Petrelis Files

SF Pride's Fab Presser & Lunch: Pix & a Vid

The Hard Rock Cafe over at Pier 39 near Fisherman's Wharf was the site for today's simply fab press conference and luncheon for SF Pride. Both the formal presser in the cafe's upstairs theater and relaxed grub-n-gab fest down in the restaurant were professionally produced, yet far from stuffy.

Kudos all around the SF Pride board and staff, all the grand marshals, the media handlers, us members of the organization, and the corporate sponsors.

Before the presser started, I grabbed this photo of the mistresses of ceremonies, Donna Sachet, in red, and Michelle Meow, who is also on the SF Pride board, and board president Gary Virginia.

Outside the theater is where I snapped this picture. From the left, the proud parents of grand marshal and teen transgender activist Jewlyes Gutierrez, the honoree, and Felicia Elizondo.

On the stage waiting for the presser to begin is Jewlyes sitting next to fellow grand marshal and longtime queer economic justice advocate Tommi Avicolli Mecca.

Here we have South African-born lesbian lawyer and global advocate Melanie Nathan, also a grand marshal this year, smiling for the camera.

Emma Cape of the Chelsea Manning Support Network, left, spoke about how people can help the WikiLeaks heroine legal defense team, and Dr. Ted McIlvenna, a straight Method minister long supportive of and active in the LGBT community.

These guys stopped for just a moment before heading into the presser and grinned for my camera, but I didn't have time to ask their names.

This is freelance journalist and filmmaker Khaled Sayed who is originally from Egypt and now lives in Noe Valley, so I gave him my card for my District 8 Supervisor campaign.

Here is Matthew Bajko of the Bay Area Reporter have his reputation sullied, er, enhanced being photographed with yours truly at the luncheon.



Finally, this is the video I shot toward the end of the presser and you see how well-attended it was, as Dr. Ted McIlvenna answers a question.

This Pride Weekend, and every day, be safe and look out for your LGBT brothers and sisters and our allies. Happy Pride y'all!