Long Beach celebrates Pride
By June 3, the California Supreme Court will vote on the right of same-sex couples to say "I do" legally. But in the meantime, Long Beach and the rest of the state are still celebrating their sexual identity.
The 2009 Lesbian and Gay Pride Parade theme, "Your Rights, Our Rights, Human Rights," shined through its grand marshals: Robin Tyler and Diane Olson, one of the first same-sex couples to marry and litigate against Proposition 8, the ballot initiative that overturned the court ruling and limited legal marriages to heterosexual couples.
"We can no longer use a slingshot while our enemies use a sledgehammer," Tyler, 67, said. "Win or loose our community should never be invisible. If we lose, then for the first time in American history, a protected minority will be taken out of a constitution. There is no making peace until we get our civil rights."
San Francisco's Mayor Gavin Newsom began the marriage march in California when, in 2004, he directed his city's county clerk to issue marriages licenses to gay and lesbian couples. That action ultimately led to the court's decision. The dashing mayor, who recently announced his candidacy for governor in 2010, was modest and approachable; thanking the community for their support, engaging in conversations and taking photos prior to the parade.
Local honorees also stood out at the parade. Latina spiritual leader Rev. Sunshine Daye and AIDS activist was chosen as this year's community grand marshal. Only about six people, among the thousands that showed up for the event, protested the event.
Daye, who ministers the science of the mind philosophy, said religion itself is not to blame for the ignorance of the few. "Religion is not the root of all evil," Daye said. "Hatred promotes separation and discontent amongst all people. A lot of religious communities may frown upon it because we've been socialized to have a hierarchy when it comes to sexual expression."
Song, costumes and dance adorned Ocean Boulevard in Long Beach for the 26th year. The fun poured onto the city's Shoreline Drive for an all-day continued celebration with vendors, food, drinks, and Urban, Country and Latino dance tents.
Kat Deluna, Jazmine Sullivan, Sara Bareilles, Smash Mouth and Laura Le?n were among the festival's headlining celebrities. Le?n, a diva of Mexican cumbia music and telenovelas (soap operas) made her entrance on stage with a rainbow colored dress and her hit song, "El Premio Mayor," ("The Major Prize").
"Have you seen my dress; what it symbolizes?" said Le?n, who closed the night Sunday at the Latino tent after a 4.7 earthquake shook the area. "It's (rainbow) colored with lots of love. The only thing gay people have given to me is a lot of love. They design my clothes; do my hair; they write my scripts and my songs. I have great friends who are gay and who are my adoration."
Catch all the fun in photos here