San Francisco Giving Up On the Pink Party?

There will be no Pink Party in the city's gay Castro district the Saturday before the annual LGBT Pride parade this June, marking the first time in more than 20 years the event hasn't taken place in some incarnation.

As the Bay Area Reporter first reported on its blog last week, following a March 17 meeting with key stakeholders, gay Supervisor Scott Wiener, whose District 8 includes the Castro, said that there will be no street closures this year. In previous years, the streets were closed for the unofficial party, which this year would have been June 25.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence had produced what was known as Pink Saturday for nearly two decades. Last year, however, the Sisters decided to end their oversight of the street party due to concerns about violence. A sister and his husband were attacked in 2014, while Stephen Powell, 19, died after being shot toward the end of the party in 2010.

The San Francisco LGBT Community Center last year helped the city with what became known as Pink Party, but the center has opted out this time.

Many have expressed concern over the years that people would flock to the neighborhood regardless of whether there's an actual party happening.

Wiener said that the city will be prepared for "lots of people" who are used to coming to the neighborhood and that his office will work with the San Francisco Police Department, Castro Merchants, and other city agencies to plan for the increased crowds.

"We're very accustomed in the Castro to having nights when a lot of people are coming into the neighborhood," and having "crowded sidewalks and crowded bars," he said.

Officials are focused on making the evening "a safe and festive night" celebrating "the spirit of pride," Wiener said. "We'll be having regular interdepartmental meetings with various city departments and also the merchants and neighborhood groups to ensure we have good security and safety in the neighborhood that night."

Wiener said he couldn't predict whether Pink Party will ever return.

"The key for me and for a lot of people is that Pink Saturday, from its inception, was always driven by the community, largely by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence," he said. It was a "grassroots, community-driven event, and to me that's very important. That's what made Pink Saturday successful for so many years."

He added, "At some point, there's either a community effort to drive the event or there isn't, and right now, there isn't, and so that's why the event is not happening."

For years, people in the neighborhood have complained about the evening bringing trash, crime, and human waste to their neighborhood.

"We'll make sure there's enough security, and we'll also work with the neighborhood around Porta Potties," said Wiener, who said his goal is to have the city pay for the toilets.

Cautiously Optimistic

The decision not to have the party this year has left Castro resident Daniel Bergerac, president of the Castro Merchants business group, cautiously optimistic.

"I know there are residents just outside the footprint of Pink Saturday who are celebrating this decision," Bergerac said in response to emailed questions. "They dealt with too many years of trash, vomit, and piss at their front door as a result of Pink Saturday."

Bergerac, who owns Mudpuppy's Tub and Scrub at 536 Castro Street, said, "I think Pink Saturday/Party got too big for its own good."

He said he hadn't yet spoken with Mission Station police Captain Daniel Perea, whose district oversees the neighborhood, but "I'm sure he'll have plenty of police officers on the street. ..." Perea didn't respond to emailed questions and wasn't available by phone.

"People have been coming to the Castro the day before Pride for years," Bergerac noted, and he said, "canceling the event will not stop this from happening. But like Halloween, it will dampen the celebration. We will have to wait and see how having the streets open affects business."

The Castro's streets used to be closed off each Halloween, but that was stopped in 2007 after that party raised increasing safety concerns. Since then, Halloween night in the Castro has become much more mellow.

"As a community, we need to thank the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence for the years of organizing" Pink Saturday, and the LGBT Community Center for stepping up last year," Bergerac said. "This is also an opportunity for the next generation to take over the reins and create a new, exciting event."

Center's Involvement

Last year, at the request of Wiener, the LGBT Community Center stepped in to oversee the event, which was renamed the Pink Party and held earlier in the day. Wiener said last Thursday that the center, which is planning for a major interior remodel of its upper Market Street building this spring, doesn't have the capacity to continue producing the street party.

"They don't have the staff and it's not a core part of what they do," he said.

Wiener said that the pre-Pride street party was never an official city event and that other groups had not offered to put it on.

"There's no other community group that's stepped up to do the Pink Party," he said.

Rebecca Rolfe, the center's executive director, said in an email, "The center was honored to produce the Pink Party in 2015. With a number of important program initiatives underway, including the anticipated upgrades to our building and expansion of our youth services, our resources are fully committed for 2016. We are excited to support our community partners, including San Francisco Pride, the Dyke March, and the Trans March in producing strong, inclusive and fabulous Pride celebrations here in San Francisco."

The Dyke March, which also takes place the Saturday before Pride, is expected to take place and Wiener said that "temporary street closures" would be created for the end of the march, which is in the Castro.

One of the Sisters said last year that the group was considering doing multiple Pride weekend events in the Bay Area but outside San Francisco this summer. The organization didn't respond to interview requests for this story.