2025 Board of Directors Election
From 46 eligible voters, 25 votes were cast in this election.
Two candidates receiving the most votes over 13 were elected.
(13 is 50% + 1 of the
25 ballots counted)
- Michelle Meow, with 17 votes
- Samuel Favela, with 17 votes
Verify the election results on Election Runner.
For the fourth year, SF Pride will conduct the Board Election separately from the Annual General Meeting, utilizing Election Runner for an online election. (This process is outlined in the by-laws under "action by written ballot without a meeting.") Voting online saves time & money and enables SF Pride to better support members who require accommodations to participate.
Nominations
Nominations open at the July membership meeting — verbal and written nominations from members in good standing will be accepted. Nominations close at the August membership meeting.
- Candidates may neither nominate themselves nor second their own nominations.
- Nominations open at the July membership meeting — verbal and written nominations from members in good standing will be accepted.
- Nominations close at the August membership meeting.
Open Seats
There are currently two (2) seats on the Board of Directors open for election for a 2026-29 term. Seven candidates are running. A candidate will need to receive a majority vote (50%+1) of the votes cast) in order to be elected to a seat on the Board.
Voter Eligibility
To vote, you must be a member in good standing of SF Pride and have become a member or renewed no later than July 9th, 2025. A member in good standing is one who has paid current dues and whose membership has not been suspended for any reason.
A Guide to the Voting Process
Eligible voting members may cast their ballots any time during the voting period, which will run from Saturday, Sept. 6 to Tuesday, Sept. 9. The voting period is open for 72 hours, from Noon Saturday to Noon Tuesday.
When the voting period opens, eligible voters will receive a voting code and voter key by email. This will contain all the information needed to participate in the 2025 San Francisco LGBT Pride Parade and Celebration Committee Board of Directors Election.
Members shall cast their votes by indicating their choices on the electronic ballot. You may vote for as few or as many candidates as you like.
Candidates who receive the highest simple majority votes (50% + 1) will fill the open seats in the order according to the numbers of votes they reached.
The election will be valid only if the number of ballots cast is equal to or greater than a quorum (one-third of SF Pride's total active membership as of the election date.) The number of ballots required will be noted on the ballot itself.
There are 18 46 eligible voters, and so at least 13 6 votes must be cast for the election to be quorate.
A voting member must:
- Receive their voting code and voter key via email.
- Log into the electronic ballot link provided, using the code and key issued.
- Select their choices on the electronic ballot.
- Check and confirm their votes, then send the ballot in.
Only a voting member in good standing may cast their vote.
Candidate Statements
Candidates for the Board are encouraged, but not required, to submit a written statement in support of their candidacy. Statements and opinions expressed by the candidates do not necessarily reflect the views of SF Pride.
Lost Ballot Information
If you did not get a voter ID or voter key, or did not receive a link to the ballot, you may email us at membership@sfpride.org or call us at +1 (415) 294-1844 to request a new one. As stated above, only one voter code and key will be issued per eligible member, and the staff team will verify each request for reissue.
Election Timeline
| Date(s) | Action(s) |
|---|---|
| July 12th |
Date of Record Associate members still in their 60 day probationary period do not yet have voting rights. |
| July 10th to Aug 13th |
Nomination Period Nominations begin at the July membership meeting, and close at the August board meeting. Board members running for a second term must announce their intent to run by the August board meeting. |
| August 6th | Election officials selected at the Board Meeting. |
| August 17th | 20 Day Notice of AGM and Election |
| August 22nd | 15 Day Deadline for Candidate Statements |
| August 27th |
Candidate statements available online. |
| September 6th | Ballot created in ElectionRunner and reviewed with Election Officials |
| Sept 6th to 9th |
Voting Period |
| Sept 6th | Annual General Meeting Members have the opportunity to hear the candidates speak, and to ask them questions, at the AGM on the 7th. |
| Sept 9th | Election results reviewed with Election Officials and announced. |
In-Person Voting
For those members who do not have Internet access, a computer for casting their vote can be made available at the SF Pride Offices at 1663 Mission Street, Suite 305, San Francisco, CA by appointment during the 72 hour voting period.
Please contact membership@sfpride.org for arrangements.
Election Officials
- Election Inspectors
- Suzanne Ford, Executive Director
- Chris Robert, Deputy Executive Director
- Election Observers
- All members, and the public, are welcome to observe at the start and end of the election.
The election officials will meet on the morning of September 6th, 2025 at 11am to verify the electionrunner.com ballot and launch the election. This meeting is open to the public.
The election officials will meet at noon on September 9th, 2025 to verify the electionrunner.com results. This meeting is also open to the public.
If the election concludes earlier by achieving 100% of possible votes cast, the results will be reviewed as soon as possible, and announced.
Accommodations
To request accomodations for the AGM, please email us at chris@sfpride.org by September 1st.
How to Vote:
You will receive an email invitation to vote that includes:
- a Voter ID
- a Voter Key
- a link to the election page
See the example image provided.
You will receive an email invitation to vote that includes a Voter ID, Voter Key, and a link to click to take you to the election page.
Once you have received your invitation to vote:
- Click the link in your invitation email.
- Review the candidate statements.
- Select as many or as few candidates as you prefer.
- Click "Cast Vote".
Each member in good standing is allowed to vote once.
EXAMPLE EMAIL INVITATION TO VOTE
Daijon Jackson
he/him
Dear Members of San Francisco Pride,
I am writing to express my sincere intention to serve on the San Francisco Pride Board of Directors. As a seasoned political professional—and currently serving in the California State Assembly—I have devoted my career to bridging government with community, ensuring that representation uplifts marginalized voices and fosters lasting civic impact.
Within the Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club, I have worn multiple leadership hats—as PAC Chair and now as Finance Chair. In those roles, I organized the 2025 Alice Pride Breakfast, raising over $150,000 to amplify LGBTQ+ advocacy across the Bay Area. Through this work, I have honed skills in financial stewardship, strategic planning, and coalition-building—abilities I am eager to bring to the Pride Board.
Beyond formal politics, my commitment extends to cultivating queer culture and intergenerational belonging. I have supported grassroots initiatives such as El Sobrante’s inaugural Pride event, and was honored when my efforts spotlighting San Francisco’s emerging Gen Z queer nightlife scene were featured in the San Francisco Chronicle. These experiences reinforce my belief that Pride must be both a powerful cultural beacon and a platform for authentic representation.
If elected, I will bring steadfast governance, strategic financial direction, and both political and cultural fluency to the Board. Together, I am committed to ensuring San Francisco Pride continues to thrive as the “Beacon of Love”—a space where safety, belonging, and advocacy intersect, and where our community’s voices remain visible, vibrant, and transformative.
With gratitude and solidarity,
Daijon Jackson
Kaylah Marin
she/her
Marsha H. Levine
she/they/ey
Greetings San Francisco Pride Members,
I come to you seeking to serve once more on the SF Pride Board of Directors, and not only because I have been a long-term member (40 years) and a loyal contractor and staff member (25 years), but due in part to a number of people have reached out to urge me to become involved on a leadership level again.
It might be because they know I have been around and seen this organization both struggle and succeed, and I have always stepped up to help SF Pride right itself when things go sideways… committed to making sure we stay solvent, create sustainability, and remain relevant. But I’ve also stood by when there’s great cause for celebration.
Every organization has its stumbles, especially when facing times like today, with an immoral Regime in the White House that seeks to erase us and eliminate our hard-won rights gained over 50 years. The disassembling of DEI and bullying of those organizations that help support LGBTQI+ communities is one of those cycles we have had to face before. What I bring to SF Pride is the experience of having lived through — and survived — those difficult periods, making sure our organization and all the people we represent aren’t made invisible or forgotten, just because some politicians want to wish us away.
The loss of sponsors, a downward-trending attendance, rising expenses, volunteer attrition, and a rollercoaster economy demands those with good fiscal sense and willingness to work hard step up. SF Pride’s Board of Directors not only needs the institutional knowledge and wealth of skills I possess, it also needs someone who is a seasoned member and mentor to help guide those who have recently joined the organization.
Back in 1982, I founded what started as a national U.S. organization of Pride coordinators (now known as InterPride), giving them a way to network, share information, and learn from each other, in order to build stronger and more inclusive events. Forty-three years later, with over 400 members, I am still involved in what has become an international assembly that has exponentially grown the Pride Movement — and keeps expanding every day.
SF Pride consists of a small staff and a handful of experts in contractor roles who work on the design and production of the annual event each June — with a governing Board whose role is to ensure SF Pride thrives and remains financially solid. I’ve served as Board President, overall Co-Chair (the pre-Executive Director role), Vice President, and chairperson of the Policy & Procedures Committee — mostly while working as the Parade Manager just prior to being hired as the Community Relations Manager in 2018, where I stewarded community programs for six years.
Often, people from around the world seek my advice on best practices, policies, parliamentarian issues, community engagement, funding solutions, and creative problem-solving. Add to that my design and media skills and I make a nice little package of all-around wisdom and information I eagerly share with everyone.
Another bonus, in addition to being extremely well known in the community — locally, nationally, and internationally — I bring unique diversity to SF Pride that you will seldom see. I am elderly, nonbinary, and disabled, yet I still contribute new, novel, and fresh ideas. Inspiring and engaging others is highly important!
A vote to return me to the Board of San Francisco Pride is a vote for stability, consistency, accountability, transparency, and a commitment to keeping diversity and intersectionality at the forefront.
Thank you for your consideration and continued engagement as members of SF Pride!
Michelle Meow
she/her
Dear Members of San Francisco Pride,
It is with gratitude and renewed commitment that I submit my intent to run for the San Francisco Pride Board of Directors. As a former Board President and longtime community advocate, I know firsthand the transformative power of Pride — not only as a world-renowned celebration, but also as a platform for justice, human rights, and collective liberation.
While I may not have been serving since the end of my term in an official capacity, I remained committed to the spirit of Pride, whether through volunteerism or professionally. I’m inspired by longtime leaders in the Pride movement whose commitment remains unwavering, even during a very scary time. We may have come a long way from 50+ years ago, but as we’re now witnessing, that progress can come under threat in the blink of an eye. Rejoining the SF Pride Board isn’t just an opportunity, it feels like the right thing to do when being called to stand up for our community. Who we are as leaders during this time will define us for generations to come.
During my previous terms on the Board, I experienced some of the toughest times in SF Pride’s history. I hold key institutional knowledge of how we protect the foundation of our liberty and the freedom of expression and existence. The LGBTQIA+ community has always been politically used and we as a movement have always found ways to fight back. This time, it’s a little or a lot different. Some strategies we’ve used in the past will no longer be as effective. The opposition is no longer a clear opponent. Addressing our own internal conflicts and disagreements will be painful, but it is necessary to root out those that undermine our efforts to fight for human rights and dignity collectively.
I respectfully served out my previous term in 2018, having been appointed in the spring of 2014. For the last 7 years, I’ve taken the time to learn and grow, as well as develop a global perspective of the Pride movement. I’ve taken the time to build coalitions beyond my own LGBTQIA+ community, focused on building people power. I’ve expanded beyond allyship to find co-conspirators who are interested in rejecting harmful policies impacting our vulnerable populations. I’ve matured from just “doing what was important for the optics,” to “doing what is important for our survival.” The coalition of human beings who wish to see us all thriving and surviving are those we will need to tap into for the next chapter of our movement. We have no more room for broken promises, racism, transphobia, and all the wedges that have been purposely designed to weaken us.
We’re at a place now where elected leaders and diversity/inclusion budgets are not coming to save us. This is the time we challenge supporters to go beyond the performative whether corporations, elected leaders, or community advocates. I’m ready to have those conversations in order to build back SF Pride as a global destination leading on human rights, innovation, and dignity for all.
There’s a lot I can say as far as offering ideas of what we could be doing differently but honestly, I’m just eager to get back into the community and help. Whatever the call is for, I’m running because I want to be there.
For those who are not aware of my previous work with SF Pride, here’s a little snapshot:
I worked tirelessly to expand fundraising opportunities and ensure financial stability for the organization. My experience navigating these complex fundraising landscapes remains one of my greatest contributions. I was instrumental in the early days of the broadcast production of the parade, envisioning strong network partnerships that could diversify revenue generating streams for the organization. I challenged problematic corporations to invest more in our communities, turning one major corporation into a partner for several different initiatives.
The most recent contribution I’ve been very proud of is the SF Pride Human Rights Summit. Millions around the world have heard from our LGBTQIA+ leaders. We’ve heard from gender expansive, gender diverse youths terrified in states like Arizona who found hope and connection through the summit. We heard from global activists from Budapest who challenged authorities who tried to ban their Pride, only to have over 200k people come out to march in defiance.
This is why I’m running again. I’m here for us.
If elected, I will bring my full passion, experience, and dedication to ensuring that San Francisco Pride remains sustainable, inclusive, and unapologetically committed to our shared vision of liberation.
With Pride,
Michelle Meow
Samuel Favela
they/he
Dear SF Pride Members,
My name is Samuel Favela, and I am honored to seek your vote for the SF Pride Board. For the past decade I have dedicated my work to uplifting queer and trans communities in San Francisco. I managed the Castro COVID Hub, directed programs at the Transgender District, and now represent city workers through the labor movement. My experience building programs, securing resources, and advocating for equity will complement SF Pride’s mission and support its growth. Serving on the board will also allow me to grow personally and professionally while continuing to serve our community with heart.
Sincerely,
Samuel Favela
Daijon Jackson (he/him)
Dear Members of San Francisco Pride,
I am writing to express my sincere intention to serve on the San Francisco Pride Board of Directors. As a seasoned political professional—and currently serving in the California State Assembly—I have devoted my career to bridging government with community, ensuring that representation uplifts marginalized voices and fosters lasting civic impact.
Within the Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club, I have worn multiple leadership hats—as PAC Chair and now as Finance Chair. In those roles, I organized the 2025 Alice Pride Breakfast, raising over $150,000 to amplify LGBTQ+ advocacy across the Bay Area. Through this work, I have honed skills in financial stewardship, strategic planning, and coalition-building—abilities I am eager to bring to the Pride Board.
Beyond formal politics, my commitment extends to cultivating queer culture and intergenerational belonging. I have supported grassroots initiatives such as El Sobrante’s inaugural Pride event, and was honored when my efforts spotlighting San Francisco’s emerging Gen Z queer nightlife scene were featured in the San Francisco Chronicle. These experiences reinforce my belief that Pride must be both a powerful cultural beacon and a platform for authentic representation.
If elected, I will bring steadfast governance, strategic financial direction, and both political and cultural fluency to the Board. Together, I am committed to ensuring San Francisco Pride continues to thrive as the “Beacon of Love”—a space where safety, belonging, and advocacy intersect, and where our community’s voices remain visible, vibrant, and transformative.
With gratitude and solidarity,
Daijon Jackson
Daijon Jackson is a political professional and community leader with extensive experience in government and LGBTQ+ advocacy. He currently serves in the California State Assembly, where he builds community partnerships, engages constituents, and advances inclusive representation. Within the Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club, Daijon has served as PAC Chair and now as Finance Chair, where he organized the 2025 Alice Pride Breakfast, raising over $150,000 to strengthen LGBTQ+ political advocacy. He also supports grassroots community initiatives, including El Sobrante’s inaugural Pride celebration, and his work uplifting San Francisco’s emerging Gen Z queer nightlife culture has been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle. Daijon brings to the San Francisco Pride Board proven leadership in governance, fundraising, and political engagement, along with a deep commitment to ensuring Pride remains both a celebration and a platform for change.
Kaylah Marin (she/her)
Kaylah Marin is An accomplished artist, filmmaker, and writer. She is the creative force behind KAJE Creative, a consulting business that uses media, music, art, and film to tell impactful stories and foster community connections. As a Billboard-charting artist, she has worked with industry greats like Narada Michael Walden and Tracy Young. Her performances have graced prominent stages.
She is the Co-Director of the Social and Economic Justice Film Festival and Executive Director of the Social and Economic Justice Music and Art Festival where she champions initiatives that advance inclusivity, social justice, and the arts’ critical role in community building. She is also personally dedicated to fostering health, self-determination, and restorative economics in marginalized communities collaborating with organizations such as the Dolores Huerta Foundation, Women of Color Resource Center, Black College Expo, Village-Connect, Community Services United and Base Building For Power. She has supported the Garifuna International Indigenous Film Festival to promote dialogue and understanding of indigenous cultures. Her international efforts earned her the prestigious Ambassador of Music Award in 2017 and 2018.
Excited to serve her community further, Kaylah would like to bringing her talents and passion to San Francisco Pride, anticipating collaboration and celebration in this vibrant space.
Marsha H. Levine (she/they/ey)
Greetings San Francisco Pride Members,
I come to you seeking to serve once more on the SF Pride Board of Directors, and not only because I have been a long-term member (40 years) and a loyal contractor and staff member (25 years), but due in part to a number of people have reached out to urge me to become involved on a leadership level again.
It might be because they know I have been around and seen this organization both struggle and succeed, and I have always stepped up to help SF Pride right itself when things go sideways… committed to making sure we stay solvent, create sustainability, and remain relevant. But I’ve also stood by when there’s great cause for celebration.
Every organization has its stumbles, especially when facing times like today, with an immoral Regime in the White House that seeks to erase us and eliminate our hard-won rights gained over 50 years. The disassembling of DEI and bullying of those organizations that help support LGBTQI+ communities is one of those cycles we have had to face before. What I bring to SF Pride is the experience of having lived through — and survived — those difficult periods, making sure our organization and all the people we represent aren’t made invisible or forgotten, just because some politicians want to wish us away.
The loss of sponsors, a downward-trending attendance, rising expenses, volunteer attrition, and a rollercoaster economy demands those with good fiscal sense and willingness to work hard step up. SF Pride’s Board of Directors not only needs the institutional knowledge and wealth of skills I possess, it also needs someone who is a seasoned member and mentor to help guide those who have recently joined the organization.
Back in 1982, I founded what started as a national U.S. organization of Pride coordinators (now known as InterPride), giving them a way to network, share information, and learn from each other, in order to build stronger and more inclusive events. Forty-three years later, with over 400 members, I am still involved in what has become an international assembly that has exponentially grown the Pride Movement — and keeps expanding every day.
SF Pride consists of a small staff and a handful of experts in contractor roles who work on the design and production of the annual event each June — with a governing Board whose role is to ensure SF Pride thrives and remains financially solid. I’ve served as Board President, overall Co-Chair (the pre-Executive Director role), Vice President, and chairperson of the Policy & Procedures Committee — mostly while working as the Parade Manager just prior to being hired as the Community Relations Manager in 2018, where I stewarded community programs for six years.
Often, people from around the world seek my advice on best practices, policies, parliamentarian issues, community engagement, funding solutions, and creative problem-solving. Add to that my design and media skills and I make a nice little package of all-around wisdom and information I eagerly share with everyone.
Another bonus, in addition to being extremely well known in the community — locally, nationally, and internationally — I bring unique diversity to SF Pride that you will seldom see. I am elderly, nonbinary, and disabled, yet I still contribute new, novel, and fresh ideas. Inspiring and engaging others is highly important!
A vote to return me to the Board of San Francisco Pride is a vote for stability, consistency, accountability, transparency, and a commitment to keeping diversity and intersectionality at the forefront.
Thank you for your consideration and continued engagement as members of SF Pride!
Marsha H. Levine is an Ashkenazi, mobility-challenged senior, nonbinary activist, who engaged at the age of 16 in actions for civil rights, anti-war, ban the bomb, and ecology movements. In 1980, they became more active within the LGBTQI+ community, joining the Boston Lesbian/Gay Pride committee, serving three of those five years as their President before moving to San Francisco in 1985. Then, friend and SF Pride President Ken Jones drafted Marsha within a week of arrival to serve as the Main Stage co-chair, where they arranged for artists such as Blackberri, Romanovsky & Phillips, and several Olivia Records luminaries to perform — showcasing popular queer talent. A consistent part of the organization since — as a volunteer, a Board member, a contractor, and a staff person, Marsha has lent creativity and commitment to both the nonprofit and the community they love — their chosen family.
Stepping up to help SF Pride stabilize financially, grow experientially, and integrate community feedback, Marsha helped San Francisco Pride overcome a deficit and build bridges within an alienated community, to become more solvent and stronger during their terms. In 2013, Marsha was part of a candidate slate running on a transparency and accountability platform — they won — and worked to resolve concerns expressed by Mayor Ed Lee, several Board Supervisors, and the City Controller, that had been languishing since 2010. Within a mere 4 months, the Board presented a detailed audit to City Hall officials, and SF Pride’s provisional status was lifted.
Previously, Marsha served in the roles of Overall Co-Chair (the position predating Executive Director), President, and Vice President, thus familiar with the mission, vision, and structure of San Francisco Pride. Their knowledge about the production of Pride events and historical/institutional knowledge melds with the various volunteer roles held. Marsha was contracted as Parade Manager for 18 years, and employed as Community Relations Manager for almost six years, Their experience and expertise is boosted by having founded InterPride (International Association of Pride Coordinators) in 1982, finishing 8 years as Vice President of Global Outreach, and serving 9 years as Governance Co-Chair.
Marsha co-founded the regional Consolidated Association of Prides, Inc. (CAPI) in 1990, and completed a 4-year term as a first co-president of the United States Association of Prides (USAP). Retiring out of those roles provides Marsha a lot of time to focus on mentoring the next generation and helping rebuild a solid SF Pride foundation for a changing future during very challenging times.
Marsha has lived in the Bay Area for 40 years, currently resides in a historic Oakland loft, with cats Willow and Clove, along with many Pride friends who also relocated across the bridge. When not running Pride Parades, creating policies, or writing articles, they churn out nonprofit graphic designs.
Michelle Meow (she/her)
Dear Members of San Francisco Pride,
It is with gratitude and renewed commitment that I submit my intent to run for the San Francisco Pride Board of Directors. As a former Board President and longtime community advocate, I know firsthand the transformative power of Pride — not only as a world-renowned celebration, but also as a platform for justice, human rights, and collective liberation.
While I may not have been serving since the end of my term in an official capacity, I remained committed to the spirit of Pride, whether through volunteerism or professionally. I’m inspired by longtime leaders in the Pride movement whose commitment remains unwavering, even during a very scary time. We may have come a long way from 50+ years ago, but as we’re now witnessing, that progress can come under threat in the blink of an eye. Rejoining the SF Pride Board isn’t just an opportunity, it feels like the right thing to do when being called to stand up for our community. Who we are as leaders during this time will define us for generations to come.
During my previous terms on the Board, I experienced some of the toughest times in SF Pride’s history. I hold key institutional knowledge of how we protect the foundation of our liberty and the freedom of expression and existence. The LGBTQIA+ community has always been politically used and we as a movement have always found ways to fight back. This time, it’s a little or a lot different. Some strategies we’ve used in the past will no longer be as effective. The opposition is no longer a clear opponent. Addressing our own internal conflicts and disagreements will be painful, but it is necessary to root out those that undermine our efforts to fight for human rights and dignity collectively.
I respectfully served out my previous term in 2018, having been appointed in the spring of 2014. For the last 7 years, I’ve taken the time to learn and grow, as well as develop a global perspective of the Pride movement. I’ve taken the time to build coalitions beyond my own LGBTQIA+ community, focused on building people power. I’ve expanded beyond allyship to find co-conspirators who are interested in rejecting harmful policies impacting our vulnerable populations. I’ve matured from just “doing what was important for the optics,” to “doing what is important for our survival.” The coalition of human beings who wish to see us all thriving and surviving are those we will need to tap into for the next chapter of our movement. We have no more room for broken promises, racism, transphobia, and all the wedges that have been purposely designed to weaken us.
We’re at a place now where elected leaders and diversity/inclusion budgets are not coming to save us. This is the time we challenge supporters to go beyond the performative whether corporations, elected leaders, or community advocates. I’m ready to have those conversations in order to build back SF Pride as a global destination leading on human rights, innovation, and dignity for all.
There’s a lot I can say as far as offering ideas of what we could be doing differently but honestly, I’m just eager to get back into the community and help. Whatever the call is for, I’m running because I want to be there.
For those who are not aware of my previous work with SF Pride, here’s a little snapshot:
I worked tirelessly to expand fundraising opportunities and ensure financial stability for the organization. My experience navigating these complex fundraising landscapes remains one of my greatest contributions. I was instrumental in the early days of the broadcast production of the parade, envisioning strong network partnerships that could diversify revenue generating streams for the organization. I challenged problematic corporations to invest more in our communities, turning one major corporation into a partner for several different initiatives.
The most recent contribution I’ve been very proud of is the SF Pride Human Rights Summit. Millions around the world have heard from our LGBTQIA+ leaders. We’ve heard from gender expansive, gender diverse youths terrified in states like Arizona who found hope and connection through the summit. We heard from global activists from Budapest who challenged authorities who tried to ban their Pride, only to have over 200k people come out to march in defiance.
This is why I’m running again. I’m here for us.
If elected, I will bring my full passion, experience, and dedication to ensuring that San Francisco Pride remains sustainable, inclusive, and unapologetically committed to our shared vision of liberation.
With Pride,
Michelle Meow
Michelle Meow is the host and producer of “The Michelle Meow Show.” The program’s tag line is: ‘Your A-Z, covering the LGBT, LMNOP, and everyone in between.’ Michelle’s mission is constructing opportunities for people to listen in to deep conversations to develop understanding and empathy. She also produces “Interpod” for Interpride, the World Pride DC Human Rights Podcast, and “API Futures,” a podcast focused on empowering global leaders of tomorrow.
Michelle produces programs at the iconic Commonwealth Club, where she is a member of the Board of Governors. There she is dedicated to generating conversations around social justice with an intersectional lens. She has interviewed notable thought-leaders such as Olympic medalist Adam Rippon, NFL’s first out LGBTQ coach Katie Sowers, first American woman in space, and Sally Ride’s widow Tam O’Shaughnessy.
Michelle served as a co-host of the San Francisco Pride Parade broadcast from 2006-2018 and she has also served as the President of the Pride organization’s Board of Directors from 2014-2018. In 2020, Michelle produced Global Pride with the Commonwealth Club of CA, Youtube and Interpride, the first ever virtual global live event focused on the LGBTQIA community. The program went on for over 24 hours, starting in New Zealand and ended in Hawaii, covering content in every continent. Featured speakers included President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Prince Manvendra Singh Gohli and more.
Michelle shares, “Exchanging thoughtful dialogue can create change. We are all different, but in our differences, we find similarities and hope. Exchanging thoughtful dialogue can create change we all seek in humanity.”
commonwealthclub.org/mms
Samuel Favela (they/he)
Dear SF Pride Members,
My name is Samuel Favela, and I am honored to seek your vote for the SF Pride Board. For the past decade I have dedicated my work to uplifting queer and trans communities in San Francisco. I managed the Castro COVID Hub, directed programs at the Transgender District, and now represent city workers through the labor movement. My experience building programs, securing resources, and advocating for equity will complement SF Pride’s mission and support its growth. Serving on the board will also allow me to grow personally and professionally while continuing to serve our community with heart.
Sincerely,
Samuel Favela
Samuel Favela has lived in San Francisco for the past decade, though they grew up in Long Beach, California. They first moved north to study journalism at San Francisco State University,drawn to storytelling as a way to uplift community voices. That path eventually led him to organizing, where he found a deeper purpose.
Samuel began community organizing in 2020, helping set up and manage the COVID Hub in the Castro. There, he coordinated vaccines and testing for queer people of color while working with the Castro Cultural District. The experience cemented their commitment to building programs that meet people where they are.
They later joined the Transgender District, first as a Program Associate and eventually as Program Director. In that role, Samuel organized events, supported name and gender change services, and launched initiatives that directly invested in trans futures. They are especially proud of spearheading the entrepreneur program, which distributed over $150,000 in seed grants to trans-owned businesses across the Bay Area.
In 2024, Samuel pivoted to the labor movement, helping unions elect allies to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Today, he represents city workers across departments like Public Health, the Port, and Recreation and Parks, advocating for their rights and protections. When not organizing, Samuel can be found in Golden Gate Park playing vintage baseball, enjoying Sundays at the park and some sunshine… and fog.