Atop the Pink Triangle the Saturday morning of Pride weekend, last year. Show up early twith a hammer and gloves to help install this year?s Pink Triangle.

This Saturday, June 25, we’ll be able to see the giant 200-foot pink triangle on top of Twin Peaks, the hill that rises in the center of San Francisco looking West from Market Street. It’s been there every Pride Parade weekend for the past nine years.

The pink triangle was used by the Nazis in concentration camps to identify and shame homosexual prisoners. This symbol, which was used as in an attempt to label and shame, has been embraced by the gay community as a symbol of pride.

The dedication ceremony will take place on Saturday, June 25 at 10:30 am. Speakers will focus on the urgency of preventing hate crimes. Many of SF’s local LGBT elected officials have already confirmed that they will be attending: Assemblyman Mark Leno, Senator Carole Migden, Supervisor Bevan Dufty, Supervisor Tom Ammiano and Treasurer Jose Cisneros. The Director of Exhibitions from the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C., Ted Phillips will be speaking about the exhibition that will be on display at the San Francisco main Library and he will be telling the history of the Pink Triangle. The SF Lesbian Gay Freedom Band will again be performing this year.

Nine years ago, the pink triangle started out as a renegade crafts project which went up in the dark of night so the police wouldn’t catch the people putting it up. It has now grown into something large that is appreciated enough for the mayor and many of the city’s other elected officials to acknowledge and celebrate. It has been officially embraced by the city. Mayor Willie Brown christened the pink triangle on three occasions with a bottle of pink champagne.

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED
It takes a lot of people to install the pink triangle. Construction begins 7am; the event runts until 10 am. Volunteers are needed for the installation and are asked to bring a hammer. The location is the Twin Peaks vista point/overlook parking lot. The display will be for two days. Volunteers are also needed to take the pink triangle installation down (and lovingly fold it up) on Sunday, June 26 from 5 pm until 8 pm. One doesn’t need to stay the entire time; even an hour of help can accomplish a lot and is a huge benefit.

Directions to the event: From 101 (either from North or South), Get off on 9th Street in San Francisco, Take 9th Street to Market and turn left (west) onto Market. From the intersection of Market and Castro and 17th Street: Drive up 17th Street, turn left on to Clayton, immediately turn right on to Twin Peaks Blvd, stay on Twin Peaks Blvd all the way up the hill (Caution: at one point it turns sharply left, if you go straight you’ll be on Clarendon—wrong way!) At the top of the hill is a small street called Christmas Tree Lane that takes you to the Twin Peaks vista point / overlook-parking lot. You won’t be able to miss it as there will be pink canvas everywhere. BRING a HAMMER and Gloves ! ! ! Wear closed-shoes, sandals are not recommended. Wear sunscreen. For more information contact Patrick Carney, 247-1100 ext. 142, (726-4914 cell valid only the day of the event), www.thepinktriangle.com, email: patc@hellermanus.com