Thousands turn out for Trans March in S.F.

Ms. Jajah Desmon, center, of San Francisco, and Anthony Escobar, left, and Audrey Vogel, far left, both of Berkeley, carry a flag during Trans March 2014 in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, June 27, 2014. Ms. Jajah Desmon, center, of San Francisco, and Anthony Escobar, left, and Audrey Vogel, far left, both of Berkeley, carry a flag during Trans March 2014 in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, June 27, 2014. Photo: Sarah Rice, Special To The Chronicle Photo: Sarah Rice, Special To The Chronicle Image 1 of / 19 Caption Close Thousands turn out for Trans March in S.F. 1 / 19 Back to Gallery

(06-27) 19:58 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- Thousands of people descended on Dolores Park on Friday afternoon for the nation's biggest transgender pride event, the 11th annual Trans March, before moving the celebration to the site of the Compton's Cafeteria Riot at Turk and Taylor streets in San Francisco.

Once at the site of the one of the most important transgender riots in U.S. history, city officials unveiled a street sign honoring the late Vicki Marlane, one of San Francisco's legendary performers. The Board of Supervisors in April approved a resolution to recognize the pioneer, who died of an AIDS-related illness in 2011.

The Trans March, whose theme was "Marching for Equality: Our Time Is Now," is a volunteer-driven event, said organizer Danielle Castro. "We gather every year to ensure that we have visibility," she said.

Felicia Elizondo, a 68-year-old transgender woman who has been living with AIDS for 27 years and who serves on the Trans March board of directors, said she's proud to see how far the event has come.

"When you're different," she said, "you're an activist because you've survived this long."