Grand Marshals have included Iraq war veteran Eric Alva, pop-singing legend Cyndi Lauper and LGBTQ rights activist Candace Gingrich. RELATED: Bay Area LGBTQ+ community talks importance of gender identity terminologyįuture California Governor Gavin Newsom, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former San Francisco mayors Willie Brown and Art Agnos, Warriors President Rick Welts, and the late Harvey Milk, Mayor Ed Lee and rainbow creator Gilbert Baker -each took the time to greet our ABC7 News photographer on the parade route.
Politicians and LGBTQ+ icons have made an appearance. Throughout the years, contingents in the parade took a stance for freedom of speech, fighting for equal rights and more funding for AIDS research. This ABC7 special report, shown in its entirety, gives a glimpse into what gay life was like in San Francisco in 1976.
It was a time before the rainbow flag, before the White Night riots and before HIV and AIDS devastated a community.
