On Saturday, May 31st at 2pm, the Japantown Rainbow Coalition invites you to the Fourth Annual raising of the Progress Pride Flag in S.F. Japantown, in Osaka Way at the Torii Gate. RSVP Here!
Join the Japantown Rainbow Coalition in celebrating Queer and Trans Asian Pacific Islander Week (QTAPI) and Pride Month for words of wisdom from JARF, San Francisco Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (SF JACL), Okaeri NorCal, Queer and Trans Asian Pacific Islander Week (QTAPI) and more, followed by a procession to Konko Church of San Francisco for the raising of the Progress Pride Flag.
Be sure to stop by the Japantown businesses before or after for lunch or dinner, shopping, or learning about Japantown history.
The Rainbow Coalition has championed the raising of the rainbow flag to proudly proclaim our intersecting identities and show that people of LGBTQ+ identities don't just live in the Tenderloin, SoMA or the Castro, but also places like Japantown. San Francisco has long been known as an epicenter for LGBTQ+ organizing and celebration, especially during the month of June, Pride Month. The City has a rich history of LGBTQ+ activism and we hope to continue that tradition and highlight the hidden history of LGBTQ+ communities and people in Japantown that a model minority myth often conceals. For example, it was in 1954 that the Japantown YMCA hosted the very first convention of the Mattachine Society, one of the earliest gay liberation organizations. In fact, the YMCA holds the designation of being the fourth property on the West Coast listed on the National Register of Historic Places for LGBTQ significance.
The Japantown Rainbow Coalition is a group of Japantown community members organizing to raise the Pride Flag. The group appreciates the support from the community organizations and local businesses and merchants and the project is sponsored by the San Francisco Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League with community support from Konko Church of San Francisco, Omusubi, the Berkeley Chapter of the JACL, the Japantown Cultural District, and the San Francisco Buddhist Church. We also appreciate the financial support from Japantown Community Benefits District (JCBD).