Grand Marshals and Honorees

SF PRIDE GRAND MARSHAL/PINK BRICK AWARD AND AWARDEE POLICYIES

Authority
This policy is in all respects subordinate to the Articles of Incorporation, By-Laws, and Standing Rules of the Corporation.
Purpose/Categories
1. There will be four (4) categories of Grand Marshals: Community Individuals, OCommunity Organizational, Lifetime Achievement, and Celebrity.
2. Grand Marshals will be selected for their contributions to the LGBTQI+ communities.
3. Grand Marshals shall serve as VIPs of the Parade and be placed towards the front of the line up. They shall not serve as spokespersons for the Parade and/or SF Pride, nor will they automatically be asked to speak on any of the various Celebration stages or at any of the SF Pride official events.
4. Grand Marshals may elect to either march in the Parade or ride in a vehicle provided by SFLGBTPCC at no cost to the Grand Marshal. The Grand Marshal may elect to ride in a vehicle of their choosing, at their expense, and subject to the rules and guidelines imposed by the Parade Manager and/or SFLGBTPCC.
5. The Pink Brick Award recipient shall be an opportunity to recognize an individual or organization who has done the most harm to the LGBTQ community, and to serve to educate the community, the Pink Brick Award recipient, and the world.
Definitions
1. Board: The Board of Directors of SFLGBTPCC, Inc./SF Pride
2. Members: The General Membership of SFLGBTPCC, Inc./SF Pride
Qualifications /Criteria
1. The Individual Community Grand Marshals shall be local heroes members of the community who have contributed in large partmade a positive impact and/or contribution to the SF Bay Area LGBTQI+ community, or, as openly gay LGBTQ, contributed in large part to society at largeand/or society at large.
  1. “Local heroesmembers of the community” shall be defined as individuals currently and primarily living in the nine-county Bay Area: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma counties.
  2. “Primarily living in the nine-county Bay Area…” shall be defined as the individual residing in one of the nine Bay Area counties for at least 6.5more than six consecutive months of the calendar year.
2. The Organizational Grand Marshal shall be a local nonprofit organization, following the same geographical criteria as individual Community Grand Marshals.
3. The Lifetime Achievement Grand Marshal shall follow the criteria of the Individual Community Grand Marshal, with the addition of having their contribution to the LGBTQI+ community being both significant and having spanned many years.
4. Celebrity Grand Marshals (and/or Celebrity Guests) shall be an individual or group of individuals with [inter]national name recognition, and if not openly LGBTQ, shall who have demonstrated they are a friend/allytheir support, alliance, and/or coalition with the of the LGBTQI+ community.
5. The Pink Brick Award recipient shall either be an individual, organization, business, other entity that has caused serious harm to the LGBTQ community or LGBTQ movement for equality.
6. All community, organizational, and lifetime achievement grand marshals, as well as any awardees and honorees, will have their criteria verified by the Executive Director and/or anyone assigned by the Executive Director and/or the Community Relations Manager, Parade Manager, and/or anyone assigned by the Executive Director, with final sign-off by the Executive Director prior to in-meeting voting and ballot creation.
Nomination/Selection and Election
1. Number of Grand Marshals, Awardees and Recipients
  1. One (1) Community Grand Marshal elected by public vote.
  2. One (1) Community Grand Marshal elected by SFP General Members.
  3. Up to two (2) Community Grand Marshals appointed by the Board.
  4. One (1) Organizational Community Grand Marshal will be elected by public vote.
  5. One (1) Lifetime Achievement Grand Marshal is selected by the Board.
  6. One (1) Pink Brick Award recipient will be elected by public vote.
  7. Up to three two(23) Celebrity Grand Marshals may be, selecteded by the Board Executive Director, Community Relations Manager, and VIP Manager, then presented to the Board for a vote of affirmation. Aion informed byfrom a “wish list” that is generated by the general membership, will beSuggestions for the list shall be solicited from the members established each in November. by the Community Relations Manager..
  8. At least one (1) awardee from the special awards category, may be selected by the Board in any given year, to be presented at the Ken Jones Commemorative Awards event.
2. Nomination, Selection, and Election Timeline
  1. Timeline
    1) November:
    1) November Membership Meeting: A Celebrity Grand Marshal/Guest “Wish List” will be opened at the November General Membership Meeting, and remain ongoing until it closes at the April General Membership meeting. The Executive Director, the VIP Manager, and/or the Entertainment Community Relations Manager and Parade Managers will be the only approved contacts for approaching, contracting, and communicating with Celebrity Grand Marshals.
    2) December:
    1) December Membership Meeting: NominaSuggestions for Individual and Organizational Community Grand Marshals, Organizational Grand Marshal, and the Pink Brick Award recipient shall open at the NovDecember General Membership meeting, and close at the January General Membership meeting.
    3) January:
    1) Nominations Suggestions for Individual and Organizational Community Grand Marshals, Organizational Grand Marshal, and the Pink Brick Award recipient shall close at the January General Membership meeting.
    2) Following the January Membership Meeting and upon closure of nominationsthe suggestion poll, the Board may, at its discretion, whittle down the list of Community Grand Marshal nominees suggestions to ten (10) names candidates to be placed on the voting ballot. When selecting those to be placed on the voting ballot, the following shall be considered as criteria: Annual Theme, Timeliness, Diversity, Connection to/with the local community, previous Community Grand Marshal selections.
    3) Following the closure of nominationssuggestions, and under the direction of the Executive DirectorCommunity Relations Manager, all potential nominees will be vetted and confirmed;, biographies and headshots collected;, and ballots designed.
    4) Paper and online voting ballots will be prepared and published within 14 business days of the January General Membership meeting for the community vote. Ballots will feature a maximum of ten (10) Community Grand Marshal nominees; five (5) Organizational Grand Marshal nominees, and three (3) Pink Brick Award recipient nominees.
    4) February:
    1) Online voting ballots will be prepared and published within 7 business days of the February Board meeting for the community vote. Ballots will feature a maximum of ten (10) Community Grand Marshal nominees and five (5) Organizational Grand Marshal nominees.
    2) At the February General Membership meeting, all attending members will submit their nominations for a General Members-only Community Grand Marshal slate, which will be vetted identical to the open, public community grand marshal candidates.
    3) Following the closure of member-ballot only nominations, and under the direction of the Executive Director, all nominees will be vetted and their acceptance of the nomination confirmed.
    5) March:
    1) The deadline to close general public voting/polling will be the Monday before the March Board of DirectorsGeneral Member meeting.
    2) Winners of the public vote will be announced no later thanat the March General Membership Meeting.
    3) March Board of Directors Meeting: The Board of Directors may choose to appoint a Lifetime Achievement Grand Marshal, or decline to do so, in any given year.
    4) March General Membership Meeting: Members will have an opportunity to vote for their choice of Community Grand Marshal from the list of candidates on their public slate, or be able to choose from the public slate.
    5) Following the March General Membership Meeting, and no later than the April Board Meeting, the Board of Directors may also, but are not required to, choose up to two (2) additional Community Grand Marshals from the slate, to add diversity, as well as select a Lifetime Achievement Grand Marshal.
    6) April:
    1) Within 14 business days of the March General Membership meeting, all elected Community Grand Marshals will be contacted to accept or decline the honor, submit a short bio, and supply a high-resolution photograph.
    2) Announcement of the final Community Grand Marshals will be made at no later than the April General Membership meeting.
3. Voting Ballots and Polling Places
  1. Only original voting ballots produced by SF Pride will be valid.
  2. All polling places will be staffed by SF Pride.
  3. All polling places must be in public places, so as to avoid restricted access, including for those with accessibility issues. Location, dates, and times of polling places must be clearly posted in all media.
  4. To guarantee fairness and avoid undue influence/intimidation, nominees and their supporters are asked not to campaign:
    1) within 50 feet of an outdoor polling station
    2) immediately outside or at an indoor polling station
    
    Failure to comply may result in the closure of the polling station in question, and/or invalidate any votes cast.
  5. Any individual, regardless of residence, shall be eligible to vote in the Public Poll.
  6. Ballots will be counted by SF Pride staff/the Community Relations Manager or Board.Most voting will take place online only, with in-person voting and accommodations fascilitated on a case-by-case basis by SF Pride Staff.
4. Publicity
  1. Press releases, email announcements, and social media notifications shall accompany the opening and closing of all nominations, the start of all elections, and the sum results from those elections.
  2. Whenever possible, profiles of the Grand Marshals and Pink Brick Award recipient will be included in the SF Pride publications and website.
5. Special Awards (given out at the Ken Jones Commemorative Awards event)
  The BOD Board may, in any given year, award one (1), some, all, or none of the following special awards:
  1. Heritage of Pride Awards (given out at the Media Party, no parade benefits)
    1) 10 Years of Service Award - For those organizations, individuals, or other entities that have contributed ten (10) years of consecutive service to the LGBTQI+ community.
    2) Pride Freedom Award - For outstanding contributions to advancing civil rights and freedom for LGBTQI+ people.
    3) Pride Creativity Award - For outstanding artistic contribution to the LGBTQI+ community.
    4) Pride Community Award - Given for outstanding service to LGBTQI+ communities.
  2. Commemoration Awards (similar to Grand Marshal, parade benefits)
    1) Gilbert Baker Pride Founder’s Award
    The Gilbert Baker Pride Founder’s Award honors those who have made a significant and historical impact on the LGBTQI+ community and the movement for LGBTQI+ rights.
    2) Audrey Joseph LGBTQI+ Entertainment Award
    The Audrey Joseph LGBTQI+ Entertainment Award is awarded to honor those who have made a significant and historical impact, or left an indelible impression on the LGBTQI+ community and the movement for LGBTQI+ rights, through their artistic expression, or through their contribution within the entertainment industry.
    3) José Julio Sarria History Maker Award
    The José Julio Sarria History Maker Award is given to Bay Area people who make extraordinary changes in the way society views the LGBTQI+ community.
  3. Mayoral Awards (similar to Grand Marshal, parade benefits)
  
  Teddy Witherington Award
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  Awarded by the current City of San Francisco Mayor, recognizing those individuals who have contributed a longstanding, large body of work to the LGBTQI+ community.
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Amendment

The board may amend this policy either by consensus or simple majority.
Approved: by the Board 02.01.99
Amended 01.04.00
Amended 10.03.00
Substantially Amended 01.07.03
Amended 10.28.03
Amended 01/07/2014
Amended 12/2/14
Amended 3/3/15
Amended 1/6/16