Title: SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE TO FEATURE MUSIC LEGEND AND TWO-TIME GRAMMY AWARD NOMINEE MARTHA WASH AS MAIN STAGE HEADLINER AT THE IN-PERSON RETURN OF SAN FRANCISCO LGBT PRIDE PARADE AND CELEBRATION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — 02 June 2022
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: contact: [email protected]

SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE TO FEATURE MUSIC LEGEND AND TWO-TIME GRAMMY AWARD NOMINEE MARTHA WASH AS MAIN STAGE HEADLINER AT THE IN-PERSON RETURN OF SAN FRANCISCO LGBT PRIDE PARADE AND CELEBRATION

Celebrity Grand Marshals to include actor Sherry Cola and “Jeopardy” Champion Amy Schneider, with Honey Mahogany, Sister Roma, Per Sia, and Yves Saint Croissant to host the two-day celebration

*** JUNE 25–26, 2022 ***

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (June 01, 2022) – Today, San Francisco Pride Board of Directors announced that music legend and two-time Grammy Award nominee, Martha Wash, will headline the Main Stage at the 52nd annual San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Pride Celebration and Parade (Pride 52) taking place on Sunday, June 26 at Civic Center Plaza. Pride 52 returns to an in-person Celebration and Rally with the theme of “Love Will Keep Us Together” Saturday and Sunday, June 25–26, 2022.

Celebrity Grand Marshals for Pride 52 include actor Sherry Cola (“Good Trouble”) and “Jeopardy” champion Amy Schneider. The weekend-long festivities will be hosted by some of San Francisco’s most iconic drag queens and activists, Per Sia and Yves Saint Croissant on Saturday, June 25, and Honey Mahogany and Sister Roma on Sunday, June 26. Additional entertainment will be provided by Jinkx Monsoon & Major Scales, HYM the Rapper, DJ LadyRyan, , while CHEER SF, AURAS: A RAVE DANCE EXPERIENCE, and Roryography will keep the crowds moving throughout the weekend. The San Francisco Bay Area’s LGBTQ+ community will be celebrated throughout the day with appearances by AryA, Bay Area American Indian Two Spirits (BAAITS), The Filipinx, Oasis Nightclub, Parivar Bay Area. Pride 52 will also feature Openhouse, offering resources for LGBTQ+ seniors, Equality California, and remarks from Melanie Nathan, Executive Director of the African Human Rights Coalition and Imani Rupert-Gordon, Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

The two-day Celebration and Rally is scheduled from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 25, and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, June 26 at Civic Center Plaza and the surrounding neighborhood. The legendary Parade will take place Sunday, June 26 beginning at 10:30 a.m. in the heart of downtown San Francisco. Additional SF Pride events will take place throughout the month of June and the remainder of 2022. Information regarding parade registration, as well as sponsor, exhibitor, advertising, membership, and donor opportunities, may be found at sfpride.org.

“After two years, the return to an in-person celebration for San Francisco Pride will be an uplifting showcase of some of the best LGBTQ+ luminaries, leaders, and community groups the San Francisco Bay Area has to offer,” says Suzanne Ford, San Francisco Pride I=interim executive director. “This will be a historic moment in our fight for inclusion, acceptance and equality for all LGBTQ+ people, as we come together in solidarity to celebrate the progress that has been made, while responding with love, activism, and radical inclusion against discriminatory laws that are being enacted across the country at an alarming rate.”

Featuring hundreds of parade contingents and exhibitors, and community-run stages and venues, the San Francisco Pride Celebration and Parade remains the largest gathering of the LGBTQ+ community and allies in the nation. The 2022 Community stages will include Urban Global Village Stage, produced by Christiana Remmington; API LGBT Stage, produced by Nikki Calma and SF Community Health Center; Homo Hip-Hip, produced by Ronnie and Erika Jones; Latin Stage, produced by Jamie Awad; Sober Drag Show, produced by Castro Country Club; Soul of Pride, produced by Lisa Williams; a Trans Stage; and Women’s Stage, produced by Christie James and Jolene Linsangan.

San Francisco Pride remains committed to its mission of bringing connection and visibility to the LGBTQ+ communities. As a world leader in the global Pride movement and a part of the fabric of Pride events around the world, SF Pride works to educate, commemorate, and continue the struggle for true liberation, both through its events and by raising much-needed funds for nonprofits across the Bay Area. Financial support through membership and donations ensure that SF Pride will be able to thrive into the future. To donate, visit the website at sfpride.org/donate.

“As we welcome back thousands of LGBTQ+ family members from across our diverse communities, we can’t wait to shine a light on the leaders that inspire us and keep us moving forward,” said Carolyn Wysinger, president of San Francisco Pride’s Board of Directors. “This will be an unforgettable celebration and we can’t wait to welcome everyone this June!”

A brand new SF Pride app will be available in Early June, The Official Guide to SF Pride, granting attendees access to stage lineups, an event map, vendor and artist information, and more. Visit sfpride.org/app to sign up and receive a notification when the app is live.

San Francisco Pride is a citywide effort, featuring events from supporting organizations and promoters. SF Pride is glad to help bring awareness to events that support Pride 52, such as the Trans March 2022 (Friday, June 24), the 30th Annual Dyke March (Saturday, June 25), Gary Virginia and Donna Sachet’s PRC Pride Brunch (Saturday, June 25) and the 2022 Pink Triangle on Twin Peaks (June 1–July 1).

COVID safety and well-being remain a primary concern for #SFPride52, and to ensure the two-day celebration is welcoming for all our communities, SF Pride will be operating in line with city, and state, and federal guidelines.

Sponsors for Pride 52 include Alaska Airlines, Bank of the West, Nordstrom, US Bank, and Safeway. Media sponsors include ABC7 Bay Area and San Francisco Bay Times. Corporate partnerships allow SF Pride to build the event’s extensive infrastructure, and help to bring funds to nonprofits that directly serve LGBTQ communities, via the Community Partners Program. Those interested in getting involved can find more information at sfpride.org/partners.

ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE The San Francisco Pride Celebration Committee is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded to produce the SF Pride Celebration and Parade. The mission of the organization is to educate the world on LGBTQ+ issues, as well as commemorate the heritage, celebrate the culture, and liberate the people of all LGBTQ+ communities. A world leader in the Pride movement, SF Pride is also a grant-giving organization through its Community Affiliates Program. Since 1997, SF Pride has granted over $3 million dollars in proceeds to local nonprofit LGBTQ+ organizations and organizations working on issues related to HIV/AIDS, cancer, homelessness, housing rights, and animal welfare.

Celebrity Grand Marshal and Entertainer Bios

Martha Wash (Headlining on Saturday, June 25)

Martha Wash’s new album, Love & Conflict, promises to take fans in a fascinating and perhaps unexpected new direction. Released by Ms. Wash’s label, Purple Rose Records, this eclectic collection of mesmerizing blues-rock and adult contemporary songs is a stylistically adventurous journey for the legendary vocalist, entrepreneur and producer, whose spectacular achievements in the music industry are nothing short of staggering. But breaking new ground is something that shouldn’t surprise anyone who is familiar with Martha’s amazing past including her fourteen Number 1 hits! Martha’s been doing it from the very beginning.

The two-time Grammy-nominated singer, who began her musical career at the age of two in her parents’ church in San Francisco, has been lifting the spirits of audiences for decades. Initially at the forefront of the disco movement of the late ’70s, performing powerful background vocals for the iconic, flamboyant star Sylvester of “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” fame, Martha went on to storm the ’80s as one half of The Weather Girls with their mega-hit “It’s Raining Men.” The ’90s moved Martha’s already prolific career into high gear with her awe-inspiring recording of “Sweat (Everybody Dance Now),” the highlight of C&C Music Factory’s career, which sold 10.5 million copies worldwide.

With the creation of her own recording label Purple Rose Records, and working closely with manager James Washington, the twenty-first century has seen Martha continue to evolve in exciting ways in music and beyond. In music, Martha released the critically acclaimed Something Good album in 2013. Beyond music, Martha’s popular entertainment/talk television show, 10 Minutes with Martha Wash is now entering its second season. She’s also created a digital publication, FLOD Spotlight Magazine, and continues to support charitable organizations, such as “QSAC Inc”, a non-profit organization providing comprehensive services to individuals with Autism and their families. Martha’s also worked tirelessly for people affected by HIV/AIDS in the United States.

And that brings us to the next phase in Ms. Wash’s extraordinary career, the captivating new album Love & Conflict. Working with producers Sam Basbous, Felix Petit, Andrew David, this album and these songs have taken Martha out of her comfort zone and into an exciting, thought provoking and uplifting new direction.

The first single from Love & Conflict, “Never Enough Money” is a no-nonsense gritty blues jam that will thrill both old and new Martha Wash fans.

Where she goes from here is anyone’s guess, but there’s no question it’s going to be a thrilling ride.

About San Francisco Pride

The San Francisco Pride Celebration Committee is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded to produce the SF Pride Celebration and Parade. The mission of the organization is to educate the world on LGBTQ+ issues, as well as commemorate the heritage, celebrate the culture and liberate the people of all LGBTQ+ communities. A world leader in the Pride movement, SF Pride is also a grant-giving organization through its Community Partners Program. Since 1997, SF Pride has granted over $3 million dollars in proceeds to local non-profit LGBTQ+ organizations and organizations working on issues related to HIV/AIDS, cancer, homelessness, housing rights and animal welfare.

Media Contact

[email protected]

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