In a world where the queer community too often on the receiving end of religious hatred, our UNITED IN SPIRIT contingent will focus on sharing our unity as diverse religious leaders, congregations, and spiritual groups joining together to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.

PARADE DATE: Sunday, June 30th, 2024
ASSEMBLE TIME: No later than 2 pm (arrive earlier and watch parade from Market St.)
BLOCK LOCATION: Beale St between Market & Mission.
LINE-UP: #183. Look for the United in Spirit banner & Cable Car
CABLE CAR ARRIVAL: 9:30 am
INTERFAITH RITUAL: 2:15 pm
MARCH/STEP-OFF: 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm

March/Step-Off time is a guess: Yes, we are marching later than we have in past years. (take BART or Muni underground for easier access)

THEME: The 2024 parade theme is “Beacon of Love.” For 54 years, our LGBTQ+ community has gathered on the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall uprising to demonstrate to the world who we are and what we stand for. All banners and signage need to either display the names of the congregations and religious groups we represent or otherwise reflect our unity with messages welcoming and celebrating the LGBTQ+ community. Spiritual messages from your tradition or scriptures are welcome. However, other political messages, national flags/signs, or non-pride-related flags are not suitable for our contingent. Please don’t hesitate to message me if you have specific questions about what is acceptable.

San Francisco Pride has created a safety video for all parade participants so we can get oriented and move together safely and smoothly as one joyous unit up Market Street.

We need a number of volunteers from our contingent to watch the Pride safety video and complete the training survey!

We may have a large contingent (100+ people) so we will need extra contingent and wheel monitors trained to insure everyone’s safety.

Per Pride requirements, these volunteers will serve as contingent and wheel monitors to insure everyone’s safety. After watching the training video, complete the training survey/registration, enter “United in Spirit” as the Contingent name and Code UN3711 to register.

• Watch Video: https://youtu.be/uX2Yvz6OWeg?si=Yt00a30PFAw1Junv (All participants must watch!)
• Registration for Safety Volunteers

–> Please share the training video and the request for monitor volunteers with all of the participants from your congregation or group so that we can meet Pride requirements and have everyone prepared for the big day!

We will have chartered a cable car! Those with disabilities or health challenges/impairments and elderly individuals take priority.

Our contingent has both the cable car and marchers. Once the parade starts, marchers may not get on the cable car nor get off until the end of the parade, at dispersal.

Due to crowds and possible delays, allow plenty of extra travel time. No parking available and violators are towed.
Public transit is highly recommended. Purchase transit tickets a day early.

Prohibited items: Alcohol, Coolers, Glass bottles, Illegal drugs or substances, Hazardous or toxic materials, Firearms, fireworks, explosives, Drones, Weapons, Knives, impact or electric pulse weapons, Stunning devices, Radios, walkie-talkies, jammers, scanners, Portable speakers, any item deemed inappropriate or hazardous by law enforcement and/or
security.

For those going to the Celebration at Civic Center following the parade, please note that bags are highly discouraged and no bags over 18” x 18” will be admitted. Soft bags under 18″ x 18″ ok. Everyone attending the Celebration must pass through the screening process. All items will be subject to inspection at the entry gates, and there are no lockers for storage of oversized bags.

Get ready for the parade!

The parade is a perfect time to show off your congregation’s LGBTQ-affirming T-shirts, signs, rainbow flags, fabulous outfits, beads, and boas. Some congregations hand out beads, leis, or other pride related items (tagged with congregational info), affirming prayer cards, temporary tattoos, magnets, and so on. Each congregation marches together carrying their own banner (if they have one) or marches behind the United in Spirit banner.

Have your round-trip transit ticket or pre-loaded Clipper card ready to go before Sunday as there will be long lines at ticket machines. Get traffic and transit information to SF Pride Parade and Celebration by calling 511 or visiting www.511.org. If you’re coming by BART, travel to the Embarcadero Station and exit towards Main St. There can be long waits in the assembly area. Pack water (no glass), light lunch or healthy snacks. Check San Francisco weather on the morning of the parade. Wear layers, comfortable shoes, a hat, and plenty of sunscreen/lip screen! So that our contingent is healthier and more accessible to those with fragrance sensitivities, please use fragrance-free products if possible. Since we’ll be in the midst of crowds, please avoid using spray-on products as they can trigger adverse reactions.

Special needs

Those who are elderly, disabled or cannot stand for long periods of time can sit on the cable car or make use of the special needs assembly seating area at Command Center (77 Beale St) which also has accessible restrooms if you need them.

** Times below are an example based on previous years, check back at the end of May or early June after we get our line-up # for more accurate estimates.

1:00-2:00 pm: Marchers arrive, check-in, and get to know folks
2:00 pm: Late arrivals

The parade begins at 10:30 a.m. and goes up Market from Beale to 8th St. Some folks arrive early to watch the parade kick off at 10:30 a.m. and then gather in the assembly area at the appropriate time. After arriving at the assembly area, contingent monitors and congregation/group leaders will sign-in with the United in Spirit contingent coordinator, Michael Leslie. Organizers from each congregation will be provided with contingent monitors will receive identifying buttons/stickers. As we are part of a large parade, there will be a waiting period in the assembly area. Use this opportunity to take photos and get to know and network with your fellow marchers! You can also add finishing touches to your signs or make-up, and finalize decorations on your banners and outfits.

2:15 pm: Inclusive Interfaith Gathering

Each year we share in an inclusive gathering in the assembly area before we march. You do not need to hold any particular theology or even be a member of any congregation, to receive these gifts. Our hope is this experience will unite us across traditions. Folks from neighboring contingents may join us. All are welcome! IF bread is used, there will be a gluten free option. Ministers, deacons, religious leaders and others who wish to volunteer for the service, please meet 15 minutes earlier with Rabbi Mychal Copeland.

2:30 Line-Up & Boost with photos. We are #UnitedinSpirit!

Contingent Coordinator Rev. Michael Leslie will line-up the contingents and insure safety and wheel monitors are in place as we prepare to march. Before we step off on the parade route, take time for photos of the contingent, each congregation and group, as well as individuals with their fabulous signs and outfits! Sharing photos from the day along with the reasons we march helps spread the love! You can also take video and photos during the parade and share them on our Facebook page. Use add the hashtag: We are #UnitedinSpirit! to help spread the message and promote future participation. After the parade, write something up for your congregational newsletter and share it with your denomination’s LGBTQ-affirming group.

2:30-3:00 pm Step-off and share the love

The Parade goes up Market from Beale and ENDS at 8th & Market. For safety, on years when we have a cable car, a wheel monitor will be in place at each wheel as we “step-off” and throughout the parade. Pride has greatly reduced delays by improving the parade dispersal plan. However, the estimated step-off time of 2:30-3:00 pm is an approximation. Patience is a virtue! Follow instructions of parade staff, our contingent coordinator, Michael Leslie, and and our safety volunteers: wheel and contingent monitors. If interviewed, keep walking to prevent delays. Please don’t forget tell the interviewer that your congregation is marching with United in Spirit — an interfaith group of LGBTQ-affirming/inclusive congregations.

Once we step off onto Market Street, enjoy the experience. Greet the crowds with smiles, songs, dance and hand waves. Keep in mind that it can be quite meaningful for folks to see a person of faith carrying a sign with “God Loves You” or to hear a marcher or say aloud: “God loves/blesses you.” You can also quietly bless people, wishing them happiness, as you pass them, smiling and waving!

Dispersal

The parade ends at 8th & Market! MARCHERS GO FORWARD on Market Street to 9th Street towards the Pride Celebration. VEHICLES & WHEEL MONITORS TURN LEFT (South) down 8th past Mission Street.

Following the parade, check out United in Spirit’s Referrals Booth at the Pride Celebration at Civic Center. The booths will be on McAllister, between Larkin & Hyde, on the same side of the street as the Asian Art Museum. Space: R005

More Details

FRAGRANCE-FREE CONTINGENT FOR HEALTH & ACCESSIBILITY
Please forego perfumes, after-shave, cologne and don’t use spray-on sunscreen in crowded environments as it may be inhaled and cause adverse reactions.

SMOKE-FREE EVENT
The San Francisco LGBTQ Pride Celebration and Parade is a smoke-free event per San Francisco Health Code, Article 19L.

Assembly

• Be aware there is a waiting period in the assembly area
• Porta-POTTIES should be on the same block or in front of 77 Beale Street (don’t wait, can take 30 minutes!)
• No loud music in assembly area pre-parade!
• Stay in line-up position from 1:00 PM.
• Marchers stay on sidewalks in assembly
• Keep center of street clear

Parade

• March BROAD, spread out to be seen, no single file or clusters
• NUDITY IS NOT PERMITTED, but fair warning you might see it!
• Don’t stop at TV cameras, keep moving.
• If interviewed, keep walking to prevent delays.
• EVERY contingent will make it on TV/Web
• SMILE, wave, and keep moving at cameras!
• Increase or slow pace to CLOSE GAPS, but no running
• Keep your distance from the cable car during the parade.
• No getting on or off the cable car once the parade has begun.

Safety

• Put personal items in a wearable bag
• NO GLASS containers (plastic/metal OK)
• HAND items to crowd, NEVER THROW!
• No STICKERS with heavy glue backing
• Do not place stickers on public buildings (FINES!)
• NO MYLAR balloons & high-flying streamers (MUNI WIRES!)
• Careful, watch out for grates in the street (tripping hazard)
• BE ALERT and aware of your actions
• Do not engage protesters. Notify Safety Team.
• Report anything suspicious to Police.
• Call 911 in an emergency.
• Stay safe after the parade, DON’T LEAVE ALONE
• YELL OR USE A WHISTLE to signal for help!
• For safety, YOU MUST BE SOBER to participate

Safety Command Center is at 77 Beale Street.

• Special needs assembly waiting area (scent-free) is available at command center (77 Beale Street)
• Parade leadership will be wearing RED T-shirts and gap monitors will be wearing PINK T-shirts.
• Medical staff will be wearing WHITE RockMed T-shirts and SAFETY MONITORS will be wearing LAVENDER T-shirts.
• Please follow ALL their instructions for the safety of everyone.

Media & Legal

• MEDIA NOTICE: Broadcasters will record and transmit the contingent, logos, signs, slogans, and individuals in it, and SFLGBTPCC may retain and use those recordings to promote and advertise future Pride parades, celebrations, and events in any and all media. Participants may be included in the Parade recording and transmission, and your participation constitutes complete consent and permission for SFLGBTPCC to use the recordings as described above.
• LIABILITY DISCLAIMER:  You release from liability and waive any rights to recovery from SF Pride or United in Spirit for any personal, property, or other injuries that You may sustain while participating in SF Pride. You acknowledge Your obligation to obtain appropriate insurance coverage for activities, and participation in relation to SF Pride.
• By participating in the United in Spirit Contingent, you are a consenting party to our contract with SF Pride.
• Your participating in the United in Spirit contingent signifies your agreement to release United in Spirit, Dignity/San Francisco and all their agents, and organizers of any liability, cost, and damages resulting from your participation.

Watch the Parade!

• Broadcast information: TBA

Interviews
If you are asked for an interview, briefly share part of your story. Who are you and what group are you marching with? Say UNITED IN SPIRIT and your congregation’s name if you are marching with one that is LGBTQ-affirming. Why are you marching? Are you queer and a person of faith? Do you have family members who are queer? Who did you bring with you? How did you/your congregation come to this place where you want to publicly show support LGBTQI people? How are you/your congregation working to make your congregation safe and welcoming to LGBTQI people?

Attitude

One of our goals is to reach out to express our love and support to our LGBTQI+siblings and to acknowledge our inherent shared human dignity. Marching in the parade is a simple, yet deeply human gesture that conveys these ideals. We encourage participants to smile and be friendly, available, and genuine. As representatives of your spiritual communities, orient yourself to convey love and recognize that as a child of the divine, anyone you meet in the parade has infinite worth in God’s eyes.

We have always received a loving reception from crowds! They respond to the energy we put out. However, if there is a negative confrontation by an angry individual, don’t get drawn into contention, just say a silent loving prayer for that person, smile, and focus on the folks who are happy to see you.

Because the church and other religious groups have mixed records on LGBTQ issues, there could be a rare case where individuals want to engage in discussion in the assembly area or after the parade. If you are willing to engage, it can be loving to listen and restate what you understand they have shared with you. It can also be powerful to acknowledge the sins of religious institutions and affirm that we are seeking change! If you do not feel comfortable engaging, you could consider a simple response and clarification: “I understand you feelings. I’m sorry for what the institution did. We are here to share a message of love and acceptance.” Or choose your own respectful and loving words.