Nikita Diamondz
by Jessica Lewis
A crowd sporting an array of rainbow-colored flags gathered ‘round the stage in Chico’s City Plaza, amid a cluster of various organizations Saturday.
A woman, applauding from the gallery, encouraged a girl to give a dollar to a performer on stage – an obviously appreciated reward for Nikita Diamondz, making her drag debut performance. Each performer got their chance to lead the crowd in an exploration and celebration of gender, by proudly showcasing their own concepts of gender during this year’s “Seeds of Change” PRIDE event.
“There was PRIDE and LGBT in Chico before, but the size and scope of how big Chico PRIDE has become is a big deal,” PRIDE event coordinator Alyssa Larson said.
Larson wasn’t immediately able to provide attendance figures, but she said the event’s four days of activities typically attract between 4,000 and 7,000 attendees.