SF Pride marshals named
Longtime marriage equality advocates Molly McKay and Davina Kotulski were named grand marshals of this year's San Francisco Pride Parade, officials announced Tuesday, May 5.
The selection of McKay and Kotulski was made by the electoral college of the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee, which is composed of former grand marshals.
The Oakland couple has been together for 13 years. They have had several marriage ceremonies to each other during that time, including the latest one last September before voters passed Proposition 8.
McKay, 38, and Kotulski, 39, also were married in San Francisco on February 12, 2004 while participating in an annual marriage counter action. The couple was surprised that day when Mayor Gavin Newsom ordered city officials to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, in what became known as the "Winter of Love."
McKay, an attorney, is currently Marriage Equality USA's media director. Kotulski is a psychologist, life coach, and author of Why You Should Give A Damn About Gay Marriage. She previously served as the MEUSA's executive director.
"We are spouses for life and partners in crime. ... Being able to do this work together has been really magical," McKay said.
"Being the activists we are," she said, the couple's particularly excited they have this opportunity to ensure that visibility around marriage equality continues "during this critical year in California."
In 2003, Marriage Equality California was the parade organizational grand marshal, McKay said, but that group later merged with Equality California.
"Marriage Equality USA is a separate organization that used to be affiliated with Marriage Equality California, but Marriage Equality California no longer exists," she explained.
Other marshals
The Pride Committee announced Wednesday, May 6 that its board of directors selected William Beasley, a longtime civil rights activist and former Pride board member, as the 2009 lifetime achievement grand marshal.
The board also selected one community grand marshal, Joe Hawkins of Club Rimshot in Oakland. There is the possibility of more grand marshals to be announced later.
This year, public voting on community grand marshals was scraped while the committee reviews the selection process. But the board has long chosen additional grand marshals.
San Francisco Pride's grand marshals, who represent a mix of individuals who have made significant contributions to the LGBT community, are the public emissaries of Pride.
Pride's membership will select one individual community grand marshal at the general planning meeting scheduled for Tuesday, May 12. Members of the public are invited to attend and observe.
This year's Pride is set for June 27-28. The theme is "To Form a More Perfect Union."
For more information, visit www.sfpride.org