Rainbow Flags of the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade

Have you ever wondered who works behind the scenes to bring the impressive Rainbow flag display to the community Pride festivities every June? Is it the City of San Francisco? Is it the SF Pride Parade Committee?

The answer is Raising Colors!

Led by founder Clyde Wildes, along with a small group of committed volunteers, Raising Colors is responsible for decorating every one of the 320 Victorian "Path of Gold" light standards along Market Street, from The Embarcadero past the United Nations Plaza, all the way to Castro Street. And they have been doing this for 21 consecutive years! Raising Colors is responsible for the procurement, repair, replacement, and storage of the flags and receives funding totally from non-government private donations.

Rainbow flags saw the light of day during the 1978 San Francisco Gay Pride Parade, and have become gay pride symbols of the joy, diversity, and hope for the gay community world wide. In 1978 a group of Gay merchants took up a collection and funded the first display. A few years went by without a display, and in 1984 Raising Colors re-established the display with all new flags and has been responsible for this colorful community beautification project ever since.

For Tax Deductible Donations:

• To Donate Online
  Click Here For Online Donations
  
  
• To Donate By Check
  Please make your check payable to:
  San Francisco Pride Committee / Raising Colors*.
  Send your check to:
  SFLGBT Pride Celebration Committee
  1800 Market Street, PMB #5
  San Francisco, CA 94102

*The SF Pride Committee is a 501(c)3 tax exempt non-profit organization.

To Volunteer for Raising Colors, or Request More Information:

Please use our Contact Form

Donors:

The Estate of Richard Polak Jr.; Keith Henderson & Clark Husemann; Nordstrom; The R. Gwin Follis Foundation; William & Molly Person; Bears of San Francisco; The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Inc.; The Castro Lions Club Charities, Inc.; Body Positive; Gay Santa Barbara; Michael Ackerman; Josh Bottfeld; Hole In The Wall Saloon, Inc.; Steve Fletcher; Edward J. Petrillo & Eric R. Johnson; Mayor Gavin Newsom; Robert F. Eaton, MD & James McPherson; Scott R. Davis & Howard P. Perofsky; Officer Milanda Moore; Zephyr Real Estate; Anonymous.

Volunteers:

Michael Ackerman; Rod Brown; Jack Boujaklian; Mike Byrne; Allen Carpenter; Bob Cervantes; David Delay; Bart Dority; Mitch Evans; Earl Everett; Carl Hack; Stacia Hack; Gary Hanna, Dan Healy, Keith Henderson, Clark Husemann, Brian Lee, Jeff Mauk, Erika O'Connor; Jack Porter; Stefen Reilly; Robert Roberts; Joe Savoie; Jon Seizenger; Mark Tully; Danny Walters; Peter Washburn; John Winter.
In Memorium: Robert Kirsch