(Compiled by Troy Masters and Kaila Nichols)
AFTER A TWO-YEAR HIATUS, Pride is back, live and in person. Weary of virtual celebrations, the city’s queer community has been eagerly awaiting the return of L.A.’s annual Pride festivities, which draw thousands of revelers to town every year. In fact, demand is so strong, L.A. will be hosting two back-to-back Pride celebrations this year. The WeHo Pride Parade, on June 5, caps a rainbow-tinged weekend filled with poetry readings, parties, and a concert starring Lil’ Kim. If you’re still feeling proud a week later, LA. Pride features an equally dazzling array of events and performances, including a concert headlined by Christina Aguilera. Readings, ballgames, and movie festivals will stretch through August. We teamed up with the Los Angeles Blade to single out some of the more notable events.
JUNE 1
WEHO PRIDE LGBTQ ARTS FESTIVAL
Assorted Locations
West Hollywood’s LGBTQ Arts Festival features a monthlong cornucopia of readings, art exhibits, plays, and concerts at venues across the city. Through June 30. Pride.weho.org
JUNE 2
A BEVERLY HILLS PRIDE CONCERT
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
Beverly Hills’s first ever Pride celebration features an evening of live music, poetry, and performances by local luminaries like Celeste X, Jeshua, and San Cha. Pride.weho.org
THRIVE WITH PRIDE AT THE BEVERLY CENTER
The Beverly Center
The landmark L.A. shopping mall is throwing the first of its Thursday night Thrive with Pride events (also part of Beverly Hills Pride) featuring gay-themed movie nights, special performances, and rainbow cocktails. Lapride.org
DIGITAL L.A. LGBTQ+ CREATORS AND INFLUENCERS
Stache West Hollywood
An annual WeHo panel with LGBTQ+ creators and influencers sharing advice on creating content, engaging with viewers, and working with brands. Digitalla.net
JUNE 3
LGBTQ+ PRIDE NIGHT
Dodger Stadium
The Los Angeles Dodgers are teaming up with L.A. Pride for “Pride Night at the Stadium” as they face off with the New York Mets. A special pre-game ceremony will recognize frontline workers and feature surprise guests. A raucous post-game celebration will include fireworks and music from DJ Bowie J. Mlb.com/dodgers
OUTLOUD RAISING VOICES MUSIC FESTIVAL
West Hollywood Park
WeHo’s 2022 Pride weekend debuts with a rollicking three-day concert series at the newly refurbished West Hollywood Park featuring a glittery lineup of musical divas like Lil’ Kim, Marina, Years & Years, Greyson Chance, and Madison Beer. June 3 through 5. Weareoutloud.com
CHERRY BOMB WEHO PRIDE TAKEOVER
Hotel Ziggy
Cherry Bomb, a social group for queer women and gender expansive folks, is colonizing the entire hotel for a weekend of female-friendly dinners, pool parties, comedy performances, and VIP open bars. Hotelziggy.com
ANTHONY FRIEDKIN: THE GAY ESSAY
Leica Gallery L.A.
The Leica Gallery’s new exhibition will feature works made between 1969 and 1973 by photographer Anthony Friedkin. Artists and humanitarians like Leslie Jordan, Angelica Ross, Michaela Jaé, Amy Schneider, Shakina Nayfack, Trace Lysette, and more will be featured. June 3 to August 1. Leicagalleryla.com
JUNE 4
VENICE PRIDE FESTIVAL
Venice Beach Recreation Center
America’s premiere LGBTQ celebration by the beach features a weekend of musical performances by local grandees like Stewart Taylor, Luna Lovebad, and Zee Machine, and stage readings produced by Queer Moment. Plus, DJs, hot lifeguards, food trucks, art installations, and a dance party called Gaywatch. Venicepride.org/tix
PRINCE AND PRIDE
L.A. Kings Burbank Sports Center
Who wouldn’t want to go to a funky roller-skating celebration of Prince’s birthday and Pride month? Lakingsburbanksportscenter.com
JUNE 5
THE WEHO PRIDE PARADE
WeHo’s pride extravaganza kicks off at noon along Santa Monica Boulevard at Fairfax and ends up at Robertson. Weho.org
PRIDE PAWTY
Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel
Reserve your spot for pawdicures and fun activities like a dog-friendly photo booth and crafting matching pup and human accessories. Free puptails and $15 cocktails will be available. A portion of the proceeds will go to the L.A. LGBT Center. Loewshotels.com
JUNE 10
THE YARD X LEZ CROIX
Catch One
The special Pride lineup at the historic Mid-City venue features performances by local legends and a far-flung band of musicians and performers flown in from across the gay universe. Catch.one
THE LONG-RUNNING WEHO PRIDE PARADE IS BACK AFTER TWO YEARS. BUT THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED L.A. PRIDE PARADE, WHICH TAKES PLACE A WEEK LATER, MAY GIVE IT A RUN FOR ITS MONEY
OUT OF THE BLUE—A MIRACULOUS MUSICAL
Zephyr Theatre
Award-winning writer-composer-performer Eli Hans portrays all 25 characters in this moving musical about a newly diagnosed gay cancer patient struggling to find love and make peace with his troubled past. Meredith Grundei directs. June 10 and 11, Outoftheblueshow.com
JUNE 11
PRIDE IN THE PARK
A Musical Extravaganza in Three Acts
L.A. Pride starts off the weekend with a three-day concert at L.A. State Historic Park starring a dazzling array of female and trans performers. This year’s lineup includes Christina Aguilera, Michaela Jaé, Latina Sensation Anitta, Eureka, and Bob the Drag Queen.
Lapride.org
UNITED IN PRIDE
Various locations
Masterbeat’s four-day Pride Bacchanalia starts with a boisterous Saturday afternoon pool party on the rooftop of the Andaz Hotel. Other highlights include a Saturday night dance party with DJs Deanne and Tom Stephan at the Avalon nightclub and a Sunday evening Pride tea dance at Academy L.A. June 11 through 14, Masterbeat.com
VELVET TSUNAMI 2022
W Hotel
The Hollywood Boulevard hotel celebrates L.A. Pride weekend with a “Tsunami party” that features Abel Aguilera, Matt Suave, Cali Miles, Bears in Space, Karl Kay, and Dan De Leon. There will be five stages on multiple levels and a voguing competition hosted by Banjeball.
Facebook.com/thenightbreedla.
JUNE 12
THE 50TH ANNUAL L.A. PRIDE PARADE
Hollywood and Vine
L.A. Pride celebrates its golden anniversary by returning to the neighborhood where it first began 50 years ago, when it became the first legally permitted Gay Pride parade in the country. The event, which kicks off at 10:30 a.m. sharp, heads west on Hollywood Boulevard to Highland Avenue. From there, it moves south to Sunset and then east to Ivar Avenue. It’s within walking distance of two Metro stations. Lapride.org
JUNE 18
THE CATALINA ISLAND PRIDE FESTIVAL
Wrigley Stage
A daylong event featuring music, food, and local performers will take place at the main Wrigley Stage and culminate in a dance party on the Avalon Bay waterfront.
Lovecatalina.com/pride
TOM House
Teams Up + Gears Up
The Gears Up show features selected images from Mike Ruiz’s on-going portrait series of the Leather community. In addition to the exhibition opening at TOM House on Saturday. 4-8 p.m.
TOM’s BAR With ORVILLE PECK
The Avalon & Bardot Hollywood
Orville Peck is the Honored Guest, where he will be presented with the Tom of Finland Foundation 2022 Cultural Icon Award. 2-10 PM
JUNE 23
PRIDE AT THE FOWLER: ARCHIVING GAY HISTORY
An online screening and discussion sponsored by UCLA’s Film & Television Archive and USC’s ONE Archive celebrates the work of artist Sadie Barnette and filmmaker Whitney Skauge. Their latest collaboration is on underrepresented icons of queer history, like 1992 presidential candidate Terence Alan Smith, also known as “Joan Jett Black” and Black Panther Rodney Barnette, who opened the first Black gay bar in San Francisco.
Fowler.ucla.edu
JUNE 25
OC PRIDE PARADE & FESTIVAL
Downtown Santa Ana
Headliners at the annual Orange County Pride parade and festival will include Monique Heart, Pepper Mashay, Big Dipper, Madison Rose, and Boi Band. Prideoc.com
JUNE 28
JEREMY ATHERTON LIN
On “Gay Bar: Why We Went Out”
Book Soup
Strobing lights and dark rooms, throbbing house music and drag queens on countertops, first kisses and last call, the gay bar has long been a place of solidarity and self-expression. Jeremy Atherton discusses his book and the escalating decline of America’s gay bars in a Pride Month talk at the landmark L.A. bookstore. Booksoup.com
JULY 8
LONG BEACH PRIDE
Long Beach’s three-day Pride festivities start on Friday night and continue all weekend. The annual event attracts over 80,000 revelers from all across the SoCal area, and culminates this year with a blockbuster concert featuring Iggy Azalea and Natalia Jiménez. June 8 through 10, Longbeachpride.com
JULY 9
VENICE PRIDE TEA DANCE AT THE JAMES
James’ Beach
The famous monthly dance party presented by Venice Pride and Roosterfish is hosting a special Pride Month party at James’ Beach, the longest operating gay-owned bar in Venice. DJ Spencer H will be spinning. Jamesbeach.com
JULY 14
OUTFEST: SUMMER FILM FESTIVAL
Various Locations
Outfest, the annual showcase of queer films and filmmakers, opens its 11-day summer film festival on July 14. The weeklong event, founded in 1982, offers screenings and parties at movie theaters across the city. Outfest is the oldest continuous film festival in SoCal.
Outfest.org
AUGUST 5
DTLA PROUD ’22
Pershing Square
Founded by a group of local residents, business owners, and community leaders, the annual Pride event at the main stage of Pershing Square will feature a special screening of the full-length documentary Proud in a Pandemic, as well as two days of stage performances, DJs, art, fancy food trucks, and a dance party at a pop-up waterpark.
Dtlaproud.org
WHO WOULDN’T WANT TO GO TO A FUNKY ROLLER-SKATING CELEBRATION OF BOTH PRINCE’S BIRTHDAY AND PRIDE MONTH?
A version of these LGBTQ+ listings appear in this year’s special June 2022 Pride Guide
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