Like so many other events amid the coronavirus crisis, San Francisco Pride, which was to celebrate its 50th anniversary this year, has been canceled.

Said SF Pride Executive Director Fred Lopez in a release: “This was not a decision we arrived at lightly. Far from it: Our staff has been in frequent talks with our board, our production team, our partners at many departments of City Hall, officials at other Pride organizations worldwide — and most of all, our LGBTQ communities. We have heard from people who urged us to cancel, and from those who implored us not to. Since the coronavirus first emerged, we have held out hope that the situation would shift and we would be able to gather later this year. Well before the first shelter-in-place order, our team began to balance our excitement for Pride 50 and evaluate possible alternatives. With heavy hearts, we have decided not to go forward with the Parade and Celebration in 2020.”

Added Mayor London Breed: “Pride is one of my favorite times of the year in San Francisco, and no one wants to celebrate with the entire community more than I do. However, we are in an unprecedented public-health emergency with an uncertain future, and we must do everything we can to protect our entire community and put public health first. The City will continue to work with SF Pride to celebrate everything Pride stands for in the weeks and months to come, and San Francisco will emerge from this pandemic stronger than ever.”

The organization adds: “While the board and staff are disappointed not to showcase the physical celebration so many had hoped for, SF Pride plans to join a constellation of Pride organizations worldwide in a ‘Virtual Global Pride' on Saturday, June 27. SF Pride will be announcing additional collaborations, primarily in digital formats, to commemorate Pride throughout the summer. These alternate celebrations, presented alongside other community organizations and supporters, will roll out throughout the coming weeks and months.”