9th St, Old Oakland
May 17, 2025
Kings and queens took to the streets, delighting an enchanted crowd that grew in numbers throughout the afternoon. The festival was Oaklash 2025’s main event—programming ran all weekend—and unfolded primarily on two stages between 9th and Washington Streets in Old Oakland. A family-friendly day, where everyone was welcomed; the night before, ApocaLipstick had kicked things off for the adult participants at the White Horse Bar. The three-day festival was a vibrant showcase of what queer culture in Oakland has to offer, and it's so much more than you might expect.
Yes, there were some top notch drag performances from television famous queens, but along with that came a sense of hopefulness, community, and sincere connection. Countless people around me made fast friends and held space for each other that truly felt a safe to be in. No matter your age, sexual orientation. demographic or gender: all were welcomed with arms wide and truly open.
There is such a sweetness to the Oakland drag scene it really does feel like one big extended family. Distant cousin who rarely visits? Still welcome.
Just inside the Broadway entrance guests were greeting by a “Drag Swap” booth. Performers, or any in need of a wardrobe boost, could cash in (cash, and all currency, free) for fresh flair, and new looks were tried and discarded or loved as the day wore on.
Further in drinks and food flowed from several vendors. Yvie Oddly of RuPaul's Drag Race fame headlined the event, and fellow drag powerhouses like Nikki Jizz, Mudd the Two-Spirit, La Chucha Rude (pictured at top of text), and Jota Mercury gave us life with their dance moves, their humor tinged with politics and incredible energy seemingly never ending.
The mood was joyful and the crowd kept cheering, but the undercurrent of activism did not go unnoticed.
Girlfriend With Cookie treated us to an absolutely hilarious Cookie Monster performance that left a lasting impression, inspiring both laughter and deeper thought. “I chose to put Cookie Monster in this number because I think when times are tough—as they are now—it’s important to let ourselves be wild, to eat, and to fulfill our bodies. Cookie Monster is a good role model for that. So, live your life! Don’t let these assholes stop you from living your life,” they stated.
I looked longingly at the prop cookies left on the table after their set.
Magnifique, a performer from the Central Valley, struck a more serious tone, beginning with “Do You Hear the People Sing?” from Les Misérables and ending with Green Day's “American Idiot.”
“We are really big about what we believe in. I grew up privileged, and I recognize that privilege. I will spend the rest of my life fighting against it and letting people know: you have rights. Don’t forget your rights. This administration is going to make you think that you don’t. Use your brains. Stop using AI. Think for yourself,” they told me tearfully.
Oaklash was a blaring reminder that sometimes the most fun experiences in life do need to be done in person. The lewks, life, art, and outfits that the performers and attendees brought, their flair and presence of person, cannot be duplicated on a screen.
If you missed last weekend’s festivities, fear not, there’s still more to come. Q-Lab: Oaklash’s Obsurdities: An Experimental Drag Cabaret July 11 and 12, with violist OBSIDIENNE OBSURD and cellist Peekaboo Salinas promising to shock and delight in a show emceed by Oaklash founder and DJ Mama Celeste.
For more information, check the Oaklash website.
