WeHo Pride 2024 continues Saturday with a full day of fun celebrating West Hollywood’s LGBTQ+ community and its allies.
Musician and actress Janelle Monáe headlines tonight’s OUTLOUD concert set at 10:30 p.m. Monáe is renowned for her unique style which melds funk, soul, and R&B with a conceptual sci-fi narrative. Monáe’s music career took off with her first EP, “Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase),” which introduced her alter ego, Cindi Mayweather, a messianic android. Her follow-up albums, “The ArchAndroid” and “The Electric Lady,” further cemented her status in the industry, blending theatrical artistry with lyrical prowess.
Monáe has also made significant strides in the film industry, bringing the same charisma and depth to her acting roles as she does to her music. She appeared in “Moonlight,” Barry Jenkins’ Oscar-winning drama that explores the life of a young black man grappling with his identity and sexuality at various stages of his life. That same year, Monáe starred in “Hidden Figures,” a film that tells the true story of three brilliant African-American women who played crucial roles at NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program.
Monáe has been nominated for multiple Grammy Awards and has received critical acclaim for her bold musical and theatrical presentations, as well as her activism in support of LGBTQ rights and gender equality. She served as grand marshal of the WeHo Pride Parade in 2022.
The Women’s Freedom Festival will start at noon and continue until 6:00 PM at the Celebration Stage located at Santa Monica Boulevard and La Peer Drive. This free event, co-produced by The L Project, will feature LGBTQ and BIPOC women, non-binary musicians, comedians, poets, and activists, including performances by KingQueen, MariahCounts, Medusa, Theia, Gattison, Cheri Moon, and Shiah Luna. Jackie Steele will host the festival.
Following the festival, the Dyke March will begin with staging at 5:30 PM and the march itself at 6:00 PM. Participants will assemble at the Celebration Stage, and the event will be led by a group of motorcycle riders. The L Project organizes this annual rally.
The WeHo Pride Street Fair will also take place today and continue on Sunday, June 2, 2024. The Street Fair is free and will feature a vibrant variety of exhibitors along Santa Monica Boulevard. There will be live entertainment and performances on a community stage, highlighting the LGBTQ+ community. The Street Fair is family-friendly and open to everyone, providing a great occasion to participate in WeHo Pride’s LGBTQ+ community experience.
Additionally, the OUTLOUD Main Stage will feature a lineup of music and performance starting at 11:00 AM and extending into the night. Performers include Doechii, Keke Palmer, and Channel Tres. The performances will showcase a variety of musical styles and genres, from the electronic mixes of Yaeji to the disco beats of Sophie Ellis-Bextor.
WeHo Pride events will continue throughout the weekend, offering further opportunities for music, art, and community engagement. For more information, visit the event’s official website or contact the organizers directly at thelproject.org.
