1977 San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade and Celebration

[ebony38ish]

Nice to see all the people coming out for their pride. In just two years later majority of those people became sick and died from AIDS. Now they had to have demostrations for the cause of a proper medical care!!

[SkeeterVT]

The 1977 parade is notable in three respects:

1) This was the gay community's first real response to Anita Bryant's successful campaign against Miami's ordinance banning anti-gay discrimination,

2) It was the last gay parade before the introduction the following year of Gilbert Baker's now-globally-recognized Rainbow Flag,

3) Ihe influence of the hippies -- in terms of hairstyles and clothing -- was still very much in evidence, until the rise of the Village People.

[SouLoveReal]

1977? Sylvester's "Mighty Real" was not released until the summer

of 1978.

I cna't stant "condensed" (it-went-something-like-that) history.

[supermandisco]

I was one of the first DJ's to play Grace's That's The Trouble/ Sorry 12", when they didn't know who the heck that was. Funny, I also played Madonna when they didn't know her either.

[MamaMario13]

so glad society has moved on since then

[bertskoi]

it's wonderful but you may want to eventually re-process the films via DIGITAL scan in 1080p. most super-8 to video processors use home 'videocams' - 200 to 300 lines of resolution [blurry]; 1080p is HD & over 1,000 lines of brilliant, frame-per-frame scanning of hi-res digital reproduction. depending on the calibre & professionality of the service U pick, U may even be able to save the soundtrack that U referred to as damaged.

[cobolsaurus]

That's DEFINITELY Grace Jones at 10:00

[carrotjuse]

Wow. Those were the days. Everybody was still alive and having fun. I think I even saw myself for a half-second. San Francisco changed on November 27 of '78. Thanks for the memories.

[c9593]

Wow! I don't know the children appear in the gay pride!! FANTASTIC!! NOW WE STILL SAVE THE CHILDREN FRON THE HATE & RACISM IN THE WORLD!! YUPIEEE!

[fiftyplusandgay]

Yay! Gay pride like I  remember it, minus the bud and vodka commercials!

[gaykernow]

Very brave people in 1977 going openly on a parade. We all have a great debt to them for our freedoms.

[vegasbaby92]

@gaykernow - yes we do, indeed we do

[beegbolt]

I believe this is actually the year 1978. "You make me feel (mighty real)" by Sylvester wasn't released until 78', and it was a huge hit that summer....obviously the pride anthem then! Classic.

[sylvanro]

You are probably right about Sylvester's song which was added later to the soundtrack to tie it all together. The original super-8 film sat in a garage for about thirty years and the original sound was extremely damaged. I was especially disappointed to have lost the sound of Pearl Hart because, other than Bette Midler's movie "The Rose," I don't think much sound of him exists. He was one of the SF icons at the time.

[beegbolt]

@sylvanro

Thanks! Still very good sound editing...

[zaynzaynzayn]

important history to remember. thanks for the vid.

[2009ginasweetie]

Historic !

[putdownan8dude]

hard to believe that so called "establishment" types would attack teachers. anyone who wants to teach children is a saint in my opinion

[Motaro76]

My dream:

Hide machine guns on roofs of houses, tanks in the side streets and begin a big slaughter of those s-cum.

Or if army is gay too - take old car, fill it with 500 kg plastite, boxes of nails, fiberglass, add time/radio detonator and make nice salute for that scum.

[rykyd]

Pearl Hart was a Janis Joplin singing impersonator, he went to Cappuccino High School in San Bruno.

[Wolfbloodvamps171]

Wow amazing video thanks so much for posting it.

[ssballs]

Great historic footage and yes,that is the Good Grace...

I also took a picture myself of the "Snakeman"@ 11:46 .

Things were really shaking then.I am not familiar with pearl,but you will find out.The world has gotten a lot smaller.

[knucklehead66]

Wow.

This footage is stunning, especially at 4:36

and is that Grace Jones at 9:57?

Thanks so much for posting

[sylvanro]

I do think that is Grace Jones but wouldn't swear to it. I know we went and saw Grace Jones in Brook Hall one year after the parade--- I think Etta James was there too that year but not sure if this was the same year... my memory is a little foggy... maybe somebody else remembers better... I wish the sound had come out better of Pearl... anyone know whatever happened to him???

[knucklehead66]

Awesome video, thanks for posting!!

[saorik]

Thank you for sharing!! What an amazing footage!!