On June 28, 1969, history was made in the late hours of the night when patrons of the Stonewall Inn fought back against police brutality. Their bravery, and the efforts of countless others since, represent an immeasurable characteristic of strength within the LGBTQIA+ community — unity.
As a Queer, Mexican-American-owned small business, we are honored and grateful to share space with our commUNITY who inspires us to LOVE freely. To shed the shame. To forgive and give grace on the bad days, and to celebrate and embrace the good. HAUM is our home because of the humanity, heart, and authenticity our students, staff, mentors, friends, and family bring into our collective.
Whether you celebrate privately with friends, out in the streets, or in communal spaces, Pride is an opportunity to honor our queer ancestors, share our stories, listen to those of our neighbors, learn from what we haven’t experienced, and continue the fight for what lies ahead.
“I believe that telling our stories, first to ourselves and then to one another and the world, is a revolutionary act.”
-Janet Mock
“Living in the closet until the age of 21 felt like too long of a time to not be authentically me. Pride is both a word and a time in the year when I reflect on the journey of who I was, where I am, and where I will go. I feel grateful and incredibly lucky to be surrounded by people who can witness, support, and boogie with me on the dancefloor and throughout my journey.”
-Andrew (he/him)
“Pride is community, support, and unconditional love — a feeling of truly being seen.
It’s the people who help me step into being bold and outspoken when what I know is hiding and feeling small.
Without pride, I am comfortably the quiet, closeted yoga teacher who is too anxious and afraid to take the leap.
With pride, I lean into the confident, fearless human I never thought I could be. I am so proud to be queer and feel more myself than ever. I am eternally grateful to be loved and supported by this community.”
-Ki (she/her)
“I came out in 1973 at 19 years old. I’d been a social justice activist since I was 14, so I was no stranger to protest & activism. For all our gains, there’s always been pushback, though I never imagined we’d need to fight for our community at large again to the extent we do now.
Pride means this to me: Fiercely advocating for ourselves by any means necessary, for ALL of us under the Queer umbrella.
Pride also means celebrating ourselves in all our splendor, and sharing that joy with the rest of the world!
This photo is from Pride 2016, when I performed with the Sexitude dance troupe at the VIP party; I am standing in front, fourth from the right, wearing the yellow top/purple opaques.”
-Randy (she/her)
“To me, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Pride is community. Before I found the SF queer community, Pride had felt one-dimensional and lackluster.
Finding other queer people enhanced and enriched my life in a way that brought a certain level of true fulfillment and happiness into my being.
I am forever grateful for the amazing people I have met and continue to meet not only in SF but in the world that make being queer such a special and beautiful aspect of being!”
-Dewayne (they/them)
“Pride is all about radical self-acceptance, loving yourself unconditionally, and expressing who you are freely
I believe pride should happen every day as we honor our authenticity!”
-Paislie (she/her)
“Pride, for me, is all about embracing community, chosen family, unconditional love, and the celebration of queer joy!”
-Axel (he/him)
“My Pride used to take form in the acceptance of myself but has blossomed into a warm embrace. It’s listening to my heart and learning to receive. It’s recognizing shame, but no longer being defined by it. Pride is an opportunity to tell our story, and more importantly, uplift the marginalized voices in our communities.
The love San Francisco and my chosen family offer me is unlike anything I have ever experienced. Above all, it has taught me I deserve it. For that, I am forever grateful.”
-Collin (he/him)
“For me, Pride this year is about wholeness and integration. It’s about letting all the various parts of me exist.
In yogic terms, it’s reaching in multiple directions at once, knowing that everything holds in my center.”
-Elliot (he/him)
