More than 100,000 people gathered in West Hollywood over the weekend of May 30 to June 1 to celebrate Pride, marking the city’s fourth year hosting its own festivities since parting ways with LA Pride. The event unfolded against the backdrop of growing federal pressure on LGBTQ+ rights, drawing a crowd that embraced both joy and defiance.
This year’s celebrations featured a packed lineup, including the OUTLOUD Music Festival with performances by Lizzo, Remi Wolf, and Paris Hilton. Alongside the concerts were the WeHo Pride Street Fair, Women’s Freedom Festival, and the WeHo Pride Parade, which brought thousands to Santa Monica Boulevard.
“I think it’s important to celebrate, now more than ever, and to be loud about who we are,” said Alyssa Policarpio, who attended the street fair on May 31. “The current administration has made it clear that they do not care about our community and have actively been trying to take away resources that help LGBTQIA+ people.”
Policarpio emphasized that Pride is about more than celebration. “To me, Pride isn’t just parties in WeHo. It’s also about using your voice, holding friends or family accountable when they do or say things that are harmful to the community and actively standing up for what’s right.”
The parade was led by English actress and model Cara Delevingne, who served as this year’s Guardian Icon. Other parade Icons included “Love on the Spectrum” star Pari Kim, filmmaker Nava Mau, and former NFL player Chris Kluwe.
Throughout the weekend, community organizations and sponsors hosted booths along the parade route, offering resources, information, and services to attendees.
Councilmember Danny Hang said one of the highlights for him was distributing harm reduction supplies at the city’s street fair booth.
“Harm reduction saves lives, and it was powerful to see our city lead with care and compassion,” Hang said. “Play safely and confidently, that’s the message we’re proud to stand behind.”
For some, the weekend offered a moment of refuge during an uncertain political climate. UCLA student Alyce Estrada attended the June 1 parade with a friend who had never been to Pride in West Hollywood. Estrada described the experience as emotional and layered.
“It was a bittersweet feeling to be surrounded by so much queer joy and resistance when many of our rights and bodies are under attack right now,” they said. “Everything is so up in the air when it comes to political and civil rights issues in the queer community currently, so I tried to enjoy the safe environment we were able to have this weekend.”
Estrada also noted a rise in commercial booths, remarking, “Pride does not represent capitalistic ideals.”
Looking ahead, Hang said he hopes future iterations of the event will feature more local LGBTQ+ artists and increased offerings for sober attendees.
Vice Mayor John Heilman underscored the significance of this year’s event in light of national developments.
“Celebrating pride openly and joyously is an act of resistance against these hate-filled attacks,” Heilman said, referencing recent policies targeting transgender individuals and queer refugees.
For Policarpio, the weekend also carried a personal weight.
“I’ve lived in L.A. for seven years, and have built such a wonderful community of queer people in my life,” she said. “I’m so grateful for that because 15-year-old me would never believe that as an adult, I’d get to be out and proud in L.A.”
Here’s my two cents. Sheriffs were not very nice. I imagine the carbon footprint is huge for an event like this. People flying in from all over the world. Lots and lots of brand new trucks. That tells me that there is a lot of money in this. California has over $1 trillion dollars in local government debt. You can’t blame Washington DC or any opposition party because this is all one party rule. I think events like this going forward should be privately funded and not use any public money. Also, the parade footprint should be smaller and not… Read more »
Unfortunately Pride which was purported to be all about love has turned into a kink parade with dildos and mens penises hanging out. Disgusting, Sodom and Gomora times of pure debauchery.
I’ll tell you, I used to march in the parade but in the last two years I have felt very very alienated. Many many purported allies were not really allies. Many people chose to make alliances with organizations that support ethno fascism.
Not a complaint, but Pride seemed less crowded this year. Notably the Parade and the OutLoud music fest had fewer people attending. That’s a generally good thing, but perhaps not the direction WeHo Pride was hoping for in its 4th year. Perhaps the bloom is off the rose.
I’d like to know the estimate number of attendants this year. I didn’t oidn’t It weem