This year, Oakland will host its First Annual Pride Festival since 2004.  Oakland has the third-highest concentration of LGBT people in the nation, only behind San Francisco and Seattle.  So why shouldn’t we have our own Pride?  There is a lot to be proud of in the East Bay, such as great weather with REAL seasons (i.e. Summer?).

Oakland Pride, Inc. (the business behind the festival) recieved a donation from the Port of Oakland in the form of 4,000 square foot office space in Jack London Square.  With only a few months to go, fundraising and last minute organizing has been in full swing to make this first festival one to remember and bring hope to continued festivals in the future.

Oakland Pride is also serving as the vanguard of a full-fledged fundraising effort to create the first All-Inclusive LGBT Community Center in Oakland in collaboration with City Councilmember, Rebecca Kaplan, the council’s only openly gay member.

The festival will be held on Sunday, September 5, 2010 at 21st Street & Franklin in Uptown Oakland.  Everyone is encouraged to attend to celebrate the diversity of our city and promote equality.  There will be a sliding scale donation to enter the festival, facilitated by the Sister’s of Perpetual Indulgence (The same sassy sisters who bring us “Pink Party” at SF Pride!)  I strongly encourage our members and supporters to attend and enjoy all that the festival promises to offer!

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Visit the festival’s official website at www.oaklandpride.org.

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Follow Oakland Pride on Twitter!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=103875809859

I grew up in the city of Visalia in neighboring Tulare County and am very happy and excited that our northern neighbor is a nice light blue.  Having grown up as a Latino and openly gay, it wasn’t easy.  At the time when i was going to school there, there was still evidence of lingering racism and much more animosity towards the LGBT community.  But the fact that Fresno County is now more Democrat gives me hope that future young people in similar situations as i was will not feel as constrained by the views of their community.

Democrats have long been allies of the Latino and LGBT community and will continue to be so for a long time.  With an increasing number of Democrats registering in these conservative areas, we can hope to elect more moderate and liberal Democrats who will work to protect these communities and make it easier and more comfortable for them to be proud of who they are and what they want to accomplish.

Of course, while Fresno County now has around 200+ advantage in Democrat voter registration, Tulare County is still solidly Republican both in registration and voting record.  Similarly, Fresno County has still voted Republican in the last election and many before.  But what this means is that the trend is upward towards a blue region.  Enthusiasm and hope are never forsaken commodities.

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[Legal Info Note] Today’s trial is NOT before the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS).  Today’s trial is the beginning of the Federal Trial against Prop 8 that, through appeal, could eventually be brought before SCOTUS.  However, SCOTUS did intervene today by saying it would not allow the Federal Court in SF to record the trial for airing on YouTube.

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ACLU of Northern California

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American Foundation for Equal Rights

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Prop 8 Trial Tracker (Courage Campaign)