The month of pride in San Francisco reached a joyous culmination on Sunday with the first personal parade since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
The sidewalks of Market Street were full of spectators applauding on floats and dancing in costumes. After entering the celebration area around the Civic Center, the party was a little more spacious, with long queues for barbecue teriyaki chicken skewers and fried festival dishes.
On the main stage, located right in front of the town hall, Honey Mahogany and Sister Roma warmed up the audience and introduced the great marshals of the community. In the hours before the headliner, appointed by Martha Wash of Weather Girls, one of the biggest attractions on the scene was undoubtedly Amy Schneider, a resident of the Bay Area, whose historical series as “Jeopardy!” champion captivates the country.
While wearing a Converse summer dress and sneakers, which received compliments from Sister Roma, Schneider gave a passionate speech about the long arc of the LGBTQ community’s fight against prejudice. She dismissed criticism that Pride had become too corporate and had lost its roots as a protest movement.
“They think we risk losing the spirit of resistance and revolution that characterized these first marches,” Schneider said. That we became complacent and corporate and used this harmless, safe, non-political word “pride” to get along with a society that at least gave us a place, even when this discrimination, suffering and hatred that inspired these first marches was by no means have not disappeared.
“Pride is not safe, it is not harmless, it is a political statement. It’s a statement to a society that still hates us that we won’t be silenced, “Schneider said, applauding the crowd.
Such an emotional speech from @Jeopardamy at @SFPride pic.twitter.com/E391wU3nAK
– Dan Gentile (@Dannosphere) June 26, 2022
She went on to condemn the recent anti-trans legislation she recently spoke out against at the White House on Trans-Visibility Day. She noted that in her travels since appearing on the show, she has seen thoughts change.
“I can’t tell you how many people have told me about people in their lives whose trance views have been changed – forever – by nothing but seeing a trance person on television proud of their identity,” Schneider said.
She concluded the five-minute speech by noting the difference between prejudiced leaders who are motivated by “irrational hatred that cannot be justified” and people who simply follow these leaders blindly.
“They don’t want to feel uncomfortable admitting that what they’ve been taught about weirdness is wrong,” she said. “That it is not shameful and what their parents and their religious leaders and their communities have told them is simply wrong.
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