By Susan Payne
Excitement is brewing for all things Pride in Los Angeles for the month of June and there are so many events and activities planned to help you celebrate.
Here are details of some of the events happening in West Hollywood:
WEHO ARTS FESTIVAL
West Hollywood kicked off its annual WeHo Pride event on Harvey Milk Day, May 22, with the start of a 40-day WeHo Pride Arts Festival that lasts through the end of June. Formerly known as the One City One Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival, WeHo Pride Arts Festival is a culmination of more than 15 events and artist receptions that give full representation to LGBTQ artist culture and experiences.
Angelic Troublemakers Exhibition — an exhibition of digital drawings and photographs relating to theme of LGBTQIA+ Pride at the West Hollywood Library, June 1 through August 24, 2023. This exhibition is free to visit and open during regular library hours.
My Own Private Rodeo by Coyote Park — an exhibition of new works by Coyote Park at ONE Gallery, 626 N. Robertson Blvd., from June 1 through June 30, Friday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. These works move through feelings of grief, mourning, loss, pride, redemption and play. Coyote asks, “What does it mean for myself to exist in a way that my elders weren’t allowed to?” It is in the deepest place of isolation where Park finds a site where they are a personal spectator of their own pain and their own transformation.
Rainbows, Wigs and Shades — a Pride-themed installation and celebration of diversity not only of the community but also of the diverse sides within each of us, playing dress up with items like wigs and glasses to express our various alter egos by artist Dustin Gimbel, open from June 1 to June 30. Artist reception is Thursday June 1 from 6-8 p.m. at 8624 W. Sunset Blvd.
WeHo Reads: Shining Like Beacons — a reading presented in collaboration with Lambda Literary that features Kamden Hillard, K-Mind Chang, Golden and Natalie Wee online Wednesday June 14 from 7-8:30 p.m. RSVPs are encouraged here.
Beautiful Things Craft Market — a craft market by local LGBTQIA+ artisans and craft makers both indoor and outdoor with a curated selection of ceramics, fiber and textile crafts, handmade jewelry and more on Saturday June 17 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On the same day in Plummer Park, there is an LGBTQ Comic Con presented by arts grantee Prism Comics and a casual day in the park organized by Women’s Freedom Festival.
Q Con — an LGBTQ+ comic con celebrating the diversity of LGBTQ+ comics, games and popular media. Cosplay and join the fun at Plummer Park, 1166 N. Vista St on Saturday, June 17 from 10 to 5 p.m.
Drag Story Hour — presented in partnership with the staff at West Hollywood Library, this story hour will be read by Amber Crane on Saturday, June 17 at 11 a.m.
Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles — favorite songs from the chorus’ recent concerts in an outdoor event at West Hollywood Park, 647 N. San Vicente Blvd., on June 17 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
The rest of the WeHo Pride Arts Festival itinerary can be found on wehopride.com/artsfestival.
WEHO PRIDE PARADE
An imaginative and colorful annual tradition, the WeHo Pride parade along the Santa Monica Boulevard embraces LGBTQ+ representation, inclusions and progress. This year, the icons for the WeHo Pride Parade will be RuPaul’s Drag Race Laith Ashley, Niecey Nash-Betts and Jessica Betts, and Melissa McCarthy. These trailblazers and allies will be honored for their work in bringing LGBTQ community and social justice issues to the forefront.
Starting at 12 p.m. on Saturday, June 4 at N. Crescent Heights Boulevard at Santa Monica Boulevard, the parade will travel westbound along the boulevard into the heart of City’s Rainbow District to N. Robertson Boulevard.
For those unable to attend in person, tune-in for WeHo Pride Parade coverage on KTLA 5, the official broadcast partner of the 2023 WeHo Pride Parade.
WEHO PRIDE STREET FAIR
On Saturday, June 3 and Sunday, June 4, the WeHo Pride Street Fair will celebrate Pride with diverse participation of LGBTQ+ community groups and allied organizations as part of visibility and expression. The Street Fair is free, featuring a vibrant variety of exhibitors along Santa Monica Boulevard between Hancock Ave. and La Peer Drive.
WOMEN’S FREEDOM FESTIVAL
At the WeHo Pride Street Fair community stage, watch live emerging LGBTQ and BIPOC women and nonbinary musicians, comedians, poets and activists perform, hosted by Jackie Steele and Stevi Shari. Guest speakers include Queen Chela, Jayla Baxter and Liana Georgi on Saturday, June 3 from 12 to 6 p.m.
DYKE MARCH
Following the Women’s Freedom Festival, the Dyke March will take place at the WeHo Pride Street Fair community stage Saturday, June 3 from 6-7 p.m. This annual celebration features speakers, community activists and the March, led by a motorcycle contingent.
OUTLOUD at WEHO PRIDE
Although RSVPs are no longer being accepted, WeHo Pride Presents Friday Night at OUTLOUD will take place Friday, June 2 at 6 p.m. at West Hollywood Park, 647 N. San Vicente Boulevard.
OUTLOUD Weekend and WeHo Pride pass holders will be guaranteed access to this event, featuring top talent with headlines Grace Jones on Saturday and Carly Rae Jepsen on Sunday. The full weekend line-up includes performances by Passion Pit, Orville Peck, Santigold, Princess Nokia, Yung Bae, La Roux, Meet Me @ The Alter, Jodie Harsch, Rubio, Cub Sports and Black Belt Eagle Scout.
For more information on these events and many more, visit www.wehopride.com/calendar.
West Hollywood has been home to the one of the largest annual Pride celebrations in the United States, drawing hundreds of thousands of revelers every June.
Home to the “Rainbow District” along Santa Monica Boulevard, which features a concentration of historic LGBTQ clubs, restaurants, and retail shops, West Hollywood consistently tops lists of “most LGBTQ friendly cities” in the nation. More than 40 percent of residents in West Hollywood identify as LGBTQ.
Pride is deeply rooted part of West Hollywood’s history and culture. Pride events have taken place in West Hollywood since 1979, five years before the City of West Hollywood was incorporated as a municipality in 1984. Historically, Pride in West Hollywood was produced by the nonprofit organization Christopher Street West (CSW), which formed in 1970 to organize a parade in commemoration of the 1969 Stonewall riots.
In 2022, the City of West Hollywood inaugurated WeHo Pride with programming that represents a diverse array of LGBTQ community groups as part of visibility, expression, and celebration, including continuing to support partners’ Pride events. West Hollywood is a community of choice for LGBTQ people from throughout the region, the state, the nation, and the globe and WeHo Pride embraces a source of deep connection for its unique LGBTQ history and culture.
