Rainbow-colored flags adorned Bo Diddley Community Plaza downtown Saturday, as an estimated 4,000 people came through for the gay pride festival "PrideFest 2010."
"If you look around, you've got drag queens, lesbians, gays, older gays, college students, gay allies and families coming out to support their kids," said Daniel Jones, who when performing as a drag queen goes by the name Miss Conception.
Vendors at the festival were selling pride-related items such as rainbow-colored studded belts, and earrings with double-male and double-female symbols.
Various acts took the stage throughout the afternoon and into the evening, including musical acts and drag dancers.
Several of the drag dancers were winners of amateur drag night at University Club, Jones said.
Between performances, two women, backed by techno music, stood onstage tossing rainbow-colored flags into the plaza field, causing a stir as people scrambled to retrieve the prizes.
It wasn't just members of the LGBT community who showed up to celebrate.
Some people came out to support those close to them, like 21-year-old Travis Ogden and his bisexual girlfriend Erica Detrick.
The event, part of the 2010 Pride Days, was put on by the non-profit Pride Community Center of North Central Florida.
The day kicked off with a parade, which Pride Community Center secretary Abby Goldsmith said was very successful. She said the streets were lined with people.
The parade started at Seventh Street and University Avenue, and ended at the plaza. It was paid for with sponsorships and donations, she said.
"All this stuff costs a fortune," she said. "But people donate because they believe in the value of every human being."
Goldsmith made it clear what the organization's focus was this year.
"No more suicides," she said. "We're really focusing our efforts on preventing more suicides. We want an open, accepting world for these kids." Goldsmith was referring to several recent LGBT suicides that have gained national attention.
Pride Days has been celebrated in Gainesville since 1991, said Pride Community Center Co-President Terry Fleming.
