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City of West Hollywood’s LGBTQ+ Arts Festival 2022 kicks-off

Festival Kicks Off on Sunday, May 22 with a Harvey Milk Day Virtual Staged Reading of ‘Dear Harvey’ Featuring an All Trans & Non-Binary Cast

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Our Pride, a mural by artist LaToya D. Peoples (Photo credit: Jon Viscott)

WEST HOLLYWOOD, – Each year, the City of West Hollywood celebrates the artistic contributions of the LGBTQ community with its WeHo Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival (formerly known as the One City One Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival).

The festival runs for 40 days, from Harvey Milk Day on Sunday, May 22, 2022 through Thursday, June 30, 2022, which marks the end of Pride month. This year, some events will be presented in-person and others will be available online.

Note that for all all programming details please visit this link: pride.weho.org

The LGBTQ Arts Festival is presented in addition to WeHo Pride Weekend from Friday, June 3, 2022 through Sunday, June 5, 2022 and will include a Street Fair, the Dyke March, the Women’s Freedom Festival, the ticketed OUTLOUD Raising Voices Music Festival, and the WeHo Pride Parade.

For decades, the City of West Hollywood has been home to the largest Pride celebration in Southern California. Hundreds of thousands of LGBTQ people and allies from around the world make West Hollywood their destination for the Pride season. Home to the “Rainbow District” along Santa Monica Boulevard, which features a concentration of historic LGBTQ clubs, restaurants, and retail shops, the City consistently tops lists of “most LGBTQ friendly cities” in the nation. All #WeHoPride weekend programming details: www.weho.org/pride.

“The City of West Hollywood is thrilled to be producing the LGBTQ Arts Festival and #WeHoPride for our community again this year,” said City of West Hollywood Mayor Lauren Meister.

“The City has a long-standing and proud commitment to both the arts and the LGBTQ community, and what better way to meld those commitments than with the #WeHoPride LGBTQ Arts Festival? Join the City online and in-person for art exhibits, thought-provoking panel discussions, entertaining performances, invigorating creative writing, educational self-guided walking tours, and even our very own queer ComicCon, where cosplay is encouraged and celebrated. Pride starts right here in West Hollywood and I’m looking forward to seeing you all in-person and virtually!”

The WeHo Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival theme for 2022 is “With Liberty, Diversity, Inclusion and Progress for All” and this year’s festival poster was designed by Kaija Sydlowski through an open call poster competition which received submissions from around the world. 

This year’s festival poster was designed by Kaija Sydlowsk

The City of West Hollywood will celebrate Harvey Milk Day, kick-off #WeHoPride, and commence the LGBTQ Arts Festival with a virtual staged reading of the play Dear Harvey: Stories of Harvey Milk, by Patricia Loughrey.

Extensively researched and beautifully constructed, this documentary-style ensemble play recounts the life and lasting impact of groundbreaking LGBTQ activist and politician Harvey Milk, as told by the people who knew him best … the real-world figures whose lives were forever altered by Milk’s too-short career. This spirited play reaffirms his impact and the continued relevance of his campaign towards equality, three decades after his assassination. 

This year’s production features an entirely transgender and non-binary cast including: Luckie Alexander, Blossom C. Brown, Abdullah “Abby” Rahsheen Hall, Marval A. Rex, Mallery Jenna Robinson, Sydney Rogers aka Miss Barbie-Q, and Emily Westheimer. This performance is directed by Brittney S. Wheeler and produced by Parnell Damone Marcano and Celebration Theatre, LA’s oldest theatre dedicated to producing LGBTQIA+ work.

The reading will be available for the public to view for free on the City’s WeHo Arts YouTube page (www.youtube.com/wehoarts) for one week, from May 22 through May 29, 2022.

The City has also installed Our Pride, a mural by artist LaToya D. Peoples on the N. Sweetzer Avenue east-facing wall of West Hollywood City Hall, located at 8300 Santa Monica Boulevard. The mural features four hands, symbolic of LGBTQ equality, activism, and pride: the first is a fist, symbolizing the LGBTQ and BIPOC community’s fight against oppression throughout history; the next is a painter’s hand symbolizing the community’s creativity and openness; the next hand holds a sunflower, a symbol for self-love and the seeking of light; and finally, a hand in a classic peace sign.

Our Pride, a mural by artist LaToya D. Peoples (Photo credit: Jon Viscott)

The background is a gradient bright sky, symbolic of the progress the community has made and has yet to make. Each hand is painted realistically, in color, representing diverse people. Installation is complete and the mural will remain on City Hall through May 2023.

The Meringue public art exhibition by LGBTQ artist Kim Kiduck will be lit up in pink, light blue, and rainbow colors for the duration of Pride Month. The translucency of Meringue lets sunlight in to glow naturally during the daytime, and at night transforms Meringue into a mixing chamber of various light combinations. Meringue is located in the median on Santa Monica Boulevard near N. Doheny Drive. 

Some highlights of the 40-day festival include:

  • QUEER DIASPORAS: Lavender City of Dreams presented by Rubén Esparza and Queer Biennial – May 27, 2022 through August 19, 2022. Free. Online exhibition with some in-person events at ONE Gallery. Touching on issues of identity, activism, futurity, and beauty where queerness is the thread that weaves through all these personal – yet universal -perspectives. Realized in imagined (no limits) digital galleries, spaces, and textures as the backdrop, along with up-to-the-minute live performances on May 28, June 3, and June 4, 2022. View the exhibition beginning May 27, 2022 and find in-person event info at www.lavendercity.art 
  • Queer Crossroads – June 1, 2022, 10 a.m. Free. Online at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcTAimXuIpWYkLkUeRZdxiw An exploration of queer intersectionality through video performance and conversation! What else do we bring to our beautiful queer spaces? Are you queer and Black, differently-abled, neurodivergent, HIV positive, Trans, Muslim, etc.? Let’s meet and share our stories in this workshop where intersectionality is explored and championed.
  • Write Out Proud LGBTQ writing workshops – Wednesdays and Saturdays in June. Free. When we Write Out Proud, we share the love of who we are for the world to see, so the world can become better at loving us back. We write fun and flirty stories of our magical LGBTQ selves influenced by our personal ideas of gender, sexuality, and sexual orientation. All are welcome, both new and seasoned writers. This no-cost four session writing workshop will take place virtually on Zoom. There are two workshop groups, each with the same writing prompts and plans. One group meets on Wednesday evenings in June from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., the other group meets on Saturday afternoons from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. culminating on Wednesday evening June 29, 2022 with an online reading of writings for those who care to participate. For more info go to writeoutproud.com. To sign up for this free workshop email [email protected].
  • Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Pledge Allegiance to Your Flag: A Festival of LGBTQ Flags – June 4, 2022 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at various locations. Free. The Sisters will delight you as they work their butts off to erase shame and stigma and lovingly help you to claim your LGBTQ identity by choosing from a myriad of their spectacular LGBTQ color guard flags (or bring your own!) and create your personalized made-up mad cap mad lib Pledge of Allegiance. The Sisters will record content for you for your Pride media posts with Sisters, your flags, and your pledge. For details: http://www.writeoutproud.com/pledge.html
  • Church of Trans Love – June 5, 2022 at 2 p.m. Free. The fictitious ‘The Church of Trans Love’ presents a queerdo take on ecclesiastical liturgical practices in the tradition of ‘The Book of Mormon’. The audience plays a ‘full, active, and conscious’ role in the show. The Church of Trans Love performance includes music from David Bowie and features Key Exchange, the show’s gospel choir of professional trans and non-binary singers. More information: https://bit.ly/churchtranslove.
  • WeHo Reads: Pride & Joy in the Matrix – June 7, 2022 at 6 p.m. Free. Online, RSVP: www.weho.org/wehoreads. LGBTQ+ authors are taking a hard look at society IRL and virtually, pinpointing the ways we come up short in connecting with and loving each other.
  • Pride Poets – “Pledge” Poetry Hotline – June 11, 2022 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and again from June 11, 2022 at 11 p.m. to June 12, 2022 at 2 a.m. Free. Call (202) 998-3510. LGBTQ poets are standing by ready to tackle all your poetic needs! Call in and have an original poem created for you or a loved one. This year’s theme is “Pledge: come share your allegiances with us!”
  • Q Con: A One Day Comic Convention Celebrating LGBTQ Comics – June 18, 2022 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Plummer Park’s Fiesta Hall, located at 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard. Free. Find an exciting, diverse selection of LGBTQ comics and graphic novels all in one place! Talk to creators, get autographs! Q Con is family friendly, and admission is free. Cosplay is encouraged. Join in the costume contest for fun and prizes! For the latest updates on Q Con, visit https://www.prismcomics.org/q-con
  • Trans Pride LA 2022: The VarieTy Show – June 18, 2022 at 7 p.m. RSVP required. Free.  For more information and to RSVP: https://transpride.lalgbtcenter.org/. The VarieTy Show serves as the grand finale of the annual Trans Pride LA Festival.

More detailed information and a full list of the City of West Hollywood’s LGBTQ Arts Festival 2022 programming is available at pride.weho.org.  

In addition, archived online programs from 2020 and 2021 are available to view. Among these is a collection of short films which tell the fabulous, fun, and deep LGBTQ history of the City of West Hollywood called the Stuart Timmons West Hollywood LGBTQ History Tour. Acclaimed author/historian Stuart Timmons (author The Trouble With Harry Hay, co-author of GAY L.A., former executive director of the ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives) was in the process of writing his West Hollywood LGBTQ History Tour as the final in a trio of walking tours (Downtown Los Angeles and Silverlake are the other two) when he suffered a debilitating stroke in 2008. The tour remained incomplete until the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division funded its completion as part of the City’s 2015 LGBTQ Arts Festival, allowing Timmons and a small team to help finish his research, bringing it to completion as both a self-guided walking tour and a special in-person event featuring performance artists as tour guides. This fun and informative tour returned for two more years, and in 2021, was recorded as a collection of short films that can be viewed on the City’s WeHo Arts YouTube channel.

The City of West Hollywood’s #WeHoPride LGBTQ Arts Festival is organized by the City’s Arts Division. The City of West Hollywood is committed to providing accessible arts programming for residents and visitors. The City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division delivers a broad array of arts programs including: Art on the Outside (temporary public art), Urban Art Program (permanent public art), Summer Sounds, Winter Sounds, the WeHo Reads literary series, Free Theatre in the Parks, Arts Grants for Nonprofit Arts Organizations, Library Exhibits and Programming, the City Poet Laureate Program, Human Rights Speakers Series and the #WeHoPride LGBTQ Arts Festival.

For additional information, please visit www.weho.org/arts. For more information about the City of West Hollywood’s WeHo Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Coordinator, Mike Che, at (323) 848-6377 or at [email protected] or visit www.weho.org/pride.

For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

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West Hollywood joins coalition against ICE raids, standing up for queer immigrants

West Hollywood Mayor Chelsea Byers talks to the Blade about the city’s adamant stance against the unconstitutional practices conducted by ICE

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When the City of West Hollywood voted unanimously to join a lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) this July, it wasn’t just a procedural step; it was a demand for accountability. A demand to stop the illegal collaboration between local jails and federal deportation agents. A demand to end complicity in a system that disproportionately targets queer, trans, Black, brown, and immigrant lives.

The lawsuit, originally filed by the cities of El Monte and San Gabriel, challenges ICE’s use of detainer requests in California. These requests ask local jails to hold individuals past their release dates so ICE can apprehend them, often without a judicial warrant. That practice is illegal under the California Values Act (SB 54), which was passed in 2017 to prevent local law enforcement from aiding federal immigration enforcement. These detainers lead to unjust arrests and deportations, tearing apart immigrant families and communities.

“We are not going to stand by as ICE tries to continue these unconstitutional practices in our state,” said West Hollywood Mayor Chelsea Byers in an interview with the Blade. “It’s important that we call that out as illegal and take action, which is what this lawsuit is about.”

This isn’t West Hollywood’s first stand against ICE, but the decision to join this lawsuit signals a growing urgency. In recent years, anti-immigrant sentiment has become more aggressive, with far-right leaders stoking fear and fueling deportation efforts while simultaneously attacking LGBTQ+ rights. For trans and queer migrants, that double targeting has deadly consequences.

“When we think about West Hollywood’s identity as a sanctuary city, that doesn’t just mean we offer support in symbolic ways,” Byers said. “It means that we have to be active when rights are being violated, especially for LGBTQ and immigrant communities.”

West Hollywood’s move didn’t come out of nowhere; it came from years of pressure, coalition building, and resistance led by immigrant justice organizations and trans-led groups. Two of the most influential voices behind this action are CHIRLA (the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights) and the TransLatin@ Coalition, whose work helped push this issue into the public and political spotlight.

CHIRLA’s legal team has been instrumental in challenging ICE’s detainer practices. They argue that ICE has repeatedly violated state law by issuing civil detainers without legal justification, turning local law enforcement into extensions of a federal deportation machine.

The TransLatin@ Coalition, founded and led by trans Latina immigrants, has spent over a decade building power through direct services, community organizing, and policy advocacy. They know firsthand how immigration enforcement tears apart communities and how dangerous detention is for trans people.

“This lawsuit is ultimately about dignity,” said Byers. “It’s about due process, and making sure that we don’t allow any agency—even a federal agency—to overstep the rights of individuals.”

The case against ICE is not just about technical violations of SB 54; it’s about state sovereignty and whether California’s sanctuary laws will be respected or undermined by a federal agency notorious for operating outside the law.

California’s sanctuary policies were designed to protect immigrant communities from exactly this kind of abuse. But enforcement loopholes, misinformation, and quiet cooperation between law enforcement and ICE continue to put lives at risk. This lawsuit seeks to shut those loopholes once and for all.

“This is a matter of California law being upheld. That’s why we joined this lawsuit—to make sure that ICE is held accountable,” said Byers.

As the legal fight plays out in court, West Hollywood’s action sends a clear message to other cities: you don’t get to call yourself a sanctuary if you’re silent when ICE breaks the law. It’s not enough to offer symbolic support. Real sanctuary means putting resources, legal pressure, and political will behind the people most targeted by the system.

“To the LGBTQ+ immigrants in our city, we want to send the message that you are welcome here, and that we will stand up for you.”

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West Hollywood to advance protections for diverse and non-nuclear families

West Hollywood is working to update local ordinances to include non-nuclear, polyamorous, and chosen families.

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West Hollywood is once again at the forefront of LGBTQ+ equality and family inclusivity. The city, known for its progressive leadership, is working to update local ordinances to better reflect the full spectrum of modern family structures, including non-nuclear, polyamorous, and chosen families.

Christina Fialho, an attorney and founder of Rewrite the BiLine, has been a driving force behind the effort. Fialho has spent nearly two decades advocating for LGBTQ+ and immigrant rights. For her, this fight is deeply personal. “West Hollywood is my community, where I go to the gym, where I go out with friends, and as a bi queer person, I am grateful each day to be part of such a welcoming community,” Fialho shared. 

“For polyamorous individuals and people in diverse family structures,” Fialho said, “the fear of discrimination and lack of legal protections make coming out incredibly difficult. That’s why I have mobilized community support by meeting one-on-one with community members to listen, connect, and build trust. Despite the fear, there’s a powerful, shared desire for change, and it’s that collective courage that has made this work possible so far.”

The push gained momentum after the passage of Proposition 3 in California last year, which removed discriminatory language from the state constitution and reaffirmed same-sex marriage protections. Fialho reached out to West Hollywood Mayor Chelsea Lee Byers in March 2025 to explore how the city could further protect diverse families. Within two months, Mayor Byers introduced an agenda item to initiate the process of expanding the city’s nondiscrimination protections.

“For so many queer individuals, chosen family is a source of safety, stability, and joy,” Mayor Byers shared. “As a city that has long championed LGBTQ+ rights, it’s essential that we enact the legal protections necessary for all families to live in dignity and security. This nondiscrimination ordinance and the domestic partnership law will enhance the well-being of people and families across West Hollywood, and I’m proud that our city continues to lead with our values of inclusion, diversity, and equality for all.”

Christina Fialho (L) and Mayor Chelsea Byers (R)/Photo courtesy of Christina Fialho

On May 19, 2025, the West Hollywood City Council unanimously voted to explore updates to the municipal code that would prohibit discrimination based on family and relationship structure. These updates would explicitly protect people in polyamorous relationships, multi-parent families, step-families, multi-generational households, and asexual partnerships. These types of ordinances, which have been adopted by a few other cities, “are already reducing stigma and advancing equity in real and measurable ways,” Fialho wrote in her May 19th comment letter.

On June 23, the City Council took another historic step. Vice Mayor John Heilman introduced an agenda item to explore updating the city’s domestic partnership ordinance to allow more than two people to register as domestic partners, potentially making West Hollywood the first city in California to officially recognize multi-partner relationships. When introducing the agenda item, Heilman explained that he wants to address the needs of people in diverse family structures “and provide whatever protection we can for them as a family and for their children.” Heilman also led the city’s groundbreaking effort in 1985 to create the nation’s first domestic partnership registry for same-sex couples.

This growing movement has been powered by the voices of West Hollywood residents, local leaders, and LGBTQ+ advocates who have rallied in support of the ordinance. Many emphasized that recognizing diverse family structures is not just a policy update, it’s a necessary step toward dignity and equity for all.

Brian Wenke, who runs a global LGBTQ+ nonprofit, stressed the urgency of modernizing family protections, sharing that “our laws must evolve to reflect the full spectrum of how love and family show up in the world.” Nicole Kristal, founder of Still Bisexual, highlighted the specific impact on bi+ people, many of whom are left “without the protections, benefits, or dignity afforded to others.” For Kristal, this is about more than just policy; it’s about finally “addressing the needs of people who have been historically sidelined even within queer spaces.” Educator and advocate Ross Victory also underscored the importance of protecting chosen families, especially now, saying, “family, chosen or blood, is more important than ever in these times.”

As a polyamorous, trans woman and West Hollywood community member, I also spoke in support of the ordinance. For me, this is personal. “Domestic partnership recognition isn’t just symbolic; it’s a step toward legal inclusion, protection, and dignity,” I shared. In a time of growing backlash against LGBTQ+ rights, I believe that “taking bold action to support marginalized communities isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s the necessary thing to do.”

This local movement is part of a growing national effort to redefine what family means under the law. Across the country, more than a dozen states have expanded paid family leave to include chosen family and “designated persons,” and California now allows caregiving beyond the traditional nuclear family. If this ordinance passes, West Hollywood will become the first city in California and the first on the West Coast to officially recognize domestic partnerships that include triads, polycules, and other multi-partner relationships, joining municipalities like Somerville, Cambridge, and Arlington, Massachusetts.

“What we do here in West Hollywood has a direct effect on the state and national conversation,” Fialho emphasized. “While West Hollywood cannot end discrimination against queer families on its own, it can lead the way.” Fialho hopes this progress will inspire other cities across Los Angeles County and beyond to follow. “The binary lens through which society views gender, sexuality, and relationships denies the reality of millions. Poly families disproportionately include bi+, trans, and nonbinary individuals, communities that already experience discrimination and legal invisibility. Unequal access to rights and benefits was a primary catalyst for the marriage equality movement, and it should motivate Californians to extend benefits to all families.”

The City Attorney has now been directed to evaluate amending local ordinance language, and the next vote is expected soon. Community members can stay engaged and show support by joining the local coalition here. All eyes will be on West Hollywood as it continues to push the boundaries of family recognition in an upcoming City Council meeting.

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A king rises in Vico Ortiz’s new solo show

With a little bit of ‘astrology woo-woo-ness, a little bit of magic woo-woo-ness, drag and fabulosity,’ they tether together the story of the relationship between them and their mother

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(Image courtesy of Vico Ortiz)

Nonbinary, Puerto Rican icon, comedian, actor and activist, Vico Ortiz, 33, binds and weaves awkward childhood moments, family expectations, Walter Mercado and the love of their life embodied by a household mop, to tell the story of the rise of a king. 

During the peak of Pride month, Ortiz gifted the Los Angeles queer and trans communities with a spectacularly queer, solo show featuring themself in their quest of self-discovery, a profound sense of connection and reconnection with their femininity and masculinity through growing pains and moments of doubt. This is a show that Ortiz describes as “wholesome, but burlesque.” 

King Vico Ortiz rises

The show, which premiered on June 12, details Ortiz’s childhood, vignetting and transforming through their most formative years and through canon events that led them to their gay awakening, such as watching Disney’s Mulan (in Spanish) and the moment Ortiz cut their hair in honor of the scene where Mulan cuts hers off. Ortiz took the audience on a journey through their inner monologue during the moments in their childhood and into adulthood, where they not only come to terms with their identity, but also learn to understand the internal battle their parents went through as they watched their king rise. 

Though Ortiz mostly only acted prior to writing and producing their first solo show, they finally took their opportunity to do things a little differently. Last June, their friend Nikki Levy, who runs a show called Don’t Tell My Mother, coached Ortiz to dredge up childhood memories and tether them in a way that could be told and understood by an audience as a show about queerness and self-discovery.  

“[Levy] started asking me those questions that dig deeper into the emotional journey of the story, not just ‘hehe’ ‘haha’ moments, but there’s something a little deeper happening,” said Ortiz in an interview with the L.A. Blade. This is when they asked Levy to help coach them through the process of putting the story together in a way that Ortiz imagined it, but also in a way that made sense to the audience.

Ortiz says that with a little bit of ‘astrology woo-woo-ness, a little bit of magic woo-woo-ness, drag and fabulosity,’ they tether together the story of the relationship between them and their mother. 

“Astrology had a huge influence in my life growing up from the get-go,” said Ortiz. “I was born and [my mother] printed my birth chart.” The Libra sun, Sagittarius rising, Scorpio moon and Venus in Virgo, says they have always known their chart and that not only did astrology play a huge role in their life growing up, but so did astrologer-to-the-stars Walter Mercado. 

The solo was partly influenced by their mother and partly influenced by the iconic, queer, androgynously-elegant Mercado, who famously appeared on TV screens across homes in Latin America and the United States for a segment on that day’s astrological reading. 

Seeing Mercado on that daily segment shaped Ortiz’s view of gender and began to understand themselves in a new-found light — one in which they saw their most authentic self. 

“Seeing that this person is loved and worshipped by all these people who are like: ‘we don’t care that Walter looks like Walter, we just love Walter,’” said Ortiz. This is when they realized that they too, wanted to be loved and adored by the masses, all while fully embracing their masculinity and femininity. 

Closing Night of ‘Rise of a King’

The closing night show of ‘Rise of a King’ was a reminder of how unpredictable life can be and how darkness comes in on some of our brightest moments. Ortiz brilliantly pulled off an improv monologue during a 15-minute power outage. Though it was unpredictable, it was on theme. Ortiz owned the stage, going on about childhood memories that shaped them into who they are today and how they have reconnected with the imaginative child that once told the story of a half-butterfly, half-fish.

The rest of the show went according to plan, immersing the audience in a show that took us straight into the closet of Ortiz’s parents and where Ortiz not only discovered, but learned to embrace who they truly are — to the first moments they embraced the king within and outwardly began to show it to audiences, and eventually their mother. 

The set, designed by Jose Matias, functioned as a walk-in closet that transforms throughout the show against the backdrop of drawings of Ortiz and their family memories projected on a big screen on the stage. 

Ortiz’s original, solo-show had its world premiere at FUERZAfest in New York City, then its west coast premiere at L.A.’s own Hollywood Fringe Festival.

Follow @puertoricanninja for more updates on their upcoming work.

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Make Your Voice Heard at WeHo Pride: Join the Women’s Freedom Festival and Dyke March

FREE! FREE! FREE! Come celebrate Pride in West Hollywood with these free events

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WeHo Pride is now fully underway with an arts festival happening now, leading up to a weekend-long worth of events celebrating the kick-off of Pride season. 

On Friday, May 31, the Women’s Freedom Festival will take over the Celebration Stage, celebrating women’s rights — and wrongs. The event is co-sponsored and produced by the L-Project, featuring emerging and local artists from the LGBTQ and QTBIPOC identities, including activists, musicians, poets and comedians. 

The exciting lineup of events features an arts festival that is currently hitting the streets of West Hollywood, the historic Dyke March featuring Dykes on Bikes and Pride Riders L.A. — an organization for queer and lesbian women motorcycle riders — and much, much more. 

Katrina Vinson is the founder of Pride Riders L.A., working hard over the last few years to bring much-needed visibility to dykes, women who love women and nonbinary people who identify as sapphics. 

Her application to start the first Dykes on Bikes Los Angeles chapter is about more than branding. It’s about connection to a legacy of activism — dating back to the group’s 1976 founding in San Francisco, when leather-clad lesbians led the Pride parade in defiance of the police force and society’s patriarchal norms.

“It’s not just about riding,” Vinson says. “It’s about showing up for each other and reminding the world that we’re still here, still loud, still proud — and still riding.”

Pride Riders LA will feature an all-women and nonbinary people lineup of motorcycle bike riders, revving their engines all up and down West Hollywood. Pride Riders LA will roll in following the Women’s Freedom Festival, creating a transition from stage to street. The call for riders is already underway—with an emphasis on inclusivity and outreach to younger riders, trans and nonbinary folks, and LGBTQ+ bikers of color.

Jackie Steele is a multi-faceted community organizer and longtime activist who has built a reputation in queer and sapphic spaces. She is the Los Angeles District Attorney LGBTQ+ Advisory Board Chair, LA County Sheriff Robert Luna LGBTQ+ Advisory Board Member, and was previously the Public Safety Commissioner for the City of West Hollywood, Co-Chair of the LGBTQ+ Advisory Board of the City of West Hollywood and a self-proclaimed militant queer.

“Chris Baldwin runs the L-project and what they’ve put together is a concert and an event that is a true celebration of intersectional queer identities,” said Jackie Steele. “We worked really hard to work with the city to create a space that was accessible for everybody, where folks can just come out, enjoy the street fair and enjoy themselves.” 

This year, they are expecting around 50 bikes to roll through for the Dyke March, so if you’ve never been, this will be a moment to remember, some might even call it a canon event. 

“If you’ve never been, Dyke March is a celebration of dykes and what lesbians have done in the community — which is often under-celebrated,” said Steele. “There’s going to be bikes everywhere, engines roaring, a live program on stage and we will be fists in the air, standing together.” 

WeHo Pride will take over Santa Monica Blvd., over the weekend. Check the West Hollywood Pride events page to keep up with street closures, parking information and full lineup of performers and events.

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Frankie Grande is loud and proud this WeHo Pride

Frankie Grande will be hitting the stage at this year’s Outloud Music Festival at WeHo Pride and is ready to bring the party

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Among other queer and ally big names like Lizzo, Alyssa Edwards, Kim Petras and Frankie Grande will be taking center stage on Saturday, May 31, at this year’s OUTLOUD Music Festival at WeHo Pride. In the wake of the queer community’s current political strife, Grande is taking the spotlight, unapologetically and ready to bring the party, celebrating activism and sexuality unabashedly.

Hot off the heels of his recent two hit singles, “Rhythm of Love” and “Boys,” Grande is gearing up for the release of his new album, Hotel Rock Bottom, hitting platforms on June 27. The album is bringing queer aesthetic to the pop genre and is a retelling of Grande’s life as he has gone from party boy to stage, screen, and reality TV personality, to getting married and living a sober family life (dog and all).

We sat for a chat with Grande as he prepares for his WeHo Pride extravaganza. With everything socially and politically considered, Grande is not holding anything back this Pride season.

Pride is recharging and gearing up for battle. I feel like we’re in a place where our community is under attack, and this is the time where we get the microphone so recharge and get ready to be loud and be prouder than we ever have before. We need to show the world that we are not to be fucked with. We got the mic, so let’s use it.

No stranger to taking the stage, Grande promises a spectacle for his Outloud appearance.

I’m so excited. I’ve put so much effort into crafting a very beautiful show, a very gay show, a very hot show. I’ve selected some really fun songs from my album that people are going to get to hear for the first time because the album won’t be out. I’m also doing some fun and clever covers of songs that have inspired me. I’m excited that I’ve mixed it up and it’s going to be really fun and really gay.

This Pride, Frankie’s call to the gay community is clear.

Support our trans siblings. It is more important than ever. Go to your trans friends and be like, “Hey, what do you need? And how can I help?” Because they’re the ones who are directly being scapegoated at this moment. To think that it’s happening to them means it’s not happening to you is crazy. We are all part of the same community. We’re all under the rainbow umbrella, so let’s go support the community that is directly under attack right now.

Grande’s album comes at a time when queer folk could use a little levity and party attitude. He has been a long-time spokesperson for the LGBTQ community. He has used his platform from reality TV to his role as GLAAD board member to incite activism. He knows full well the fatigue that many of the queer community face as we continue to resist a brutal Presidential administration.

You have to find moments of joy. Honestly, that’s a lot of what this album is to me. It’s like, let’s dance around and bop and be silly to boys tonight so that we can hit the ground running tomorrow and go get some legislation overturned. My whole life, I’ve turned to the dance floor during times of stress, and I think we do need to do that. We have to go celebrate. We have to remember why it is so fun to be a huge homosexual and what we’re fighting for. But then we need to go fight. Don’t get so fucked up that you have to be in bed for three days because we actually do need to go to work.

Grande has also become the poster boy for sober party gays. Celebrating 8 years of sobriety, he has been very open about his journey and how it fits into gay culture. Being openly sober has gained momentum in the queer community and many Prides now include dry events. Grande knows the triggers that Pride can include and has some advice to his fellow sober folk.

First of all, sober gays are fun gays, let’s just say that. If you’re triggered, get the fuck out. You know? There are a lot of drugs, there’s a lot of drinking, there’s a lot of partying, and sometimes you’re just not fully ready to be in those environments. And if that is true, then just leave. The people who are drinking and using will have no idea that you left.

Also go find some sober friends to go with. I did everything in sobriety, like linked with my sober BFFs, Salina EsTitties and stylist Mandoh Melendez. They were my bodyguards and they were my shield, and they had more sobriety than I did. They showed me the ropes, and to this day, they’re still sober and my best friends. So, get a sober buddy and GTFO when you’re triggered, just leave.

Grande is being very vulnerable in his upcoming album Hotel Rock Bottom. Not only is he leaving himself to be compared to other family members in the business, but he is also telling his story on his own terms with music. What is his intent with his album?

 My mission with this album is to inspire others to be themselves by being so open and honest. If you just want to listen to the surface value of my album, then you’re going to have a great fun dance time being like, this is so much fun. But if you want to actually go and listen to the lyrics and dissect it, you’ll see that there’s a lot of darkness and a lot of light on both sides of this album. I organized this album into side A and side B, or top and bottom, as we’re calling it on the vinyl. There’s sobriety and using days, there’s good and bad, and highs and lows on both. So, no judgment, it’s all about just be yourself, live your life, live authentically, and you’re going to get through whatever you’re dealing with.

And his message to the queer LA community this Weho Pride?

We’re very privileged and we’re very blessed because we’re in a very liberal and very blue state, so we need to have the best time and show up. But let’s make sure that we’re constantly beaming our love, light, and energy, and thinking about how we can help people in red states who are not going to have a governmentally and a community-supported Pride, because that is a reality these days. Let’s try to figure out how we’re going to help the country while we’re in the most liberal, most protected state in the world, which is fabulous.

Catch Grande onstage at Outloud on Saturday, May 31st. Hotel Rock Bottom will be released June 27th, available wherever you stream your music.

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Commentary

From pride to policy, it’s time to build in WeHo

‘West Hollywood isn’t just coasting on its values—we’re acting on them’

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By John M. Erickson, West Hollywood City Councilmember

West Hollywood has always stood as a beacon for LGBTQ people, for the
marginalized—for anyone chasing a place to be safe, seen, and supported. But that
promise is slipping away. If people can’t afford to live here, then West Hollywood becomes a symbol, not a sanctuary.

The housing crisis gripping Southern California is particularly acute in LGBTQ communities. Whether it’s trans women of color pushed into homelessness, queer youth aging out of foster care, or seniors on fixed incomes being priced out of the very neighborhoods they helped shape—our inability to build enough housing is deepening the inequality we claim to fight against. Our failure to build enough housing is not just a policy gap—it’s a moral one.

This isn’t theoretical. It’s personal.

As a gay man and a progressive policymaker, I know what it means to live at the intersection of identity and action. I carry the legacy of those who fought for a seat at the table—and the duty to do more than just sit there. Right now, that means confronting a housing system that’s failing the very people we claim to protect.

When West Hollywood became a city in 1984, we inherited density. We had walkable
neighborhoods, apartment buildings, and a diverse housing stock. But we froze. For 40
years, our zoning has barely moved.

In the last 25 years, WeHo has actually decreased in population. Meanwhile the number
of Americans who identify as LGBTQ+ has more than tripled in that same amount of
time. We haven’t kept up with demand, and we haven’t met the needs of the vulnerable
communities we claim to champion.

That’s about to change.

On Monday, May 5th, I’m introducing a sweeping housing reform package aimed at one
thing: making it easier, faster, and cheaper to build homes in West Hollywood. Not just
luxury condos—homes people can actually live in. That means slashing red tape. Cutting delays. Dismantling outdated rules that stall projects and drive up rents.

This isn’t about bulldozing neighborhoods or silencing community voices. It’s about
fixing a broken system—one built for a different era and completely out of step with the
urgency of now. It’s time to stop confusing progressive branding with progressive
outcomes. We need real reform: faster processes, smarter regulations, and yes—political courage.

Will this fix everything overnight? No. But it will send a clear message: West Hollywood
isn’t just coasting on its values—we’re acting on them.

Housing justice is LGBTQ+ justice. It’s racial justice, economic justice, and generational
justice. We don’t get to call ourselves a queer haven if only the rich and lucky can live
here. The West Hollywood of the future must make room for drag artists, Trader Joe’s
cashiers, trans youth, longtime renters—and anyone else trying to build a life with
dignity.

A city that flies the Pride flag can’t stand by while its most vulnerable residents are
priced out and pushed out. We owe the next generation more than just slogans and
rainbows. Let’s leave them keys.

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Local

WeHo Gives Back program launched to support small businesses

This initiative will raise funds for local businesses impacted by the recent wild fires

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The West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce (WHCC) announced the launch of WeHo Gives Back, a new initiative that is committed to supporting small businesses in West Hollywood that have been impacted by the Los Angeles fires.

“The small businesses of West Hollywood are resilient, but they need our community’s support
now more than ever,” said Genevieve Morrill, WHCC president and CEO. “WeHo Gives Back is
our way of ensuring these establishments receive the support they need to recover and thrive.”

West Hollywood is home to a diverse number of locally owned businesses. From the nightlife and restaurant industries to service providers like dry cleaners and salons, there’s a business for every one of the community’s needs. According to the WeHo Chamber of Commerce, businesses have been experiencing revenue declines between 25 percent to 50 percent with retail, hotels, restaurants, and bars being hit the hardest. In some cases, businesses have reported over 70 percent in loss of revenue, leading to a reduction in staff and operating hours.

About 26 percent of West Hollywood’s workforce is made up of hospitality workers, primarily employed by small businesses. These businesses, including the hotel industry, contribute to an estimated 70 percent of the city’s revenue. Tax revenue is used to support social services, community safety, and infrastructure improvements.

WHCC is calling on the community to support through WeHo Gives Back with a goal to restore the loss in foot traffic and to raise much needed funds. The public is encouraged to venture out to West Hollywood to shop, dine, and play.

The initiative kicked off on March 1st and West Hollywood go-ers will start to see QR codes on signs, napkins and websites in order to contribute to the recovery fund.

For more information about WeHo Gives Back or where to donate, visit wehochamber.com/wehogivesback.

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West Hollywood

West Hollywood receives top score in Municipal Equality Index 

Key findings point to record amount of cities to receive 100-point score across the nation

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Courtesy of HRC

The City of West Hollywood received the highest score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s 2024 Municipal Equality Index. The MEI is an evaluation by the HRC of over 500 cities across the United States, measuring a city’s laws, policies and available resources for LGBTQ+ people. 

This rating is done using a scorecard that factors in non-discrimination laws, employment opportunities and protections, municipal services, law enforcement and leadership on LGBTQ+ equality. 

“Even when anti-LGBTQ+ extremists in state capitals are working to undermine their progress, mayors and city council members keep fighting to make sure that LGBTQ+ people in their communities – especially trans people – are supported and lifted up to the fullest extent possible,” said Kelley Robinson, president of the HRC. “This year’s Municipal Equality Index shows the results of their dedication, while acknowledging the increasingly hostile environment in which they must govern.”

In addition to the score of 100, the city received flex score points in recognition of specific services such as those for LGBTQ+ youth, seniors and people lacking basic needs. Available services for people living with HIV/AIDS jumped to 134 cities nationwide, 83 cities for LGBTQ+ people experiencing homelessness, 78 cities with services for LGBTQ+ older adults, 163 cities with services for LGBTQ+ youth and 97 cities with services for transgender and transsexual people. 

A city’s MEI score is based on non-discrimination laws, protections, its recognition of relationships, fairness and inclusiveness in employment opportunities and resources catered to LGBTQ+ people. 

The MEI is done in partnership with the Equality Federation Institute, which partners up with LGBTQ+ organizations nationally. 

“This year, a record-breaking 130 cities — over 25 percent of all MEI-rated cities — earned the highest score of 100. What is even more remarkable is that in 20 states across the country, 76 cities earned over 85 points despite hailing from a state without a nondiscrimination statute that explicitly protects LGBTQ+ people,” said Fran Hutchins, executive director at the Equality Federation Institute. 

During 2024, a record-breaking amount of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation was proposed and approved at all levels of government. LGBTQ+ Americans across the country have felt the effects of the legislation, which has affected and impacted schools, families and the municipalities that are essential building blocks of the U.S. 

Despite the continued anti-LGBTQ+ legislation attacks against the municipalities that have taken proactive steps to protect LGBTQ+ rights, freedoms and establish protections, many cities such as West Hollywood continue to lead and pave the way for equality. 

In its thirteen-year history, 2024’s index recorded the highest all-around city average and a record number of cities to receive a 100-point score. 

Some key findings do point to the loss of points in some cities in 2023, due to the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in some cities across the country. 

According to the MEI report, more cities than ever have taken steps to protect the most vulnerable populations, with over 10 percent of MEI-rated cities taking action against these harmful laws, nearly doubling over the last five years. 

Other figures include a new all-time high national average of 72 points. 
For more information on the report, its findings and scoring criteria, visit the HRC’s website or find the full report here.

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AIDS and HIV

New monument in West Hollywood will honor lives lost to AIDS

In 1985, WeHo sponsored one of the first awareness campaigns in the country, nationally and globally becoming a model city for the response to the epidemic

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Courtesy of the City of West Hollywood- STORIES: The AIDS Monument, more info at go.weho.org/aidsmonument.

December is AIDS/HIV awareness month and this year West Hollywood is honoring the lives lost, by breaking ground on a project in West Hollywood Park that has been in the works since 2012. 

Members of Hollywood’s City Council joined representatives from the Foundation of AIDS Monument to announce the commencement of the construction of STORIES: The AIDS Monument, which will memorialize 32 million lives lost. This monument, created by artist Daniel Tobin,  will represent the rich history of Los Angeles where many of those afflicted with HIV/AIDS lived out their final days in support of their community.

Tobin is a co-founder and creative director of Urban Art Projects, which creates public art programs that humanize cities by embedding creativity into local communities. 

The motto for the monument is posted on the website announcing the project. 

“The AIDS Monument:

REMEMBERS those we lost, those who survived, the protests and vigils, the caregivers.

CELEBRATES those who step up when others step away.

EDUCATES future generations through lessons learned.”

The monument will feature a plaza with a donor wall, vertical bronze ‘traces’ with narrative text, integrated lighting resembling a candlelight vigil, and a podium facing North San Vicente Blvd.

World AIDS Day, which just passed, is on December 1st since the World Health Organization declared it an international day for global health in 1988 to honor the lives lost to HIV/AIDS. 

The Foundation for the AIDS monument aims to chronicle the epidemic to be preserved for younger generations to learn the history and memorialize the voices that arose during this time. 

The HIV/AIDS epidemic particularly affected people in Hollywood during the onset of the epidemic in the 1980s. The epidemic caused a devastatingly high number of deaths in the city. The city then became one of the first government entities to provide social service grants to local AIDS and HIV organizations. 

In 1985, the city sponsored one of the first awareness campaigns in the country, nationally and globally becoming a model city for the response to the epidemic. 

Earlier this year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the theme for World AIDS Day, ‘Collective Action: Sustain and Accelerate HIV Progress.’

The city of West Hollywood continues to strive to become a HIV Zero city with its current implementation of HIV Zero Initiative. The initiative embraces a vision to “Get to Zero” on many fronts: zero new infections, zero progression of HIV to AIDS, zero discrimination and zero stigma.

Along with the initiative and the new AIDS monument, the city also provides ongoing support and programming through events for World AIDS Day and the annual AIDS Memorial Walk in partnership with the Alliance for Housing and Healing. 

For more information, please visit www.weho.org/services/human-services/hiv-aids-resources.

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LGBTQ Non-Profit Organizations

Quinceañera fashion show raises record-breaking funds

The Trans Latin@ Coalition raised approximately $300,000 to continue funding vital programs

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Maria Roman-Taylorson, Zaya Wade, TS Madison, Bamby Salcedo pose on the red carpet at GARRAS 2024. (Photo credit Niko Storment)

The Trans Latin@ Coalition raised a record-breaking amount of money at their quinceañera, celebrating fifteen years of helping the Trans, Latin American communities of West Hollywood and Los Angeles. The event took place at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, starting with a VIP reception and red carpet, followed by a fashion show featuring 14 designers. The 15th anniversary successfully highlighted the intersection of cultura, fashion and activism with a mariachi and fashion lines full of vibrant Latin American colors, patterns and embroidery. 

The quinceanera’s fashion show is called GARRAS, which stands for Groundbreaking Activism Redirecting and Reforming All Systems. GARRAS is more than just a fashion show, it is also a movement to transform the Trans, Gender nonconforming and Intersex community–as well as their allies–into high-fashion icons. 

GARRAS raises funds for the Trans Latin@ Coalition and uses these events to give TGI people a platform to showcase their talents, leadership and activism. The quinceañera-themed fashion show 

Bamby Salcedo, CEO of Trans Latin@ Coalition spoke during the event to address not only the need for continued funding, but also to point out how much more unity the TGI and Latin American communities must demonstrate in light of the incoming Trump administration. 

“I want to thank each and every one of you for supporting our work, for believing in our work and for participating in the change we are all working to create,” said Salcedo to the audience. “We’re here to raise funds to continue to do the work that needs to happen, especially because of what just happened [with the election]. And you know what? [The government] is trying to scare us and diminish who we are, and I say to all those mother f*ckers ‘F*ck you!”

The fashion show and reception brought in celebrity guests, models, influencers and many other queer Los Angeles socialites. Zaya Wade, Gia Gunn from Ru Paul’s Drag Race: Season 6, Mayhem Miller from Ru Paul’s Drag Race: Season 10, Heidi N Closet from Ru Paul’s Drag Race: Season 12 and many influencers and personalities. 

The TGI designers who showcased their latest creations were: Leandrag, Enrique Montes, Semi Creations, Natalia Acosta, Royal Rubbish, ArmaniDae, Nuwa1997, Bad Burro, Life on Mars, HIM NYC, 10 eleven, Rag to Fab, Christiana Gallardo and Jesse Alvarado.

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