SF LGBTQ cultural districts to skip Pride flag-raising
At a ceremony that is, typically, supposed to demonstrate unity, San Francisco Mayor London Breed might find herself raising the rainbow flag June 2 before a smaller audience than in years past because of the dispute over the decision by San Francisco Pride to halt the presence of uniformed law enforcement officers in the city's annual Pride parade.
The leadership of San Francisco's three LGBTQ cultural districts have announced they will not be sending representatives to the City Hall flag-raising event, a tradition begun under former mayor Art Agnos in 1988.
The city's Transgender District announced last week that the staff of the cultural district in the Tenderloin would not attend the flag raising ceremony or any other official city and county Pride events and celebrations unless Breed changed course and issued an apology for her decision not to march in the parade.Last week, Breed announced she would not participate in the parade, another tradition in which Agnos, who served from 1988-1992, was the first mayor to march in, stating, "I've made this very hard decision in order to support those members of the LGBTQ community who serve in uniform, in our Police Department and Sheriff's Department, who have been told they cannot march in uniform, and in support of the members of the Fire Department who are refusing to march out of solidarity with their public safety partners."Newly appointed gay District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey announced the same day that he, too, would not march in order to show solidarity with LGBTQ law enforcement.
Prior to becoming a supervisor, Dorsey was a high-ranking SFPD civilian, working on strategic communications with Chief William Scott and part of his command staff.
