Rift Over Competing Oakland Pride Runs

Two women are planning competing 5K runs the day before the Oakland Pride parade and festival, causing confusion and bruised egos.

Kin Folkz, who's also known as Monica Anderson, is planning another edition of her Oakland Pride 5K fun run/walk, which first took place last year.

Meanwhile, Nathalie Huerta, owner of the Queer Gym who originally expressed support for Folkz's event, has gone and started her own Oakland Pride 5K.

Both are scheduled for 8 a.m. Saturday, September 10, the day before Sunday's Pride parade. The Oakland Pride 5K sponsored by the Queer Gym will be held at the Lake Merritt Amphitheater. Folkz's Oakland Pride 5K will start at Snow Park.

The Queer Gym's event has sold out, with 500 registrants, according to a post on Facebook.

Folkz, a genderqueer woman, conceived the Oakland Pride 5K fun run/walk in 2013 at what she called a "wellness gathering."

The first run took place in 2015 and was a success, she said, so Folkz, 50, moved forward with her plans to make the run an annual event to be held the day before Oakland Pride.

"In 2015 we achieved the run with Oakland Pride reaching out and offering support in the form of promotion on their website and in print," Folkz told the Bay Area Reporter. Folkz added that the event attracted nearly 100 runners, walkers, and volunteers. The run, which Folkz said cost $3,459 to produce, had a policy of not turning away those who lacked funds.

"We received $655 in donations from runners, walkers and observers who wanted to contribute," Folkz said. "The remaining $2,804 in bills associated with the run was paid for by myself and two other community members."

Folkz noted that the run's purpose was to elevate the wellness of Oakland's queer community.

But now, she is engaged in a dispute with Huerta, 32, a lesbian and former ally who originally expressed support for Folkz' Pride Run. Huerta is the proprietor of Oakland's Queer Gym, formerly known as the Perfect Sidekick, and has announced a competing Oakland Pride 5K event.

"LGBTQ and allies unite to kick off Oakland Pride with a fun, healthy and hella gay 5K," states the announcement, which is posted on Queer Gym's website.

Folkz said she was shocked by what she calls the stealing of her event.

"Huerta's conscience and integrity should have kicked in at some point," Folkz said. "Her sister agreed and shared that the two runs had a different focus, in that their run was a fundraiser for the gym and included corporate sponsors."

Folkz pointed out that Huerta's run had gotten Oakland Pride and Left magazine to sign on as promotional partners.

According to Folkz, Huerta's sister, Maricela Huerta, said that she would suggest that the gym's run take place on a different day.

"I supported that idea and also asked that Huerta call me directly to begin healing," Folkz said. "I have not received a direct call from Huerta."

Maricela Huerta confirmed she did speak with Folkz.

"I spoke directly with Monica [Folkz] over the phone to try and figure out where the miscommunication happened and more importantly, how we can find a resolution," Maricela Huerta said. "I explained that it did not have to be 'us or her,' that we could work together, but she did not agree and got very angry. She told me, 'No! I'm going to tell you what's going to happen here. You're going to go tell Nathalie I said she must shut it down, turn over the permits, and stand down!' Then she hung up on me in the middle of what was supposed to be an open dialogue. After that she immediately started the social media attacks and has not stopped since."

Folkz claims that Oakland Pride's board was asked to issue her a cease and desist letter.

"The board did not do so," she said. "Instead, two of the three board members sent me text messages of support. We support Huerta's attempts to grow her business, but not by appropriating the run idea from black queer women, pushing a pretense to be the first Oakland Pride-promoted 5K run."

Online Petition Launched

Folkz has posted a change.org petition directed at Huerta and Left's David Helton titled, "We Won't Support the Stolen Oakland Pride's 5K Run's Erasure of Black Women's Genius." To date the petition has garnered 394 signatures out of the 500 it seeks. Posted comments at the petition acknowledge Folkz as the originator of the Oakland Pride Run. Some comments also addressed gentrification and white supremacy.

Carlos Uribe, Oakland Pride's spokesman, provided the board's response to Folkz's allegations.

"After some research, we learned that an organization, Spectrum Queer Media, run by Monica Anderson/Kin Folkz, had indeed hosted an event using the Oakland Pride name in 2015," the statement reads in part. "Oakland Pride, however, was not a recipient of any of the funds generated by that event, nor was Oakland Pride involved in the planning, marketing, or execution of that event. Folkz had simply used the Oakland Pride name to promote her event."

The statement also claims that attempts were made this year to reach a compromise with Folkz.

"We made several attempts to find a suitable compromise," Oakland Pride's statement says. "Instead of a dialogue, however, she presented us with a list of unrealistic demands, one of which was that the event be an exclusively 'black LGBTQ event' and that all the other committed sponsors step aside. That is not in the spirit of Oakland Pride's values; our events are always inclusive of all nationalities, races, and genders. We also include our straight allies. Oakland Pride is fully inclusive and does not discriminate on any level for any reason."

Folkz denied Oakland Pride's allegations, and said that she never demanded that the run be an exclusively black LGBTQ event. She reiterated her commitment to staging a successful run and to uplifting the community's wellness.

Uribe said that Oakland Pride tried to work with Folkz.

"Even though we reached out to Kin Folkz on different occasions and heard no response, we were willing to find a way to work with all parties involved, but Kin Folkz refused to engage or accept our offer," he said. "Oakland Pride in no way was trying to take over an event, prevent anyone from participating in any events, and will work with any organization or group who wants to use the Oakland Pride name and/or event weekend. Oakland Pride is committed to maintaining events that are inclusive and reflective of our Oakland/East Bay LGBTQ communities and we work to ensure that happens each year."

For her part, Nathalie Huerta said she, too, is open to finding a resolution.

"However, attempts to resolve this issue have been met with personal attacks to my character and a list of demands after she deliberately decided not to put any effort into collaborating when our team initially reached out to her months ago," Huerta said in an email. "It is unreasonable to demand that we cancel our event, terminate partnership agreements and hand over the permits after it has taken months of preparation from numerous local partners to make this a successful fun-filled celebration for our community."

Huerta added that she has not posted online attacks against Folkz.

"Despite the consistent online attacks to my character, I'd like to add that the Queer Gym has not once replied or posted any negative statements about her character or her organization," she said. "We will continue to promote unity within the community and wish Monica well."

Angela Tsay, CEO of the Oakland-based apparel designer Oaklandish, is co-hosting the Queer Gym's Pride run.

"We are well aware of Kin Folkz's protest of the Oakland Pride 5K, but in partnership with the Queer Gym, we have put an event together that will be full of nothing put positive vibes, community unity, and funds for local organizations," Tsay said. "We received an overwhelming positive response from the community, selling out the event with 500 runners. Amazing work for an amazing community. Oaklandish is proud to stand by the Queer Gym and our partners as we kick-off Oakland Pride."

Folkz said that Oakland Pride's statement is libelous and that she hopes that she and Huerta can still get together for lunch and resolve their differences, even as time is running out. Folkz said she will move forward with her run, which will include a wellness expo.