SAN FRANCISCO — California State Senator Scott Wiener left the San Francisco Trans March on June 27, 2026, after stating that a group of people were physically and verbally aggressive toward him. Wiener said the aggression made it impossible for him to safely remain in the park, leading him to depart the event without participating in the march.

Wiener noted that this was the first time he had not participated in the San Francisco Trans March, an event he has attended annually since 2004. He stated that individuals surrounded him and made comments about his "Israeli handlers." Video footage showed activists shouting at Wiener and holding their middle fingers up to his face. In the footage, an activist shouted, "Fuck you and your Zionist handlers. Fuck you and your Israeli handlers." Another activist shouted, "You stopped being queer the moment you started supporting Israel, you piece of shit."

Wiener described the harassment as including being cornered, touched, and subjected to attempts to physically intimidate him out of the event. He stated, "In San Francisco, we're better than that."

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie issued a statement on X condemning the harassment of Senator Wiener. Lurie wrote, "In San Francisco, we welcome disagreement and respectful dialogue around issues many of us feel passionately about - but we cannot allow harassment and threats of violence." Lurie described the language used against Wiener as "targeted, hateful, and antisemitic."

The California State Senate Democratic Caucus released a statement on X condemning the harassment. The caucus stated, "The harassment and violence shown from yesterday's march in San Francisco towards Senator Scott Wiener is unacceptable and must be called out." The caucus and the California LGBTQ Caucus jointly denounced the verbal harassment and attacks Wiener experienced. Wiener is Jewish and gay; he has also passed pro-transgender legislation in the California state government.

Wiener stated, "I have no objection whatsoever to anyone disagreeing with me, opposing me, or protesting me." He added, "But when opposition and disagreement transition to harassment, including cornering me, touching me, or trying to physically bully me out of a public event, that crosses a line."