Annual Event Honors LGBTQ Contributions and Activism
The City of West Hollywood is set to kick off its annual WeHo Pride season with Harvey Milk Day featuring the second annual José Sarria Drag Pageant on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. This event, organized by the city and West Hollywood Drag Laureate Pickle, celebrates the artistic contributions of the LGBTQ community and honors Harvey Milk and José Sarria, a trailblazer in LGBTQ activism and drag performance. The city requests that attendees RSVP, which you can do here.
José Sarria, known as the first openly gay person to run for office in the United States, was a pivotal figure who laid the groundwork for Harvey Milk’s historic political career. As a well-known drag performer under the name the Widow Norton, Sarria also founded the International Imperial Court System, one of the oldest and largest LGBTQ organizations globally. The event is co-sponsored by The Imperial Court and by Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath.
Hosted by West Hollywood Drag Laureate Pickle, the José Sarria Drag Pageant will feature a competition among drag performers, with esteemed judges including Queen Mother Karina Samala and Emperor Eugene Maysky of the Imperial Court, along with other notable figures from the LGBTQ community like Landon Cider, Anil Patel, Nyx, and Kyra Jete.
Attendees can expect more than just fierce drag performances. The event will include a voter registration table, a Harvey Milk photo opportunity, and typewriter poetry provided by Pride Poets, a group of LGBTQ poets known for crafting custom poetry on typewriters. The participation of Pride Poets is funded by a City of West Hollywood Arts Grant.
West Hollywood’s commitment to LGBTQ visibility and expression extends beyond the drag pageant. WeHo Pride Weekend, from May 31 to June 2, 2024, will feature a lineup of events including the WeHo Pride Parade, the free WeHo Pride Street Fair, the OUTLOUD Music Festival, and more. The WeHo Pride Arts Festival will follow from June 14 to June 16, 2024, offering a diverse array of LGBTQ community programming.
The WeHo Pride Arts Festival, organized by the City’s Arts Division, is part of the city’s broader effort to provide accessible arts programming for residents and visitors. From temporary public art installations to the City Poet Laureate Program, West Hollywood continues to foster a vibrant arts community.
For additional information and a full schedule of WeHo Pride events, visit www.weho.org/arts.
