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June 20, 2021 9:55 PM Subscribe
There were no politicians or corporate sponsors when the first Pride parade rolled through San Francisco on June 25, 1972. Spirit Of 1972: Photos from the first S.F. Pride parade [San Francisco Chronicle]
My guess would be protesting Anita Bryant’s Save Our Children, which overturned anti discrimination legislation in those cities, which would make that photo from 1977 or 78. The slideshow isn’t well labeled, but I think some of the pictures are from later years.
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:28 AM on June 21, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:28 AM on June 21, 2021 [3 favorites]
Also, if I can indulge, footage of the 1970 NYC Pride parade.
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:32 AM on June 21, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:32 AM on June 21, 2021 [3 favorites]
I just wanted to thank you again hippybear for your series of wonderful Pride-related postings. I've been enjoying them all -- things I always wanted to know about but did not know how/where to search for / learn about. Important history.
posted by profreader at 6:13 AM on June 21, 2021 [12 favorites]
posted by profreader at 6:13 AM on June 21, 2021 [12 favorites]
While looking for information about one of the banners in a photo I came across this excerpt from the book "Pride Parades: How a Parade Changed the World" by Katherine McFarland Bruce. It talks about how the first SF parade was modelled after Los Angeles'. Also "Committee members planned the event as a celebratory parade and not a protest march", there's a little fuel for the annual debate. (The banner was for the Jolly Times of Bakersfield, presumably a gay bar.)
Also this may deserve its own excellent hippybear post, but here's a short clip from a 1968 "gay costume ball" in San Francisco. Lots of fun 60s drag on display and what looks like a great party. It also feels like a bridge between SF's countercultures: beatniks, hippies, and a newly organizing gay community.
posted by Nelson at 6:58 AM on June 21, 2021 [4 favorites]
Also this may deserve its own excellent hippybear post, but here's a short clip from a 1968 "gay costume ball" in San Francisco. Lots of fun 60s drag on display and what looks like a great party. It also feels like a bridge between SF's countercultures: beatniks, hippies, and a newly organizing gay community.
posted by Nelson at 6:58 AM on June 21, 2021 [4 favorites]
I have nothing substantive to say beyond "seeing these photos made me very happy", but want to echo profreader's appreciation of your posts, hippybear.
posted by Lexica at 12:27 PM on June 21, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by Lexica at 12:27 PM on June 21, 2021 [2 favorites]
Here's a short with some footage of the event: PARADE 1972. Ronald Chase directed.
posted by Trinity-Gehenna at 12:35 PM on June 21, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by Trinity-Gehenna at 12:35 PM on June 21, 2021 [4 favorites]
This is a great collection of photos.
Just gonna leave this here, because I'm enjoying the other links people are leaving about early pride protests and celebrations...
From the ArQuives (formerly the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives):
The first ever Pride picnic in Toronto was held on August 1, 1971, at Hanlan’s Point. It was organized by the Community Homophile Association of Toronto (CHAT) and Toronto Gay Action. This was followed by a Pride week held in the following year, featuring another picnic but also a small march in the city
There was also the We Demand march in 1971 in Ottawa:
The We Demand march of 1971 was the first recorded political action taken by queer activists in Canada. The date of this march, August 28, 1971, coincided with the second anniversary of the passing of Bill C-150 which decriminalized gay sex in Canada. Although this reform of the 1969 Criminal Code led to the decriminalization of certain homosexual acts, it did not have much of a tangible impact on the policing and surveillance of queers. In fact, the policing of sex between men actually increased following Bill C-150.
This march was significant because not only was it the first public action, but it was also the result of an emerging national network of organizations on a federal level. This organizing happened in the context of other social movements such as anti-war, student, feminist, Black Power, Indigenous rights and more.
It was through the ongoing surveillance of leftist activists in Toronto, that the RCMP originally found out about the We Demand organizing plans. Many who were invited as guests to the march declined due to fear of being outed, policed or being otherwise associated with gay liberation movements.
Their online exhibits and online items collection have a bunch of other great stuff as well.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 1:15 PM on June 21, 2021 [3 favorites]
Just gonna leave this here, because I'm enjoying the other links people are leaving about early pride protests and celebrations...
From the ArQuives (formerly the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives):
The first ever Pride picnic in Toronto was held on August 1, 1971, at Hanlan’s Point. It was organized by the Community Homophile Association of Toronto (CHAT) and Toronto Gay Action. This was followed by a Pride week held in the following year, featuring another picnic but also a small march in the city
There was also the We Demand march in 1971 in Ottawa:
The We Demand march of 1971 was the first recorded political action taken by queer activists in Canada. The date of this march, August 28, 1971, coincided with the second anniversary of the passing of Bill C-150 which decriminalized gay sex in Canada. Although this reform of the 1969 Criminal Code led to the decriminalization of certain homosexual acts, it did not have much of a tangible impact on the policing and surveillance of queers. In fact, the policing of sex between men actually increased following Bill C-150.
This march was significant because not only was it the first public action, but it was also the result of an emerging national network of organizations on a federal level. This organizing happened in the context of other social movements such as anti-war, student, feminist, Black Power, Indigenous rights and more.
It was through the ongoing surveillance of leftist activists in Toronto, that the RCMP originally found out about the We Demand organizing plans. Many who were invited as guests to the march declined due to fear of being outed, policed or being otherwise associated with gay liberation movements.
Their online exhibits and online items collection have a bunch of other great stuff as well.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 1:15 PM on June 21, 2021 [3 favorites]
To correct the record a bit - the first march in SF was in 1970, not 1972. And as is probably obvious from the photos, not all of those photos are from 1972. For a more accurate history, here's a link to the GLBT Historical Society exhibit on the history of gay liberation marches and pride parades in SF.
posted by gingerbeer at 2:59 PM on June 22, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by gingerbeer at 2:59 PM on June 22, 2021 [1 favorite]
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posted by PinkMoose at 10:49 PM on June 20, 2021 [2 favorites]