SF Pride's director feels betrayed by Newsom for comments on trans athletes
SF Pride executive director feels betrayed by Newsom for comments on trans athletes
SF Prides Executive Director Suzanne Ford says Gov. Newsom cant run from his record on being a pro-LGBTQ+ rights advocate after commenting that allowing transgender athletes to play in womens sports, "deeply unfair." She says his comments were poorly worded and feels betrayed by how this unfolded.
SAN FRANCISCO - This year's theme for the 55th annual San Francisco Pride celebration is ‘Queer Joy is Resistance’.
While the city's month-long LGBTQ+ celebration is still a few months away, KTVU had the executive director of SF Pride on our air to talk about the event, but she also talked about feeling betrayed by California Governor Gavin Newsom for his comments on his podcast on Thursday where he said allowing transgender athletes to play in women's sports is "deeply unfair."
Feeling Betrayed
SF Pride's Executive Director, Suzanne Ford, is the first trans person to hold this position within the organization.
"What he did this morning was a calculated move to the right to appeal to a broader base of people," said Ford. "I would remind the governor that he cannot run away from his record. He has supported LGBTQ people."
Newsom will forever be associated with San Francisco's ‘Winter of Love’. In 2004, as San Francisco's mayor, he presided over same-sex marriage ceremonies as marriage licenses were issued at City Hall. Newsom was in defiance of the federal ban on gay marriage, which made its way before the Supreme Court in 2013. That was when the court made its landmark ruling that the federal government could not discriminate against same-sex unions.
Ford, who is from Kentucky, said back home, people will respect you more if you really say what your values are and what you mean when you say it.
"I hope we get to talk with Governor Newsom, because I think what he said today…he said it very poorly. He called us poor people and we are not poor people. We are thriving human beings that have a lot to add to the community and he needs to see us," Ford said.
In our interview, we asked Ford if she felt betrayed.
"Yes, because of the forum he chose to do it in and how he did it. He could voice his concerns. He has plenty of smart people around him that could have addressed this issue in a much more healthy way. So yes. I do feel betrayed," Ford said. "To wake up this morning to have the governor of California, who has been such a strong advocate for the LGBTQ community, to say that with that person…"
Ford is referring to Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist who was invited to Newsom's podcast for an extended conversation. Kirk, like President Trump, has been a vocal opponent of allowing transgender women and girls to participate in female sports.
Ford said she's used to waking up, checking her phone and has come to expect negativity from ant-trans activists and politicians, so this from Newsom came as a surprise.
"Gov. Newsom, please, call a conference. Let's bring in some experts. Let's bring in trans people that are for inclusion and let's talk about this issue," said Ford.
Why is resistance important?
"I think our values here in the Bay Area are not being reflected in the national media right now and the onslaught of the horrible news you're hearing every day," Ford said.
A lot of thought goes into the theme of SF Pride. Ford said members of SF Pride vote on the theme every year.
"With a lot of consideration, we came up with ‘Queer Joy is Resistance’. What we're trying to say is we need to resist this onslaught of, quite frankly, oppression. We're going to stand up, we're going to march, we're going to call out people to stand up for our rights," said Ford. "We're not going to let anyone take our joy away. We're going to find a way to be with each other and to do two things: resist but enjoy each other in a safe space."
Ford said throughout history, the LGBTQ+ community has never received its rights by somebody's "good graces."
"We've always had to stand up. We've always had to resist hatred. We realize that some of this country [has] taken a few steps back."
