Lesbian and Gay Pride:
San Francisco, 1987
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The second largest parade in the world, the San Francisco Gay
Freedom Day Parade infuses participants and spectators with
a sense of pride rarely evident elsewhere.
the parade and were, incidentally, not
cheered much at all. There was a marching
band, a gay chorus group, a gay swimming
ach year we celebrate our pride as
team, gay teachers, gay librarians, gay-
gay men and lesbians and march
through city streets across the country. people of color, gay Asians and several
men dressed like nuns.
This year, I was fortunate enough to not
The juxtaposition of certain groups of
only march in Portland's parade, but to
fered an insight into the sense of humor of
also see San Francisco’s parade and rally.
the
organizers. The gay Catholics were
1 have always been fond of San Fran
directly followed by the Gay Atheists and
cisco with its rolling hills and bay
the largest contingent of all, a group called
windows. The people there have always
Living Sober, was followed by a bar float
been friendly and carry a sense of pride
topped with disco queens dancing to loud
from being a part of such a large,
and funky tunes.
diverse community.
The last float in the parade was a bar
The size of San Francisco's gay and
float,
from a bar called I Beam, playing
lesbian community becomes quite apparent
very loud disco music and the crowd of
during the parade. Hundreds of thousands
spectators fell in behind it and marched to
of people cheer the marchers on. The
the rally at the plaza in front of City Hall.
streets are lined with people and the parade
Although the San Francisco parade was
itself lasts for three hours. One native in
well organized (too well organized accord-
formed me that the parade is the second
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Just Out S August. 1987
largest in the world. After seeing it, I
believe him.
The parade has traditionally begun with
Dykes on Bikes rolling by for the first half
hour.
This year Dykes on Bikes was followed
by a multitude of AIDS organizations, not
only from San Francisco but also from
outlying cities. Some groups handed out
flyers to the crowd, others tossed small
boxes of condoms to the spectators. Other
groups had volunteers working the crowd
with donation cans. More enterprising
groups had 20-30 people carrying vast
rectangles of fabric into which money
could be tossed. The rectangle would stop
occasionally and silver would fly through
the air.
After the AIDS groups came drag
queens in convertibles, hunky cowboys
boot scootin' down the street, a truckload
of leathermen from the Eagle ( all with
pectorals to die for). There were body
builders and Radical Fairies, a man on
stilts, a huge papier n >;hC monster a
group of hookers, a colorful float prepared
by a group called “ Artists in Search of an
Award.” The man-boy love association
called NAMBLA had a small contingent in
ing to one native, who missed a certain
spontaneity of bygone days), bigger and
splashier and definitely more diverse, it
lacked the sense of defiance and bravery
that lies in Portland’s parade. For gay and
lesbian San Franciscans, who have become
a very impressive political body, the gay/
lesbian pride celebration has a certain
complacency about it that those of us who
live in smaller communities cannot afford
to have. For instance, because we are a
smaller town, marching in a parade and
defining your identity to the world requires
more courage than to do the same thing
with hundreds of thousands of other people
like yourself. It is just not as risky to be in
the San Francisco parade as it is here where
you could well be recognized by your co
workers or business associates who might
be shopping downtown when the parade
passes by.
Portland’s community must be applaud
ed for its bravery. We must also encourge
our friends to find their sense of pride so
that even more people will participate in
the parades that are to come. Someday we,
too. shall make an awesome sight as we
take over the streets and are counted.
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