What better way to prepare for gay pride weekend than by reliving prides past? The fellas over at The Sword collected some killer footage of vintage queens doing their thing in the days of yore. Above you’ll find a clip from San Francisco’s “Eight Annual Gay Freedom Day Parade,” which went down way back in 1979, when dinosaurs roamed the earth. You can see one in the background – a big purple beast.
Gay Pride Of Yesteryear
What better way to prepare for gay pride weekend than by reliving prides past? The fellas over at The Sword collected some killer footage of vintage queens doing their thing in the days of yore. Above you’ll find a clip from San Francisco’s “Eight Annual Gay Freedom Day Parade,” which went down way back in 1979, when dinosaurs roamed the earth. You can see one in the background – a big purple beast.
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Cody
I am so incredibly proud to be a resident of San Francisco. Most amazing, and accepting city in the world…
Ken
Very Cool -Thanks.
A lot different than the corporate sponsored Pride events that we now have in L.A.
(the younger Robin Tyler was very cool too)
Onwards and Upwards
CHURCHILL-Y
“Words are not enough”
“pseudo-liberal answers”
How true it rings today.
We went from that to the division and self loathing prevelant today.
we even had our own monitors patrolling the streets!
“”i’m gay and i’m free and i’m happy”
MAKES ME WISH I HAD BEEN ALIVE DURING THOSE DAYS
brian
Wow how things changed. Where are the drunk/drugged men wearing about nothing at? Too bad parades are not like that any more.
hisurfer
Great clip – it was a pleasure to watch.
No. 3 – Trust me, there were plenty of divisions and self-loathing in 1979. The past always looks so rosy. I know kids today who wish they had gone to high school in 1984 because everything was so cool then. In 1979 we all wished we had been around in 1969 because everything was so perfect then. And so on.
Leo
Thanks so much for posting this!
michael
I graduated high school in 1979 and saw the last few years of an aids free world. Its so fucking sad and amazing to watch this. They represent all the friends that would be dead in a few years and usher in a new era of fear and loathing for we gays that were left behind. I wish all young gays could be educated about our history. We have been through so much, so much to be proud of. Thanks queerty for this clip, it made me go to The Sword’s site and watch a lot of other videos and even after all these years there is still so much grief in me. I have never loved our people as much as I do at this moment, despite our differences and disagreements we are far more lovable, wonderful and special than any of us realize. Never let anyone tell you that their is a God that does not love you because right now I am feeling that love it has for all of us.
Thanks for letting me ramble a bit.
while my nails are drying
Wow Michael. I am almost speechless (leave it alone boys I am sometimes without words). I don’t know if in my 14 years out as a gay man if I have ever heard one of our own say anything like you just said. “I have never loved our people as much as I do at this moment”, You sound like a wonderful guy and those words have left me really choked me up. I’m vaclimped.
Charles J. Mueller
You choked me up too, Michael…and I am a gay senior citizen of 71 who has been out and proud since the age of 16. It sometimes seems that the only voices we hear are the self-loathing gays with their negative messages. Your voice was a shining beacon in a sometimes dark world. Thank you for sharing that wonderfully expressed feeling of love with your brothers and sisters. We need more people like you.
yman
Thanks a lot Michael! I did not expect to start my weekend all teary eyed! I lost it when you said “our people”. You now what, until I read that I never felt like I was really a part of anything being gay, not even the gay community. Yeah I have gay friends, plenty of lovers through the years but never the way you put it. You know what? We are an “our people”, we are all part of something bigger than just ourselves and your fucking right when you say that we are all lovable and let me add fabulous. I don’t think I will ever look at we gays as whole the same way again because of what you said.
And Charles, what an honor to read your post, its also time that we as gay people honored the more senior members of “our people”. The wisdom you have to share must be extraordinary.
And I agree, its time for us all to stand up and be more positive and affirming with each other.
michael
Thanks all for the kind words. Charles, 71 years young, out since you were 16, 55 years of living your life fully as a gay man! You are a gay treasure! I can only think of about 16 million questions that I would love to ask you. I would truly love to know your story but I am sure there is to much to tell using this forum. Is there anyway to learn more about you? Providing of course you are open to sharing. But I really am sincere in my curiosity. I am completely blown away that someone like you responded to my comments!
jerry pritikin
I was a free lance photographer in San Francisco during the 1970’s… and the Parades were made up of real people… not politicians seeking our vote, but who were truly friends of our community. Local media now has their own floats, when back then, their reports of early parades were limited to sound-bites and a few images. Some of my favorite photographs showed genuine creativity in the signs and floats…it was a time before AIDS. It was history in the making. The early Parades also introduced gays to the tourist visiting the city… and they stayed and watched it from the begining to the end. This year, I am having a photographic Time Capsule Exhibit of S.F. in the 1970’s at Chicago’s new Gay Community Center on Halsted… and besides images of Harvey Milk and Mayor Moscone… the most liked photos are of early parades, gay political and sporting events… Many people like myself… had to leave their hometowns to come to S.F. to be themselves including, Harvey. Today, in many cities accross the nation, gays no longer have to move, and beside local parades… they have sporting and political organizations, as well as community centers that features youth and senior programs.
Yes, we have come a long way… but we still have a long way to go to make small towns and big cities throughOUT the country gay friendly.
Chicago, is now gay friendly, and just a few years ago co-hosted the Gay Games, and they have openly gay elected officials, and Chicago’s Gay Parade draws over 400,000 to watch and participate. One of the best signs that Chicago is gay friendly is the fact that many of their High Schools have Gay/Straight Alliances.
NetBear
This is fantastic! Seeing the past allows us to both acknowledge how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go.
hal
Michael you’ve left me “vaclimped” as well so naturally I had to go and watch those videos you spoke of on the Sword. What beautiful faces, what innocence, what hope. The gentlemen in the clip from the first march really hit home when he spoke of how Aids set our movement back. He believed we would have gay marriage by now if it had not have been for that. We had to throw our fight for equality to the side in order to fight for our survival. Well, Aids is still here and so are we. And yes, we are FUCKING FABULOUS and no matter how much we achieve or do not achieve, that will always be true. It is so hard to keep your chin up, stay positive and optimistic when your gay because it seems like such a lonely battle. But it does not need to be. Now that we are entering our summer of pride celebrations I challenge everyone of us to make an effort everyday to be encouraging, loving and kind to one another, both our gay brothers and gay sisters, because we are not alone, not as long as we reach out to each other. Thanks Michael for not only letting us know that you love us, but that something higher than us does as well. For some reason I really believe you when you say that and we all need to hear it.
Charles J. Mueller
Hi Michael. So nice to hear back from you. My friends all call me Chuck and I invite you to do so as well. đ I don’t know if it is permissible to post one’s email address on these forums, but I would be lighted to share thoughts and experiences with you as well. I can be reached at I look forward to hearing from you.
Vman, I enjoyed your post very much as well. Thank you for the supportive comments. It’s very kind of you.
Charles J. Mueller
Hmm…my email addy seems to have been scrubbed by Queerty. Anyone know how to go about getting in contact with other posters on this site?
michael
Hello Chuck,
I have an idea. I am going to post an ad on craigslist under the category of missed connections, you will recognize it when you see it. Then, should there be “weirdo’s” I will deal with the spam. But I doubt I will get anything crazy. So go to Craigslist under the city of Vancouver B.C, and click on “missed connections” (right above men seeking men category, of course!) and watch for it. I really would love to know more about you!
Richard
Actually the same blog has footage of the first march ever in New York City in 1970 – it’s amazing, very rary footage with commentary from people who were there: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj1AlL43Y0o
greybat
It was really lovely reading these posts from the Elders…I hope you will feel free to chime in more often!
jerry pritikin
There is a great web-site called
http://www.thecastro.net and it is dedicated to the evolution of gay S.F. from the 60’s on…it’s not a recreation or digital… it’s the real McCoy!
If you want to see images of the early parades and events captured by pioneers who were there and their stories and images are gems and historical and hysterical… and tell your friends,too!