The Place of Politicians at Pride

Perspective of a trans San Franciscan

Mayor London Breed, state senator Scott Wiener, and other officials and special guests raise the LGBTQ Pride Flag from the balcony of San Francisco City Hall. Public domain photo by Pax Ahimsa Gethen, June 2021.

Note: No AI assistance was used to write this article.

Last Friday, June 26, the annual Trans March led off Pride Weekend here in San Francisco. I have attended and taken photos at the Trans March a number of times since my own gender transition in 2013, though I did not attend this year or last.¹ Reading about the event afterwards, I noted two troubling incidents: A clash with police at the end of the march, and a confrontation with state senator Scott Wiener at the beginning. The latter incident has made national news.

Scott Wiener was chased out of the Trans March. He's not the only one.

As a queer Black trans person who has lived in San Francisco since 2003 (and in the SF Bay Area since 1992), I feel comments and coverage on this story are missing some context. Note: I am not a supporter of Scott Wiener, and am not affiliated with any political party or religion.²

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