Models, designers and audiences flock to London, New York, Paris and Milan for fashion shows and inspiration. San Francisco joins the list of go-to destinations with “Threads of Pride” on June 24 at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
“Threads of Pride,” not just any fashion show, centers on San Francisco LGBTQ+ nonprofits that champion the queer community, with leaders from nine such organizations poised to strut down the runway wearing couture ensembles inspired by their mission and colors.
“I wanted the show to align with San Francisco Pride’s mission to ‘educate the world, commemorate our heritage, celebrate our culture and liberate our people,’” says Dr. Nas Mohamed, the show’s creator-producer and a SF Pride 2025 board member.
“All of the people that are currently being attacked—immigrants, people living with HIV, people fighting to get HIV care, people seeking gender-affirming care, people from different ethnic backgrounds, all of the people you’re hearing about in the news—I wanted to bring in the nonprofits fighting for them, put them on the runway and make them look beautiful and feel celebrated and loved,” says Mohamed (who uses all pronouns).
Mohamed, founder of Alwan Foundation, will hit the catwalk along with staffers from the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, the Center for Immigrant Protection, El/La Para TransLatinas, Lyon-Martin Community Health Services, Our Family Coalition and the San Francisco Community Health Center.
“A lot of people are only hearing about who we [i.e., LGBTQ+ individuals] are in the news. I want them to see beautiful, joyful humans walking, and then I want them to go and try to take away our rights after they see how human we are,” says Mohamed.
Imani Rupert-Gordon, president of The National Center for LGBTQ Rights, also slated to model, says NCLR is proud to take part in an event that celebrates the bold intersection of fashion and activism.
“As a legal organization, we know that every battle we fight in the courtroom starts with the courage and resistance of our community. Fashion has always been a powerful tool of expression and defiance, and this event is a beautiful tribute to that legacy. ‘Threads of Pride’ will be a night of joy, style, and advocacy and NCLR is honored to be part of it,” she says.
Timothy Hampton, director of cultural programs at the SF LGBT Center, adds, “The queer community has a rich, powerful legacy of activism expressed through fashion. I’m modeling in ‘Threads of Pride’ to stand alongside local LGBTQ+ changemakers and celebrate our creativity, culture and joy.
“This is more than a runway show. Fashion has always been a powerful vehicle for queer resistance. I’m proud to represent the SF LGBT Center, an organization that plays a vital role in connecting thousands of LGBTQ+ people in San Francisco to opportunities, resources, and each other,” he says.
The 2025 theme of SF Pride, “Queer joy is resistance,” inspired the show.
“We need to build a lot of resilience to continue to do the work that we do, and what would really help us go on is hope,” Mohamed says, adding, “I think one of the best things we can do is show up and hold onto our joy.”
“Threads of Pride” runs from 5:30 to 10 p.m. June 24 at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St., San Francisco. General admission is about $85; VIP tickets also are available; visit eventbrite.com.
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