"Hundreds of spectators gathered along Ocean Boulevard dressed in rainbow tutus, dresses and shirts, whooping and waving as the Long Beach Pride parade rolled past Sunday morning. Mayor Rex Richardson, wearing a rainbow lei and holding a Pride flag, marched down the street with gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra as Bad Bunny's "BAILE INoLVIDABLE" rang out. "Long Beach Pride in the house," Richardson boomed into a microphone. "Thank you so much for coming out, keeping up this tradition for 43 years.""
"But this year felt different for some, after the abrupt cancellation of the Long Beach Pride Festival hours before it was set to kick off. City officials said this year's cancellation was due to unresolved safety and permitting issues, while organizers with Long Beach Pride, the nonprofit that organizes the festival, say they worked in good faith to resolve them. The disruption lands at a moment of renewed national conflict over LGBTQ rights and visibility, giving the absence of the festival an outsized emotional and political resonance."
"For many attendees, especially longtime locals and out-of-town visitors, the cancellation felt like a painful symbol of abandonment in a hostile national climate - though they insist pride itself cannot be canceled. Debra "Deb" Kahookele, who is running for City Council, acknowledged the difficulties in holding a large festival but said, "there's always a little bit of leniency when it comes to certain things.""
Hundreds of spectators filled Ocean Boulevard in rainbow clothing as the Long Beach Pride parade proceeded for the 43rd year. Mayor Rex Richardson marched with a Pride flag and thanked attendees for keeping the tradition alive. Hours before the weekend festival was scheduled to begin, it was abruptly canceled. City officials cited unresolved safety and permitting issues, while Long Beach Pride organizers said they cooperated in good faith to resolve them. Many attendees viewed the cancellation as a sign of abandonment in a hostile national climate, even as they insisted Pride itself cannot be canceled. The disruption carried added emotional and political weight during renewed conflict over LGBTQ rights and visibility.
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