A woman marches in San Francisco Pride with her white cane wrapped in rainbow fur, accompanied by a woman in a wheelchair and a little girl waving.
A woman marches in San Francisco Pride with her white cane wrapped in rainbow fur, accompanied by a woman in a wheelchair and a little girl waving.

Photos: This SF Pride we made it clear that LGBTQ+ includes the blind and disabled

It’s not every day that we get to march freely down the middle of Market Street with our canes wrapped in multi-colored ribbon. But on Sunday, we took to the streets for the 2018 SF Pride parade with a rainbow-clad pan-disability contingent of more than 150 people with disabilities and our allies. To our knowledge this is the largest-ever group of disability supporters to march in San Francisco Pride.

This year’s contingent was a true testament to the shared experience of having a disability, whatever it may be, and the subsequent empowerment that comes with being seen and celebrating that identity. We’d like to extend a warm thank you to the staff, volunteers, community supporters and our sponsors, Mental Health Association San Francisco and The Arc San Francisco, who marched with us and made this a truly celebratory day.

We’re still selling our beloved SF Pride T-shirts in the Adaptations Store! Support LightHouse and pick one up for next year’s parade for only $20.

Three volunteers in rainbow spandex hold the LightHouse banner while marching at the front of the contingent.
Three volunteers in rainbow spandex hold the LightHouse banner while marching at the front of the contingent.
A woman applies eyeshadow to a LightHouse contingent member with rainbow balloons in the background.
A woman applies eyeshadow to a fellow LightHouse contingent member with rainbow balloons in the background.
Two pride participants, one standing wearing the LightHouse shirt and wearing 'Ms. Wheelchair California' sash, prepare to march in the parade.
Two pride participants, one standing wearing the LightHouse shirt and the other wearing a ‘Ms. Wheelchair California’ sash, prepare to march in the parade.
A pride participant from Senior & Disability Action marches with our contingent, holding a 'Blind, Queer & Proud' sign.
A pride participant from Senior & Disability Action marches with our contingent, holding a ‘Blind, Queer & Proud’ sign.
Contingent members from The Arc San Francisco smile and pose before the parade begins.
Contingent members from The Arc San Francisco smile and pose before the parade begins.
A little girl wearing a tutu and fairy wings smiles and jumps into the air.
A little girl wearing a tutu and fairy wings smiles and jumps into the air.
A LightHouse student stands with his guide dog and a volunteer holding a sign that reads, "Shared history, shared struggles, shared liberation".
A LightHouse student stands with his guide dog and a volunteer holding a sign that reads, “Shared history, shared struggles, shared liberation”.
A contingent member from the Mental Health Association of San Francisco smiles and holds a sign that reads, "Disabled & Proud. I can have both."
A contingent member from the Mental Health Association of San Francisco smiles and holds a sign that reads, “Disabled & Proud. I can have both.”
A pride participant with a cane walk side by side in the midst of our large Pride contingent.
A pride participant with a cane walk side by side in the midst of our large Pride contingent.
A contingent member marches with a sign attached to their wheelchair that reads "Free our people."
A contingent member marches with a sign attached to their wheelchair that reads “Free our people.”
Two Pride participants in wheelchairs laugh while marching down market street with the contingent. One holds a sign that reads "Proud to be here."
Two Pride participants in wheelchairs laugh while marching down market street with the contingent. One holds a sign that reads “Proud to be here.”
LightHouse Pride organizer Laura Millar smiles while marching, with her white cane wrapped in rainbow ribbon.
LightHouse Pride organizer Laura Millar smiles while marching, with her white cane wrapped in rainbow ribbon.
Two rainbow-bedecked pride participants march side by side, one holding a sign that says "Proud of everything that we are."
Two rainbow-bedecked pride participants march side by side, one holding a sign that says “Proud of everything that we are.”
A french bulldog smiles while his owner, a LightHouse volunteer, holds him before the parade starts.
A french bulldog smiles while his owner, a LightHouse volunteer, holds him before the parade starts.