Although June is officially over, it is never too late to look back on all the exciting times that occurred this past month. Comcast participated in many events throughout the month of June to both recognize and celebrate members of the LGBTQ+ community. For the last week of June, Comcast participated in two special events to close out the month-long Pride celebration.
On Sunday, June 25th, Comcast joined the ongoing festivities in San Francisco by taking part in the 2023 Pride Parade. With a float decked out in colorful decorations and under the slogan Pride is Universal, Comcast took the celebration of Pride up Market Street in style. The float was accompanied by a DJ playing fun hit songs while over 100 Comcast and NBC Bay Area employees walked beside in colorful outfits. During the walk, Comcasters handed out beaded necklaces to the surrounding crowd, danced alongside the float, and waved the Pride flag high in the air. At the end of the parade, Xfinity had a booth located in the Civic Center Plaza, where all parade participants were welcome to enter for fun, interactive pictures, and to learn more about the services that Comcast has to offer. Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate with us and help proclaim that Pride is Universal!
On Wednesday, June 28th, Comcast, in partnership with San Francisco Bay Times and The Academy SF, hosted a Pride After Glow Screening of the beloved movie To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar at the iconic Castro Theatre in Castro neighborhood in San Francisco to close out the celebration of Pride month.
Guests were encouraged to dress up in their favorite outfits from the movie to pose on the red carpet and have their pictures taken. After walking along the red carpet, attendees were handed a complimentary bag of popcorn and a cool refreshment before entering the historic theatre to watch the beloved 90’s classic.
Before the movie, the 700 guests in attendance were treated to a short program led by film critic and columnist Jan Wahl, and San Francisco-based drag entertainer, Khmera Rouge, who gave wonderful remarks about Comcast’s continuous support of LGBTQ+ causes and introduced the guests for the evening.
First, David Tashjian, Regional Senior Vice President for the California Region announced a $50,000 contribution to two crucial organizations in the state, Equality California and the SF LGBT Center. These funds will help improve the quality of lives of LGBTQ+ youth in SF and the state.
John Newmeyer, who is Julie Newmar’s brother and an activist for LGBTQ+ rights in his own way, joined the stage to share a few anecdotes from when his sister filmed the movie back in 1995.
The evening ended with a stand ovation and a happy crowd. Even as we move away from Pride month and embark into the month of July, Comcast continues to acknowledge and celebrate members of the LGBTQ+ community. It is never too late to remind ourselves that Pride is, and will always be, Universal!
