California chocolate shop sales double during Pride Month
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - The night before San Francisco's signature Pride Parade takes over Market Street, the city was buzzing with celebrations from the Castro to downtown.
At Kokak Chocolates in the Castro, owner Carol Gancia's passion and identity as a queer Filipina are reflected in her handcrafted work.
As people look around the 18th Street shop, there are colorful displays of Pride.
"Honestly, for me, it's not just about being gay or not. It's also about whoever you are, be as weird as you are, and we're cool with that, because I want to be as weird as I am and want you to just go with it and love me for who I am, and that is what we're trying to do," Gancia spoke.
Sales doubling
On this final Pride weekend, customers lined up for her artisanal sweets. She said overall sales started picking up in June.
This Saturday, they're double what the shop normally brings in on this day.
Customers also purchased Pride shirts.
"When I first moved here, Icouldn't even say the word gay. I was really scared of saying the word gay. I had a relationship with a woman for quite a while then, but I couldn't say the word while living in the Phillipines. When I moved here, it took a quite while, but I was able to say that I was gay and that I was a lesbian," Gancia detailed.
Big draw for customers
The shop is big draw for customers like Glenn Gangano, who grew up in San Francisco.
He also attended Kokak's first ever drag brunch Saturday.
"It's amazing. As a gay Filipino male, it's important to be out and feel comfortable and safe in the city," Gangano expressed.
Honoring Heklina
In downtown San Francisco, the W Hotel hosted "Long Live Drag." The event celebrated and honored the life of LGBTQ icon Heklina, who passed suddenly in April.
A portion of the proceeds will go to the Oasis Arts Foundation, which partners with Oasis Nightclub, which Heklina co-founded.
"She was a force, you know. She liked to be raunchy, and she liked to work out a lot of angst on stage. And she also provided a space for us to do the same," said Miss Shugana, a drag performer.
Miss Shugana and Madd-Dogg 20/20 entertained the crowd with performances. They said it's especially important to do so now as anti-LGBTQ legislation, threats, and violence ramp up in mostly red states across the country.
"We're just performers doing an art. Don't be scared of us. There's no need to be scared of us. We're just people," Madd-Dogg 20/20 stated.
