The Love That Dares

With a deep throated roar that sets the pigeons to soaring hundreds of motorcycles fire up, signaling that the festival of pride has come to the city of San Francisco, bright towered by the bay.

Officially known as the San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Celebration it is most often simply shortened to San Francisco Pride and is one of the most famous and best-attended pride parades held in the world. It is second only to the Rose Bowl as the best attended parade of any sort in California. The festival commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion when thousands of gay and transgender people fought back against police repression in New York City in a battle that lasted for several days and marks the birth of the modern Gay Rights movement. The event is traditionally lead by the women’s motorcycle contingent, also known as “Dykes on Bikes.” These women, many in leather or fanciful costumes and some topless won a historic battle in 2003 against the United States Patent and Trademark Office to trademark the name “Dykes on Bikes” proving that dyke was not an offensive word. This year the ladies were followed by a contingent of mostly male bicyclist. In former years the parade had a more confrontational and in your face air to it but this year’s unofficial theme seems to have been “we are family” as tens of thousands of gay and straight families showed up with their children. One of the largest contingents in the parade, usually featuring several hundred people is Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, or PFLAG. Families of all sorts march together often carrying signs announcing their support for their discriminated against family member. There were politicians and policemen, veterans and school teachers And there were families. Lots and lots of families. For someone who had been going to the Pride event for decades and had grown use to seeing all sorts of extreme outfits and behavior was all a little disconcerting. Reverend Beverly of St. Aidan’s Church had a theory as to why this year’s parade was so different from previous years, “We are winning and don’t need to be so confrontational anymore. The tide has turned and tolerance and acceptance are becoming the norm." Tolerance and acceptance seemed to be the order of the day. There were dozens of topless women and a sprinkling of naked men, or people is funny costumes but the crowd greeted them all with warm applause or amused acceptance. Of course there was the occasional freak but they were greeted with amused indifference and soon got bored and went away. Surveying the happy crowd basking in the warm California sun I remembered another thing the good Reverend had said: "I have seen a lot of history and one thing I am certain of. As California goes so goes the nation. We are the cutting edge of America." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This article was awarded TopPhotography piece by Digital Journal Editors as part of Digital Journal's Weekly Top Find Awards. Digital Journal staff review all articles published by Citizen Journalists every week, selecting the top stories for special recognition. To see a full report of all news and more details on this award, check out TopFinds.