Pride

My niece asked me again this year to take her to Pride, this time in San Diego.  Being the dutiful uncle, how could I not?  After picking her up at 8am, we drove to San Diego for the parade and festival.  San Diego holds their parade on a Saturday, so we had to get down there before the start time at 11am.  We suffered through a snarl in traffic trying to get to Balboa Park where the parade ends and the festival is held.  With time to space, we found a place near the end of the route to have a front row seat.  As is tradition, Dykes on Bikes began the parade:

Following the Dykes on Bikes, this year the parade feature a very large contingent of our armed services, each with a t-shirt denoting which branch they serve(d) in:

I would personally like to thank, and salute, your men and women in uniform for their service to our country and the American public.  A HUGE thanks and special salute for the gay and lesbian members who have served in silence for their country - you are not forgotten!

This year San Diego selected Meredith Baxter to serve as Grand Marshall.  I am happy she was finally comfortable enough to come out.  Thank you Meredith, you will make it easier for those who follow.

No parade would be complete without some pink flamingoes!

I also was quite surprised by the sizable contingent of peace officers.  I can remember a few decades back when you would have been surprised to see even one or two march in the parade, and never in uniform.  Times, they are a' changin'.  There were SDPD, CHP, Sheriffs, other municipal peace officers....it actually made me tear up to realize how far we have progressed as a society.  I salute the peace offices for their bravery.

I could go on and on, as there were so many great entries in the parade, but I will end this portion with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.  I have admiration for the Sisters as they have tirelessly worked to support the community through their philanthropy, outspokenness, and humor.  Bless them!

My niece, Catherine, and I stood watching the parade for close to two hours and it wasn't quite over, so we decided to head to the festival and get the blood flowing (my legs were aching from standing).  The last time I attended SD's festival, it was large, but not HUGE.  Well, it has grown over the years.  Once we got it, we made a beeline for food as I was starting to get low blood sugar.  We stopped at the first area where there were food stands and ordered some nachos at one of the carts.  They were....edible, and tided us over. 

Once we started walking around, we came back up the hill to another area, lo and behold, there was a long stretch of much more enticing cuisine:

Dang it!  Oh well, now I know.  It is actually amazing how commercial this event has become.  The admission ($20.00) is a bit steep, but I do understand they are paying for the entertainment.  Had I the energy, I would have gone back this evening as Margaret Cho was headlining.  Are you a Cho Ho? (I know I am!)

We spent a few hours roaming around, checking out the vendors hawking their wares and talking with some of the services.  I signed up for the Human Rights Campaign.  I also spoke with Angus from gayvan.com and representing Tourism Vancouver. 

Next year, I think I will take Catherine to Long Beach Pride, as she hasn't been to that yet.  I'll leave you with a picture of us at the festival: