PHOTOESSAY: LGBTQ Pride in San Francisco

This is a gay pride flag that is located on the corner of Market, Castro, and 17th Street.

People are enjoying their lunch at Twin Peaks on the corner of Castro Street and 17th Street in San Francisco.

These are the rainbow crosswalks that were recently added to the intersections of Castro and 18th street in late 2014 which was funded by the Castro/Upper Market Community Benefits District. The color pattern was decided on by a poll in which over 4,000 people gave their opinion.

Julian, a fifteen year old sophomore that lives in Los Altos has lived in the Bay area his whole life and is no stranger to the pride so openly displayed on Castro Street.

Oliver, also a fifteen year old sophomore, skips down market street in San Francisco after just leaving Castro Street. When comparing the pride of Castro Street to the school environment he said, “We would talk about [LGBTQ acceptance and pride] at school, but it wasn’t a big deal.”

This photo essay project was made to show the sexual and gender diversity of San Francisco, as well as how this diversity is accepted. I wanted to make this so that people can see how a group of people in the LGBTQ community can strive when they are allowed to. I also wanted to provide a good example of how being accepting can create a new and exciting community.