ACTIVISM 101 at SFLGBT Center

Activism 101 is a 3-part community series at the SF LGBT Center exploring different ways people can engage in activism while staying grounded, creative, and connected to community. Through conversations on drag as activism, the importance of showing up at Pride, and a panel with activists from different sectors, the series invites participants to reflect on their own role in social change and discover that activism can take many forms.

Whether you’re brand new to this work or looking to reconnect with your purpose, Activism 101 offers an accessible and affirming space to learn, be inspired, and take action together.

Event Description
What does drag have to do with activism? More than most people think.

Join the SF LGBT Center for Drag as Activism, the first event in our Activism 101 series. This evening will explore how drag can be used as a powerful form of self-expression, resistance, storytelling, and community care.

The event will begin with a live drag performance by our featured artist, followed by a guided conversation about their personal journey and how drag has shaped their role in activism. Together, we’ll talk about how art can challenge systems, create visibility, build confidence, and offer a path toward healing and connection. We’ll also make space for a real conversation about burnout, criticism, and how to keep showing up when the world feels heavy.

The second half of the evening will open into audience Q&A, giving community members the chance to reflect, ask questions, and connect drag to broader conversations about activism and social change.

What to expect when you arrive:

• A welcoming and community-centered space at the SF LGBT Center
• A live drag performance to open the event
• A moderated conversation with the performer
• Time for audience questions and discussion
• A relaxed, affirming environment where you can listen, learn, and participate at your own pace

This event is great for anyone who is curious about activism, loves drag, or wants to better understand how performance and art can be tools for survival and resistance.

NOTE: SIGNING UP FOR PRIDE MARCH WILL BE DONE AT A DIFFERENT EVENTBRITE. LINK WILL BE POSTED HERE SHORTLY

Pride March Planning + Community Action

Event Description
For the second event in our Activism 101 series, we’re turning our focus toward Pride, visibility, and collective action.

The Importance of Showing Up is a community gathering designed to help participants understand that activism does not always have to be loud, polished, or perfect. Sometimes, showing up is enough. In a time when queer and trans communities continue to face backlash, simply being present, visible, and in solidarity with one another is powerful.

This event will invite community members to join the SF LGBT Center Pride Committee, help shape our Pride presence, and get involved in planning for the upcoming Pride march. We’ll talk about what it means to participate in Pride with intention, what roles people can play beyond marching, and how we can make our contingent feel joyful, welcoming, and accessible.

Participants will have the opportunity to brainstorm together, ask questions, and sign up for ways to support the day-of experience. Whether you want to help plan, carry a banner, march with us, support behind the scenes, or simply understand more about how to plug in, this gathering is for you.

What to expect when you arrive:

• A short welcome and framing about Pride as activism
• Information about the SF LGBT Center’s Pride plans
• A collaborative conversation about how community members can participate
• Brainstorming around messaging, support roles, and visibility
• Opportunities to sign up and get involved
• A friendly, low-pressure space where all levels of experience are welcome

You do not need to consider yourself an activist to attend. This event is for anyone who wants to show up, connect, and be part of something bigger than themselves.

Finding Your Role in the Work

Event Description
Activism can take many forms, and not everyone enters the work in the same way.

For the final event in our Activism 101 series, the SF LGBT Center will host a panel conversation with activists from different sectors, including areas such as gender-affirming care, women’s rights, mental health, and immigration/refugee support. Together, they will share their personal journeys into activism, the different roles people can play in movements, and what keeps them grounded in the work.

This conversation will focus on how community members can begin to find the kind of work that feels meaningful to them or do not yet know where to start. Panelists will also speak honestly about burnout, anger, grief, and sustainability, and how they continue to fight for change without losing themselves in the process.

After the moderated panel discussion, the event will open into audience Q&A, giving participants a chance to ask questions, reflect on what resonated, and think about where they may want to show up in their own lives and communities.

What to expect when you arrive:

• A warm welcome and intro to the Activism 101 series
• A moderated panel featuring activists from different fields
• Honest conversation about finding your lane in activism
• Discussion around burnout, sustainability, and staying connected to purpose
• Audience Q&A and reflection
• An accessible and affirming space for learning and conversation

This event is ideal for people who want to better understand the many shapes activism can take and who are looking for inspiration, clarity, or a sense of where they might fit into the work.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher SF LGBT Center