Thursday, February 13, 2014

San Francisco City Hall Celebrating 10th Anniversary of Same-Sex Marriage

Yesterday, 12 February 2014, I went to San Francisco War Memorial Opera House to attend a performance of a ballet - Ein Sommernachtstraum (Midsummer Night's Dream), performed by the visiting Hamburg Ballet (Hamburg Ballett), a ballet choreographed by the renown dance maker John Neumeier, the director of Hamburg Ballet since 1973.  The ballet was premiered in 1977, set to wonderful music by Felix Mendelssohn and Gyorgy Ligeti, with additional traditional music for mechanical street organ.

DSCN7878 _ 12 February 2014, San Francisco War Memorial Opera House

DSCN7897 _ 12 February 2014, San Francisco War Memorial Opera House

DSCN7916 _ 12 February 2014, San Francisco War Memorial Opera House

Needless to say, the evening in the opera house was a glorious one. Below is the video trailer of the ballet, curtsey of San Francisco Ballet, who presented this production last night and tonight:




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Outside the opera house, there was another amazing sight, centering on the massive neoclassical structure - San Francisco City Hall, lit brilliantly with rainbow colors, a color scheme closely associated with gay rights.

While admiring the beautiful sight, I tried but failed to think of the direct reason for the coloration, till someone mentioned to his companion, on the balcony of the opera house, where people had great vantage point to see the City Hall, that yesterday was the anniversary of same-sex marriage in San Francisco.

In 2004, then San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom directed the San Francisco city-county clerk to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, in violation of the current state law but his defiant act helped to usher in the legalization of same-sex marriage in many stage and Washington D.C. in the U.S..  The first same-sex marriages took place in San Francisco City Hall, 10 years ago.  10 years later, over 33% of population lives in a state and district where same-sex marriage is legal.


What a wonderful celebration for the basic human rights of the minority people!

DSCN7867 _ 10th Anniversary of Same-Sex Marriage, 12 February 2014, San Francisco City Hall

DSCN7924 _ 10th Anniversary of Same-Sex Marriage, 12 February 2014, San Francisco City Hall DSCN7917 _ 10th Anniversary of Same-Sex Marriage, 12 February 2014, San Francisco City Hall

DSCN7914 _ 10th Anniversary of Same-Sex Marriage, 12 February 2014, San Francisco City Hall

DSCN7892 _ 10th Anniversary of Same-Sex Marriage, 12 February 2014, San Francisco City Hall

DSCN7886 _ 10th Anniversary of Same-Sex Marriage, 12 February 2014, San Francisco City Hall DSCN7920 _ 10th Anniversary of Same-Sex Marriage, 12 February 2014, San Francisco City Hall

DSCN7909 _ 10th Anniversary of Same-Sex Marriage, 12 February 2014, San Francisco City Hall DSCN7907 _ 10th Anniversary of Same-Sex Marriage, 12 February 2014, San Francisco City Hall

DSCN7895 _ 10th Anniversary of Same-Sex Marriage, 12 February 2014, San Francisco City Hall

DSCN7889 _ 10th Anniversary of Same-Sex Marriage, 12 February 2014, San Francisco City Hall

DSCN7906 _ 10th Anniversary of Same-Sex Marriage, 12 February 2014, San Francisco City Hall



Not only the City Hall, just across the Civic Plaza, the front windows of the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium was lit prettily as well. 

DSCN7876 _ 10th Anniversary of Same-Sex Marriage, 12 February 2014, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium Near San Francisco City Hall

All in all, a beautiful night.


Related posts on Art · 文化 · Kunst:
- Civil Union, Marriage and Holy Matrimony
- Festive San Francisco Civic Center
- Festive San Francisco City Hall and Opera House
- Rainbow Colored San Francisco War Memorial Opera House- San Francisco Ballet Banners
- Christopher Wheeldon's Brilliant Cinderella at San Francisco Ballet

1 comment:

  1. A venue were you tie the knot with your love of life. Engagement Anniversary Hall is a place, which is a really important milestone of your life.

    ReplyDelete