San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed today joined elected and City officials and community members to raise the Pride flag at City Hall in honor of San Francisco’s 52nd annual Pride Month celebration. Mayor Breed raised the Pride flag on the Mayor’s Balcony with Senator Scott Wiener, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, Supervisor Matt Dorsey, Fire Chief Jeanine Nicholson, Trans Historian and SF Pride Grand Marshall Andrea Horne, SF Pride Interim Executive Director Suzanne Ford, SF Pride Board President Carolyn Wysinger, and other community leaders.

“Here in San Francisco, we embrace our diverse communities to ensure that everyone can live freely as who they are,” said Mayor Breed. “While other states attack the rights of LGBTQ individuals, here in San Francisco, we fly the Pride Flag proudly to celebrate the history and honor the accomplishments of this community. Today reflects and the entire month of June reflects the strength of the LGBTQ community and our city’s commitment to LGBTQ rights and equality.”

Following two years of virtual programming due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year marks the return of in-person Pride events citywide. Community members are encouraged to celebrate LGBTQ history and the community through a series of citywide events.

“The LGBTQ flag raising at City Hall is always a banner moment kicking off Pride Month in San Francisco,” said Senator Scott Wiener. Particularly now — with so many vicious political attacks against LGBTQ youth around the country — San Francisco must be a beacon of hope for our community. The rainbow flag represents the hope, safety, and joy that San Francisco has come to mean for the LGBTQ community.”

“At a time when queer people are threatened in communities across this country and across the world, I am grateful to live in a city that invests in our LGBTQ+ people. With the Mayor’s recent announcement of significant new investments to support San Francisco’s Getting To Zero efforts and an unprecedented commitment to ending trans homelessness by 2027, our local queer community has much to celebrate this Pride,” said Supervisor Rafael Mandelman.

“LGBTQI+ and TGNC communities have been central to San Francisco’s culture of self-expression and queer activism,” said Supervisor Matt Dorsey. “This Pride Month, I’m especially grateful to generations of pioneers who fought for our community to live authentically and proudly. I look forward to continuing the hard work ahead with Mayor Breed, fellow Supervisors, and the community to further advance this City as a beacon of hope for all LGBTQI+ members.”

The City of San Francisco celebrates Pride month by recognizing the strength and resilience of its LGBTQ leaders and by making real investments in the community. Yesterday, Mayor Breed announced her proposed citywide budget that includes several new critical LGBTQ community investments, including:

• Increased funding to support the City’s goal of getting to zero new HIV infections, HIV related deaths, and eliminating stigma by ensuring that all San Franciscans have equitable access to high-quality prevention, care, and treatment service. 
• Commitment to end trans homelessness by 2027 through investments in long-term housing and rent subsidies, a new permanent supportive housing site for transgender and gender nonconforming and LGBQ+ youth, and behavioral health services. 
• Creation of a new Drag Laureate program, providing drag performers with additional platforms and significant financial support. 
• $900,000 in funding to support staffing and programming to provide mental health treatment to LGBTQ+ individuals to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including developing a centralized system for connecting LGBTQ+ older adults to mental health providers. 

“As trans and LGBQ people, we have come a long way since the birth of our movement. Pride month is a time of commemorating and remembering the events that allowed us be where we are today,” said Pau Crego, Executive Director, Office of Transgender Initiatives. “Although there has been a significant increase in positive and powerful representations of LGBTQ people in recent years, we must recognize that LGBTQ people—especially those in our community who are LGBTQ people of color, immigrants, youth, elders, and people with disabilities- are still being attacked by laws and daily oppression. This Pride month, let us celebrate the progress we have made and also remind ourselves of what we are capable of when we work together. Let us continue to look towards the important work that lies ahead in order to achieve true equity and justice for our communities.”

“Pride is about how we as LGBTQ people got together decades ago to save our own lives. It began as a movement to free ourselves from discrimination, violence, and exclusion. And we all stand on the shoulders of those brave souls who spoke up and out,” said Fire Chief Jeanine Nicholson. “Today it is about inclusion, and the dignity to be who and how we are in the world without fear. We are stronger together. In 1991, Pride was where I was recruited by an LGBTQ member of the San Francisco Fire Department, and now I am so proud to be the Chief of that same department.”

“San Francisco is excited to return to market Street and Civic Center Plaza for the first time since  2019. We’d like to celebrate the resiliency of the queer community in San Francisco,” said Suzanne Ford, Interim Executive Director of SF Pride. “This year we need everybody to pull together. This is the year to ask what can you do for San Francisco Pride. We need everyone to come together to have the celebration this City deserves.”

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