San Francisco Pride 2025 Organized A Historic Effort To Protect And Celebrate Generations Of Black LGBTQ+ People

The liberal city of San Francisco or what is sometimes referred to as the “gay” capital of America is a shining beacon for the experimental arts, subcultures, and the LGBTQ+ community who have thrived here since the 1960s. At the forefront of San Francisco Pride 2025, the pureness of joy energetically permeated throughout the 250,000 attendees who came to one of the biggest queer celebrations in the country. The 55th annual Pride parade took place on the morning of Sunday June 29th,with 50 uniquely-designed floats guiding all different types of queer life down Market Street that intersects all of San Francisco. From Embarcadero to Civic Center Plaza, colorful ensembles, raining confetti, and cheerful paraders arrived to make their presence felt and their existence commemorated. On the Friday before Pride weekend kick-off, a pro-Trans march was underway to resist the recent attacks under the Trump administration.

San Francisco Pride has been growing tremendously year-to-year, with more enterprises and financial institutions supporting the efforts of the LGBTQ+ community that has influenced the individualistic culture of the city. With multi-day music festivals, open-air markets, and locals flooding the rainbow streets of the Castro district, San Francisco evolved into a protective sanctuary where queers danced all-night-long and connected with the fact that feeling joy, during these times, is more important than ever. SF has pridefully triumphed as a city that changes the course of history for queer folks in this country by setting a tone that LGBTQ+ communities are integral to the DNA of what makes San Francisco a beloved destination. Dating back to the Compton Cafeteria Riots of 1966, trans groups are a integral community of San Francisco life and the act of sheltering them from becoming larger targets has become even more dire.

A Club Called Rhonda, the SoSF festival, Civic Center Plaza, Mission Dolores Park, Pink Block Party, and the Castro were all LGBTQ+ Pride destinations to be at if you could make your way through the foot and car traffic. Brands hosted pop-up events with famed local DJs and spontaneous drag shows continued to spawn across the Bay Area during Pride weekend (June 27 to June 29) which halted the movement of many popular avenues. There was a major focus on honoring subcultures and offbeat scenes to highlight the diverse spectrum of the LGBTQ+ community; Black lesbians, trans folks, nonbinary people, and queer POC unite to band together against external forces that attempt to dim their vibrance.

A Club Called Rhonda

At the Great Northern in the industrial outskirts of the city, the longtime party organizer, Gregory Alexander of A Club Called Rhonda hosted an all-day escape of liberation and togetherness for POCs. Purple Disco Machine headlined the festival that started at 12 p.m. and went til dawn. The atmosphere transformed from a boisterous block party to a Cirque du Soleil extravaganza once night fell. Packed to the brim, the Great Northern’s interior housed a scene of community and dance as multiple generations of queerness unified to bring the greater SF community together. Neons, glitter, and sweat crashed into each other to create an atmosphere full of wonder and acceptance at the late-night soiree.

SoSF Festival

The first ever installment of SoSF took over the pier across from the Midway. The artists on the docket featured Tinashe and Kehlani (who was later removed from the lineup). Kim Petras and Horsegiirl came through with high-energy performances and BPM-pumped tracks. Bi-sexaul artist, Tinashe dazzled in a sparkling jumpsuit, playing songs from all her LPs including BB/ANG3L and Quantum Baby. The daytime and after-party festival converted the entire block into a space for queer musicians to connect with their most loyal fanbases. The festival donated some of their proceeds to the educational LYRIC center of San Francisco to protect and uplift local LGBTQ+ youth with more resources.

SFPride’s Civic Center Plaza Weekend-Long Escape

The official organization behind San Francisco’s queer holiday weekend, SFPride hosted a special moment where major Black queer musicians popped out to carry the movement. Saucy Santana, Michaela Jaé, TS Madison, and more shared the main stage to set the Civic Center Plaza on fire. Enriched with the hallucinogenic rhythms of vogue, house, and raunchy rap, Bay Area natives and visitors of Pride were on all fours, making the concrete and gravel their temporary dance floor. The two-day carnival featured LGBTQ+ vendors, nudists performers, and multiple stages dedicated to counterculture communities. If you explored the festival aimlessly, one could stumble upon the Latinx stage playing cumbia, Leather Alley, or my personal favorite hangout spot; the hip-hop stage that was playing back-to-back Bay Area classics shortly before legendary rapper Yo-Yo took charge of the stage as the main attraction.

Mission Dolores Park/The Castro

Majoritively of Bay Area locals and SF natives make continuous visits to Mission Dolores Park and the Castro neighborhood during Pride weekend. Hundreds of thousands of people cover the park’s emerald-green, lush acreage with picnic blankets and makeshift DJ tents. Known for its open lawns, the jarring nature of experiencing Mission Dolores Park completely packed to the point where you can’t step anywhere without stepping on someone is an adventure of its own. There, many entrepreneurs on foot take it upon themselves to sell offerings to spread the joy. Some do it for free, like the snow cone machine operators who were passing out cones to refresh those who had long days and nights ahead. The Castro is a historic hub where a distinct array of queers have seeked refuge. With blocks of queer clubs and bars, the Castro is the best night out for those searching to have a spontaneous nightlife adventure. The Cafe hosted a twerk-off and a trans show out, the Lookout, Hi Tops, and more featured events, where the main point was to release yourself and, of course, dance until you can’t anymore.