Reaction to Shooting at Gay Pride Party Exposes Racial Tensions

I never like to use internet slang, but right now I’m SMH (shaking my head) at my gay community. Not all of them, only the ones who are worried about their gay party, instead of the life of the young man that was killed at the Pride party this past weekend. And I like gay parties.

Last Saturday, at the Pride festivities in San Francisco, I was talking with some homegirls when I heard, "pop,pop,pop,pop,pop,pop." My first thought was fireworks, since 4th of July is coming up. But no, it wasn't fireworks. I turned to my left as the crowd moved, a circle cleared, and seven feet away from me, a young man was laying on the floor. Steven Powell, 19 years old, would lose his life on Market and Castro at the Pink Party, the large street party leading up to San Francisco's Gay Pride Parade on Sunday.

After the crowd moved on and the police secured the area, one person was dead, two wounded, and a suspect was in custody – a 20 year old Black man who was later found to not be the culprit.

Immediate reactions to the shooting were varied at the festivities. My friend, who attended the Pride events with me, was in shock. She told me it was her first time seeing a dead body, and it was unbelievable to her to see a human being losing their life right in front of her. But others went about their business after the incident, going on to the other side of the party to continue with their night.

When my friends and I rushed to the BART to leave, we heard disturbing comments regarding the Powell shooting from gay folks visiting the city. "Don't let those thugs in the party,” I heard one man say. His sentiments were echoed around the city.

A thread of comments that followed on the report of the shooting on SF Gate were similar. Someone wrote about requiring folks to put a pink "I’m Gay" sticker to enter the street party. As a queer person of color, I wouldn't wear one of those pink "I’m Gay" stickers. That’s pretty corny. A good majority of folks were saying the victim and shooter were only there to sell drugs, even though the only information they knew about them was that they were young and Black.

What is amazing is that the eclipsing discussion within the gay community was not about mourning the loss of this young man, but rather the fear of losing the party. And that is selfish. It’s like worrying about your vacation flight being canceled on 9-11.

Living in Hunter’s Point, a lot of my younger cousins always asked if they can go to Pride with me. They all identify with being straight. Some of them are young and Black. But they, as most San Francisco residents, understand Pride and its context in San Francisco – a city that offers very unique facets with its diversity. Pride belongs to the city, as well as Steven Powell, and even the shooter. They are all different, but in the city, they are bound to clash, in a good or a bad way.

As someone who grew up in San Francisco, I never liked tourists, gay or not, coming into the city, trashing our streets for their gay fest and leaving. I’m a proud queer and what not, but damn. I don't really think folks should have the audacity to say that some residents of the city shouldn't be allowed to do this and do that. The Pink Party, Pride, and the LGBTQ community often claims to welcome everyone. It’s ironic for me to hear gay people talk about excluding people due to class and race, yet I feel it every time I go to any Pride event. Some people stare at you and give uncomfortable looks because of the color of your skin or because of the way you dress.

The people making comments about “thugs and hoodlums” threatening their party, who only knew that the victim was a young Black male, probably assumed that the shooter was the same. Ed Perkins, the young man who was arrested on suspicion, was later released because it was proven he was not involved. He too was young and Black, and like the victim, he too would be lumped in a series of comments of stereotypes assuming he was the shooter by uppidity gays afraid to lose a street party. The shooter was never found. I bet those who feel Powell ruined their weekend also didn't know that he was a star basketball player being looked at by Ivy League colleges for recruitment.

But what is important, whether it is on a comment thread or in the streets, is that someone’s son, brother, friend, lost their life. There should be more remorse for the young man’s life, rather then getting all hyped about losing a street party.

RIP Steve Powell.