San Francisco Mayor London Breed formally kicked off LGBTQ Pride Month celebrations in the city Friday by extending the rainbow flag from her balcony at city hall.
“It's where we celebrate our differences, celebrate our communities, no matter who they are, no matter where they're from, no matter who they love. Because that's what we do,” said Breed.
But as Pride Month begins, much of the focus is on the growing number of places around the country that appear to be targeting the rights of the LGBTQ community, and even in some pockets of California.
Laws are being passed limiting health care and treatment for trans youth and access to restroom facilities.
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Other laws are being passed to ban drag performances.
On Friday, San Francisco Senator Scott Weiner said his Republican colleagues in the state Senate and Legislature have taken issue with his upcoming Pride Month honoree at the legislature.
“There are some folks in the Catholic church and my Republican colleagues who are not happy about honoring a Sister of Perpetual Indulgence at the Capitol,” he said.
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The Senate Republican leader has asked Wiener to disinvite Sister Roma of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence from the pride celebrations at the state Capitol on Monday.
California Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones said he's not familiar with the decades of charitable and community service events the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence have performed in San Francisco.
But he said many of their public events openly mock the Catholic church and other Christian traditions, and he is one of several Republican legislators who say they have a problem with that.
“Great, I can congratulate all the good work that they're doing. But that is clouded considerably by the denigration of a very strong contingency of constituents here in California, that being Catholics and other Christians,” said Jones.
Sister Roma said that the whole mission of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence is to inspire joy. And for those who find joy in their religion, she encourages that.
“Please, worship the way that you feel fit. It's absolutely fine. Just please don't use your religion as an excuse to discriminate and marginalize and oppress me,” she said.
Despite the concerns of a handful of lawmakers, Sister Roma will be at Monday's pride events at the State Capitol.
Senator Jones says his Republican colleagues will not disrupt the day's ceremonies and says he's looking forward to meeting some of the other honorees at the event.
“The California Republicans are purposefully conducting ourselves differently than what you're going to see on the national level or in other states,” he said.
