Oakland Pride: Yes to Babies, No to Leather

Oakland Pride's parade and party happened this weekend, but without many of the trappings of a usual Pride: no Dykes on Bikes, no scantily-clad dancers, no guys in leather chaps.

"We had some leather groups from San Francisco who wanted to come, and we politely declined. We want to keep this G-rated," organizer Carlos Uribe told the San Francisco Chronicle. "We don't want to compete with San Francisco Pride, we just want to offer a more family-friendly, diverse celebration. Sort of an end-of-summer bookend to SF Pride."

With a nod to Oakland's numerous LGBT families — the city has the third-highest concentration of same-sex couples with children —the festival included a petting zoo, puppet shows, and an all-day music festival. Organizers wanted to offer the 30,000 attendees a clear alternative to San Francisco's raucous, party-hearty Pride.

"We're going to be the most family-friendly Pride parade anywhere, ever," Amber Todd, a Pride chair, told the newspaper. "We'll have something for everyone — gay, straight, pansexual, kids. My 75-year-old mother's coming, and she's as straight as the day is long."

Oakland is a more affordable alternative for raising a family than expensive San Francisco, attracting diverse LGBT couples to settle down and establish roots.
One thing Oakland and San Francisco Pride both shared: politicians. All of the 15 candidates for Oakland mayor were expected to attend the Pride parade down Broadway. Read more about Oakland here.