Diversity, love, strength and unity celebrated at Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride Festival

The Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride Festival got off to a rousing start Saturday with tens of thousands expected to attend the aual event and Pride Parade today.

People came from throughout Southe Califoia and farther away. Some brought rainbow flags and wore colorful outfits. Many said they were looking forward to Saturday evening’s entertainment, which featured Dej Loaf as the headliner. Others came to show support for their friends or family and enjoy a suy day after the last week of May Gray.

A mass same-sex wedding ceremony, celebrating the June 2015 U.S. Supreme Court decision that gave same-sex couples across the country the right to marry, will kick off today’s parade at 9:45 a.m. at Ocean Boulevard and Junipero Avenue.

Support and unity

Vanessa Garcia, a teacher at Alliance Cindy and Bill Simon Technology Academy High School in Watts, brought students to the festival and hopes to tu it into an aual excursion.

For 18-year-old Abby Giles, a senior and one of Garcia’s students, pride means freedom, strength and solidarity in the struggles the LGBTQ community has gone through in the past and continues to face today.

For Dewy Hunt and Mat Walker, who came from St. George, Utah to attend the festival Saturday moing, supporting the transgender community is part of the front line of LGBTQ rights today.

The two got married after Utah began recognizing same-sex marriage in December 2013.

The current political climate — exemplified by the rhetoric of Donald Trump, and several states attempting to pass legislation limiting the rights of transgender people — is worrisome, the couple said.

“There’s more work to be done,” Hunt said.

Outreach

Steven Nadolny, a member of Comunidad, the lesbian and gay ministry at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Long Beach, said his church has been participating in Long Beach Pride events for at least 20 years.

“It’s important to let lesbian and gay Catholics know that they’re welcome,” Nadolny said.

There have been some promising actions taken by Pope Francis but progress is far from complete, he said.

“I’m sort of bi-faithful,” Nadolny said, pointing to a ring on his finger. “I got married Episcopalian (because the Catholic Church does not recognize same-sex marriage).”

Advertisement

Nevertheless, he is hopeful that faith will help bring people together.

“There’s more that unites us than divides us,” Nadolny said.

Tracey Richardson, a representative from UFCW Local 770, the union that represents workers at stores such as Ralphs, Vons, Albertsons, Rite Aid and CVS, gathered signatures in support of the union’s current contract negotiation.

The union has an arm called OUTreach, which addresses conces and needs of its LGBTQ members, and is working to include provisions in the contract to expand medical coverage and other benefits for LGBTQ members.

For many, like 24-year-old San Pedro residents George Bonilla and Indigo Richardson, coming to the Pride Festival was simply about letting loose, having a good time and meeting new people.

“Pride is just having confidence in yourself and motivating the people around you,” Richardson said. “I’m excited to see how many kinds of people are going to be here, the diversity.”

“It’s feeling appreciated and comfortable in your own skin,” Bonilla added. “Just that sense of community.”