Some folks have launched a crowd-funding campaign, the proceeds of which they are pledging to the Orlando Pulse victims' fund and the SF LGBT Center, and it's all a benefit centered around The Pride Slide, a giant rainbow Slip-n-Slide they're planning to install in some part of Dolores Park on the usually very crowded day of the pre-Dyke March rally — which will be starting at 11:30 a.m. and going until the start of the march at 6 p.m., Saturday, June 25.

The Pride Slide, which 2300 people are already "interested" in on Facebook, is being organized in part by Christian Crynes, who tells SFist that the team has already discussed their idea with Dyke March organizers, and "this event will be purely additive to the festivities." But did they mention anything to Rec & Parks?

Given the massive and hard-to-control number of people likely to show up in the park that day — bolstered by the lesbian and queer community of the greater Bay Area who will be skewing the demographics of Hipster Hill — I could see this effort going one of two ways:

1) It turns out to be hot and sunny enough that people are packed in the park, and the sheer volume of other issues that police and park rangers have to deal with will mean that quite a few dozen people will be able to get wet and slide down a rainbow hill and it will be well Instagrammed.

2) The crowd of dykes in the park doesn't take so kindly to this side activity, given that they are there to march and be amongst their own, and Rec & Parks quickly descends and shuts this thing down in 5 minutes, especially if they're on the new grass.

And in a slight bit of sidebar irony, one of the organizers works at Dropbox — and those Dropbox guys were all about getting a permit from Rec & Parks and enforcing it at that soccer field two years ago, you may recall.

Anyhow, give to the fund for a good cause, and don't get your hopes too high that everyone will get a chance at slipping and sliding.

Update: Guess what! The Number Two inevitability above has already come to pass, and Dyke March has issued the following statement.


As the Dyke March, we have several concerns about the Pride Slide event primarily using this LGBT event to profit with no knowledge of the significance of this particular day; and men taking up space in the park when it is suppose to be Dyke March women's space, also not including the QPOC community in conversations about how to be an ally.

To mis-represent Dyke March and for this event to continue on is a clear demonstration that the organizers are not being allies nor do they have a genuine interest in supporting the queer community in San Francisco.

Dyke March is a group of 30 organizers who have worked for nearly a year to plan our event. We pull permits for the park, we pay for clean up, and insurance for the park. It is disrespectful that this event would be hosted in the park on a day that is for dykes BY dykes.

If you are a member of the LGBTQ community, we ask that you stand in solidarity with us and do not support this event.

We are asking the Pride Slide organizers to be an ally to Dyke March, which means not imposing on our space.

Support his cause directly by donating to the Orlando Victim Fund here, and the SF LGBT Center here.

Update 2: Organizers of the Pride Slide now say they will be moving the event to a different location.

Previously: SFPD Vows Increased Police Presence In Castro For Pride Month Following Orlando Shooting
When, Exactly, Did Pride Become A Party For Straight Teens?