Oakland Launches Its Own Version Of A Pride Parade

What you will find is the Jolly Trolly from Children's Fairyland, pony rides, antique fire engines and singer Sheila E. Instead of kicking off with Dykes on Bikes, as is the tradition in San Francisco, Oakland's parade starts with Tykes on Trikes. Oakland - home to more same-sex families than nearly any city in the country - is expanding its traditional Pride party this year with a seven-block parade up Broadway. The event includes an all-day music festival in the Uptown neighborhood, with four stages and children's activities ranging from a petting zoo to puppet shows. For the past few decades, Oakland - with its relatively affordable homes and diverse populace - has quietly attracted LGBT families looking for an alternative to the Castro and Folsom Street party scene and the high-level political activism of San Francisco. According to the Urban Institute, Oakland has the country's second-highest number of same-sex households and the third-highest concentration of same-sex couples with children. The city has hosted a Pride fest on and off since the 1990s, but the current incarnation started five years ago with the goal of eventually opening an LGBT community center. [...] more like triple dose, he said.