The giant pink canvas triangle that is one of the symbols of LGBTQ Pride Month in San Francisco is bigger than ever this year. The volunteers said they are standing up for their rights amid a national pushback from Conservative lawmakers.
Hundreds of volunteers installed the triangle made of cloth and canvas on San Francisco’s Twin Peaks observation deck, one of the city’s most popular tourist spots, as part of the city’s Pride celebrations.
Measuring nearly an acre in size and visible from up to 20 miles (32 kilometers) away, this year’s triangle is the largest since the annual tradition began in 1995.
«We’ve made a lot of progress in the last decade: marriage equality and eliminating ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,'» said Patrick Carney, co-founder of Friends of the Pink Triangle, the group that organizes the installation each year.
«Since we had so many wins, people are coming out of nowhere to push us back,» he added.
The pink triangle was used by the Nazis during the Holocaust to identify the thousands of gay prisoners They were thrown into concentration camps. Later, gay rights advocates adopted the emblem and made it a symbol of love and solidarity.
Organizers said recent legislation that has sought to limit their rights, including Florida’s so-called «Don’t Say Gay» law that bans classroom instruction on sexual orientation, makes the pink triangle especially relevant this year.
“Our lives are so threatened right now, particularly black and brown transgender people,” volunteer Maureen Futtner said. «And I feel like I need to be active and out and proud.»
The pink triangle will be on display until July 1.