The LA Pride Parade, canceled for the past two years, will return in June — and take a new route in the community where the movement started.
The parade will be June 12 and will be centered around Hollywood, a shift from its traditional route in West Hollywood, organizeres announced Tuesday, Feb. 22.
The LA Pride Parade, produced by Christopher Street West, has been described as the second largest pride parade in the nation. It was canceled in2020, in what would have been its 50th anniversary, because of COVID-19 precautions. The parade was canceled again last year because of COVID-19concerns.
“LA Pride is thrilled to come together this year to commemorate the historic anniversary at the parade’s first and original location,” Gerald Garth, vice president of programs and initiatives, said in a statement. “As a mission-driven and community-centered non-profit organization, CSW recognizes that LGBTQ+ experiences of Los Angeles are broader than just one neighborhood. Considering feedback gathered since the pandemic began, we are committed to creating experiences and access to our entire community, including many of those who have been most underserved and underrepresented.”
Performers from Hamburger Mary’s wave as they drive down Ocean Blvd during the 36th annual Long Beach Pride Parade on Sunday, May 19, 2019. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
The parade route, time and location will be released soon, CSW said.
CSW has a commitment to equity that includes a focus on generational, experiential and geographic diversity, the organization said in a statement, that will live beyond solely the month of June and into the year following.
“We considered many options for the parade, both traditional and progressive,” Garth said. “Hollywood as the original historical location for the first Los Angeles protest 50 years ago was a natural choice to honor what Pride really means and where Pride will go in the future.
:We are continuing to work closely with the city and community stakeholders,” Garth added, “to confirm additional details that we look forward to sharing very soon.”
The parade in June will be broadcast live on KABC Channel 7.
A month after LA Pride, meanwhile, another major Pride festival will take place in Long Beach — also for the first time since 2019.
The Long Beach Pride Parade & Festival will return from July 8 to 10 — rather than in May, has it usually is — after a two-year pandemic-related hiatus, LB Pride President Elsa Martinez said.
“We changed the date of the Festival and Parade to be able to enjoy the incredible setting that we have historically used with warmer weather and longer days,” Martinez said in a press release.
The 37th iteration of the Long Beach parade is expected to be held along its traditional Shoreline Drive route, Martinez said in a Tuesday interview, but those plans have not yet been finalized with the city.
This year’s parade, besides the different dates, will be similar to previous years’ celebrations: There will be multiple venues featuring live music, dance stages and special showcases featuring local artists and community programming.
Health and safety guidance as outlined by Los Angeles County and Long Beach health officials will be followed during the parades. For details about the LA or LB Pride parades, visit lapride.org or longbeachpride.com.