Obama Pride
The Bay Area joined together to support Obama Pride at the 2008 San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Bisexual Transgender Pride Parade and Celebration, which I was honored to coordinate.
Friday night, it was the Trans March. Our city hosts a transgender march to remember those lost and to fight for the rights of trans individuals. Obama volunteers passed out hundreds of stickers and registered voters. Several recipients high fived or fist-bumped our volunteers to show support. Stellar Obama volunteer Gretchen Atwood organized activities for the Trans March.
On Saturday, the Parade Celebration opened at noon. Our booth was mobbed from the start as one of our volunteers brought a life sized cut out of the Democratic Nominee. Everyone came by to get a photo, re-register, and sign up to volunteer. Shout out to Ken Richard, Obama Delegate from the East Bay, who staffed the booth with his partner Steve. Congratulations on their recent marriage!
Gretchen also registered voters on Saturday night at the Dyke March! Thousands of lesbians filled the streets of the Castro wearing Obama Pride stickers. Others can now vote thanks to Gretchen’s organizing efforts.
On Sunday, the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club held their annual breakfast which is a must go for any politican or political campaign. Our nominee sent a letter congratulating the couples who were married over the past two weeks and stating his opposition to the amendment.
Over one hundred people marched in the parade, carrying signs and passing out literally thousands of stickers. We were shouting OBAMA 08 and FIRED UP, READY TO GO and YES WE CAN and SI SE PUEDE. Obama delegate Jenn Pae brought a loud speaker so that all of downtown San Francisco heard our cheers! Thanks to Jeff Hamilton for reaching out to all the marchers on Sunday.
Local favorite Margaret Cho stopped by our booth to show her support for the next President of the United States.
We rallied the crowd around one cause: change. That is what Obama personifies and it’s also why I supported him. All in all, we had over 200 participants volunteering, marching, registering. More than 400 new registrations. 500 signs passed out and 15,000 stickers throughout the estimated 1 million participants.
Photos from the Trans March and the Dyke March (courtesy of Gretchen Atwood) at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/freya_gefn/2624783558/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/freya_gefn/2623495297/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/freya_gefn/2624321138/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/freya_gefn/2623478485/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kanaka/2621338742/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/swellkh/2624174920/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/88686369@N00/2619810241/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/88686369@N00/2619810241/
Photos from the Parade + Celebration (please emphasize courtesy of Eric Politzer)
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=160ygheo.25vcsdwo&x=0&y=-bhuuo&localeid=en_US
Photos from the Parade + Celebration
http://www.flickr.com/photos/18760704@N02/sets/72157606634759482/
