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Oakland Pride parade and festival
Oakland Pride parade and festival kicks off Sunday.
OAKLAND, Calif. - Thousands of people filled the streets of downtown Oakland on Sunday afternoon as the city hosted its 16th annual Pride parade and festival.
Major milestone
This year’s event represents a major milestone, as it marks the first time the Oakland LGBTQ Center is producing the Pride parade. The transition follows the dissolution of Oakland Pride Inc. in January.
Organizers have introduced several new activations for this year's celebration, including "Generations of Pride," a dedicated space to discuss history and intergenerational experiences, as well as a sober space for attendees. The event also features a Trans March created in partnership with Bruthas Rising.
The parade showcased community floats from the Oakland Unified School District, the Oakland Fire Department, AC Transit, BART, and the iconic San Francisco cable car.
"I love seeing healthcare out here. I love seeing that healthcare is hopefully supporting trans youth," said attendee Izek Campion, noting the importance of visible support amidst ongoing legislation surrounding gender-affirming care. "When we see large healthcare organizations not being afraid to come out and support our community, it means a lot."
Bringing back joy
Representative Lateefah Simon, representing California's 12th Congressional District, emphasized the importance of community support for youth.
"We are honoring trans young people today, trans young people of color, queer people of color who have been in juvenile justice systems and foster care systems," Simon said. "We are bringing back joy to a very difficult time, and I have so much faith in these young people to lead us."
The parade also highlighted milestones for longtime participants.
The San Francisco Pride Band—the first openly queer musical organization in the world—unveiled a name change to be more inclusive, along with a new logo and banner incorporating the trans colors into the rainbow flag.
"We decided to change to the SF Pride Band because that's more inclusive of our entire community," said Mike Wong, artistic director for the band.
Ticket prices unchanged
Despite widespread inflation and rising operational costs, event organizers intentionally kept ticket prices unchanged, stating it was essential that local residents and families could attend. Following the parade, celebrations moved to Frank Ogawa Plaza for the festival, featuring multiple musical performances.
The Source: Rep. Lateefah Simon, Mike Wong, artistic director for SF Pride Band, attendee Izek Campion