San Francisco buzzes with festivities on eve of Pride Parade
SAN FRANCISCO -- The night before San Francisco's signature Pride Parade takes over Market Street, the city was buzzing with vibrant celebrations from the Castro to downtown.
There were colorful displays of pride decorating Kokak Chocolates on 18th and Sanchez Streets in the Castro. Owner Carol Gancia's passion and identity as a queer Filipina are reflected in her handcrafted work.
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"Honestly for me, it's not just about being gay or not. It's also about whoever you are, be as weird as you are, and we're cool with that. Because I want to be as weird as I am and want you to just go with it and love me for who I am," said Gancia. "And that is what we're trying to do."
On this final Pride weekend, a consistent flow of customers lined up for her artisanal sweets.
Gancia said after a slow start to the year, sales started picking up in June. This Saturday, they're double what the shop normally brings in on this day.
Customers also purchased pride shirts that read "Love is...Chocolate"
"When I first moved here, I couldn't even say the word 'gay,' I was really scared of saying the word 'gay,'" she said. "I had a relationship with a woman for quite a while then, but I couldn't say the word while living in the Philippines. When I moved here, it took a quite while, but I was able to say that I was gay and that I was a lesbian."
The shop is big draw for frequent customers like Glenn Gangano, who grew up nearby in San Francisco. He also attended Kokak's first ever drag brunch Saturday.
"It's amazing, as a gay Filipino male. it's important to be out and feel comfortable and safe in the city," Gangano said.
In downtown San Francisco, the W hotel hosted "Long Live Drag." The event celebrated and honored the life of LGBTQ icon Heklina, who passed away suddenly in April while in London for a performance. A portion of the night's proceeds went to the Oasis Arts Foundation, which partners with Oasis Nightclub in San Francisco, which Heklina co-founded.
"She was a force. She liked to be raunchy, and she liked to work out a lot of angst on stage. And she also provided a space for us to do the same," said drag performer Miss Shugana.
Miss Shugana and Madd-Dogg 20/20 were among those who entertained the crowd with performances. They said it is especially important to express themselves now, as anti-LGBTQ legislation, threats, and violence ramp up in mostly red states across the country.
"We're just performers doing an art, don't be scared of us," said Madd-Dogg 20/20. "There's no need to be scared of us, we're just people."
Sunday's Pride Parade will be on Sunday beginning at 10:30 am, starting on Market Street to the celebration at Civic Center. Ther parade has more than 200 contingents and is expected to last around 3 hours.