As is tradition for the last 40 years, the Rainbow Flags – so significant of the GBLT Movement – have been put all along Market Street here in San Francisco. I think they were raised / hoisted earlier this week at the beginning of the month, but I noticed them only today, on my way to pariSoma.

Market Street x Polk Street on Sunday, June 6th 2010.

The San Francisco Gay Pride Parade is yet another unique tradition of San Francisco. It is one of the oldest GBLT Pride Parade and has been taking place in the last full weekend in June every year since 1970. On Saturday, June 27, 1970, a handful of activists marched in San Francisco from Aquatic Park along Polk Street to City Hall where they held a rally. A “Gay-In” (similar to a “die-in” or “sit-in” protest) was held at Speedway Meadows in Golden Gate Park the next day. It was called “Christopher Street Liberation Day“. Since that day, the Gay Pride Parade has snowballed over the years into one of the largest as well as one of the oldest Gay Pride Rally in the World!

This year, for the first time in history, a United States Speaker of the House of Representatives will address to the LGBT Pride Celebration. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s pre-taped message will be broadcast on a giant Jumbotron to everyone gathered in San Francisco’s Civic Center.

In addition the video address, Speaker Pelosi’s has published an official letter “to honor San Francisco’s proud history of advocacy for equal rights and to honor the contributions of the LGBT community to our city, our state, and our nation”.