‘Party Like Public Safety Is Watching’ City Leaders Say, Ahead of SF Pride

In reviewing safety preparations for this weekend’s massive Pride festivities in San Francisco, Sheriff Paul Miyamoto delivered an unambiguous, if cautionary, message:

“Dance like nobody’s watching, but party like public safety is watching,” he said at a Thursday press conference outside police department headquarters, flanked by Mayor Daniel Lurie and the city’s top public safety officials.

As happens every year, hundreds of thousands of people are expected to descend on the city throughout the weekend for one of the largest celebrations of LGBTQ+ rights and culture in the world. But city leaders noted the exceptional circumstances heading into this year’s festivities that they say warrant a heightened level of vigilance and increased public safety presence.

“My top priority remains making sure everyone feels safe and free to be themselves,” Lurie said, listing a spate of city agencies, including the Fire Department and Department of Emergency Management, that have been working closely to “make that happen.”

“We will be appropriately staffed and resources effectively deployed throughout the city,” he added. “San Francisco is on the rise, and we’re bringing that momentum into pride.”

Lurie, who spoke to reporters just hours after reaching a hard-fought deal over his two-year budget proposal, called Pride one of the city’s largest and “most meaningful events.”

“It’s a true example of San Franciscans coming together for their values,” he said. “And I know our city will show up like we always do.”

This year’s festivities, which include headliner events at Civic Center, marches and parties throughout the city, and Sunday’s culminating Pride Parade, take place against the backdrop of the Trump administration’s assault on trans rights and its aggressive crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Of the 932 reported anti-LGBTQ+ incidents across the United States in the past year, more than half targeted transgender and gender-nonconforming people, a marked increase over the previous year, according to a May report from the LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD.

As such, the theme of this year’s event is “Queer Joy is Resistance,” which organizers said “serves as a unifying message and a reflection of the current social and political climate.”

The celebration comes as a growing number of longtime corporate sponsors of the event have withdrawn their financial support this year — seemingly to avoid retaliation from the Trump administration — leaving SF Pride about $180,000 short of its $2.3 million fundraising goal, the San Francisco Standard reported.

SF Pride declined KQED’s request for an interview. In a statement, the group said it has been working closely with the Mayor’s office and Police Department, enlisted scores of volunteers, and invested heavily in safety infrastructure, including private security and barricades.

“While we recognize heightened concerns nationally, our level of preparation this year is consistent with what we do every year to keep our community safe and proud,” Suzanne Ford, SF Pride executive director, said in the statement.

At Thursday’s press conference, San Francisco Deputy Police Chief Derrick Lew acknowledged the event was a “heavy lift” for law enforcement, but said it was “also an opportunity to show SF is a safe city” and a refuge for the queer community.

“As you all are aware, this year also brings new concerns and challenges,” he said. “Tensions are heightened due to national and global events, but our message is clear: San Francisco is ready.”

Along with increased staffing over the weekend, Lew said his department is prepared to call up additional resources if necessary, in light of the “unknowns coming from the spontaneous protests and whatnot.”

“We also know in law enforcement that historically this has been a weekend where we often experience a great deal of crime,” added San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, who said her office is ready to prosecute any lawbreakers.

“And so I’m here to say that we are setting the tone now, that if you were thinking of committing hate crimes, robberies, breaking into anyone’s car, San Francisco is not the place,” she said. “So celebrate safely, celebrate wisely. And happy Pride.”

Safety officials are encouraging people to call 911 for emergencies and 311 for non-emergencies. Attendees can also sign up for text message alerts at alertsf.org or by texting their zip code to 888-777.