2019-12-19 04:45:46
San Francisco is home to one of the world’s largest Pride celebrations each June, when the whole city explodes into a rainbow burst of music, dancing and excitement. To top it off, 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of San Francisco Pride, giving us all the more reason to party. Here are a just a few places where you can experience local LGBTQ culture, community and history year-round. ASIA SF Located at 201 Ninth St., this favorite spot combines restaurant, lounge and dance club elements to celebrate diversity. Since 1998, its world-famous transgender stars, the Ladies of Asia SF, have been the focal point, and their talent has made it a must-have San Francisco experience. GLBT HISTORY MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES Celebrating San Francisco’s queer past, the GLBT History Museum (4127 18th St.) is the first full-scale, stand-alone museum of its kind in the U.S. Its archives contain an impressive collection of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender historical materials. GLIDE MEMORIAL CHURCH Three decades after opening in the 1930s, Glide (330 Ellis St.) joined the national social justice movement among religious organizations. In 1964, they brought together religious leaders and homophile activists (precursors to the gay rights movement) to form the Council on Religion and the Homosexual (CRH)— the first organization in the U.S. to include “homosexual” in its title. GOLDEN GATE PARK/AIDS MEMORIAL GROVE The National AIDS Memorial Grove, or “The Grove,” is located in the eastern part of Golden Gate Park in the San Francisco Botanical Garden. This is a dedicated space where millions of Americans affected directly or indirectly by AIDS can gather and heal. HARVEY’S Named after the late “Mayor of Castro Street,” Harvey Milk, Harvey’s Restaurant and Bar (500 Castro St.) offers drinks, food, comedy and more. The building was previously home to the Elephant Walk bar, which played an important role as an accepting and safe place for the gay community. It was reopened as Harvey’s in 1996, dedicated to honoring Milk’s legacy. NEW CONSERVATORY THEATRE CENTER This not-for-profit theatre company (25 Van Ness Ave.) has been in operation for more than 30 years, producing theater experiences for youth, artists and the queer and allied communities. Offerings this year include the Tony Awardwinning musical “Fun Home.” 50TH ANNUAL SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE: GENERATIONS OF HOPE June 27-28, 2020 San Francisco Pride is one of the oldest and largest LGBTQ celebrations in the world, and the massive annual parade down Market St. is the main highlight. Expect more than 200 parade contingents and floats representing a huge range of causes and beliefs. The parade kicks off Sunday, June 28, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. at Market and Beale streets and ends at Eighth St. near Civic Center.
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