The Castro will be forced to take a break from the pre-Pride event most recently known as the Pink Party. Last week, Supervisor Scott Wiener met with representatives of the Dyke March, San Francisco LGBT Community Center, Castro Merchants, the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee, and other stakeholders and determined that there was no organization willing to manage the party this year. Last year, the LGBT community center stepped in after the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence decided to step away after two decades of running their original Pink Saturday party, citing increasing violence.
Anecdotal comments in reaction to our blog post last week that broke the story show that for residents of the Castro it's a relief that there will be no Pink Party. Neighbors were tired of the rowdiness and public urination that typically occurred. This year, they'll get their wish for the Pink Party's demise.
But it's important to remember that Pink Saturday �" as originally envisioned by the Sisters �" grew out of a need to focus the spontaneous celebration in the gayborhood the night before the Pride parade. In the absence of a formal street party people are still expected to congregate in the Castro. Wiener acknowledges the Pink Party was a "grassroots" event, driven by the community. So, if community members want the street party to return, they'll need to come up with the next incarnation.
Next year could be a new beginning for the pre-Pride party if a producer steps forward. Under the Sisters, Pink Saturday was always more successful when it had directed activities for the crowds, and a footprint that included Market Street to provide breathing room. More recently, the event has been contained along Castro Street, which can't accommodate crowds safely. There's also entertainment and security to consider. And most importantly, there must be community buy-in and local support. Organizing the massive event is labor intensive and expensive �" around $200,000 according to city figures for last year. (The Sisters produced the event for free and spent $18,000 on paid security, according to a budget document released last year.) The payoff is a safe, fun event for the neighborhood and partiers the night before the Pride parade.
Although last year's attempt to raise funds from gate receipts netted $14,000 that was distributed among 13 nonprofits, perhaps a more robust effort to organize volunteers from nonprofits could raise more money for the community groups.
Everyone knows that crowds will flock to the Castro over Pride weekend and that the Dyke March, which takes place Saturday, June 25, will end in the neighborhood as usual. But the streets won't be closed, aside from some temporary shutdowns to accommodate the Dyke March. Maybe that's what Castro residents want. In the years since Halloween bit the dust in 2007, the neighborhood has become mellower on that night, instead of the throngs of people roaming the streets.
The Castro the night before Pride can be festive even without a street party, as people will discover this year. But if the Pink Party is to be reborn, it must be based in the community �" participants at last week's meeting were adamant on this point.
Wiener has been trashed in Facebook comments on our blog post but many fail to realize or appreciate the complexity of organizing a large outdoor event. Wiener admits that large crowds present safety problems for everyone. He enlisted the center to save the party last year, but it was always doubtful the center would permanently produce the event because it does not fit its mission. The center is about to start major renovations to its facilities and simply doesn't have the resources to produce a street party.
So, there will be no Pink Party for 2016, but if the LGBT community still has its radical "we're here, we're queer, get used to it" edge, maybe it will return next year, perhaps as a smaller, more intimate affair, or the next generation in a big brash street party. It's up to us.