San Francisco Pride focuses on transgender visibility and support

San Francisco's Pride Festival in Civic Center Plaza kicked off on Saturday, the day before the big annual Pride Parade.

This year, there was a special emphasis on the transgender community, which has become a frequent political target of late. But allies are stepping up to offer support.

The Pride Festival is still a happy celebration with food, music, and dancing. But the theme for Pride Festival 2026 is "Resistance In Action." This year, Pride isn't just a party. It's once again a fight.

"By 'fight' I mean we're fighting with our words," said a young woman named Celestina. "We're fighting with the power of the pen, and we're making our voices heard, especially for those whose voices are being silenced. You know, for all these reasons, we have to be allies to each other. And right now, especially for the trans community."

Gay rights have been a hot-button political topic in the past, but President Trump's last presidential campaign turned transgender people into a major issue. Celestina said she thought it took advantage of how unaware people are of those in their own community.

"Conservative people think that they don't know trans people," she said. "They think Trans people are not their loved ones, when in fact, their loved ones are trans, and they probably just don't know it."

That certainly describes Caiden Elmer. Sporting a beard and mustache, he does not have the look of an obviously transgender person. And he said he probably suffers less abuse because of it.

"Most people don't know that I'm Trans unless I say something," he said. "I could probably even pass as straight if I really needed to."

Caiden was at the Festival promoting his business, Spanish With Caiden, offering online Spanish lessons for adults. Like Celestine, he also believes the trans community is being targeted simply because they are smaller in numbers.

"Right now, most Americans support gay people, most people support gay marriage, because most Americans know a gay person," he said. "Whereas there are a lot of Americans who don't know a trans person. So, it's a lot easier for the media to misrepresent us... especially in our current political climate."

John Sheakley from San Mateo said he was trying to be a good ally to a trans family member.  He took a sensitivity course and learned that it was hurtful to his former nephew when he continued to refer to her by her previously male name.

"So, there's two ways a trans person can be offended. That's either unintentionally or intentionally," Sheakley said. "So, I was unintentionally offending people without even knowing it."

Melissa Breedlove wasn't offending anyone on Saturday. She was part of a group called "Free Mom Hugs" and was spreading the love to anyone who needed a warm embrace.  And she said that's particularly comforting to Trans people.

"A safe place for someone who may need a soft place to land and someone to be their rock, and to fight with them," Melissa said. "When their voices are quieted, we need to be louder because we can speak so much louder than some of the marginalized people in this community."

Caiden echoed that advice.

"I think the big thing is to speak up if you hear somebody spreading misinformation about trans people, and to be willing to challenge the people in your circles who maybe have views about trans people that could be harmful to our community."

Pride began as a fight for "gay" rights, but as the definitions of gender have evolved and gotten more complex, so has the need for those in the community to work together, and that includes those who count themselves as "allies."