DTLA Proud, which staged a popular Pride celebration in downtown Los Angeles last, is hosting a community forum at 8 p.m. today to discuss this summer’s event.
Please join us tomorrow, Monday, May 1st at 8:00pm for an open community forum for the 2017 DTLA Proud Festival. “Get updates on this year’s festival from the planning committee and see how you can get involved,” DTLA says in an announcement of the event, which will take place at Precinct DTLA, 357 S. Broadway. “We are looking for partners and volunteers to help us make this year’s two-day festival the best it can be.
Those who plan to attend are asked to RSVP on DTLA’s Facebook page.
Last year’s event was DTLA Proud’s first. It took place on Aug. 7, was centered on Pershing Square and attracted an estimated 4,000 people. The festival included performances by local gay celebrities such as the Boulet Brothers and a number of prominent DJs. It also included events at nearby gay bars such as Bar Mattachine, New Jalicso, Redline and Precinct.
The DTLA Proud festival took place five weeks after the annual L.A. Pride parade and festival in West Hollywood. That event had been criticized by many local LGBT activists for its reorientation as a music festival and for its high festival ticket pricing — $30 compared to $10 for DTLA Proud. Some see DTLA Proud as a possible threat to L.A. Pride, given the growth of the gay community in downtown Los Angeles and the fast launch of several gay bars.
This year’s L.A. Pride takes place June 10 and 11 and will be radically different from other Pride events. The major difference is that the Pride parade, which began 46 years ago, will be replaced by the Resist March, which focuses on civil liberties for a variety of groups. And the annual Pride festival’s footprint will be radically reduced because of construction work in West Hollywood Park.
