Oaklash Festivals returns to Oakland to celebrate LGBTQ community
The Oaklash Festival was back in Oakland this weekend and it's a three-day celebration of drag and the LGBTQ community.
Organizers said they have managed to avoid the struggles some other LGBTQ organizations are experiencing because of the elimination of government grants.
Sunday was their Oaklash Kick Back event at Panther Skate Plaza.
Executive Director Mama Celeste says it's a culmination of months of work, but every second was worth it.
"We're just here having a good time, out in the sun, just getting together and being queer and living our dream," Celeste said.
Celeste moved to the Bay Area in 2015 and, for the first time in their life, felt at ease.
"I love this community and I think everything that I do is an effort to give back to that feeling that I got of feeling welcomed and feeling like I belonged," Celeste said.
Queer spaces like this continue to be needed. Celeste acknowledges that the Trump administration's policies and actions have rolled back protections and reinforced discrimination against the LGBTQ community.
But they say it's not the first time this has happened to their community.
"Queer and trans people have always been the subjects of violence in this country and what we're going through now is no different than what generations have had to experience," explained Celeste.
Celeste says they've learned from the generations that came before them, and they continue to organize and fight back.
But they're trying to do it in a sustainable way. Instead of relying on corporate sponsors and government grants, many of which have been eliminated, they're relying on the community that continues to show up year after year.
They have fundraisers and receive donations at festival events.
"We really just rely on the people who come to this event wanting to see it year and year and every $20 that people give at the door makes this possible and helps us keep this going and that's what we need to be doing right now, surviving," Celeste said.
There were also resources at the event, like health vendors to help people get gender affirming care and mental health care.
Oaklash is no longer focused on trying to scale up their non-profit, but instead maintaining what they have already built.
Brandy Hyatt has been attending the event for years and she's grateful for spaces like this one.
"It solidifies what's going on a national level is not what's happening locally," said Hyatt regarding seeing so many people come out to support the event. "People care about each other in the community. It doesn't matter about who you love, or the color of your skin, your religion, any of those things."
The non-profit tries to be welcoming to everyone.
Ryana Wilkin is deaf and she is working with Oaklash to try and connect that community with more LGBTQ resources.
"Deaf people need to come on, don't be shy," Wilkin said while signing. "Come out now."
Celeste said no matter what happens politically, Oaklash will keep fighting for the LGBTQ community.
"Creating these safe spaces and giving people the opportunity to feel liberated, even for a moment, is the most important thing that we can do and it's also the only thing we can do," Celeste said.
While the festival is Oaklash's biggest event, they do put on other drag and queer performances throughout the year.
