OFFICIALLY BACK IN action, San Francisco Pride 2023 featured hundreds of thousands of colorful revelers flooding Market Street to witness and celebrate one of the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ Pride parades in its 53rd year.
The parade began Sunday at 10:30 a.m. near The Embarcadero, moving down the street to Civic Center boasting the colors of the rainbow against the classic foggy, gray morning sky. It concluded at Civic Center Plaza with the second day of the traditional celebration, featuring headliner Hayley Kiyoko, dubbed by fans as “Lesbian Jesus.”
Hayley Kiyoko, headliner on Sunday during 2023 San Francisco Pride, performs on the main stage at City Hall in San Francisco, Calif., on June 25, 2023. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
Singer and songwriter Vincint performs during 2023 San Francisco Pride on the main stage at City Hall in San Francisco on June 25, 2023. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
Hayley Kiyoko, headliner on Sunday during 2023 San Francisco Pride, performs on the main stage at City Hall in San Francisco on June 25, 2023. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
Hayley Kiyoko headlines Sunday’s entertainment during the 2023 San Francisco Pride celebration on the main stage at City Hall in San Francisco. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
Hayley Kiyoko performs on the main stage at City Hall during the San Francisco Pride Celebration on June 25, 2023. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
Hayley Kiyoko performs on the main stage at City Hall during the San Francisco Pride Celebration on Sunday. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
Hayley Kiyoko, headliner on Sunday during 2023 San Francisco Pride, performs on the main stage at City Hall in San Francisco on June 25, 2023. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
Singer Hayley Kiyoko, known to fans as the “Lesbian Jesus,” headlines a Sunday performance on the main state at City Hall during 2023 San Francisco Pride on June 25, 2023. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local)
Following cancellation in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, the 2023 version of the parade consisted of more than 200 contingents, including members of local community organizations, political groups such as the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, and corporate floats from Apple, Alaska Airlines, Kaiser Permanente and others.
This year’s six grand marshals selected by the SF Pride organization with community input for their contributions to the LGBTQ+ community, were: Paul Aguilar, Laura Lala-Chavez, Honey Mahogany, Breonna M McCree, Dr. Nasser Mohamed and the Bay Area Chapter of Drag Story Hour.
Harika Maddala is a photojournalist based in Stockton covering San Joaquin County for Bay City News Foundation and its nonprofit news site Local News Matters. They are a Report for America corps member and a CatchLight Local Fellow.