25 Pride Week Do's and Don'ts

It's Pride Month!  It’s a time of fun, celebration, commemoration, reflection, and big parties all around celebrating queer, lesbian, gay, bi, transgender and everyone in between. We here at Teensource.org support equality and diversity and we hope that if you want to celebrate Pride Week, that you have a safe and solid celebration. To do that, we have prepared a Do’s and Don’ts for staying safe during Pride celebrations. These tips can be used for any celebration, but since it’s pride, we thought ya’ll deserved a special holiday memo!
 

25 Pride Week Do’s and Don’ts

  1. Do stay with your friends and people that you know and trust. It’s a good idea to go out in a group with people that you know and trust.
  2. Do tell your parents and/or an adult that you trust where you will be, and who you will be with. Arrange a time to check in with them regularly. For example, after the parade, send a text or give a call saying that you’ll call them at a certain time.
  3. Do charge your cell phone. If you can read this blog, you can officially charge (and remember to actually bring) your cell phone.
  4. Do know your limits. If you are going to drink or use drugs, know what your limits are. You don’t want to be passed out on a street corner in the middle of a crowd of strangers (and unfortunately, that happens all the time). Be safe and keep that brain awake and handy.
  5. Don't drink if you're underage. Underage drinking is illegal and there are cops everywhere. Spending the night in jail is not how you want to spend your Pride weekend!
  6. Do protect yourself if you have sex.  There are free condoms everywhere during Pride Week. No excuses!
  7. Do stock up on free condoms for you and yours.
  8. Do eat some garlic fries for me. No carbs for Miss Jyll this week and someone has to enjoy them!
    Ditto funnelcake.
  9. Do listen to some great music. 
  10. Don’t stand too close to the speakers.
  11. Do wear sunscreen. It’s easy to get a nasty sunburn, even in San Francisco (I swear!) Protect yourself from melanoma and burndom and lather up.
  12. Do drink plenty of water.
  13. Do bring a water bottle. Street vendors make serious bank off of those $5 water bottles.  
  14. Don’t bring a ton of cash. People get pickpocketed all the time.
  15. Do keep your money in a safe place. Backpocket and the back end of a backpack = prime pickpocket zone. Personally, I’m a big fan of keeping money in my bra, but if that’s not an option for you, a zippered pocket is also a good option.
  16. Don’t ditch your friends to hang out with strangers. Always make sure that people you know and trust know who you’re with at all times, and where!
  17. Don’t feel pressured to be someone that you are not, or do something that you don’t want to do (this is actually true every day of the year!) 
  18. Do bring some hand sanitizer. You’ll be glad you did.
  19. Do wash your hands when you get a chance or if you can’t, don’t touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. Lots of germs in public places, and crowded places are a good place to pick up a nasty cold.
  20. If you want to be the most popular person in your group, do stash a roll of toilet paper in your purse/murse. Porta potties suffer from chronic Out Of Toilet Paper Disorder.
  21. Do bring a sweater or jacket. Summer in San Francisco turns to winter real fast.
  22. Don’t drive if you’ve been drinking or taking anything or are in any way impaired. A DUI isn’t fair to anyone else on the road, and driving under the influence has serious consequesnces. Take a bus/train/taxi or have designated driver.
  23. Do wear close toed shoes. Flipflops in the city are not only gross (walking through all that schmuck and muck!) but you can cut yourself on broken glass and various sharp objects, and in a big crowd your feet are bound to get stepped on. Plus, they’re pretty harsh on your knees. You will party a lot hardier in sensible shoes. If you need some inspiration, bright sneakers or a pair of boots look awesome all year round.
  24. Do designate a meeting spot with your friends. Somewhere specific and obvious and easy to access, in case someone gets lost. “Under the rainbow flag” is not specific enough.
  25. If you see something suspicious, do report it to a cop or to an organizer. And if something  doesn’t feel quite right or safe, you can bail at any time. 

And on that note, have a great Pride Weekend, everyone! Stay safe and enjoy the celebration.