Ebar: Oakland City Council OKs LGBTQ cultural district
At a joyous news conference outside the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center Tuesday morning, drag queen Vicki Sparkle Titz wowed the crowd by lip-synching and dancing to Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" before the Oakland Gay Men's Chorus performed "Seasons of Love" from the Broadway smash "Rent." It was all part of a celebration ahead of the Oakland City Council approving the first LGBTQ cultural district in the city, which it did at its meeting November 7.
The Lakeshore LGBTQ Cultural District is anchored by the community center on Lakeshore Avenue, and encompasses parts of the Lakeshore and Grand neighborhoods. Brandon Harami, a gay man who's director of community resilience for Mayor Sheng Thao and her de facto LGBTQ liaison, said there are about a dozen businesses within the district's boundaries that are LGBTQ-owned. (None of the business owners spoke at the event.)
