This is my favorite time of the year. The entire city feels more festive, and the Pride Flag flying above the Castro seems to ripple in the wind with a little more “snap!”

I know this issue of the Bay Times is chock full of listings of activities Pride weekend.  My personal favorites are the Frameline Film Festival, the Trans March Friday afternoon, the Pride Run in Golden Gate Park Saturday morning and the Dyke March Saturday evening.  I forget how invisible lesbian, bi and transgender women can be in this town until I see all our beautiful selves accumulated in one place.  The majority of the year it seems we are holed up in our homes carrying on our everyday lives – paying bills, scooping cat litter boxes, moving our cars on street cleaning days.  On Dyke March Saturday, though, we rub the darkness from our eyes, come out into the sun, and march down to Dolores Park from Bernal Heights, Noe Valley, Potrero Hill, the Mission and places beyond like the Whos in Whoville.  I even hear a faint “Fah who foraze! Dah who doraze!” in the background (had to look up those lyrics, by the way . . .).  It’s an incredibly powerful experience and one not to be missed.  This year I will have to decide whether to march or watch. Both options can be a lot of fun and I hope to see everyone there.  Come up and  introduce yourself!

Another major event is the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club Pride Breakfast at Yank Sing on Sunday morning.  It is probably the only LGBT event that starts at 8:00 AM and people actually attend!  And not just any people. Pretty much every elected official and candidate for
public office in Northern California attends this “see and be seen” political event.  It is a great place to network with politicos and get a belly full of dim sum before heading to the Parade.

For those of you tempted to watch the Parade on local cable television, I encourage you to get out there and participate rather than observe.

The Board and Staff of SF Pride put in tremendous time and effort to put on an incredible show and experience for us all.  They underwrite much of the event’s expense through corporate sponsorships, but they also need the revenue from food and drink sales and the donation bins at each entrance to help make our Pride Parade and Festival happen every year.  So come out, get some sun, join the fun, and make sure you throw some money into the buckets as you enter the festival!

In closing, I told you in an earlier column about a great lesbian candidate for Alameda County Superior Court Judge, Tara Flanagan.  I am delighted to update you that Tara won the seat outright by garnering 50.8% of the vote this past June election, thus avoiding a run-off in the fall.  She will be an outstanding addition to the bench and a trailblazer for us all.  Congratulations to Tara!

Happy Pride everyone!!!!  Enjoy responsibly.