Gay Pride San Francisco, CA

Gay Pride San Francisco is happening again very soon. For decades now, San Francisco has been a safe haven for homosexuality and was even nicknamed the ‘original gay friendly city’. It is the place for the homosexual community to thrive and reach out and help others.

Celebrating gay pride with style year after year and being the steeple on which all other parades have built, San Francisco is the leader for American pride celebrations. Coming into their 36th year, we would here at ManPlay would like to take some time to look back over the gay rights movement that happened in San Francisco and how it is still thriving here today.

For decades, San Francisco has given the LGBT community a place to go and live free to be who they are. Because knowing where we came from helps us to get where we want to go. San Francisco is a great place for adventure and exploring not just during Gay Pride San Francisco festivities, but all year round. Its picturesque landscapes and views make your time there very special. The homosexual community is large and in charge here and we support them. Gay Pride San Francisco will tickle you with excitement. When it comes to Gay Pride, San Francisco is the largest and most constantly growing community in the United States. Don’t miss out on your chance to visit and make some new friends for life.

Gay Pride San Francisco History

San Francisco has been the leading state in Gay Pride to be so accepting of the Gay Pride US community. 15.4% of American homosexuals happen to live in the city of San Francisco. No other state has that large of a community. It is no surprise that San Francisco is considered the number one rite of passage for all gay and lesbian individuals. But this didn’t just happen. Like every good underdog story, it had to start somewhere. It all began in 1970 with the first ever Gay Pride San Francisco Parade and has been running strong for the last 46 years.

As they enter their 46th year, we want to take a look back at the very first march. The march started on Polk St and walked all the way to Golden Gate Park. It has been one of the major gay friendly and accepting cities in the country. In 1955, it was home to the very first lesbian organization in the United States. It was founded in San Francisco, California by two strong and empowered women named Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon. Gay Pride San Francisco embraces their powerful history and will never back down when it comes to sticking up for the rights of the LGBTQ community. That is one thing we can be positive about.

The beautiful west coast is full of proud supporters and activists and will never stop working towards the common goal of equality. In 1996 a musical called Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens was released and widely received by the community with the power ballad "my brother lives in San Francisco" an emotional stance about about people who lost their lives in aids. Gay Pride San Francisco has been an advocate in AIDs support and medical research. Consider the line from the strong "My brother lives in San Francisco, he said he finally found his place and when I go to San Francisco, everywhere I look, I see his face." These lines stand as a reminder that we need to look back and remember the lives that were lost due to AIDS and keep them in our thoughts because they were a part of our lives. Gay Pride San Francisco and Man Playare showing our support for AIDS research.

The Flag

In 1978, Gilbert Baker was an openly gay artist. While he was living in San Francisco, he created what would now be known as the greatest symbol of freedom, equality and LGBTQ rights for everyone: the Rainbow Flag. Using the emotions that the rainbow colors inspire, he created the flag to portray the emotions the LGBTQ community. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet represent the emotions of sexuality, life, healing, the Sun, nature, art, harmony and the spirit. This was a strong statement in a time when LGBTQ rights were still being debated and worked towards. For the last 38 years this has been a proud symbol and a great accomplishment for the city of San Francisco.

The Parade, Events and Film Festivals of Gay Pride San Francisco

We here at Manplay.com totally understand that during Gay Pride San Francisco, it can be a bit daunting to try to figure out what the best restaurants, shows, parties, nightclubs, etc to go to are. We have decided to offer you what we enjoy doing while we are there. Events are popping up everywhere, bars are open all night and restaurants will be booked up. It has been known for years upon years that San Francisco was the original gay friendly city and with that title comes great excitement. Once a year all night parties, musical stages, drag queens, everything comes together to form a city wide party. According to a recent survey, approximately 1 million people are set to go and partake in the 2016 Gay Pride San Francisco weekend events. As well, almost 100,000 people are set to march in the parade among there fellow LGBT advocates and all the beautiful floats that will be accompanying them.

On June 25th and 26th 2016 in historic Civic Center downtown San Francisco, the party will begin. You might remember this place has the location Harvey Milk stood on and told the crowds that the homosexual community should be treated equal. He stood up for our rights almost 30 years ago. He would be proud to know how accepting this glorious state has become over the years. With 300 exhibitors, 200 parade floats, and more than 20 stages, this year it is going to be the hottest event of the season. There is no way you can miss this. It will be one for the books.

Film Festivals

Every year, the San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival hosts their number one festival Frameline. This year it runs June 16-26 and is looking to be a packed event from start to finish. Ten days of truly inspirational cinematic pieces by new and established film makers. It was started in 1977 and has become the longest running and most widely recognized gay film festival in the country. With over 60 thousand film goers each year attending the festival, it shows that the film community is strong. It is a well attended event each and every year. In fact, it is the most widely attended film festival among the LGBT arts in the Bay Area.

The Frameline Building is the host to countless year around exhibits about socially relevant, diverse selections of cinematic presentations. Members get the privilege of getting private advanced screenings of certain films and are able to go to special events such as Q and As with directors, actors, and other queer media personalities. It’s one of the best and well known cultural representations of the gay community. Show your support and give them a hand. Volunteer and take advanced of being able to sit in on certain features. Much like last year, this parade’s theme is once again For Racial and Economic Justice, creating a better world for everyone no matter what their sexual orientation might be.

Gay Pride San Francisco Parade

The Gay Pride San Francisco Parade would like to recognize their green initiative. They have graciously provided the public with many marked disposal cans for composting, trash and recycling. They even use 100% compostable beverage cups that are made from natural derivatives. Like every year, their goal for Gay Pride San Francisco is to always be reducing their ecological footprint. So, we ask that you will respect their initiative and find yourself the proper way to dispose of your drinks, bottles, etc. Let us keep our earth clean. It is stated that The San Francisco Pride Parade is one of the few last remaining pride events that is considered a rite of passage for any gay or lesbian individual. The absolutely number one reason to go to Gay Pride San Francisco Pride Parade 2016 is the parade! The longest, most exciting and most visually stimulating parade you will ever see.

The lovely LGBT community outdoes themselves again and again. The same can be said for what it will look like this year. With major sponsors such as Apple, Coca Cola, Bud Light, Facebook, etc among plenty more, it is sure to be the LGBT event of the season. This year, the parade will be at 10:30am, Sunday, June 26th. It will begin at Market and Beale and will go as far as Market and 8th St. It is set to be a fantastic way to end the weekend of so many exciting and thrilling events.

How you can get involved with Gay Pride San Francisco

Getting involved with the community can be as easy as volunteering for the parade during Gay Pride San Francisco Pride Week. However, with many charities and foundations and groups to get involved with, it is hard to choose what could be right for you. Listed below are the top three organizations from history, to community, to foundations. Each place has its own unique perspective on how you can help out and get involved with your San Francisco Gay Pride community.

The San Francisco LGBT Community Center

The San Francisco LGBT Community Center is great place to get a job and learn more about local events and groups within the community. It was founded in 1993 and offers some of the number one programs in the city for things like HIV prevention services, and drug & alcohol counseling for those in need. It also offers help for those looking for a job or searching for a reasonably priced apartment. It is fully geared towards the homosexual community.

The GLBT History Museum

The GLBT History Museum is the perfect place to volunteer and learn about American Gay Pride. It features pieces from the archives of the San Francisco’s GLBT Historical Society. Everything from photographs to objects to documents, this museum commemorates over 100 years of Gay Pride San Francisco. This alone makes it a hot spot for those gay community enthusiasts, but there is more. They also have film screenings and discussion panels and get gay authors to come out and speak to the community. Donating your time to this worthwhile building will better yourself with knowledge and experience like none other.

The San Francisco AIDS Foundation

The San Francisco AIDS Foundation is one of many AIDS foundations that collects money for research on curing AIDS, a unfortunate common disease within the gay community. Volunteering here would be a noble effort as you would be helping to assist in aiding the lives of those hoping to cure AIDS. As well, they provide a needle exchange for those who need it. The experience you would get here would rival what you would be able to find anywhere else.There are tons of place to work and volunteer in. It is just a matter of being determined and ready for a chance to help yourself in your community. Stop waiting and get involved today. You’ll never work with a nicer group of people, and we guarantee that you will never stop learning. You have all the time in the world to volunteer. Why not start here?

Enjoy Gay Pride San Francisco This Year

Manplay.com is very excited to be able to help you have the best time possible at the 2016 Gay Pride San Francisco. Whether you’re gay, straight, lesbian or transgender, our goal is to help you find whatever it is you’re looking for both in San Francisco and online here.

Gay pride is a wonderful thing, and we want to make sure you have someone special to spend it with. Manplay.com is your leading source to finding men in your area. Celebrate gay pride with someone special. We will help you find that special someone you’ve been searching for. Look no further. We are very proud to be a supporter of Gay Pride San Francisco, the first and the best Gay Pride festival.

We here at ManPlay hope that this article aided with helping you learn more about Gay Pride San Francisco and how to have the best time possible with new friends. Maybe even find that someone special. Who knows? All that matters is that you have the time of your life. Never stop being proud of how far you have come as a community and never doubt how far you will go. The homosexual community in both San Francisco and all over the United States is an ever growing beacon, paving the way for young homosexuals of the future.