San Francisco Pride Grand Marshals leading the way by celebrating diversity
SAN FRANCISCO — It was a special day Wednesday at the San Francisco LGBT Center as everyone geared up for Pride weekend.
With numerous events happening, what makes it extra special is people celebrating people. This weekend sends a clear message that San Francisco will continue to defend and protect the rights of the LGBTQ community.
This year's SF Pride Grand Marshals are leading the charge in celebrating diversity and inclusion. One of these inspiring figures is Per Sia, a proud trans woman and renowned drag artist who also serves as a teacher at the Children's After School Arts Program. Per Sia uses her platform to advocate for representation through activities like Drag Story Hour.
"People that look like me or identify like me are very rarely given the opportunity to be celebrated, and especially in the education field, so I feel really honored and privileged to be standing here," Per Sia told KPIX.
She said it's important to create inclusive spaces.
"Our program is so special because it gives space to kids, regardless of how they identify, and their families, but it also gives teachers the same space to be themselves," Per Sia said.
Rebecca Rolfe, the director of the SF LGBT Center, shares the honor of being a Grand Marshal. Rolfe, who has been marching since 2003, believes this year's Pride is particularly significant.
"We think about the incredible queer community that we have here in San Francisco, what we bring to the community — the life, the vibrancy, the fabulousness. And it's an important time to celebrate each other and to really recommit ourselves to what Pride is in the first place, which is how do we continue to come together to resist our common challenges, and there are many," Rolfe said. "We're talking about over 500 pieces of legislation targeting the queer community across the country this year, so there's a lot of work to do, but we also need to celebrate."
Robyn Adams, another key figure behind this celebration, has been pivotal in supporting SF Pride through communication and social media.
"We just have so much going on. We've got great entertainment on the main stage this year. We're really excited about Billy Porter, who's been very generous to us. Adore Delano is gonna be there, and Darcy Drollinger will be hosting the main stage, and we're so proud because Darcy has done so much for San Francisco," Adams said.
For those planning their Pride weekend, keep in mind that the area around Civic Center will be a hub of activity with different stages playing all kinds of music beginning Saturday morning. It'll be a weekend filled with joy, unity, and celebration awaits, and Per Sia is ready to lead the way.
Weekend festivities will peak with the SF Pride Parade on Sunday. The procession starts at 10:30 a.m. at Market and Beale streets, proceeding down Market Street, and concluding at Market and 8th streets, where the main celebration will take place.
The area between City Hall and the Civic Center BART station will host many of the larger dance parties on both Saturday and Sunday, featuring a variety of performances including hip hop, Asian and Pacific Islander stages on Saturday, and Trans Futures and Latin music stages on Sunday.
Bay Area residents are invited to join in celebrating this year's Pride with remarkable leaders and an extraordinary lineup of events that highlight the strength, unity, and vibrancy of the LGBTQ community.
