Let's get this party started!

So this weekend in San Francisco is Gay Pride. It’s a big weekend of parties, marches, more parties, shows and festivals, more parties. People come in from all over, since SF has the reputation of being quite the gay city. It’s overwhelming.

Every other year or so, I go with a friend or two to celebrate pride at the Dyke March on Saturday evening. This year, I went with Executive Director (ED) to go celebrate my proud bi-self.

If you have never been in a crowd of queer women, I must say it is a sight to behold. And to experience this in San Francisco with it’s diverse and radical community is amazing. The path winds through the Mission district (home of many dykes and many Latinos) where the Latino families watch from their windows into the Castro for the big street party with the gay boys.

There are bare breasts, dogs, tattoos, drag kings and transbois, signs for causes, sex workers, dykes on bikes, moms with their children, and lot’s of spectators (none of that in any particular order).

This year it felt more staid than normal because the weather sucked. It was cold, the ground at Delores Park was wet, and misty and windy. So fewer people wore the traditional skimpy clothes – although there were still the traditional bared breasts (oh, I’m sorry, did I mention that before?). Even for SF in the summer, it was cold.

ED and I have used several strategies to approaching the march in the past. We’ve had the full on day in Delores followed by full participation in the slow walk to the Castro. We’ve walked part and stood on the sidelines for part. This year, we skipped ahead a bit to get a good view of the dykes on bikes and watched the whole march pass us by. Then we wandered off back over the hill to her neighborhood for pasta and a beer. It was a good plan of action, given our mutual dislike of the huge crowds in the party in the Castro and my still getting past this cold.

Unlike many, I will be steering clear of the big march tomorrow…they will televise it, so I can watch from the comfort of Hippy Chick’s home while entertaining three kitties.

Just a final note…my favorite Bay Area alternative rock station further endears itself to me every pride weekend by becoming K-GAY and turning itself over to the queer djs for the weekend. That’s just so cool!