SF's Excelsior to hold first official Pride party
San Francisco's Excelsior district is one of the more conservative areas of the city — not always welcoming to LGBTQ residents But that is starting to change.
This Saturday, the neighborhood will hold its inaugural PridExcelsior party to kick off Pride Month.It was the neighborhood of Dan White, who served on the Board of Supervisors at the time and represented the district until his resignation.
It was after he sought his job back that November and was rebuffed by mayor George Moscone that White assassinated both the mayor and San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk, the first gay man elected to office in California. (White died by suicide in 1985.)Today, the Excelsior district boasts some of the city's most diverse demographics, a place where Filipino markets, a Chinese hospital, and a tortilla shop are just some of the many eclectic businesses that dot a 2.2-mile commercial district.
While some Excelsior business owners are eager to support the LGBTQ community, there's a tacit understanding that the neighborhood's first-ever official Pride event is a big step, no matter how much the neighborhood has changed. "Everybody who tries to talk up this neighborhood talks about how we have such a diverse neighborhood," said Andrea Frerrucci, who identifies as queer.
