‘Love draws a bigger crowd’: Oakdale holds first Pride event despite some opposition
Oakdale will celebrate the city’s first Pride event Sunday and event organizers say they hope to continue the event every year.
CalPride Stanislaus has been organizing pride events across the Central Valley for the last few years, with events in Merced, Turlock, Sonora, Ceres, Coulterville, and Waterford, which will host their event Saturday at Beard Park from noon to 4 p.m.
“The support for Oakdale Pride has been unbelievable. It has been so inspiring. It has been so heartwarming. LGBTQ people exist everywhere, you know, but we were really inspired by the community that Oakdale has fostered,” said Ryann Hall, vice president of communications for CalPride Stanislaus.
Hall said the event began to take shape following conversations during CalPride’s monthly meetup at Sisters Coffee Shop, which takes place on the second Sunday of every month. Over the last few years they made an effort to be more involved in the community by putting up pride flags in businesses around town and even entering a pride float in the city’s 150th anniversary parade in 2021.
Though the event has been met with enthusiasm, it has also raised concerns among some Oakdale citizens.
At the city council meeting on June 15, several speakers expressed concerns about the nature of the event; one speaker called organizers and attendees “perverted individuals,” and others expressed opposition to the event taking place at a park near children. Some even showed up with signs critical of drag performers who compared their costumes to those of “women strippers.”
Hall said they were disappointed by the response but also buoyed by supporters who also showed up in droves.
“I think seeing the amount of support that came in reaction to Oakdale City Council, it reminded me why I have my job, why I do my job, and it reminded all of our employees why we’re here and why we have a job to do. Why there’s still work to do. You know, hate draws a pretty big crowd, but love draws an even bigger one,” they said.
Hall said the backlash is likely due to misconceptions and misinformation about what their event is about, and that is why Pride celebrations are still necessary and essential to bring about acceptance and visibility in small communities.
“I would classify it as maybe being misinformed, maybe not knowing an LGBTQ person or not knowing our stories, not knowing our community,” Hall said. “We face bigotry and discrimination and ignorance, and it’s something that we battle every day.”
Hall said one of the misconceptions about the event is that it will be like Pride celebrations in larger cities, where the themes are usually more focused on adult audiences. “This isn’t like San Francisco Pride, and we’re not trying to become the Bay Area. We know our communities, and so when we say family-friendly, when we say all ages, when we say accessible, when we say all that, we really mean it.”
Hall said that younger LGBTQ- identifying individuals still have fears about being out and often sneak into gay bars and events for adults just to find community. Those events, hosted during daytime hours and with no age restrictions, are one way to build visibility and understanding about what Pride is really all about.
After the city council meeting, the event was moved from the original location at Dorada Park to the Gene Bianchi Community Center. CalPride said the move was to better accommodate the crowd and to make it more comfortable for attendees in an air-conditioned and ADA-accessible venue. They have partnered with the City of Oakdale and Oakdale Police Department to ensure safety for all participants.
Hall said they hope the event will bring out a large response. Last weekend, CalPride held its event in Turlock, where they estimated over 600 people attended. The Oakdale event will feature drag performances hosted by Drag Queen Sasha Devaroe, live music from ska band Horizon Point, Candice Lamb and others, vendors, food, and more. CalPride and other local organizations will also offer support with housing, legal, and mental health resources.
“I think folks who have concerns about Oakdale Pride will have an opportunity to see what community looks like and an opportunity to see the celebration, safety, and happiness in what this means for people. I know that’s the heart of Oakdale,” Hall said.
The event will be on Sunday, June 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Gene Bianchi Community Center at 110 S. 2nd Ave. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.calpride.org/stanislaus
This story was originally published June 25, 2026 at 3:40 PM.
