Living History, Building Futures' Join a celebration and march in support of transgender and gender nonconforming people. A celebration and rally in the park with live entertainment and community groups is scheduled to occur after the march. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday, June 27. Free. Mission Dolores Park, 19th and Dolores streets, S.F. San Francisco 2025 Pride Run San Francisco Front Runners' annual, sponsored Pride run course includes a 5K loop in Golden Gate Park, done twice for the 10K race. Engage with the community while raising money for the 3rd Street Youth Center and Clinic. There will be a pre-race Kids' Dash as well as snacks, entertainment and awards after the run. 8:30-11 a.m. Saturday, June 28. $50 to run, registration required; free to watch. S.F. Pride Parade and Celebration: 'Queer Joy is Resistance' The city's official celebration will include a parade with less corporate and more community and cause-focused contingents, and a weekend-long outdoor festival. The Sunday morning parade, starting at Beale and Market streets, will be kicked off by Dykes on Bikes and followed up by more than 200 parade participant groups. A large festival at the Civic Center will feature live entertainment on a main stage and multiple community-run stages, more than 300 exhibitors and community organization booths, a marketplace, food and drinks vendors and more. Civic Center festival noon-6 p.m. Saturday, June 28; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, June 29. Free-$75, VIP area tickets available. Parade 10:30 a.m. Sunday, June 29. Free-$70, grandstand seating tickets available. Civic Center Plaza, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, S.F. 415-864-0831. Pride in Yerba Buena Celebrate queer artistic expression with LGBTQ+ community during an afternoon picnic with live DJ sets, followed by a variety show featuring drag artists, circus arts and live music. Performers scheduled include host Rahni NothingMore, vibrant drag kings and queens, daring aerialists and others. 1:30-4 p.m. Saturday, June 28. Free. Yerba Buena Gardens Great Lawn, Mission St. between Third and Fourth streets, S.F. 415-543-1718. San Francisco Dyke March This year marks the 33rd anniversary of the Dolores Park event. As a call to action for equality, visibility and respect, lesbians are invited to join the march and/or sign up to volunteer. Allies are warmly welcomed to cheer on the procession from the sidelines and take part in a post-march celebration and rally in Mission Dolores park. 5 p.m. Saturday, June 28. Free. Meet at Dolores and 18th streets, S.F. East Bay Walnut Creek Pride Art Fest Celebrate Pride in community with art-making activities, a local vending marketplace, live entertainment, community organization booths, food and drinks. 6-8 p.m. June 25. Free admission. Shadelands Art Center, 111 N. Wiget Lane, Walnut Creek. 925-295-1490. Friday Night Pride at the Oakland Museum of California The Pride- themed evening event will include live music from King Isis, DJ sets from Ignacia, vogue dance lessons with Jocquese 'Sir JoQ' Whitfield, gallery talks, food trucks and more. 5-9 p.m. Thursday, June 27. Free-$19. Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St., Oakland. 510-318-8400. Oakland Pride Parade and Festival: 'In Unity, We Thrive' Join the 15th anniversary family-friendly Oakland Pride celebration. Dive into East Bay LGBTQ+ culture, identity and enjoy a community space where everyone feels seen, safe and celebrated. The event will include food vendors, live entertainment on multiple stages, more than 200 exhibitors, and a whole lot of pride. The parade is free to attend, but modestly priced tickets are needed to enter the festival grounds. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7. Free-$15. Broadway and Thomas L. Berkley Way at 20th St., Oakland. North Bay Sausalito Pride Jazz and Blues by the Bay LGBTQ+ neighbors and allies are invited to a celebration of diversity, inclusivity, and acceptance featuring live music from Pascal Bokar AfroBlueGrazz Band, Pride giveaways, drinks, food vendors and more. 6:30-8 p.m. Friday, June 20. Free. Gabrielson Park, Anchor St & Humboldt Streets, Sausalito. Pride in the Park Celebrate Pride and inclusiveness at an evening event set to include live music, kids activities, a family dance party, community info booths, local food trucks, wine and beer. 3-6 p.m. Sunday, June 22. Free. Yountville Veterans Memorial Park, 6465 Washington St., Yountville. 707-944-0904. Marin City Pride: Our Celebration Celebrate diversity and positivity at an afternoon event set to include live music, food and family-friendly activities. 2-4 p.m. June 27. $25-$100. Marin City CDC, 441 Drake Ave., Sausalito. 415-339-2837. South Bay Pride Celebration at Filoli With live performances all weekend, the event is set to include Drag Bingo and Storytime, as well as Pride-themed cocktails and food truck vendors. Enjoy a walk in the redwoods and a sound bath with Banyan Tree Women's Collective. Flower crown-making activity available with an additional cost. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, June 14-15. Included with garden admission. Filoli Gardens, 86 Cañada Road, Woodside. 650-364-8300. San Mateo County Pride: Breaking Boundaries, Shaping Futures This year's celebration is set to feature a downtown parade followed by an outdoor festival with live entertainment, a community resource fair, food and wares vending area, a children's area and more. Parade 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 14. Starts at Second and B streets, San Mateo. Festival from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, June 14. Free. San Mateo Central Park, 50 E. Fifth Ave., San Mateo. Half Moon Bay Pride Celebration and Parade Enjoy a noontime parade along the main drag, from Filbert to Mill streets in downtown Half Moon Bay, and a Pride celebration with live entertainment, vendors, food, drinks and a children's fun area. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, June 22. Free. Mac Dutra Square, 500 Main St., Half Moon Bay. 650-726-8380. This late summer Pride parade and celebration has announced that Snow tha Product will be a headline artist set to perform. The organization is still solidifying the lineup for its celebration, scheduled to happen over the last weekend in August.
Axios
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Harper Steele takes center stage at SF Pride
Harper Steele isn't new to Pride parades, but this year's will feel a bit different when she takes on the role of celebrity grand marshal for what she calls "the mother of Pride parades." The big picture: The Los Angeles-based trans comedy writer and producer will anchor San Francisco's celebration of LGBTQ+ resilience amid an uptick in anti-trans incidents across the country. Steele's "visibility and vulnerability are a powerful reminder that queer people can and must be celebrated in every context," SF Pride executive director Suzanne Ford said in a statement on Steele's involvement. State of play: Steele's connection to the Bay Area runs deep. Since first hitch hiking to San Francisco in her 20s, she has often returned to see friends and spend time with record collections at Amoeba and Rasputin. Places like San Francisco are "beacons" for many LGBTQ+ people, she told Axios. "My own journey, much of that was true." Flashback: Steele grew up in Iowa City with "a skewed understanding of what it meant to be trans," as if it was "something psychologically deviant," she said. "I stuck to that for a while." After navigating gender dysphoria for decades, she transitioned at age 59 and started coming out to friends in 2021. "With a lot of trans people, that all-in moment happens three or four times, and then you retreat, advance, retreat," she said. "But at age 59, I didn't like the idea of getting older and not being authentic to myself." Between the lines: Steele became more widely known after " Will & Harper," a 2024 documentary that followed her and longtime friend Will Ferrell on a road trip across America. The film was Ferrell's idea, and it took her a while to agree. "I was thinking about anti-trans bills passing across the country, and then I thought, 'Well, there's some use I can get out of this very popular actor... maybe more people will see this.'" What they're saying:"I do think there's an environment where trans children can grow up in today's world... with less shame and guilt or no shame or guilt, which is the way we should all be allowed to grow," said Steele, who is now working on a memoir. Though she acknowledged it's "very idealistic thinking," she remains "hopeful we can change hearts and minds for those young people."
San Francisco Chronicle
07-06-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
As some seek to make Pride divisive, Giants sustain commitment to LGBT community
Going back to their original 'Until There's a Cure' Day in 1994, the San Francisco Giants have a long history of supporting the local LGBTQ+ community, and their annual Pride game is a staple of the schedule each June. In most years, Saturday's game wouldn't be all that newsworthy; it's just one of many days celebrating different groups that help make up the team's fan base, including numerous ethnic heritage nights, faith days and veterans events. This year, however, in an atmosphere of scrubbed diversity programs and canceled corporate sponsorship for Pride celebrations, the Giants' Pride Day is back and bigger than ever, with the proceedings now encompassing the Mission Rock side of McCovey Cove. From 10-11:45 a.m., the Giants will hold 'Pregame in the Park' at China Basin Park, with music by DJ Livv, drag performances hosted by Bobby Friday and Mercedez Munro, face painting, Story Time with Drag Queens and treats from Castro staple Hot Cookie. At 11:45 p.m., fans can parade together to Oracle Park for the pregame festivities and game. 'We're extending the party out,' said Roscoe Mapps, the Giants' chief diversity and inclusion officer. 'This will allow many more people to attend and opens it up to the neighborhood and more of the community.' San Francisco has been in the crosshairs in recent weeks, from President Donald Trump's suggestions about reopening Alcatraz as a prison, to threats of withdrawing funding to the state because of a transgender athlete competing at the state high school track championships, to plans to remove Harvey Milk's name from a John Lewis-class U.S. Navy ship. SF Pride and the Frameline film festival have lost sponsors and struggled to find new ones. 'Every heritage and culture night is pretty exciting and matters to all of us,' Mapps said. 'That said, I think this year does carry a different kind of gravity — it's very overt that the community is being told that they don't belong and that there are actions that are trying to erase members of the community. 'It's not very subtle. It's certainly not harmless. So we want to make sure that there is no question about Oracle Park, we want to make sure when fans come in cheering the Giants, they feel safe, they feel seen, they feel like it's home, like it's always been since 2000 — so fans can feel like themselves and feel a sense of community that day. It's just a reflection of who we are and our values.' The Giants will give away a Pride Day bucket hat to the first 15,000 fans Saturday, and the players will wear the same Pride hat they did last season; no Giants player ever has refused to wear Pride gear, though last year infielder Nick Ahmed added a bible verse to his hat after briefly considering not wearing it. 'It wasn't anything about judging anyone else for their beliefs or what they do,' Ahmed told the Chronicle, adding that he had just wanted to prompt a conversation about faith. There are no plans for extra security measures Saturday, according to the Giants, and Mapps said the team has not received any pushback about the event, nor have any sponsors dropped out. There have been rumblings that some other pro sports teams might modify or even do away with their Pride events, but to date no MLB teams have announced any changes to Pride games. Every team but the Rangers schedules a Pride Day. This year's Pride month is additionally meaningful for many around baseball. In past years MLB's ambassador for inclusion, Billy Bean, attended as many of the Pride games as possible, but in August, Bean, a former Dodgers outfielder, died of acute myeloid leukemia at the age of 60. 'This year feels a little different,' Mapps said. 'It's our first Pride season, all of us, without him, and few people understood better than Billy how powerful it is to have visibility. He certainly knew the power of people hearing his story and meeting a queer athlete and MLB executive. 'I think the weight is carrying the torch for some of us, making sure that we do it right, and that we continue to make sure that not just LGBTQIA fans feel comfortable, but that LGBTQIA kids feel comfortable playing baseball as well.' Gates will open at 11:05 a.m. for Saturday's game against the Braves and pregame festivities will start at 12:40 p.m., including the addition of the Seattle Mariners' Pride Ball, hand-stitched using rainbow thread to symbolize the way baseball brings communities together, according to the Giants. The ball, used for the first pitch at Safeco Field on Wednesday, is traveling to ballparks across the country throughout Pride Month. In addition, a special Giants' Pride flag will be unfurled in center field. There are Pride food and beverage items as well, including a souvenir Fastball cocktail at the Skyline Bar and Murph's Pub, rainbow popcorn at concessions near Section 103 and 140, and a Pride souvenir soda cup at all concessions with fountain soda. There are also four new Pride merchandise items available at the team store.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Castro business owners see spike in business during Pride Month
(KRON) – While it's always Pride in the San Francisco neighborhood Castro District, the month of June means an increase in people and revenue to the businesses. On an average year, the city of San Francisco welcomes around a million visitors to celebrate Pride, according to SF Pride. Visitors pour money into the local economy, supporting hotels and restaurants. Pride Month starts this weekend. Here's what to expect The spike in tourists makes June the third busiest month of the year for the city, behind December and October. The owner of the Cliff's Variety Store told KRON4 that he sees a 20 to 25% increase in revenue in the month of June. Local businesses are expecting to see a similar boost in sales. By some estimates, Pride brings in around 500 million dollars in revenue for the city. The annual Pride Parade is scheduled for June 29 on Market Street. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
