The City of West Hollywood is gearing up to launch its annual WeHo Pride season with a series of events celebrating the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community. The festivities begin with a Harvey Milk Day commemoration on May 22, 2025, followed by the WeHo Pride Arts Festival from May 23 to May 25. These events mark the start of a month-long recognition of pride, history, and artistic expression in West Hollywood.
On Thursday, May 22, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., West Hollywood Park’s South Lawn will host a Harvey Milk Day celebration at the base of the Aquatic and Recreation Center Grand Staircase, located at 8750 El Tovar Place. The highlight of the evening will be the third annual José Sarria Drag Pageant, a tribute to both Harvey Milk and José Sarria, two trailblazers in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. Co-sponsored by the Imperial Court, Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, and One Institute, this free, public event will feature performances, voter registration, complimentary milk and cookies, and a themed photo station. The city encourages attendees to RSVP through Eventbrite, with additional details available at www.wehopride.com/harveymilkday.
Harvey Milk’s legacy anchors the celebration. Elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, he became California’s first openly gay public official. His tenure was cut short by his assassination in November 1978, just under a year into his term. Milk’s influence endures, recognized by the Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded posthumously by President Barack Obama in 2009 and the establishment of Harvey Milk Day by California lawmakers that same year. West Hollywood took it a step further in 2015, becoming the first U.S. city to designate May 22, Milk’s birthday, an official holiday through a city resolution.
The drag pageant pays homage to José Sarria, a drag performer known as the Widow Norton and the first openly gay candidate for public office in the U.S. Sarria’s 1961 campaign laid groundwork for Milk’s later success. He also founded the Imperial Court System, now one of the largest and oldest LGBTQ+ organizations globally. This year’s pageant, hosted by West Hollywood Drag Laureate Pickle, will feature judges including Queen Mother Karina Samala and Emperor Eugene Maysky of the Imperial Court, with more names to be announced.
Following the Harvey Milk Day event, the WeHo Pride Arts Festival will run from May 23 to May 25 at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N. McCadden Place in Hollywood. Spanning three days, the festival will showcase theater, poetry, literary readings, dance, film screenings, and interactive workshops—all free to attend. The city will release an RSVP link and detailed schedule closer to the date; those interested can sign up for updates at www.wehopride.com/artsfestival.
The Pride season will culminate with WeHo Pride Weekend, set for May 30 to June 1, 2025, centered around West Hollywood Park and Santa Monica Boulevard’s Rainbow District. The weekend will feature the OUTLOUD Music Festival, a street fair, the Dyke March, the Women’s Freedom Festival, and the WeHo Pride Parade, drawing crowds to celebrate in the heart of the city. More information is available at www.wehopride.com.
West Hollywood’s Pride events reflect its longstanding commitment to honoring the artistic and political contributions of the LGBTQ+ community. The Harvey Milk Day celebration and the Arts Festival serve as an opening chapter, bridging history and contemporary culture, before the larger weekend festivities take over in late May and early June.
