Results tagged “gaypride”

San Francisco Gay Pride Grand Marshal Lt. Dan Choi, the Army National Guard officer translator and West Point alum who came out as queer "to protest the military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy," could become the first New York National Guard member discharged for breaking the military's inane and bizarre policy on homosexuals. Or, as the military defines it, ousted "for 'moral and professional dereliction.'" A hearing today in Syracuse, NY at the headquarters of the 27th Brigade Combat Teamwill decide whether or not to rid the service of his esteemed and education, albeit gay, presence. According to AP, "Choi served as one of the grand marshals of last Sunday's LGBT Pride Parade in San Francisco, marching with a group called Knights Out, which supports gay military members."

                            

Here are our NSFW batch of images taken at this past weekend's 39th San Francisco Pride. Thousands came in from all over the world to march, party, and prance about. Best of all, we captured it for you. We've got spanking, leather, flesh, same-sex kissing and Pride Grand Marshall Cloris Leachman. Check them out. If you dare.

The iconic Pink Triangle on Twin Peaks was set on fire by possible vandals at around 5 a.m. this morning, damaging a 25-by-30 foot area. The fire was extinguished thirty minutes later. Arson investigators are still trying to determine the cause. Mark Leno told CBS5 (video) that this isn't the first time it's happened, and that it will be repaired in time for next year's pride weekend. As Leno explained, the Pink Triangle is highly visible and vulnerable. In CBS5's video report about the incident, a resident mentions that there are lots of rare plants on Twin Peaks that were likely damaged. On a side note, some of NBC Bay Area's commenters are ignoramuses.

                                

Here are some images of today's San Francisco Pride festivities. Wee!

Too old, young, married with children, in the closet, cracked out, hungover or far away to watch this morning's Gay Pride Parade? Relax. You can watch it within the warm, glowing, comforting glow of your computer screen. Check out the parade live at 10 a.m. this morning over SFPrideLive.com, hosted by alleged celebrities Jai Rodriguez, Michelle Meow and Sebastian Kunz.. (An aside:? Where the fuck are Jan Wahl and Donna Sachet? It's not a LGBTTQGLGQ Pride parade without Jan and the Castro district's tranny of note. This is bullshit.) You can also watch it live on Comcast channel 99 starting at 10:30 a.m. Who knows? Coverage might just border on 'almost interesting.' Oh, and also be sure to send SFist your Pride pics. If you want to, that is You can do by by electronically mailing them to editor@sfist.com, or simply tag them with 'sfist' IN Flickr. Have fun, kids.

                

In Dolores Park on Friday, the annual Trans March kicked off Gay Pride weekend. And, according to reports, "people were openly popping hormone therapies right out there in the street." Good gravy. Anyway, loads of other trannies, FTMs, MTFs, friends, gawkers, lovers and family members showed up to Pride weekend's most underrated yet entertaining event. (Alas, there was no sign of Chaz Bono.)

We know that some of you plan to boycott this year's Pride because it's not angry enough, or whatever. We know that some of you will get blotto by noon today, not ready to come down until Tuesday. We know that some of you will visit San Francisco for the first time this weekend. We know that some of you will finally decide to have your very first same-sex sex experience. We know that some of you couldn't care less.

Tomorrow morning is the annual Pink Triangle Ceremony on Twin Peaks. The Pink Triangle, which can be seen from miles away, commemorates the gay victims of the Holocaust and is a reminder of the on-going inhumanity to repressed minorities going on now around the world.

Yes, everyone: The LGBT Pride Fest and Parade in San Francisco is the largest and best attended thing of its kind in the U.S. (and for those who've seen the fests in NY and LA this shouldn't be a surprise). This year, in the wake of Prop 8 and the Don't Ask Don't Tell bullshit, the parade on Sunday will come with a renewed sense of urgency and protest. But of course, for most lesbians and gays about town, this weekend is primarily about partying. So without further ado, here's a guide to all that's going down, in a gay way, this weekend. (Special thanks to The Sword - NSFW)

The Appeal has a searing new feature called "What's Bothering Michael Petrelis Now?," filling readers in on what's pissing off San Francisco's most important always-present/entertaining queer activist. This time around, Petrelis had a bone to pick with the 2009 Homosexual Pride Guide, which, we hear, is heavy on the Anglo-Saxon love.

Under the misguided belief that gays are capable of digestion during Gay Pride weekend, came up with a handy guide to the top five food/drink items for next week's queer festivities. In order of gayness, they are as follows: #5, Sexy Boy sandwich ("thinly sliced ribeye steak and mozzarella sticks") at Ike's Place, 3506 - 16th Street; #4, Lesbionic maki ("white tuna rolled in tempura rice noodle over spinach") at Crazy Sushi, 3232 - 16th Street; #3, Bloody Maria Montez (tequila, chipotle and vodka) at Harvey's, 500 Castro; #2, The Tranny Chaser ("champagne and white peach puree" -- mmm) at QBar, 456 Castro; and #1... well, you'll have to check out the original post to see what gets the top spot. (Har.)

Although his colleagues couldn't find him, Mayor Gavin Newsom was spotted in WeHo on Sunday, kicking it at LA's Gay Pride.

The Sword recently did this interview with SF drag queen Juanita MORE!, who's been DJing and hosting at parties (like Booty Call Wednesdays at Qbar in the Castro, Shits & Giggles in L.A., and Susanne Bartsch's Vandam in NYC) more than she's been performing as of late. Juanita talks about her first performance in San Francisco at Lily's (where Martuni's is now), about how she got her drag name, and about her drag idol, Divine.

Good news for the gays: Negotiations between the police and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence moved forward last week and after agreeing to a reduction in the number of beer concessions (from 8 to 5), the two parties came to an agreement about Pink Saturday in the Castro. This follows on our earlier report about cops not wanting to agree to beer concessions at all outside of beer gardens, and the Sisters threatening to back out of the event altogether. Pink Saturday, for those who don't know, is the annual drunken block party that happens the Saturday night before Gay Pride on Castro Street, following the Dyke March. This will be the first year it features actual beer concessions, as well as DJs, a "Dyke Landing" and "Fairy Freedom Village," and a performance stage sponsored by 92.7.

June -- also known as the time of year when queer movies litter KQED and theater screens; lesbians come out of hiding, sporting oversized t-shirts and flip flops in an effort to remind us that they're still here; and gay men get their dealers lined up in a row for the big day -- could officially become Gay Pride Month in Contra Costa County. According to NBC Bay Area, "history could be made this morning at the Contra Costa Bounty Board of Supervisors meeting as they consider branding June as Pride Month" via some sort of resolution. CoCo County, it seems, has the 10th largest queer population in the state of California. Hence the resolution. So, yeah, there you go. In SF Pride news, the gays need volunteers to help erect the giant pink triangle in the Castro. You will most likely get a free doughnut if you help out. Probably. For more information of volunteering, visit www.thepinktriangle.com.

       

Pictures of the Sonoma County Pride fest in Guerneville, May 31st, 2009. By Joey DeRuy

Much like the aforementioned heterosexual pride parade of Bay2Breakers, and the dirtier street fair known as Dore Alley, this year's Gay Pride Eve celebration in the Castro is facing some possible restriction from the SFPD, and may face cancellation altogether. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the organizers of Pink Saturday for the last decade or so, have been trying to negotiate with police and the city in order to expand the footprint of the festivities down Market Street and to add beer concessions and more live entertainment -- making it more of a nighttime version of Castro Street Fair. Bar owners, who know there'll be tons of people in the neighborhood, have no objection and welcome the Sisters efforts to corral the situation.

In an effort to sweet talk SoCal during his run for Governor, Mayor Gavin Newsom will be the Grand Marshall at the Long Beach Queer Pride Parade. Whether you like it or not. While the mayor isn't an actual homosexual, he did spearhead efforts to legalize gay marriage in 2003. The SoCal pride prance will take place on May 17, running along Ocean Boulevard. In somewhat related news, Newsom will also have one of his signature town hall meetings in Santa Monica next Tuesday.

                         

KRON 4's two bestest fag-hags (Catherine Heenan, Jan Wahl) and Donna Sachet inexplicably managed to do a decent job covering this year's LGBT Pride Parade. (Bonus points go to field reporter Henry Tenenbaum who didn't know how to pronounce Kamala Harris' name, must to her disgust.) But, of course, their coverage focused on blindly happy, newly married queer couples and their doomed -- doomed, we say! -- children. Gross.

(Image at right goes out to all of the female-loving ladies and real men out there. You're welcome.)

Aside from Juanita More's party at Bambuddha Lounge, the Frameline Film Fest, KRON4 fag hag Jan Wahl's coverage of the parade, the meth cloud that will hover above Beck's Motor Lodge, and the bittersweet tang of buried shame rising to the surface, we can't say we're looking forward to this month's melee. We're just that cool. Or bitter. Or both.

You know you've made it in San Francisco as a marginalized group when you start getting in fights with other marginalized groups -- so a local bisexual advocacy/social group is under fire for their policies excluding certain transgender persons.

Timed to hit Gay Pride Month, it's San Francisco's favorite GLBT film fest Frameline!

We'll admit to a bias (yes, only one, ha ha) and say that Dykes on Bikes is always our favorite part of the San Francisco Gay Pride parade. We can't help it, but there's something about them that gives us goosebumps and makes us a little teary (and we're neither a dyke nor a cyclist, so that ain't it). We love those dykes and their bikes, and are annoyed by the continued refusal of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to allow Vic Germany, Dykes on Bikes president, to register "Dykes on Bikes" as a federal trademark.