WEST HOLLYWOOD – More than just about any art-form, Music has the capacity to transform and lift up, define, celebrate and soothe. It also has the capacity to lead and heal. And, vividly, that’s what happened repeatedly, with artist after artist, at night two of WeHo Pride’s OutLoud Festival, where a fantastic arc of musical and dance performances took a a packed WeHo Park to church, as Grace Jones herself put it.

We’ll start with her.

It was just hard to believe it, but there she was, her ever defiant and powerful self, aglow on an elevated stage, draped in a full frock, adorned with a Rainbow Crown made of pride colored knitting needles, appearing as triumphantly as the goddess she is.

Slowly she revealed her perfectly preserved 74 year young body, striking familiar angular profiles that are forever seared into world consciousness. She remains as beautiful in 2023 as the baby Grace who seemingly beamed out of nowhere in the mid-1970s, shocking the pop art world, inspiring the likes of Andy Warhol and Keith Haring, the Studio 54 crowd and every magazine cover on the planet. Grace became one of the world’s first superstars to brand herself globally in the mulit-verse of music, fashion, dance, art, modeling, film and even philosophy.

She is lightning in a bottle and her performance at OutLoud night two was nothing short of a direct strike, moving cautiously (some might say gracefully) and staying on point, delivering song after familiar song, Jamaican flavored. She even floated through the crowd, diva that she is, blessing thousands with touch.

Her entire body covered in Keith Haring style drawings, she featured numerous looks that are her unmistakable brand, including a crowd favorite Keith Haring hoop dress.

Her set included nearly every song you’d want to hear from Grace Jones, including a crowd interactive rendition of “Amazing Grace.”

The entire LGBTQ+ rainbow assembly of OutLoud’s park packed audience erupted in a chorus of the song’s spiritual full rendition and with a gusto that surpassed even grace.

WeHo Park indeed did go to Church.

But even before Grace, Orville Peck,  the South African born country music singer-songwriter who wears a fringed leather mask who has never shown his face publicly, brought his chart topping Nashville sound to the park, featuring his song Pony in 2019 and his many standard hits, even his Lady Gaga approved rendition of “Born This Way, a song he introduced with an announcement that Tennessee’s Drag ban had been revoked by a federal judge who deemed it unconstitutional.

The crowd erupted into chants of approval and then rocked out with Orville.

Peck’s music has been described as a mix of country, rockabilly, and glam rock. He has cited influences such as Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, and Kacey Musgraves. His flamboyant style and mysterious persona have made him a global cult figure, and he is out, loud and proud of his challenge to gender identity.

This year Tennessee and the Drag ban along with the more than 500 anti-LGBTQ laws that are winding their way through legislatures around the country animated much of the event.

Backstage at OutLoud festival, Nashville’s own Brooke Eden, the country music singer sat down with the Los Angeles Blade, revealing a surprisingly profound number of changes in Nashville that stand at odds with the culture wars the state government is waging. Her story will be featured in an upcoming article in Los Angeles Blade’s coverage of Nashville Pride.

But, as an industry, Nashville’s music scene is embracing LGBTQ talent in ways that were once unimaginable, including Eden’s own high-profile wedding at the home of Garth Brook’s and Trisha Yearwood,  her performance of a same sex love song on the hallowed stage of the Grand Ole Opry and even an industry staging even called Country Proud during Country Music Awards week next week in downtown Nashville.

It’s a great example of the power music has to move us through difficult times, elevate, evangelize and forge alliances against the headwinds, a theme repeated during the OutLoud weekend.

Earlier in the evening, the stage of OutLoud sizzled with Santigold’s eclectic mix of dance, hip hop, reggae, and rock, bringing the whole entire electric rainbow to the stage, presenting an enormous and energetic choreographed set, delivering hit after hit, including “Can’t Get Enough” and “Run the Road.”

The day had already seen a huge line-up of performances, Teyana Trendz, Eduardo Togi, Kento, Sizzy Rocket, Rayvo Owen, James Barre, Cub Sport, Yung Bae and Kylie Sonique Love, all combined to bring the next generation to the front and staking a claim to a proud, OutLoud movement.

Yes, we’re calling OutLoud Music Festival a movement, because it has indeed been born. And backstage, after Grace left the stage, Jeff Consoletti, the producer of OutLoud Festival, was a picture of serenity, seemed aware of it.

“Grace Jones delivered a performance making music history in West Hollywood. We created Outloud to champion queer artistry, and no one accomplishes that more assuredly than Miss Jones. We work hard to deliver a show that makes Weho proud, and I think this performance will be something the community looks back on memorably for many years to come,” said Consoletti.

“I feel immense pride and gratitude to have the opportunity to deliver for my community,” beamed Consoltti like Grace Jones’ Rainbow crown, this one made of sheer Pride.

LOS ANGELES – (KTLA) Tens of thousands of people lined Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood for the 2023 WeHo Pride Parade. The Ally Icons for the parade were RuPaul’s Drag Race, Laith Ashley, Niecy Nash-Betts & Jessica Betts, and Melissa McCarthy.

Watch:

Related:

Scenes from KTLA 5’s coverage of the 2023 WeHo Pride Parade in West Hollywood, California. (Linked here)

WEST HOLLYWOOD – The West Hollywood City Council kicked off its second annual WeHo Pride with a Free Friday night celebration in a colorfully transformed WeHo Park, attracting thousands of proud revelers for night one of the three day OutLoud Festival.

Ryan Mitchell, the SoCal bon vivant and Channel Q host of the “Let’s Go There” podcast teamed up with the bearded ladee mother of all WeHoan’s, Billy Francesca to present an exceptional night of talent.

The evening kicked off with an eye toward a new generation of performers, starting with the DJ stylings of Vanessa Michaels and the rapturous musical explorations of Chicago born Angeleno Tolliver.

“If you are out there and you are trans, I fucking love you,” said streaming musical star Jordy, the third performer to take the stage, tipping his hand on the political turmoil our community is facing.

“We have to support each other from within our community,” he implored the audience.

The streaming star launched into a set of familiar hits in quick succession (“Just Friends,” “Close To You,” and “Long Distance.”) and introduced his latest release “Boy.”

Things kicked up another notch when a troop of sexy dancers twerked their way onto the stage and lit it up, introducing Drag Star Shangela, whose shontay energy pulsed all the way to Santa Monica Boulevard.

“Are y’all here to turn it up tonight? Are you here to celebrate who you are,” she implored the crowd, getting very pointed about why Pride is more important than ever.

“Tonight is about Pride,” she said, “and when so many in this country are turning their heads away from us — I’m not talking about you, TARGET; I’m not saying anything about you LA DODGERS,” she taunted flirtingly.

“In America and around the world, it is not okay to be gay in a lot of places,” she said getting more serious and to the point.

“It is not okay to say gay in a lot of places, but West Hollywood is showing the world,” imploring the audience to shout “GAY” and ripping into a lip-sync choreographed routine of Beyonce’s “I’m that Girl.”

But, as wild as that was, it was like a countdown before true ignition, with one of the biggest names in the music world bristling to take the stage.

Idina Menzel, mega-wattage star of Broadway and Disney movie fame, appeared on stage and delivered the most energetic performance of the evening with her new hit “Move,” and simply owning OutLoud.

Catching her breath and refreshing with a bottle of water, the star bantered eloquently: “Thank you for showing up for everyone who couldn’t be here, everyone that’s out there that may be scared, that may not have a voice right now, thank you for showing up.”

“Let’s let them hear our anger and our madness and our frustration,” referring indirectly to the more than 500 antigay bills that are winding their way through state legislatures around the nation.

“We’re going to party in a minute but I just want to say, we’re stuck in this friggin’ outrageous world right now with all this hypocrisy, this cruelty. And I just want to say that I love all of you,” her voice breaking.

“I hope you’ll welcome me into your community; I am an ally for you. I would do anything for you,” she said.

With that Menzel launched into a new song she dedicated to her husband, “all my queer friends, all my trans friends, all my fabulous brothers and sisters.”

Menzel, who has sold dozens of millions of records with chart topping hits like the Oscar winning anthem “Let It Go,” and Wicked’s “Defying Gravity” is serious about her allyship.

The Tony and Obie winning artist recently hosted the GLAAD Media Awards in New York and has a full dance card of Pride event appearances around the world, including Capital Pride in Washington, D.C. on June 11 and London Pride on July 11, 2023. Rumors of a surprise appearance at Pride Island in Manhattan are also circulating.

Her magic held sway over the color splashed, packed audience as she bantered back and forth, the audience taking the lead singing the soaring anthems of her most famous reprises.

“I’ve been in a lot of shows and played a lot of characters,” Menzel said, her voice breaking. “I don’t think you understand how much being here means to me.”

“I don’t think I would even know how to play those roles if it hadn’t been for you. You’ve taught me so much about how to live courageously and live an authentic life,” she declared. “That’s what those characters were all about and that’s what you do all the time for all of us. And you do it in such a beautiful way.”

Continuing, she said, “There’s just so much going on, there’s so much. And you fight through it with so much joy and love and triumph. I want to thank you for all that you do. I wouldn’t have a career,” she said with increasing joy before launching into “Defying Gravity,” letting the audience take over several times while moving the artist to tears.

Aptly, it was that electric moment when it felt as if WeHo Pride soared above the City- it was WeHo Pride’s lift off moment.

The star, who is said to have donated her time to the event, stayed longer than expected, her bond with the audience so obviously intense.

At one point organizers, apparently determined to move the show along, came on stage and reminded her of her time slot. But neither she nor the audience was having it. They demanded she continue and she did, delivering a final and unexpectedly emotional performance of “No Day But Today,” her hit from the musical “Rent.”

She closed with an upbeat new offering and the show moved on to the West Hollywood City Council.

Billy Foncesca introduced the council, asking each for their favorite part of Pride. Mayor Sepi Shyne, the world’s first out gay elected Persian, invoked the power of the women’s revolution in Iran tying it to the power of Pride in the face of our community’s current political situation, and was met with thunderous applause:

“We have our rights here in America, the same type of extremist, religious people who are using extreme hate to come after us,” she said. “But we are used to fighting hate because we are our authentic selves. And we will always stand in Love; in West Hollywood we will always fight for you,” she said, reminding the crowd that the front lines are as close as North Hollywood.

Mayor Pro Tempore John Erickson, resplendent in his Pink cloud tinted hair, used his favorite Pride moment to shout “We say Gay in West Hollywood.” Returning City Councilmember John Heilman, said “this amazing crowd is his favorite thing about Pride. Lauren Meister praised the transformation of the park, while Chelsea Lee Byers, the newly elected council person, said she loved the street closures and watching Pride take over WeHo.

Next up was Tinashe, and her set of familiar tracks, a less political and more down to business good time of a performance that had the crowd moving, shaking and shouting in joy as at least one dancer entirely disrobed.

And finally, Jesse Ware, the UK chart topping singer, songwriter and broadcaster who is perhaps most famous for “Say You Love Me,” took the stage and continued the evening’s theme, praising the community for fighting with positivity and joy.

Her songs soar and the audience were treated to a fitting closing show, featuring “Free Yourself.

Dallas Hinton, a 26 year old who attended alone, drove from Simi Valley. “This is exactly what I needed right now. The power of tonight was in every song, in every message and every move of every dancer.” When asked what that power is to him, he said, “Fight with joy. Fuck back with joy. We are not going back.”

By almost any measure, WeHo Pride 2023 has already transformed WeHo.

A new art installation at the entrance to the OutLoud Festival is so beautiful that it could easily become a new feature to the queer city.

And along Santa Monica Boulevard for the first time since the days of Pat Rocco and early LA Pride, a Ferris Wheel is featured, this time in the median.

Maybe a bit of fantasy, but I think after tonight, they stay.

PALM SPRINGS – There is, of course, the obvious element – a strong sense of shared community with hundreds of fellow LGBTQ+ people, living our lives and taking a moment to celebrate all the things that make us both unique and essential within the totality of American culture – that marks any Pride event across the globe; but there’s something special, dare we even say “magical”, about the vibe in this desert city’s timelessly elegant approach to the occasion.

It’s difficult, in fact, to describe the blend of progressive modern sensibility and aspirational small-town idealism that defines the experience. Though Palm Springs is a long-established oasis for Angelenos seeking an escape from the big-city intensity that governs their daily lives, it’s also a comparatively modest municipality in which queer culture interacts with quotidian practicality on a regular basis. That means, for the purposes of Pride, that the city comes together as a unified voice to assert not only the validity of queer experience, but the inextricable part it plays in the daily life of the community – a welcome and valued part of the diverse and inclusive environment in one of Southern California’s most iconic destinations.

This year’s festivities were no exception. Whether it’s because, coming on the cusp of a crucial midterm election, Palm Springs Pride represents an eleventh-hour throw-down against the Trump-ist forces that threaten to undermine most of the hard-won freedoms we’ve come to take for granted, or because it reminds us of the deep well of allied support that exists around our struggle to break free of the stigma and repression of the past, the vibe at this year’s 36^th annual festival was a heartening dose of positivism – an unequivocally welcome counterpoint to the worst-case scenarios and doom-laden prognostications dominating our current cultural discourse.

The sense of enthusiastic solidarity that permeated the event can be attributed, at least in part, to the heavy participation of local merchants and organizations – something that is part of any Pride celebration, perhaps, but here taken to a level which made a smalltown festival feel as if it were happening in a major metropolitan hub.

With over 150 exhibitors, there was much to do, see, and sample from the vendors, artists and craftspeople, non-profits, and food and beverage providers on hand; deployed in booths, outdoor lounges, and food trucks across several blocks of the city’s classic downtown corridor on Palm Canyon Drive, these representatives of the community ensured there was no shortage of activity to keep visitors entertained between the weekend’s plethora of musical performances and other scheduled events.

Pride flags, buttons, gear, and other queer-affirming merchandise were available everywhere; opportunities to interact with local organizations – from nudist recreation clubs to live theatre companies to anti-bullying advocacy and support groups – were plentiful; if you were in search of a monkeypox or flu vaccination, those services were available, too, along with plentiful information and resources around other LGBTQ+ health and wellness concerns.

In addition, the location allowed for numerous stores and restaurants lining the streets of the Pride venue – many of them on the Palm Springs “must do” list for tourists and locals alike –  to remain open for business, offering full access without even having to leave the festival’s “Event Zone.”

All of this helped to create a vibrant, diverse, and welcoming atmosphere in which all the colors, sights, and sounds of Pride were on full and constant display – an environment where everyone could feel seen, supported, and appreciated, from out and proud members of the LGBTQ+ community to allies and family, or anywhere in between.

That’s not to say there wasn’t a keen awareness at Palm Springs Pride of the precarious edge on which our queer future teeters. Though the atmosphere within the festival was focused on celebration, there was an aura of grim-but-determined battle-readiness that became most evident, perhaps, in the cheers of support bestowed on openly gay US Congressional candidate Will Rollins by the tightly-packed crowd of spectators as he marched in Sunday morning’s parade.

Alan Uphold, a relative newcomer to Palm Springs who relocated from Los Angeles with husband Jeff Olde just before the pandemic, told the Blade he believed the sense of political urgency was sparked by the recent redistricting process that made the city part of a very “red” political region. “Because of redistricting,” he observed, “Palm Springs was lumped in with the more conservative areas to the west of us that are currently represented by one of the most corrupt, anti-LGBTQ, anti-reproductive freedom, January 6^th-denying members in Congress. There’s a real sense of stress here, mixed with cautious optimism that Palm Springs voters could help Will Rollins win, because we CAN NOT be represented by a radical MAGA extremist like Calvert.”

Eva L, a festival attendee from Coachella who told the Blade she came to march with Rollins, also expressed frustration over the redistricting. “I can’t believe residents and politicians in Palm Springs just rolled over and didn’t object to it. Being represented by Calvert is a setback to the peaceful haven that is our community. I think we should demand to be reincorporated. So, I’m here in part just to support Will and hope for the best on Tuesday.”

There were voices in the crowd, too, that served as reminders that – even at Pride – not everyone is on board with progressive ideas about LGBTQ+ acceptance. Roberta C, who was wearing a Bianco for Sheriff campaign badge, told us she doesn’t understand why people need Pride in Palm Springs. “You guys have it easy now – and I realize that can change – but I’m here to be with my nephew who thinks he might be transgender. I’m confused because he’s going to become a woman and says he’s a lesbian. He insists on being called ‘they’.” The Blade offered to provide contact information for Trevor Project as she walked away, wiping a tear from her face as she said with cracking voice, “It’s all too much for me.”

Still, the overall mood of the crowd was festive throughout the weekend, with many people overheard saying it was the best Pride they’ve seen in recent memory. One attendee, Carlos Hernandez, who was visiting Palm Springs and happened upon the event by accident, told us “I can’t believe my luck! Be always wanted to attend Pride in the states and it’s just hard to believe how joyous this day has been so far.”

“Joyous” is, in fact, the word we would also use to describe the occasion, which was ultimately a triumphant declaration of how far we’ve come as a queer community coupled with a fierce recognition of how far we have still to go. It’s that heady mix of emotions that made Palm Springs Pride less remarkable, perhaps, for its party atmosphere and high-voltage entertainment – though those were undeniably part of the event’s success – than for the thousands of little moments, powerful and personal, experienced by those who were there.

Uphold perhaps encapsulated the resonant magic of this phenomenon.

“The thing that Jeff and I love about Palm Springs Pride is that even though the event attracts more than 125,000, it still feels like a smalltown festival,” he told us. “I especially like that the parade features local high school bands and students from local high school students all across the Coachella Valley.”

“When we attended Pride celebrations 25 years ago in WeHo, it was practically an act of subversion and defiance just to show up. That’s why, every year, I get really emotional just seeing these high school kids marching in a Pride parade,” he added.

PALM SPRINGS – It must be said that there are perks to being a member of the LGBTQ+ community and living in Los Angeles.

No, we’re not talking about the plethora of cultural, arts, and entertainment events that take place in our city, or the close proximity to Hollywood and all the glitz and glamour that entails, or the privilege of having WeHo, one of the great queer meccas, right at our doorstep.

We’re not talking about the progressive attitudes and politics that keep us insulated – for the moment, anyway – from the regressive conservatism that threatens our hard-won rights and protections across so much of the rest of our country, and even in large swaths of our state. We’re not even talking about the legendary weather.

All of those things and many more make living here a treat, of course; but for many queer Angelenos, one of the best parts of being a resident is having the option of a weekend escape to Palm Springs – and that becomes an even greater pleasure in November, when the desert city turns even more rainbow-colored than usual for its annual Pride Celebration – which launched a weekend of fun events last night with a dance party in the streets of the already-iconic, newly-dubbed Arenas District.

Since the first Palm Springs Pride was launched in 1986 (it was billed as “Sizzle”), the local LGBTQ+ community has come together to celebrate and to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion. Incorporated in 1997 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, the festival has grown over the years into a multi-day event that is one of the city’s – and the entire Coachella Valley’s – biggest annual highlights.

This year’s Pride carries on that tradition with all the colorful, pedestrian-friendly festivities we’ve come to know, love, and expect. Highlights of the weekend include:

• An event zone including multiple stages on Arenas Rd, the new city park, Tahquitz Way, and Palm Canyon Drive.
• Alcoholic beverages available for purchase inside the festival (no alcohol is permitted beyond the designated event zone).
• Over 150 exhibitors, non-profit organizations, food trucks, fair food, and beverage vendors.
• A diverse array of artists, entertainers, outdoor beverage lounges with premium cocktails, wine, and festive food purveyors – along with various items for purchase, including jewelry, snacks, and sweets. 
• Great shopping, restaurants, clubs, and entertainment venues located along world-famous Palm Canyon Drive.
• An action-packed Children’s Headquarters (CHQ) space for fun, games, and crafts presented by Nissan.
• The Pride Youth Zone, open to those 14 to 21, a safe space for queer youth to hang out and meet others within the Pride Festival. Featuring continuous entertainment and activities, free food and drink, youth-only confidential testing, drag and make-up fun, safe sex information, and shade from the sun. All youth are embraced. Presented by US Bank and hosted by Safe Schools Desert Cities, all youth are embraced.
• A continuous slate of musical performances and dancing, with headliners Todrick Hall (Saturday night) and Pussy Riot (Sunday night) as highlights and a host of other exciting artists – including Tanzer, Polartropica, Tolliver, Betty, and Ballet Folklorico Proyeto Trans Latina, among many others – scheduled across three stages within the festival zone.
• The colorful Pride Parade, where thousands of spectators can gather under Palm Springs’ famous crystal blue skies and sunshine to cheer and support local organizations, activists, and themed floats along historic Palm Canyon Drive.

Yes, there’s a lot to do, but a visit to the Palm Springs Pride website can help you sort out the where, when, and who of it all in a few short clicks. You can even download it to your phone as an app for quick and easy access to schedule information once you’re inside the event.

The festivities last through Sunday night, which means there’s still plenty of time to throw on your best Pride gear, get in the car, and make that commute to the desert before it’s all over. If you’re on a budget (and with inflation as it is, who isn’t?), the best news might just be that the festival is a free community event – though it should be noted that gate donations are being accepted at the entry points to help keep Pride free for everyone to attend.

So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to get your Pride on!

LONG BEACH – This weekend marks the in-person return of Long Beach Pride after the coronavirus pandemic had halted previous celebrations. The celebration’s theme this year is “Many voices-one spirit,” marking three decades that the annual three-day festival, parade and teen pride- the third largest Pride festival and parade in California, celebrates the LGBTQ+ community.

This year, in addition to the stages and musical entertainment, organizers will be creating multiple activations and attractions encompassing the diversity and interests of Long Beach’s LGBTQ+ community.

Elsa Martinez, the president of the Board of Long Beach Pride was a guest on KTLA’s Morning News Thursday to discuss the upcoming weekend festival which kicks off Friday.

For more information visit https://longbeachpride.com/

LOS ANGELES – Hundreds attended the 4th annual South LA Pride celebration on Jul. 1 at Norman O. Houston Park in Baldwin Hills.  Hosted by Los Angeles City Councilmembers Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Herb Wesson, this year’s family-friendly celebration was a “Pride Picnic” meant to bring together South LA’s LGBTQ community and their allies for a culturally relevant pride celebration. 

In addition to Harris-Dawson and Wesson, this year saw the most Black elected officials ever at a pride celebration in Los Angeles including Congresswoman Karen Bass, Supervisor Holly Mitchell, Senator Sydney Kamlager, and more. 

Journalist and advocate Jasmyne Cannick chaired the planning committee which included a host of community organizations. 

The 2022 South LA Pride Community Picnic was sponsored in part by Community Coalition, Providence, FOX, AEG, and the LA Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department.

For more information, please visit southlapride.com.

OrgulloLGBT.co es el socio mediático del Washington Blade en Colombia. Esta nota salió en su sitio web.

BOGOTÁ

MEDELLÍN

PEREIRA

LONDON – Saturday marked the 50th anniversary of Pride in London, the first was led by the Gay Liberation Front in 1972. According to the BBC more than a million people thronged the streets of the UK’s capital city ranking it as one of the largest LGBTQ+ events in Europe.

In a Sunday interview with BBC Radio, London’s Pride director Chris Joell-Deshields said it was important as it provided a great level of visibility for LGBTQ+ rights. 

“We’re able to provide that form of visibility, unity, quality, that the world can see and it sends a message of solidarity to those persons who may be thinking ‘I can’t be open’, ‘I can’t be visible or I’ll be prosecuted in my country,” he said.

“The battles have not all been won. Yes we’ve had some magnificent achievements, whether or not that’s equal marriage, the repeal of section 28, the lifting of the ban of homosexuals and lesbians in the military, but we’ve still got a journey to go,” he told BBC Radio.

“Every day we’re continuing to have to fight for our trans people and making it a fair life for them. We’re still having to fight for those around the world who live in countries where they can’t be themselves,” Joell-Deshields added.

Reflecting on the masses gathered at Traflagar Square Joell-Deshields noted:

“Yesterday when we were in Trafalgar Square, and we were chanting ‘trans rights are human rights’, we were pushing that so that volume of noise was heard at Downing Street and beyond, to the millions or people on the footprint and thousands on the parade.

“That sends a powerful message to politicians and others that we’re here, we’re proud and loud, and we’re going to continue to fight.

“And there’s the next generation coming along that we need to pass the mantel to. We want them to understand that the fight is not won, we have to continue and the pride platform is a great platform to do that.”

Echoing Joell-Deshields, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who was in attendance Saturday told PinkNewsUK the LGBTQ+ community and allies “can’t be complacent” in the fight for equality.

The Mayor stressed that it was important to celebrate the hard won rights that the UK’s LGBTQ+ community has fought for over the last 50 years including the “end of Section 28”, the introduction of same sex marriage and the approval of “laws to protect this community.”

He then pivoted and warned there is still a “lot of campaigning” to be done in the wake of the deadly mass shooting at an LGBTQ+ venue in Oslo, Norway as well as attacks against the trans community in the UK. 

“People in this community have been able to be open and successful, thriving – but also recognise that we can’t be complacent,” Khan said. “There is still a lot of campaigning to be done.”

He continued: “This time last week we saw in Oslo members of this community being attacked – two being killed, many others being injured. 

“We’ve seen trans people in this country being used as pawns by politicians and others in a culture war. 

“So of course, we’ve got to continue protesting, continue campaigning, continue trying to make progress but also celebrate the progress we’ve made,” the mayor said.

Joining in to march in parade were cast members of the Netflix hit LGBTQ+ drama series ‘Heartstopper’ including lead actors Kit Connor and Joe Locke, and castmates Jenny Walser, Sebastian Croft, Tobie Donovan, Corinna Brown and Kizzy Edgell.

Alice Oseman the author, illustrator, screenwriter, and executive producer of Heartstopper tweeted:

😭🌈 pic.twitter.com/eJZmY5z6kH

— Alice Oseman Updates (@AliceOseman) July 2, 2022

At one point in the parade the cast stopped and trolled some anti-LGBTQ+ street pastors spouting inflammatory hate speech. Actors Joe Locke, who plays Charlie Spring and Sebastian Croft who plays Ben Hope, can be seen jumping up and down dancing as they displayed their non-verbal disapproval of the protestors bullhorn-delivered messaging.

Kit Connor who plays Nick Nelson noted in a Twitter post:

uhhh I was videoing and screaming at them but please don’t be mistaken, it wasn’t ’Kit Connor and the rest of the cast’, it was @joelocke03 and @SebastianCroft front and centre. Please give them the credit for doing something so powerful. https://t.co/SjvJFCHwKD

— Kit Connor (@kit_connor) July 2, 2022

A video, shared on Twitter by Sky News journalist Scott Beasley, showed the actors waving the middle finger and loudly singing along to Whitney Houston’s hit “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” in front of the street preachers.

The stars of Heartstopper absolutely loving it as anti-LGBT protesters are challenged by a young Pride supporter #Pride pic.twitter.com/7uUwaG9MXW

— Scott Beasley (@SkyScottBeasley) July 2, 2022

PinkNewsUK reported that elsewhere in the parade, Connor carried Locke on his back as they walked along the parade route behind a giant Pride flag. The scene was very reminiscent of a Heartstopper doodle that Alice Oseman created for Pride in 2019 that depicted Nick carrying Charlie, who was wearing a colourful flag, on his back.

happy pride month from me & the Heartstopper boys!! 🌈
(I have lots of time and energy to draw pride art this year and I am so excited!!!!!) pic.twitter.com/wqTValTBLl

— Alice Oseman Updates (@AliceOseman) June 4, 2019

Locke told the BBC that this was his first Pride ever and said it was “such an honour” to be celebrating “being queer when the world might not be so accepting”. 

“It’s very, very surreal for me,” he said.

LOS ANGELES – South LA Pride is back after a two-year break due to the Coronavirus pandemic. For its 4th celebration, South LA Pride will host a free community picnic at Norman O. Houston Park (4800 La Brea Ave.) on Friday, July 1 from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The event will be headlined by local queer Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) artists including the Angela Davis of hip hop MEDUSA, the TRANS CHORUS OF LOS ANGELES, and the winner of HBO Max’s season one voguing reality competition television series “Legendary” JAMARI AMOUR JACOBS with the House of Marc Jacobs.

A full list of performers can be found at southlapride.com.

Free park & ride lots will be available for the public at The Stocker Building (3731-3761 Stocker Blvd.), Park Hills Community Church (5247 Overdale Dr.), and Windsor Elementary School (5215 Overdale Dr.). 

In addition to the live performances, special guests, including Congressmember KAREN BASS, will be in attendance.

Co-hosted by Los Angeles Councilmembers MARQUEECE HARRIS-DAWSON and HERB WESSON, South LA Pride will host a free outdoor community picnic featuring a live DJ, games, drag performances, food vendors, and live performances from popular LA-based BIPOC queer entertainers. A free family-friendly event, South LA Pride, is scheduled to kick off the Independence Day weekend on Friday, July 1, from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Norman O. Houston Park, 4800 South La Brea. More information at 

Journalist, political strategist, and advocate JASMYNE CANNICK has been announced as the 2022 Chair of South LA Pride. 

South LA Pride 2022 HONOREES include:  Bienestar, Black Lesbians United (BLU), Community Coalition, Compton Pride, Independent Development Programs, Invisible Men, LA Black LGBTQ Movement, Los Angeles Legends Football, Los Angeles LGBT Center, Minority AIDS Project, Pride and Promote, So Cal’s Men’s Club and the Unique Women’s Coalition.

Attendees are welcome to bring their own food and drink or can opt to purchase food and drink from the onsite food truck vendors. A limited number of barbecue pits are available in the park and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Onsite parking is limited, so public transportation and ride-sharing are encouraged. Shuttles will be available between local parking lots and the event site.  More information will be available online and on social media.

The 2022 South LA Pride Community Picnic is sponsored in part by Community Coalition, Providence, FOX, and AEG.

Additional details about South LA Pride will be made available on social media. Follow the hashtag #SouthLAPride on Facebook, Twitter, and on Instagram, or visit southlapride.com for the latest updates.

WHAT:

South LA Pride

A free, family-friendly community picnic hosted by Councilmembers Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Herb Wesson to celebrate LGBTQ+ pride in South LA.

WHEN:

Friday, July 1, 2022

3 p.m.–10 p.m.

WHERE:

Norman O. Houston Park

4800 S. La Brea Avenue

Los Angeles 90008

COST:

Free 

Attendees are encouraged to pack their picnic baskets, blankets, and lawn chairs.

For more information visit:

Southlapride.com

Hashtag to follow #SouthLAPride