Packed with Pride: Your California Calendar of Events By Kevin Perry
Newsflash: if you’re reading this, you’re gay. Congrats! You’re grand, you’re gorgeous and you have so much fabulosity that it can’t be contained in one festival. Well, we have (even more) great news for you: California is *almost* as queer as you, and its Pride sprawls across dozens of cities throughout June and beyond. So, how can you align your personal LGBTQ+ vibes with the best happenings in the Golden State? Simply follow our lead and read on! Early Priders Why put off until tomorrow a party you can enjoy today? That’s the philosophy behind this first batch of bashes igniting the weekend of June 3-5. Rock out with your jock out in Venice, CA., where a funky mélange of acts will entertain your sweet ass. Wave (pun intended) to the drag queen lifeguards as deep house meets deep waters. Beach, please! And remember to look up from the shore to gay gaze at the Global Rainbow laser installation. Designed by Yvette Mattern, this beacon of inclusion will light up your life! Anyone who has ever enjoyed the burly embrace of Lazy Bear will squeal with delight to know that Sonoma County is resuming its Pride prowess this year. The theme is We Are Family and we are already blaring Sister Sledge in our heads. Join the chorus and join the fun! Santa Rosa hosts an intimate yet intoxicating roster of events, including an open-air happy hour, parade, and festival, so get Pride’ing! 36 | GEDMAG.com
Rev up your appetite for food trucks and fierceness as Fresno Rainbow Pride unfurls on June 4. This year’s event commemorates the life and legacy of the late, great Jeffery Robinson. This community leader lives on in the hearts of everyone who knew him, so follow signs featuring Jeffery’s iconic beard and multihued glasses for a fun time and even greater causes. After all, Pride is purposeful. It began as an amplification of the Stonewall riots and snowballed into a riot all its own. Every neighborhood celebrates differently and diversely. Take, for example, the tale of two suburbs: Glendale and West Hollywood. They both nestle playfully under the glitzy umbrella known as Los Angeles, but they fly their respective flags uniquely. Glendale is engaging in a humble affair on the first Saturday afternoon of the month, but the nights belong to WeHo. Li’l Kim and Jessie J will rock the main stage of the OutLoud Raising Voices Music Festival. Crank your WeHo Pride and simmer in some gurl power! Upsize Your Pride Now you are ready for the main event… part 1. Los Angeles Pride is so epic, we need to take a (disco) beat before diving in headfirst. The two main pillars of this June 10-12 weekend wonderland are Pride in the Park on Saturday and the 52nd annual street parade on Sunday. First thing’s fabulous: the Saturday concert lineup is gag-worthy, including RuPaul veterans like Bob the Drag Queen and Eureka. And as the sun goes down, the talent heats up. Anitta will
