GenQ - For the not so straight individual

This past weekend, San Diego, CA celebrated its 31st annual pride celebration with an excellent parade and festival. The festival attracted some 150,000 participants from all over the USA, Mexico, and Canada. This year's theme was ?Equal Rights! No More, No Less!? and focuses on the GLBTQ community's ?quest to obtain civil rights in the areas of same-sex marriage, adoption, serving in the military, and improving human rights? says Pride Executive Director Suanne Pauley.

The San Diego Pride Parade took place on July 30th at 11am along the very gay strip of University Avenue in Hillcrest between Normal Street and Sixth. The parade features much of San Diego's gay community in their finest ? from the Sister of Perpetual Indulgence all the way down to the Dykes on Bikes. The parade had a little bit of something for everyone. The parade grand marshals were philanthropist Michael Phillips, US Marine Corp combat veteran Ben Dillingham, Poway High School students Megan Donovan and Joey Ramelli, and President of the California NAACP Alice Huffman.

The 2-day festival which took place at the beautiful, spacious, and historic Balboa Park featured many vendors and exhibitors catering to the gay and lesbian community from insurance services and estate planning, to many alternative press and porn publications. The festival featured some excellent live entertainment including the Flaggots, a synchronized and very entertaining colorguard troupe from Ohio who made their debut at this San Diego Pride. Performance headliners included composer Cris Williamson, alternative rock band BETTY, Niki Haris (?Rhythm is a Dancer?), and 80s ensemble Bow Wow Wow, famous for their hit song ?I Want Candy.?

There is so much to do for everyone at San Diego Pride ? from dancing the afternoon away at one of the festivals four dance tents to getting a bite to eat from the fabulous food vendors to visiting the leather fair, or even taking your young ones to the children's expo.

San Diego's pride celebration is quite unique in Southern California in that it is much larger than other celebrations (such as Palm Springs, or the Inland Empire) but doesn't feature the pretense of the largest celebrations such as Los Angeles/West Hollywood. While, as with most pride celebrations, the people are gorgeous on the outside, San Diego has quite a few people who are beautiful on the inside as well ? friendly and caring. Most people have the best time at San Diego pride just sitting quietly on large grassy fields talking to strangers, getting to know other members of the community. That is what sets San Diego pride apart from most other celebrations around the Nation ? a sense of community and a sense we really are all full of pride.

Many more pictures of San Diego pride are available on QueerPlanet's BUSTED! Gallery at http://www.queerplanet.us/busted