Dogpatch Press

What does Pride mean to you?

If Pride means being authentically yourself and refusing to hide, the San Francisco Pride Parade is one of the best places in the world. It’s so real when you’re there with a group, in the moment when they say GO, then you turn the corner onto the main parade route and the crowd roars. That’s how to BE.

The Nor Cal Furries will march with a parade float on June 25. (Furry is an interest that harmonizes with LGBT members, and many other interest groups participate.) Meanwhile, some people just found out that furries exist and want to attack them; for example, anti-LGBT law has forced Megaplex to restrict attendance due to power abuse by the government. This shows ongoing history where simply existing is an undebatable political statement. But people who oppose LGBT existence and think this is new activism don’t know that furries have been award-winning Pride marchers for 21 years. And the founders of Pride knew that just being there is winning. We can look forward to another 21 years of being there… but it won’t happen by itself.

It’s up to us and YOU. Nor Cal Furries can’t go without volunteer staff, so please answer or spread the call. If you can’t volunteer, come attend and tell a friend.

CALL FOR STAFF – SIGN UP HERE > https://forms.gle/Pb8n1UXDCTLNKaW6A

Let’s meet some of the team you can join (in no special order). Dogpatch Press asked each one: What does Pride mean to you, and why make this event happen?

Zoren (Telegram: ZorenManray)

Pride means showing our uniqueness. That we are all so diverse. Pride also shows that despite our differences we still can all come together as one and celebrate our love and passions in their many different ways. I continue to lead the contingent not for personal gain or acclaim, I do this to bring together that magic we all make together and share it with the rest of the world.

Who is Zoren?

Hailing from the Sacramento metro area, Zoren has been around the furry fandom for many years. Giving back to the community, you will find him volunteering at multiple regional furry conventions and events. He’s helped out with quite a few over the years, including leading the furry contingent in the San Francisco Pride Parade since 2018.

Super Jay (Telegram: SuperJayhawk)

Growing up as a minority, Super Jayhawk chose to fight for equality and against prejudice both online and in real life. The Pride Celebration and parade means standing up and supporting equality for everyone, and SuperJay is proud to march with the NorCal Furries in the San Francisco Pride Parade and help everyone be absolutely fabulous!

Super Jayhawk has been performing, coordinating and assisting in local fursuiting events with Critters by the Bay, a local fursuit performance group, for over 20 years, including parades, amusement park, city and charity events. Fursuiting in public can be challenging, and Super Jayhawk is commited to making sure everything runs smoothly and performers are looked out for, and to make the event an awesome experience.

Didge (Telegram: DidgeDingo)

Pride to me is showing who we are and that we are here. It’s a show of force that we will not be silenced or hidden away through legislation or other’s religious/political ideology.

It’s a reminder to younger LGBTQ+ generations of where we came from and what we have fought to achieve over decades.

Painting the float for the parade

It’s kinda cliché, but pride really can boil down to showing the world that Love is Love and nothing will change that.

What really makes Pride worth it is the feeling of being on the float and that moment you turn onto Market street. You see the first part of what can be a million people lining the street and the realization that all these people support you for you, your friends for who they are and it’s unconditional – it’s truly amazing and emotional. Even after being out to various levels degrees for 20 years or more, that feeling is still unreal.

About me: Age 39 (well I’ll be 39 by pride lol), and I’ve been a furry for about 27 years. I started out as a dragon but found myself as a dingo about 10-12 years ago. Born and raised in the central valley, Ohio State grad and forever a Buckeye. I am a licensed civil engineer who works for the State. You’ll find me at various events in one of the suits I have been lucky enough to get over many years.

Disko (Telegram: Mr_Disk0)

Hey there! Names Mr. D!sk0 Dog, I’ve been in the community for almost 20 years and help with events here and there.

Pride means everything to me, for me it’s about standing up for our rights in an ever changing society that would soon forget about what we do. I wish I could say we no longer need to fight for these rights, that we live in a cohesive relationship with others working together towards greater goals. However that is not the case, there are people that want strip these rights from us. Basic rights of equality. Something I believe should not even be questioned. Yet here we are… still fighting. Progress has been made. Yet the second we relax, these rights will be removed if we let them.

This event to me means bringing us together, to stand as equals to be proud of who you are, to be proud of what we can achieve if you just apply yourselves. Back in 2019 after the parade I wanted us to focus on a new project. Instead of renting trucks why don’t we build our own? Fast-forward to today and we are still making changes and building on a platform that we can take into the future, for all sorts of events, not just Pride.

I often think of these quotes from this movie when thinking on the actions we do here and what they mean to me. To us all.

“Greed has poisoned men’s souls
Has barricaded the world with hate
Has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed
Our knowledge has made us cynical
Our cleverness, hard and unkind
We think too much and feel too little
More than machinery we need humanity
More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness
Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost.”

Charlie Chaplin.
The Great Dictator.

Remember, that in all that we do… we do with Love. We do this with Pride.

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