Image: Headshots of Fred Lopez and Carolyn Wysinger, courtesy of same.
EVENT DESCRIPTION
GLBT Historical Society executive director Terry Beswick will interview the leaders behind San Francisco Pride, Board President Carolyn Wysinger and Executive Director Fred Lopez. Managing this huge event every year is always an enormous undertaking, and Lopez and Wysinger will discuss how they are steering Pride celebrations in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is the June installment of “Queer Culture Club,” our monthly series each second Thursday that focuses on LGBTQ people who are defining the queer culture of yesterday, today and tomorrow. Each month, Beswick interviews queer culture-makers, including authors, playwrights, historians, activists, artists and archivists, to learn about their work, process, inspirations, hopes and dreams.
SPEAKERS
Fred Lopez (he/him/his) is the executive director of San Francisco Pride. He has spent 20 years working in LGBTQ nonprofits for organizations working with HIV prevention, gay/bi men’s health promotion, community health and more.
Carolyn Wysinger (she/her/hers) has worked fiercely in the LGBTQ community in a plethora of capacities. As a blogger, she has written timely and insightful articles for blogs such as Autostraddle, Everyday Feminism, Black Girl Dangerous and Media Diversified. As an author, Carolyn published her first book, Knockturnal Emissions, which has been listed on LGBTQ essential reading lists at several universities. She has served on the steering committee for Black Lesbians United, the board for the NIA Gathering for Same GenderLoving Women of African Descent and the board of BUTCHVoices National Conference. She is a former commissioner of human rights and relations for the City of Richmond. She formerly served on the Executive Board of the Long Beach Lambda Democratic Club. Currently, she is the Vice President of Programs for the El Cerrito Democratic Club and PAC Chair of the Lambda Democratic Club of Contra Costa County. She was recently elected Delegate to California Assembly District 15.
Terry Beswick (he/him/his) has served as executive director of the GLBT Historical Society since 2016. At the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in San Francisco, he was a founding member of the local ACT UP and was the first national coordinator of ACT NOW, the national AIDS activist network. He advocated for HIV/AIDS research and treatment with Project Inform, the Human Rights Campaign and the White House Office of HIV/AIDS Policy. After the advent of effective treatments for HIV, Beswick worked as a journalist for the Bay Area Reporter and other LGBTQ community publications. More recently, he spearheaded a successful campaign to save and renovate the Castro Country Club for the queer recovery community and co-founded the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District. He holds an MFA in playwriting from San Francisco State University. Beswick has been named a Community Grand Marshal for the 50th Anniversary San Francisco LGBTQ Pride Parade and Celebration in 2020.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
This event will take place online. After you register, you will receive a confirmation email with a link and instructions on how to join.
ADMISSION
Free | $5 suggested donation
Tickets are available online here: https://bit.ly/3avW8li
ASL INTERPRETATION
ASL interpretation provided upon request. Please write at least three days in advance of event to leigh@glbthistory.org.
JOIN THE GLBT HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Become a member of the GLBT Historical Society for free museum and program admission, discounts in the museum shop and other perks: http://www.glbthistory.org/memberships.