The 2nd annual WEHO Pride 2023 event brought tens of thousands of people back to West Hollywood. The City Council rolled the dice with 6 million dollars plus outlay for the weekend events.

In years prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the City’s participation in the weekend festivities cost less than 2 million dollars. In those years, the event was a cooperative effort between LA Pride and the City of West Hollywood.

The 2022 Inaugural WeHo Pride event was managed by Jeff Consoletti and the JJ-LA team. As 2023 approached, Jeff laid out a vision and a cost for a world-class WeHo Pride. Estimates zoomed past 6 million dollars. The cost of Public Safety alone would be a total of just shy of 2 million dollars. The city would receive a revenue share. (we will follow up on that later}

The most important allocation of dollars is for Public Safety. It appears that WEHO Pride was the safest place on earth. West Hollywood Sheriff Captain Bill Moulder led a team of deputies that were back in full form with a restored budget and confidence. Homeland Security crews and the FBI were on site and ready to respond to any threats. As a business owner and resident, I’d like to commend the Sheriff, security ambassadors, and all the officials who kept West Hollywood safe. A-plus on Public Safety.

Logistics are the cornerstone of a well-executed weekend plan. Our City Staff has fantastic experience with events, and facilites staff executed. The streets close earlier Friday then announced, but all city contractors went to work on time. I’ve witnessed this year after year, and again, it’s time to commend the services and city contractors. Rails, Porto-potties, and even the Ferris wheel. It was fantastic to watch the engines at work prepping a city to host the world in the name of Pride. We did that, and we did it well. A-plus on logistics.

Code compliance was out but often unsuccessful. I saw a slew of vendors with rolling hot dog cards and selling flags in wagons. I asked if he had a permit and he said his boss did. THey were selling one flag for $10 that BlockParty was selling for 2 for $5. These people ripped off the guests and set up on both sides of my shops. An unofficial tent on the sidewalk and nobody did anything. Code compliance needs to step up its game.

While the City Council voted to waive the fees for encroachment permits for all businesses, when BlockParty picked up its permit, it was charged $315. We had applied a month prior, but now it was the Thursday before Pride, and Jim had to pay it to get it. He mentioned it over lunch, and I recall the city council waived the fees. He had no idea. I sent text messages to a number of city officials. ‘The fees were waived? Are they charging all the businesses?

Jackie Rocco, assistant City Manager, later replied to my inquiry. “We apologize for the confusion. This email confirms that the City Council approved item 4.E on 3.5/23 waiving fees for Special Event Permits and Encroachment fees. PS, at Halloween, the council waived fees, too, and city staff still charged the fees and had to issue refunds. It took my store partner Jim to pay the fee both times to figure this out. This shows how little outreach there was to the businesses to tell them that the fees were waived. City Manager David Wilson gets an ‘F’ on this scorecard. Twice in a row, his staff charged fees to businesses that were waived by the city council. That is unacceptable. By the way, the refund needs to include the processing costs both ways: on all the permits issued and all the refunds to businesses this past Halloween and now Pride. Ridiculous right?

But despite the hiccups, WEHO Pride went flawlessly. But we can’t please everybody. The first call came early last week “They got rid of the LatinX tent, and we are not represented” (replaced by commercial tents at $1200 each) A senior asked, “how come there is not a area us to play cards in the street and his wife said, for us to sit down!” Complaints from some with disabilities who did not know where to park. And, of course, ticket prices are $139 to get into Sunday night.

But there is more than Pride in the air. And more at stake for our city. The businesses, the organizations, the residents who participated, the non-profits, and community organizations. All came together on our streets. We showed who we are. People passed by vacant storefronts and thought, ‘I want to be here’, and West Hollywood showed its grit.

One passerby, Alex Van Johnson, summed up the weekend this way: I feel like it’s been empty for a while; every time you go out, the bars are half empty. But now, this weekend is the first time where it feels like everybody is back. Everybody is back in Weho; it’s coming back, the pandemic is over, and people are ready to celebrate.

But the moment that made my Pride was short-lived but lingered all day. It was the moment the City Council float came down Santa Monica Blvd. I was on a chair with a bad knee but got up to give the empty-handed council members rainbow flags. First to Chelsea, then John Erickson, and Lauren… and then, despite all my hurt when Sepi refused to shake hands with the staff from my shop who gave monkey pox vaccines or willingness to find common ground, the distance between us wide and deep… and Sepi in view, I extended my hand with a bunch of flags, and she leaned in to accept and say, “Happy Pride Larry.” It was the moment of my day. It was a few seconds where a common thread of Pride was shared by all.

WeHo Pride is back in full stride. It’s one weekend that brings us all together. The City needed it and the City Council delivered.

Happy Pride Everybody.

Have you ever been assaulted, accosted or threatened by a stranger in public in WeHo?

• Yes, more than once
• Yes, once
• Never

View Results

 Loading ...