|
Queerific
The general members of San Francisco Pride have chosen "Queerific" as the theme for next year's San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride celebrations. At their most recent meeting, the members voted overwhelmingly in favor for a theme which sets a bold, contemporary tone for the first SF Pride event of the new millennium. Commenting, Pride President Cecilia Chung said : "It’s fun, it’s festive! Our community is reclaiming the power to define who we are and who we love.” San Francisco has long been at the cutting edge of LGBT politics and culture and the theme, Queerific is in that tradition. At the same time, the title of the event, San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Parade and Celebration, acknowledges the many components of our community and makes them visible in the official name of the event. Queerific, while undoubtedly a political message, is also a clarion call for celebration and typifies the new spirit of energy in the community. The last and only time the word “queer” was used in connection with the theme was in 1993 when the SF Pride theme was “Year of the Queer”. At that time, use of the word was controversial . Today, “queer” has become common parlance within the LGBT community and according to the Pride Committee’s audience research conducted at the event this year, most people are comfortable with its usage.When the question, “How do you feel about the word “queer” to describe our community?” was asked, the results were: Very Comfortable (36.3%) Comfortable (24.7%) Neutral (25.3%) Uncomfortable (9.6%) Very Uncomfortable (4.1%). Following the theme selection the board announced a public competition for the 2001 event logo with a $500 prize for the winner. Anyone interested in entering the logo contest should contact the Pride Office at the address above or log onto the Pride Committee’s web site at www.sfpride.org for details. Next year will be the 31st anniversary of San Francisco Pride Celebrations and the Parade and Celebration will be held over the June 23/24 weekend. ENDS
|