Los Angeles Pride

LA Pride, also known as the LA Pride Festival and Parade, is an annual LGBTQ+ pride event that takes place in West Hollywood, California. The event is organized by the Christopher Street West Association, an LGBT non-profit human rights organization in the Greater Los Angeles Area. The first pride parade in Los Angeles was on June 28, 1970.

Los Angeles Pride
A scene from the Los Angeles Pride festival in June 1993
StatusActive
GenrePride parade and festival
FrequencyAnnual
VenueWest Hollywood Park
Location(s)West Hollywood, California
CountryUnited States
Inaugurated1970
Most recent9 June 2019 (2019-06-09)
Next event13 June 2021 (2021-06-13)
Attendance200,000
Organized byChristopher Street West Association
Filing status1976
Websitewww.lapride.org

Parade

The first Los Angeles pride parade

Los Angeles' first pride parade, and the world's first gay pride parade, was on June 28, 1970.[1]

According to Reverend Troy Perry,[2] "The Police Commission voted 4 to 1 to place conditions on the parade permit. And they were, 1) you'd have to put up a bond for a million dollars to pay out the businesses when people throw rocks at ya'll 2) you have to put up a cash bond of $500,000, and 3) you've got to have at least 5000 people marching."[3]

The ACLU got involved.[4] The same day, the California Superior Court ordered the Police Commission to issue a permit to the organizers with the receipt of the $1,500 security payment, but that all other requirements be dropped.

LA Pride 2017

In 2017 LA Pride replaced its traditional parade festivities with a resistance approach forming a #ResistMarch. The march kicked off at the original start of its 1970 parade in Hollywood on the corner of Cherokee and Hollywood Blvd. This attracted controversy in parts of the LGBT community as it was stated to be a Trump resistance march.[5][6] Notable speakers at the #ResistMarch were: Maxine Waters, Margaret Cho, Chris Rock, America Ferrera, Adam Lambert, and Nancy Pelosi.

The parade grand marshal was Alexei Romanoff, a civil rights activist with the Black Cat demonstrations.

Parade grand marshals

Grand marshals of past parades include: 2020: NONE.

Festival

The LA Pride Festival started in 1974. The festival at that time was like a street fair. As one attendee put it, "It was a small festival—very small, the parking lot of a mini-mall on Sunset Blvd and Cherokee Ave. Had booths, food, and souvenirs."

In 1979, the festival also moved to West Hollywood.

Today, the LA Pride Festival attracts over 50,000 attendees with three stages, activations and Non-Profit booths.

In 2018 the LA Pride Festival sold out for the first time in its 48-year history.[11]

Two years later, a virtual event was held as officials moved many events online and cancelling concerts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stage performers

Among the artists who have performed at the festival are:

2016 festival

In 2016 the festival was on June 10–12. Among the 35 artists scheduled to perform were Big Freedia, Charli XCX, Da Brat, Daya, Faith Evans, Carly Rae Jepsen, Lion Babe, Robin S., Hailee Steinfeld, and Trina.[12]

2015 festival

The 2015 festival took place from June 12 to June 14, 2015. The headlining artists for the festival were Wilson Phillips, Tinashe, Kesha, Tamar Braxton, Ty Herndon, Eden xo,[13] and Fifth Harmony.[14]

2020 and COVID

Live events were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic; events were rescheduled to be televised or online.[15]

Objectives

Los Angeles Pride stresses public awareness of gay people and their contributions to society. Because it is located in the predominantly LGBT+ neighborhood of West Hollywood, LA Pride emphasizes connecting the LGBT community with the larger community. It also aims to support broader community groups connecting with the LGBT community.[16][17]

Organizers
Christopher Street West, the organizers of Los Angeles Pride, march in the 1987 pride parade.

LA Pride is organized by Christopher Street West, a 501(c)3 non-profit, was established in 1970 by Rev. Troy Perry, Rev. Bob Humphries and Morris Kight.

USC Scholarship

In 1990, Christopher Street West in conjunction with the Gay and Lesbian Assembly for Student Services (GLASS) established an endowment at the University of Southern California with the purpose of funding scholarships for students pursuing degrees, and research for the improvement of the LGBTQ condition.[18]

Pride festivals in Southern California

Some of the other pride festivals in Southern California are Ventura County Pride in Ventura, OC Pride in Santa Ana, and San Diego LGBT Pride in San Diego.[19] Past pride events include Simi Valley Pride in the Simi Valley, San Gabriel Valley Pride in the San Gabriel Valley,[20] and LA/Valley Pride in the San Fernando Valley.[21]

References
  1. "Meet the godfather of gay pride, Reverend Troy Perry - Only In Hollywood". Only In Hollywood. June 7, 2017. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  2. Bernadicou, August. "Rev Troy Perry". August Nation. The LGBTQ History Project. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  3. "Meet the godfather of gay pride, Rev. Troy Perry - Only In Hollywood". Only In Hollywood. June 7, 2017. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  4. "How Activists Plotted the First Gay Pride Parades". HISTORY. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  5. Villareal, Yezmin (March 10, 2017). "L.A. Pride Replacing Parade With a Protest March". The Advocate (LGBT magazine). Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  6. "LGBT Trump Supporters Dismayed Over Pride Marches Becoming 'Resist' Events". NPR.org. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  7. "Michaela Mendelsohn leads as LA Pride 2018 Grand Marshal". Lesbian News. May 29, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  8. Branson-Potts, Hailey (June 6, 2017). "Major road closures announced for L.A. Pride and Resist March". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  9. "CHRISTOPHER STREET WEST ANNOUNCES 2017 LA PRIDE GRAND MARSHAL, ALEXEI ROMANOFF - LA Pride Parade & Festival in West Hollywood CA June 2017". www.lapride.org. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  10. {{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6077504/demi-lovato-to-perform-gay-pride-events-lgbt-los-angeles-new-york%7Clast=Letkemann%7Cfirst=Jessica%7Cdate=May 5, 2014|work=Billboard|access-date=June 13, 2020
  11. "L.A. Pride Festival in West Hollywood Sells Out for First Time". KTLA. June 10, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  12. Jacobs, Blake (April 27, 2016). "The LA Pride Music Festival Lineup This Year Is AMAZING and Includes a Few WOWlebrities!". The WOW Report. World of Wonder. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  13. http://greginhollywood.com/la-pride-2015-ty-herndon-wilson-phillips-tinashe-and-eden-xo-added-to-stellar-entertainment-line-up-115283
  14. George Vernon. "Kesha among headliners at this weekend's 45th anniversary LA Pride celebration". San Diego Gay & Lesbian News. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
  15. MARIA L. LA GANGA (October 9, 2020). "L.A. Pride at 50: 'In the beginning it was about visibility'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  16. Martha Groves (October 9, 2011). "Marine recruiters reach out at gay pride event in Pasadena" (News article). Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 19, 2012.
  17. "Props to California's LA/Valley Pride: Welcome, Marines!". Operation Yellow Elephant. Operation Yellow Elephant. October 10, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2012.
  18. "USC LGBT Historical Timeline | LGBT Resource Center | USC". lgbtrc.usc.edu. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  19. "California Pride Festivals, Parades and Events". See California. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  20. https://www.sgvpride.org. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  21. "Photos". LA/Valley Pride. Celebrate Events. Archived from the original on January 5, 2010. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
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