SeeCalifornia.com

There are certain cities in California where you are bound to see plenty of pride. San Francisco and West Hollywood are several. But there are displays of pride in Fresno, Santa Ana, San Diego, Long Beach, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Sacramento and Santa Cruz, especially when the pride parades each year bring celebrants into the streets with flamboyant, funky and funny costumes and rainbow colors that signify the pride movement. Between 2 and 6.5 percent of the U.S. population identifies itself as being gay, though the most cited number is around 3.8 percent of American adults. Strictly by population California leads the nation in number of gay (and LGBT) residents with more than one million, though the state ranks 10th in percent of gay adults. Top places are Washington D.C., Hawaii, Vermont, Oregon, Maine, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, South Dakota, Nevada and then California.

There are approx. 18 states that have declared same sex marriages legal and California is one. As a demographic, same sex couples are seen as spenders and have been targeted by travel destinations, wedding planners and others as potential customers.  Gay is mostly out of the closet in California (not always) but the pride festivals bring out everybody to enjoy the festivities and fun.