West Hollywood Magazine, WHM - Spring/Pride Guide by West Hollywood Magazine, WHM

WHM A FATHER OF L.A. PRIDE

WEST HOLLYWOOD

SAN DIEGO

He helped launch the parade in 1970 and the festival four years later

LONG BEACH

SOCAL PRIDE

DAYS OF EVENTS OPEN TO ALL AND APPEALING TO EVERYONE

ONE CIT Y ONE PRIDE

W E S T H O L LY W O O D M A G A Z I N E S P R I N G 2 0 1 7

RESIST WITH LOVE

The June 11 march returns to the original meaning of Pride

fastest growing automotive brand in the u.s. in 2016 †

This year, we’re ready to start where we left off, because we’re not ones to rest on our laurels. Our lineup of high-performance vehicles backed by Jaguar EliteCare Best-In-Class coverage* has us poised to keep leaping ahead. Hornburg Jaguar Los Angeles 9176 W Sunset Blvd West Hollywood, CA 90069 310-432-5900 www.HornburgJaguarLA.com

Vehicles Shown: 2017 Jaguar F-TYPE SVR, 2017 Jaguar XF R-Sport, 2017 Jaguar XE R-Sport, 2017 Jaguar XJ, 2017 Jaguar F-PACE S. European license plates shown. †Claim based on number of new Jaguar vehicles sold in the U.S. from January to December 2016 as compared to number of Jaguar vehicles sold during calendar year 2015 (+116%), and compared against reported U.S. sales figures by automobile manufacturers for the same time periods. *Class is cars sold by luxury automobile brands and claim is based on total package of warranty, maintenance and other coverage programs. For complete details regarding Jaguar EliteCare coverage, please visit JAGUARUSA.COM, call 1.855.JAGUARUSA / 1.855.524.8278 or visit your local Jaguar Retailer. © 2017 Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

You know you want to.

visitWestHollywood.com

SOFITEL LOS ANGELES AT BEVERLY HILLS 8555 BEVERLY BOULEVARD LOS ANGELES, CA 90048

WWW.RIVIERA.COM

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE RJ Aguiar Mike Aguilera Fred Arens Jeremy Blacklow Craig Bowers Jordan Brown Melissa Carbone Craig Charles Diggz Cherry Marco Colantonio Jeﬀ Consoletti Peter Cruz Lindsey Deaton Marna Deitch Dominick DeLeone Jason Duguay John Erickson Joel Fajardo Jaden Fields Chris Fraley Sue Freitag Robert Gamboa Vic Gerami John Gile Chad Goldman Jenn Gordon Brian Graden Justin Haasis Dan Halden Abdullah Hall Julie Holland Simon Halls Steve Houchin

Ruaraidh Hunter Jess Jerrick Mike Juhasz Paul Katami Abbe Land Sue LaVaccare Danny Lockwood Nicole Lynn Stephen Macias Lulu Malaya Pedro Martinez James Duke Mason Michaela Mendelsohn Estevan Montemayor Jeﬀ Olde Aithan Peterson Mark Poncher Hazel Jade Prejean Greg Propper Alyson Richards Shayne Thomas Angela Thompson Gary Turner Alan Uphold Allison Vankuiken Ronnie Veliz Rob Wilcox Rex E. Wilde Nancy Williams Jeanie You Greg Zabilski Jeﬀ Zarillo Don Zuidema

Meet our committee at Hollywood & Highland on Sunday, June 11th at 8 AM ResistMarch.org CREATED BY WWW.HAZELJADEDESIGNS.COM

CREATED BY WWW.HAZELJADEDESIGNS.COM

I am profoundly grateful for the #ResistMarch Organizing Committee. These incredibly dedicated humans with families, with jobs, and with other responsibilities, singularly focused on one mission, to unite our community and allies. #ResistMarch would be nothing without you. You are the soul of this movement. Brian Pendleton

WHEN THEY COME FOR ONE OF US, THEY COME FOR ALL OF US. This year instead of parading, we’re marching together! All of us. Make history. Join the resistance today!

Sunday, June 11th • Hollywood & Highland • 8AM

ResistMarch.org

RESIST, WITH LOVE

Long Beach Pride takes place May 20 and 21, with the theme this year being “Here’s to Life!/Viva la Vida!”

WeHo celebrates LGBTQ art, dance, film, history, music and more.

PAT ROCCO: A FATHER OF L.A. PRIDE

He helped launch the parade in 1970 and the festival four years later.

ONE CITY ONE PRIDE

LONG BEACH PRIDE

Brian Pendleton uses his warm and friendly style to put together a protest that harkens back to the early days of Pride.

SAN DIEGO PRIDE

When it comes to the gayborhood, San Diego gives greater Los Angeles a run for its money.

IN WEHO FOR PRIDE?

Could there be a gayer place to celebrate Pride? Or to just have a gay ole good time? Where to Go (and Stay).

L.A. PRIDE

How the Nation’s First Pride Parade Got Its Start and Where It Is Now.

WHM WEST HOLLYWOOD MAGAZINE

THIS IS A TIME FOR

P U B L I S H ER / ED I TO R- I N - C H I EF Henry E. (Hank) Scott henry@westhollywoodmag.net CR E AT I V E D I R EC TO R Allana Johnson allana@yokcreative.com S A L E S & M A R K E T I N G D I R EC TO R Doug Stichler Doug@WeHoMediaCo.com B U S I N E S S D E V ELO P M EN T D I R EC TO R Owen Ward Owen@WeHoMediaCo.com CO N T R I B U TO R S James Mills: Writer and editor Joseph Daniels: Joseph Daniels Photography Derek Wanker: Unikorn Photography Ignacio “Iggy” Lopez: Iggy Photography A DV ER T I S I N G (323) 454-7707 advertising@westhollywoodmag.net FO L LO W U S westhollywoodmag.net facebook.com/westhollywoodmag.net instagram @westhollywoodmagazine

WHMC, 1138 Hacienda Place, No. 211, West Hollywood, CA 90069. 323.454.7707.

WHM SPRING 2017

By Henry E. (Hank) Scott

Hank Scott is editor and publisher of WEHOville. com and West Hollywood Magazine.

T O TA K E P R I D E I N A N D D E F E N D A L L A S P E C T S O F W E S T H O L LYWOOD’S DIVERSIT Y Many people call West Hollywood an urban village, which calls out its density and traffic as well as its smalltown vibe. Another way to think of it is as a cosmopolitan village -- which puts an emphasis on WeHo’s remarkable diversity when it comes to age, sexual orientation, religion, ethnic background and nationality. It’s a city that is home to lots of gay men from the Midwest and Mexico who moved here for the freedom to be who they are. It is home to thousands of Jewish immigrants who fled Russian-speaking countries and the discrimination they endured there. It’s a city known for its young nightlife population and a city that is working hard to develop ways for older residents to stay in their homes as they age. It’s a city that is home to creative people from around the world who find WeHo’s diversity and acceptance stimulating even if it isn’t directly relevant to their lives. Consider Vera Mijojlić, a resident of West Hollywood who was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia, to Serbian parents. Mijojlić worked as a journalist for the newsmagazine NIN and Belgrade’s daily Politika before moving here and in 2002 launching the South East Europe Film Festival to celebrate and showcase that region’s eclectic ensemble of cultures, histories, and peoples.

Then there is Philippe Mora. The Australian film director who was born in Paris in 1949, lives in West Hollywood. He made his first film, “Back Alley”, at the age of 15. Mora spent time in London as an artist and has produced two dozen edgy and artistic films.

that defines West Hollywood. There is no question that it will be the most important event in West Hollywood this year, an event where we stand together in opposition to efforts to take away basic human rights we have fought for (and that some of us have died for).

All of this is by way of explaining why this Spring issue of West Hollywood Magazine is focused on the annual Pride events here and in other cities in Southern California. The Pride parade began 47 years ago as a way for gay and lesbian people to proclaim their pride in being who they are. An event that was at times controversial and marked by minor violence over the years, Pride has become a happy celebration of the growing acceptance of LGBT people in this country and especially West Hollywood.

Then, of course, we can party hardy to celebrate what we actually have accomplished, so long as we remain aware that the fight to preserve and extend our civil liberties is not yet over.

This year, however, a major part of the Pride celebration in West Hollywood will be the Resist March, something that speaks to all of us and not just our LGBT population. That march is a protest against threats by the Trump administration to scale back basic human rights for women, LGBT people, Muslims and immigrants and to radically reduce access by lowincome people to medical care. The Resist March is turning the annual L.A. Pride event into something that embraces all aspects of the diversity

COULD THERE BE MORE OF A CONTRAST? W H I L E T H I S Y E A R ’ S L . A . P R I D E PA R A D E I S B E I N G

R E P L AC E BY T H E R E S I S T M A R C H P R O T E S T , T H E L O N G B E A C H L E S B I A N A N D G AY P R I D E PA R A D E W I L L H A V E L I S A V A N D E R P U M P, THE

Hyatt Regency Long Beach 200 S. Pine Ave, Long Beach 90802 (562) 491-1234 www.longbeach.hyatt.com/en/ hotel/home.html 26

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Hotel Maya 700 Queensway Drive Long Beach 90802 (562) 435-7676 www.hotelmayalongbeach.com/ The Varden 335 Pacific Ave.,Long Beach 90802 (562) 432-8950 www.thevardenhotel.com/

PERSONALITY

AND

L on g B e ac h P r i de ta kes pl ace May 20 and 21, with the theme this year being “Here’s to Life!/Viva la Vida!” The festival takes place largely in Marina Green Park, opening at 11 a.m. and closing at 10 p.m. each day. It will feature a variety of music, with a Latin stage, a soul stage and a country music stage among others. Performers include names like Chaka Khan and Ty Herndon. Updates on festival performers and events can be found on line at www.longbeachpride.com. The actual parade begins at 10:30 a.m. on Ocean Boulevard at Lindero Avenue and proceeds along Ocean to Alamitos, where it ends at the festival grounds.

G AY- F R I E N D LY O P T I O N S , A L L A S H O R T D I S TA N C E F R O M A L A M I T O S B E A C H A N D T H E P R I D E F E S T I V I T I E S :

Courtyard Long Beach Downtown 500 E. First St., Long Beach 90802 (562) 435-8511 www.marriott.com/hotels/ travel/lgbcy-courtyard-longbeach-downtown/

GRAND MARSHAL.

I F Y O U ’ R E L O O K I N G F O R A P L A C E T O S TAY O N Y O U R V I S I T , C O N S I D E R T H E S E

HOTELS

REALITY

R E S TA U R AT E U R , A S I T S C E L E B R I T Y

The Westin Long Beach 333 E. Ocean Blvd. Long Beach 90802 (800) 937-8461 westinlongbeachhotel.com/ BARS & CLUBS

Club Ripples 5101 E. Ocean Blvd. Long Beach 90803 (562) 433-0357 www.clubripples.com/

Executive Suite Artcraft Manor 3428 Pacific Coast Hwy, Long Beach, CA 90804 (562) 597-3884 https://www.facebook.com /ExecutiveSuite Falcon 1435 E. Broadway Long Beach 90802 (562) 432-4146 www.falconbar.com/

Mineshaft 1720 E. Broadway Long Beach 90802 (562) 436-2433 https://www.facebook.com/ mineshaftLB

Paradise Piano Bar and Restaurant 1800 E. Broadway Long Beach 90802 (562) 590-8773 paradisepianobar.com

Piston’s Bar (closed, to be replaced by Eagle 562, with an entrance off the alley) 2020 E. Artesia Blvd. Long Beach 90805 (562) 422-1928 eagle562.com

The Brit 1744 E. Broadway Long Beach 90802 (562) 432-9742 www.thebritlb.com The Broadway Bar 1100 E. Broadway Long Beach 90802 (562) 432-3646

The Crest 5935 Cherry Ave., Long Beach 90805 (562) 423-6650 www.thecrestlongbeach.com The Silver Fox 411 Redondo Ave. Long Beach 90814 (562) 493-6343 www.silverfoxlongbeach.com Sweetwater Saloon 1201 E. Broadway. Long Beach 90802 (562) 432-7044 www.facebook.com/pages/ Sweetwater-Saloon

Long Beach is thought by many to have one of the largest concentrations of gay people of any city in America. If you doubt that it is gay friendly consider that the mayor of Long Beach is Robert Garcia, the first openly gay man elected to that position. According to South Florida Gay News, it ranks third among all American cities in the growth of its LGBT population. That population is concentrated in neighborhoods such as Belmont Heights, Plaza / South of Conant and Eastside, all with relatively large lesbian populations, and Signal Hill. But when they’re not at home making dinner or watching TV, Long Beach’s LGBT folks are out having fun. To join them, you should head for what’s called the Broadway Corridor to the Alamitos Beach area. For the gay menthere’s Club Ripples, the Falcon and Mine shaft (where you’ll be as comfortable

in a t-shirt and jeans than leather.) Out of the Alamitos neighborhood you won’t find Piston’s, a favorite of the leather crowd, which closed April 17. It will soon (if it hasn’t been already) be replaced by Eagle 562. An employee quoted in Q Voice News said: “It will be raunchy, cruisey and seedy. It will be a destination bar. It will be worth the drive from L.A., Orange County or San Diego.” And then there are the Crest, Dolphin Bar and Silver Fox. Lesbians will find themselves welcome at many of the gay bars. But with the closing of Hamburger Mary’s, its Doll House night is gone. The Alamitos Beach area has a different feel from West Hollywood’s Boystown. In Long Beach there’s a more comfortable mix of gay and straight people. The vibe on any given evening is more likely to be neighborly than “party time.” And you’re not likely to run into any guys in the restrooms lifting their shirts to make sure their six packs are still there.

W H E N I T C O M E S T O T H E G AY B O R H O O D , S A N D I E G O G I V E S G R E AT E R L O S A N G E L E S A R U N F O R I T S M O N E Y.

San Diego’s annual Pride event takes place July 14-16 this year. There’s a rally on July 14 at a location to be announced where the annual Spirit of Stonewall Awards are presented. The 5K race begins at 9:30 a.m. the next day, July 15, on University Avenue at Centre Street. Then the biggest event, the parade, starts at 11 a.m. It begins at the Hillcrest Pride Flag at University Avenue and Normal Street, proceeds west on University Avenue, turns south on 6th Avenue, turns left onto Balboa Drive and ends at Laurel Street. But there’s more! On July 15 and 16 there’s the annual music festival in Balboa Park. For an update on performers, check www. sdpride.org.

I F YO U ’ RE LO O KI N G FO R A PL AC E T O S L E E P, C O N S I D E R T H E S E H I L L C R E S T A N D H I L L C R E S T- A D J A C E N T HOSTELRIES: HOTELS

Hillcrest Inn Hotel 3754 5th Ave., San Diego, CA 92103; (619) 796-9804; http://www.hillcrestinn.net/ Inn At The Park 525 Spruce St , San Diego, CA 92103; (619) 291-0999; http://www.shellhospitality.com/Inn-at-the-Park

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Balboa Park Inn 3402 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA 92103; (619) 298-0823; http://www.balboaparkinn.com/

W H E N YO U ’ RE RE A DY TO PU T T H AT B O O K D O W N A N D D R I N K SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN COFFEE, HILLCREST OFFERS MANY OPTIONS. ITS GAY AND GAY-FRIENDLY BARS AND HANGOUTS INCLUDE:

Urban Mo’s 308 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103; (619) 491-0400; http://www.urbanmos.com/

Rich’s San Diego 1051 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103; (619) 295-2195; http://www.richssandiego.com/ Numbers 3811 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92103; (619) 294-9005; http://www.numberssd.com/ Flicks 1017 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103; (619) 297-2056; http://www.sdflicks.com/ The Brass Rail 3796 5th Ave, San Diego, CA 92103; (619) 298-2233; http://www.thebrassrailsd.com/ The Loft 3610 5th Ave, San Diego, CA 92103; (619) 296-6407 http://www.theloftlounge.com/

Pecs 2046 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92104; (619) 296-0889; http://www.pecsbar.com/

The Caliph 3100 5th Ave, San Diego, CA 92103; (619) 298-9495; http://thecaliph.com/

Number One Fifth Avenue 3845 5th Ave, San Diego, CA 92103; (619) 299-1911

Kitty Diamond 3780 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92103; (619) 546-4642; http://kittydiamondsd.com/

The Gossip Grill 1440 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103; (619) 260-8023; http://www.thegossipgrill.com/ Martinis Above Fourth 3940 4th Ave., Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92103; (619) 400-4500; http://www.martinisabovefourth.com/

Fiesta Cantina – San Diego 142 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103; (619) 298-2500; http://fiestacantina.net/

While you’re in San Diego for Pride, you should do a little exploring. When it comes to the gayborhood, San Diego gives greater Los Angeles a run for its money. Its version of West Hollywood (and more particularly WeHo’s oh-so-gay westside) is Hillcrest. Hillcrest is just northwest of Balboa Park (in the old days a major gay cruising area) and a short drive north of downtown. There, along University Avenue and its intersections with 4th and 5th avenues, you’ll find many of the city’s gay bars and restaurants and shops. Not far away are two other LGBT popular neighborhoods -- University Heights and North Park. But Hillcrest is where the action is.

The LGBT crowd began to populate Hillcrest in the 1970s and make its voice known. In 1974, when San Diego refused to grant a permit for a gay pride parade, 200 gay men and lesbians marched in protest through downtown (albeit some wearing paper bags over their heads.) They got that permit in 1975, and in 1986 Mayor Maureen O’Connor became the first elected official to march in the Pride parade. Now the July parade and festival are recognized as the city’s biggest public event. Businesses catering to gay customers began opening in the neighborhood as LGBT people moved in, looking for affordable housing and a safe environment, which they found in a neighborhood then largely populated by old people. The Brass Rail, San Diego’s oldest gay bar, was one of those businesses. It opened in 1958 as a restaurant on the corner of Sixth Avenue and B Street in downtown San Diego then moved to Hillcrest in 1963. In 1968 the Show Biz Supper Club (now closed) opened in Hillcrest, giving San Diego its first female impersonator venue. And in 1984 The Flame supper club reopened as a lesbian bar. To give those more familiar with West Holly wood an idea of how Hillcrest differs, consider that it has two independent bookstores – Fifth Avenue Book and Bluestocking Books – and several independent coffee shops Babycakes and Caffe Vergnano 1882 are among the better known. Some liken it to New York City’s East Village in the early 1990s.

If the gay nature of the neighborhood isn’t obvious to you as you walk down University Avenue, consider that a survey shows 43 percent of households in Hillcrest are occupied by gay and lesbian couples. It is a progressive enclave of some 36,000 people in a city known for its right-of-center leanings. 29

ONE CIT Y ONE PRIDE W EH O C EL EB R AT E S LG B TQ A R T, DA N C E , FI L M , H I S TO RY, M U S I C A N D M O R E The City of West Hollywood, through its One City One Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival, celebrates Pride this year with the theme “Go West”. Whether associated with Horace Greeley’s famous quote from the 1800’s (“Go West, young man, and grow up with the country”), the Village People’s anthem of hope and unity, or the Pet Shop Boys’ later cover of the song, Go West conjures images of a movement toward a promised land. For many LGBTQ people, this included the idea of a West Coast utopia, a dream of gay liberation, and the freedom to live lives openly in the West Coast meccas of San Francisco, Los Angeles and the emerging, influential young City of West Hollywood. Most recently, there has been a wave of artists and creatives moving here from New York. Over the years, people have moved West for many reasons, and for 2017 One City One Pride takes a look at what pride means to those who accepted the call to “Go West!” One City One Pride includes a large number of mostly free interactive, performing and visual arts events from May 22 (Harvey Milk Day) through the end of June Pride month.

THE HIGHLIGHTS OF ONE CIT Y ONE PRIDE THIS YEAR ARE:

• A full “Day of History” on June 3 with multiple screenings and a tour originally written by the late Stuart Timmons, co-author of “Gay LA” from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. • The #Resist March on June 11 (there will be a series of free One City One Pride artist-led protest sign making workshops in the weeks leading up to it). • T he June 29 world premiere of “Jeanne,” a new documentary about the accomplishments of activist and author Jeanne Cordova. For more information please visit www.weho.org/ pride or follow One City One Pride at @WeHoArts.

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MAY

Join us for readings at 7 p.m. by t he Los A ngeles a rea finalists for the annual Lambda Literary Awards at the West Hollywood CityCouncil Chambers, 625 N. Sa n Vicente Blvd. F ree admission.

READING

AWA R D S F I N A LI S T S

L A M B DA LITE R A RY

29TH ANNUAL

“Heroes of the LGBTQ Civil Rights Movement”, which highlights the remarkable LGBTQ pioneers who were front and center at the birth of the LGBTQ civil rights movement. They include Christine Jorgensen, one of the first to undergo gender reassignment surgery; Frank Kameny, who co-founded the Mattachine Society and helped organize some of the first public gay and lesbian protests in 1965; Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, who co-founded the Daughters of Bilitis, the first lesbian organization in the U.S, and Bayard Rustin, one of the most important and influential civil rights activists of the 20th century who worked alongside Martin Luther King

“The History of the LGBTQ Civil Rights Movement”, which explores the inspiring journey of the rights movement from World War II to present day, starting from development of “gayborhoods” in the 1940’s, the Stonewall Riots and the beginning of organized protests in the 1960’s, the beginning of Pride and a cohesive national movement in the 1970’s, the AIDS crisis of the 1980’s, the beginning of gay marriage in the 1990’s and the explosion of rights in the 2000’s.

The City of West Hollywood has sponsored two outdoor exhibitions of LGBTQ History Panels from ONE Archives. These will be displayed during the month of June on construction fencing surrounding West Hollywood Park as it undergoes renovation. The exhibitions are:

H I S T O R Y P A N E L D I S P L AY S

O N E ARCHIVES LGBTQ

JUNE 1 - JUNE 30:

Join the City of West Hollywood’s One City One Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival on Harvey Milk Day from 5 to 7 p.m. There will be a happy hour (until 7 p.m.) and there will be artist-led protest sign workshop so you can be prepared for the #Resist march on June 11. RSVPs are not necessary, and supplies for making protest signs and pins are provided, just bring your anger, wit and creativity. Artists will be standing by to assist those who are creatively stymied. The Abbey Food & Bar, 692 N. Robertson Blvd. Free admission.

PRID E KICKO FF

AND ONE CITY ONE

H A R V E Y M I L K D AY

BEGIN

This year marks the 24th anniversary of the National Dyke March in Washington D.C. and the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Lesbian Avengers. These two events inspired national activist efforts and a legacy of Dyke Marches across the country. From protest and street activism to grassroots community groups, ‘90s activism in LA and WeHo

‘90S L.A. ACTIVISM”

ANS TO WATCH OUT FOR –

JUNE 2 - JUNE 30: “LESBI-

Join the Los Angeles Conservancy for a screening at 6:30 p.m. of three short films spotlighting significant LGBTQ spaces including The Black Cat, The Woman’s Building and Great Hall/Long Hall. The screening will be at Great Hall, Plummer Park, 7377 Santa Monica Blvd. Admission is $5. Proceeds will go towards funding future activities highlighting more of L.A.’s LGBTQ historic places.

T O R Y/ F I L M / P A N E L )

PL ACES IN L . A . (HIS -

LGBTQ HISTORIC

reflected the energy of the decade. The exhibit begins with an opening reception from 7 to 9 p.m. on June 2 at Plummer Park, Long Hall, 7377 Santa Monica Blvd. It features “The Lesbian Avengers: 25th Anniversary” traveling exhibition, and tells the stories of L.A. queer women from groups like ACT UP LA, Queer Nation LA, Dyke March LA, the United Lesbians of African Heritage (ULOAH), Los Angeles Asian Pacific Islander Sisters (LAAPIS), Lesbianas Unidas (LU) and other organizations. Free admission.

Join the City of West Hollywood’s Human Rights Speakers Series at 7 p.m. for a disc u s s ion on t he g r ow i n g d i f f icu lties activ ists, nonprofits and others face when trying to provide aid in countries with anti-LGBT policies. The discussion will take place at the West Hollywood City Council Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. To RSVP for this free event go to https://wehohumanrights.eventbrite.com or call (323) 848-6823.

DISCUSSION)

A N D A B R OA D ( PA N E L

RIGHTS IN CHINA

N AT I O N A L L G B T

E XPLO RIN G INTE R-

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APT 3F presents a new play by David LeBarron. Backstage at a drag show, Auntie, an old diva, teaches a newbie her fabulous lineage, from ancient times to current affairs, a resilient race of glitter, tucking and throat throttling reality. It will take place at The Other Space Theatre, 916 N F o r m o s a Av e More information is available at www.facebook.com/ event s/4 4 03503996 4 3368 . Show dates and times are: • June 4, 3:30 p.m. • June 15, 8:30 p.m. • June 18, 7p.m. • June 24, 3:30 p.m. • June 25, 7p.m.

M O ” ( T H E AT R E )

DR AG IN A FEW MO -

PLE TE H I S TO RY O F

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Organized by RADAR productions, the same folks who first brought Drag Queen Storytime to San Francisco’s Public Library, join the City of West Hollywood through WeHo Arts and the West Hollywood Library for stories and crafts in the West Hollywood Library Community Meeting Room, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. Free admission.

11 A . M . : D R A G Q U E E N S T O RY T I M E

As in years past, One City One Pride provides an entire day of history on the Saturday prior to Christopher Street West’s L.A. Pride Festival. Events include:

D AY O F H I S T O R Y

ONE CITY ONE PRIDE

KEEP GOING

It’s “Boys in the Band” with a little “Paris Is Burning” thrown in!. #LastDance will make audiences rethink what really is behind the wigs, makeup and heels and find out they are people just like them. The event takes place at 7 p.m. at McCadden Place Theatre, 1157 N. McCadden Pl, Los A ngeles. Tickets are

J U N E 4 : # L A S T D A N C E ( T H E AT R E )

The City of West Hollywood through WeHo Arts partners with Outfest for a monthly screening at 7:30 p.m. of a film to be determined at the West Hollywood City Council Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd

OUTFEST WEHO SCREENING (FILM)

• J une 4, 7 p.m. (press preview) • June 11 at 10:30 p.m. • June 18 at 1 p.m. • June 23 at 7:30 p.m. • June 24 t 8:30 p.m.

This free concert at 3 p.m. combines repertoire from Vox Femina’s 20th anniversary season, a snapshot of the organization’s past, present and future. It will be at Congregation Kol Ami, 1200 N. La Brea Ave.

Show dates are as follows: (MUSIC)

required and more information can be found on facebook. com/events/810577775747334. R I S I N G , A TA S T E O F S E A S O N 2 0 ”

J U N E 4: “ VOX FEMINA: WO MAN

Stuart Timmons, co-author of “Gay LA” suffered a stroke before his West Hollywood LGBTQ History Tour was completed. Thanks to a team of helpers and a grant from the City of West Hollywood through One City One Pride, the tour will be restaged with a cast of colorful characters from different eras stationed along the route. The tour starts from the West Hollywood City Council Chambers, 625. N. San Vicente. Also, before during or after the tour you can get supplies and help from artists to make your own protest sign for the June 11 #Resist March.

“Reel in the Closet” is a feature-length documentary that lets us connect with queer people from the past through the rare home movies that they left for us. Screened at the West Hollywood City Council Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. Free admission.

(FILM/HIS TORY )

( H I S T O R Y/ P E R F O R M A N C E A R T )

5 P. M . : “ R E E L I N T H E C L O S E T ”

1 1 A . M . T O 2 P. M . : S T U A R T T I M MONS’ LGBTQ HIS TORY TOUR

The Hollywood Fringe Festival is an open and uncensored community-derived event. The Fringe’s eastern border is usually Gardner Street, but through a special collaboration with the City of West Hollywood, LGBTQ shows can take place throughout West Hollywood as part of One City One Pride. Visit www.hollywoodfringe.org/weho to find shows taking place in WeHo.

/ O N E C I T Y O N E P R I D E ( T H E AT R E )

J U N E 8 - 2 5 : H O L LY W O O D F R I N G E

• June 10, 10 p.m.; June 18, 1pm, and June 24 at 5:30 p.m.

as live ambient art on Santa Monica Blvd.

• June 9, 7 to 9 p.m., WALK will be performed

• June 3, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.: artist Yozmit will collect prayers and stitch a ribbon or bead onto a TOTEM as a symbol of exchange.

Everything in life...transforms. “Migration of The Monarchs” is a three-part conceptual art project involving wearable art that transforms over the month. Burlesque and cabaret will merge with Victorian esthetics, Butoh, Kabuki, and “Pansori” (traditional Korean singing) to create an act of experiential research into the psyche of the performer during the Hollywood Fringe. Intentions and prayers in part one will be during the performance.

MONARCHS” (ART)

J U N E 3 - 2 4 : “ M I G R AT I O N O F T H E

In addition to the three events above on June 3, “LA: A Queer History” will be shown on a loop in the City Council Chambers, there will be a protest-sign making workshop, and ONE Archives LGBTQ History exhibits will be on view in West Hollywood Park. Also trans artist Yozmit will stage “(TOTEM)” the first part of a three-part performance artwork “Migration of the Monarchs” (details below).

36 WHM SPRING 2017

JUNE

Join ALAP (the Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights) at 2 p.m. for its annual reading of short plays. It will take place at Plummer Park Community Center, Rooms 1 and 2, 7377 Santa Monica Blvd. Free admission.

MUNITY EVENT)

D I S C I P L I N A R Y/ C O M -

P O W W O W ( M U LT I -

L I F E A N D C R E AT I O N ”

“ C E L E B R AT I N G A L L

J U N E 17: 7 T H A N N UA L

Celebrat ion T heat re w i l l present its an nua l Chuc k Rowland Award for contributions to LGBTQ theatre to Patricia Loughrey. Excerpts from three of her plays will be presented: “Dear Harvey: Stories of Harvey Milk”, “The Daddy Machine” and “The Inner Circle”. West Hollywood City Council Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. Free admission.

MUNITY EVENT)

D I S C I P L I N A R Y/ C O M -

P O W W O W ( M U LT I -

L I F E A N D C R E AT I O N ”

VA L ( T H E AT R E ) E V E N T ) Since 1993, the City of West Hollywood has presented Rainbow Key Awards to those who have done outstanding work for the gay and lesbian community as selected by the Lesbian and Gay Advisory Board from nominations submitted by the community. The 2017 Rainbow Key honorees are: Cleve Jones (former aideto Harvey Milk, author of “When We Rise”; JQ International (LGBTQ/Jewish organization); Eric Paul Leue (Mr. LA Leather 2014); L.A. Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce; Michaela Ivri Mendelsohn (transgender activist, public speaker and business leader); Jewel Thais-Williams (operator of Catch One, the now-legendary discothèque), and Ruth Tittle (16-year member of the Lesbian and Gay Advisory Board). The awards will be presented at 7 p.m. (with a reception at 6 p.m.), at the West Hollywood City Council Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. Free Admission.

“ C E L E B R AT I N G A L L

P L AY R E A D I N G F E S T I -

K E Y AWA R D S

J U N E 17: 7 T H A N N UA L

This year a march will take place from Hollywood, where L.A. Pride was born in 1970, to West Hol ly wood, where L.A. Pr ide g rew up. T he march will begin at 8 a.m. at Hollywood Boulevard and Highland and continue until 1 p.m. when it will end near West Hollywood Park. Instead of a parade celebrating past progress, the LGBTQ+ community and its allies will march in solidarity with and on the same day as the National Equality March for Unity and Pride in Washington D.C.

#RESIST MARCH

J U N E 17: A L A P P R I D E

T he L.A. Pride Festival is organized by Christopher Street West (CSW) Visit www.lapride.org for a full line-up of entertainment and to purchase tickets ($20-$30). West Hollywood Park, 647 N. San Vicente Blvd.

FESTIVAL

L .A. PRIDE

JUNE 10 TO 11:

The Dyke March kicks off from Sal Guariello Memorial Park at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Holloway at 7 p.m. Artists will be on hand and supplies will be available to create signs for the Dyke March or the June 11 #Resist March.

J U N E 9 : DY K E M A RC H

JUNE 14: R AINBOW

Free admission. Exhibit details can be found at www. laaa.org/calender/2017/6/9/ out-there

“Out There” is an all-media exhibition at Los Angeles Art Association during One City One Pride which runs through June 16. The opening reception on June 9 is 6 to 9 p.m. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Monday through June 18. Gallery 825 is 825 N. La Cienaga Blvd.

THERE”. (VISUAL ART)

J U N E 9 -16 : L A A A “OUT

DON’T STOP

Join One City One Pride for the world premiere of “Jeanne,” a documentary on the life and accomplishments of activist and author Jeanne Cordova, directed by Gregorio Davila. The director and Jeanne’s partner, Lynn Harris Ballen, will participate in a post screening discussion. It will take place at 7:30 p.m. at West Hollywood City Council Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. Free admission.

Celebration Theatre will present its annual Chuck Rowland Award for contributions to LGBTQ theatre to Patricia Loughrey. Excerpts from three of her plays will be presented: “Dear Harvey: Stories of Harvey Milk”, “The Daddy Machine” and “The Inner Circle”. West Hollywood City Council Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. Free admission.

MINI BALL

T H E G O W E S T S U N D AY F U N D AY

Through story and song, “California Dreams” will explore the experiences of LGBTQ seniors as they made their own journeys west – literally, figuratively and symbolically toward liberation. This original production was created through a workshop process involving seniors at the L.A. LGBT Center. It will be presented at 7 p.m. at the Renberg Theatre, The Village at Ed Gould Plaza’s L.A. LGBT Center, 1125 N. McCadden Place., Los Angeles. Free admission. RSVP to (323) 8605830 or by e-mail to seniors@lalgbtcenter.org.

S TA G E S

PRESENTED BY NEW

“CALIFORNIA DREAMS”

JUNE 13 AND 14:

WHM SPRING 2017

“ W E H AV E N ’ T W O N A L L T H E WA R S Y E T. A N D I T M I G H T TA K E Y E A R S , I F W E E V E R D O I T,” R O C C O S A I D . “ N O W W E K N O W W E ’ V E G O T T R U M P T O D E A L W I T H . T H AT ’ S WA R N O . 2 .”

must continue to celebrate LGBT Pride and fight for their rights. “We haven’t won all the wars yet. And it might take years, if we ever do it,” Rocco said. “Now we know we’ve got Trump to deal with. That’s war No. 2.”

BY JAMES MILLS

A FAT H E R O F L . A . P R I D E He helped launch the parade in 1970 and the festival four years later.

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Gay pride is an individal experience as well as a communal experience. It’s about celebrati ng yoursel f and making it easier for others to accept themselves. It’s as important now as it was 47 years ago when Los Angeles held its first gay pride parade. That’s the message longtime gay activist Pat Rocco wants everyone to understand. “Pride has been important from the very beginning when people, little by little, were realizing who they were was not such a

bad thing at all and they would be able to come out to their parents, their jobs, their friends, etc.,” recalls the 86-year-old Rocco, who helped put together that very first Los Angeles Pride parade held on Hollywood Boulevard on June 28, 1970. “Little by little, by making yourself available to say, ‘Here I am and I’m damn proud of it,’ you’re helping everybody else to say the same thing.” LGBT people may have made tremendous strides in the decades since then, but they

Rocco speaks from vast experience. While that first Pride parade was quite successful, the next two, in 1971 and 1972, were badly handled, and the 1973 parade never happened because no one stepped up to organize it. So, in 1974, with the gay and lesbian community demanding a Pride parade, Rocco was voted in as the first official president of Christopher Street West, the nonprofit that puts on the yearly L.A. Pride event. Rocco not only organized the 1974 parade, he also decided to hold a festival (originally called a carnival) in conjunction with it, an idea that seems natural now, but was viewed with skepticism then. “I brought the festival and the parade in together to make one unit,” said Rocco, who will be the subject of an upcoming documentary film. “People thought I was crazy. I said, ‘Look what’s happening. We’re having parades and after the parade

everybody just goes home. Here you’ve got a captive audience and they want to do something, but there’s nothing that we’re providing for them to do.’ I said, ‘Let’s put together something and we’ll call it a carnival.’ I got carnival rides, got a big lot. We got booths that were staffed only by gay and lesbian people, and they then interacted with all the people who come in there. It was a big success.” The secret to putting on a successful Pride festival and parade? Good organization and good people. “There needs to be a head person,” Rocco said. “When something goes wrong with the festival, it’s always because of the people in charge. It’s a trickle-down thing. If you’re great in being a leader, then your trickle-down people will follow you, and they will be leaders in the future.” It’s also important to continually communicate with the public. “Make sure you get the word out and make sure you constantly are getting the word out with all the people who are going to be involved,” Rocco said. “Make them understand that this is their festival. It is for them to be festive. That is why it is

called a festival.” One of Rocco’s proudest moments came with an entirely different parade, the 1979 Hollywood Christmas Parade. Rocco a nd ot her gay men planned to have a f loat (designed by gay men who did the Rose Bowl parade floats) with a sign reading, “Happy Holidays from the Southern California Gay Community and Fr iends.” However, the Christmas parade officials demanded the word “gay” be removed. Rocco refused, saying, “I will not compromise my gayness by not saying who I am, who we are.” Many meetings were held, and Rocco ultimately

alerted the media about the controversy. At the last minute, parade officials relented, realizing they would garner worse publicity by not letting them in. The float got huge cheers from gay people and straight people alike when it passed along the parade route. Born in Brooklyn, Rocco and his family moved to Holly wood during World War II when his father got a construction job with the Defense Department.

AN ACCOMPLISHED SINGER, HE SPENT M U CH O F H I S E A R LY A D U LT Y E A R S T O U R I N G W I T H NIGHTCLUB AND MUSICAL ACTS, INCLUDING M A R G E A N D G O W E R C H A M P I O N , A N D L AT E R APPEARING AS ONE OF THE TOP TWENTY SINGERS ON TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD’S TELEV I S I O N VA R I E T Y S H O W.

Later, Rocco was manager of a group of movie revival houses. Along the way, he also wrote, directed, produced and edited a series of gay male erotic flicks. “The movies I made were not pornographic, but there was plenty of male nudity and there was plenty story wise too,” Rocco recalled. “I intimated that sex was being had, but you never saw it, you only imagined it. I didn’t want to show [sex] because then it became a porn film. At that time, there were no male porn films at all. When male porn films came along a few years later, that’s when I quit [making films].”

UCLA Film and Television Archive) ranged from shorts to feature length and played to huge crowds at the Park Theater in MacArthur Park. The Los Angeles Times, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter gave them positive reviews, and Playboy magazine even wrote about them, calling Rocco, “The King of the Male Nudies.” In the 1970s, when Rocco saw families kicking their children out for being gay, he helped found Hudson House, which provided emergency shelter, food and clothing to gays and lesbians and later expanded to include job training.

Now, Rocco is looking to move back to the mainland. He’d love to return to Los Angeles, but he thinks that real estate prices are astronomical, so he and Ghee are going to the desert. “We’ve decided to go to the PalmSprings area where they have a really fantastic gay community. It’s very organized and very nice,” Rocco said.“As soon as we find a house, we’ll be there.”

By the early 1980s, after years of juggling multiple projects, Rocco was exhausted. He and his partner, David Ghee, moved to Hawaii. Living in that tropical paradise helped him slow down, but Rocco could never stop completely. He’s stayed active with Pride organizations and theatres there over the years.

With titles like Sex and the Single Gay, Ron and Chuck in Disneyland Discovery and Let There Be Boys, Rocco’s films (which are now housed at the

WHM SPRING 2017

“ R E S I S T I S N ’ T A N G R Y. R E S I S T I S N ’ T V I O L E N T. R E S I S T I S P E A C E F U L . R E S I S T I S WITH LOVE . RE S I S T I S WITH B O N D I N G TO G E TH E R . WE’ RE J U S T RE S I S TI N G T H E E F F O R T S T O D I V I D E U S .”

instead. News of the parade’s cancellation initially brought some, err, resistance, but Pendleton swayed many of his critics, even persuading some to join the cause. “Resist isn’t angry. Resist isn’t violent. Resist is peaceful. Resist is with love. Resist is with bonding together.

BY JAMES MILLS

R E S I S T, W I T H L O V E Brian Pendleton uses his warm and friendly style to put together a protest that harkens back to the early days of Pride.

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Brian Pendleton glows as he talks about what ‘Resist’ means and why people should be a part of the giant Resist March on June 11 to stand up for LGBT rights as well as women’s rights, immigrants’ rights, healthcare rights and human rights. “Resist is the truest, most authentic thing that we’re doing,” says the 49-year-old, lanky, blond-haired Pendleton. “We are resisting. We are resisting those lawmakers that want to roll back our rights. We are resisting those people who are using

rhetoric that is unkind. We are resisting the xenophobic and homophobic language that people are using. It would have been a lot easier to call this a Unity March, but we are resisting, and we are gathering to become a resistance against those who would do use harm.” His passion convinced officials with Christopher Street West, the nonprofit that puts on the annual L.A. Pride event, to cancel the parade portion of the Pride weekend this year and let him hold the protest march

We’re just resisting the efforts to divide us. Resisting homophobic, xenophobia. That’s what we’re doing,” says Pendleton, who inadvertently sparked the Resist March when he made a simple Facebook post that went viral. “Whenever the LGBTQ community comes together, we celebrate in our own special way. While there may be no parade floats on the road because we’ll have a lot of marchers and there won’t be a lot of room for vehicles, I say, please, please join us on June 11. Bring the happiness and celebratory nature that you want to Hollywood and Highland [where the march starts] and bring that with the march all the way into West Hollywood. “Be the change you want to see in the world. You are welcome to participate. You’re going to be standing next to a trans person who feels under threat, who just got beat up by a police officer.

You’re going to be standing next to a person who has just been diagnosed with HIV and is worried about their care. Bring your happy self to Hollywood and give it to those people and let’s make this something unique and beautiful.” Putting together a Resist March is truly a grassroots effort that harks back to the origins of the Pride parade it is replacing. Pendleton is quick to point out that the first Pride parades in the early 1970s were more of a march than a parade as people walked in the streets to demand their rights, demand recognition and demand equality. Pendleton’s home in the Hollywood Hills has been transformed into offices for the Resist March. With a 55-member volunteer committee working to put it together, the house can fill up as people come and go, working on various aspects of the mammoth undertaking. Pendleton’s days are spent on the phone or in meetings, asking people to donate their time and/or their money. Little by little, his efforts keep paying off, such as in early April when the West Hollywood City Council agreed to cover almost $1 million in public safety costs.

Brian Pendleton possesses a Teflon-like ability ignore criticism according to longtime friend Alan Uphold, a communications consultant who also teaches public speaking.

Pendleton’s husband, marketing expert Chad Goldman, is in awe of his ability to motivate people, noting that he speaks with an equal mix of passion, enthusiasm, sincerity and heart.

“The LGBTQ community tends to eat its own. We’re highly critical of our own and constantly fire the gun internally,” observes Uphold, who is serving as the Resist March’s community outreach co-chair. “Brian has this unbelievable ability to deflect the critics and then embrace those critics. He manages to spread the love and the joy and get everyone involved despite the criticism and their negativity. Somehow, he keeps a warm, friendly style and excites people at the same time.”

“Handing that check over made me feel like the most powerful and most valuable person in the world,” he recalls. “It had taken that moment and everything that lead up to that moment to show me that I could in some small way make a difference in people’s lives.”

RESIST

PA S S I O N , E N T H U S I A S M , S I N C E R I T Y A N D H E A R T.

“ P E O P L E R A R E LY S AY ‘ N O ’ T O H I M ,” “He can help people get beyond their own expectations of themselves and help them get beyond whatever personal boundaries they have imposed on themselves.”

“ PEO PLE R ARE LY SAY ‘ N O’ TO HIM ,” SAYS GO LD MAN WH O S E RVE S A S CHAIR

RE SIS T’ S

MARKE TIN G

CO M MIT TE E . “ H E CAN H E LP PEO PLE G E T B E YO N D TH EIR OWN E XPEC TATIO N S O F TH E M S E LVE S AN D H E LP TH E M G E T B E YO N D WHATE VE R PE RSO NAL B O U N DARIE S TH E Y HAVE IM POS E D O N TH E M S E LVE S .”

While his exceptional skills as both a salesman and motivational speaker may come

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naturally, it took Pendleton a long time to discover he had them. Growing up in Canoga Park, the youngest of four children of a rocket-scientist father and headhunter mother, Pendleton was shy and self-conscious. In his early 20s, he moved to West Hollywood and quickly joined the gay party scene, indulging in many party

drugs, ultimately becoming addicted to crystal methamphetamine. “[Crystal meth] solved my insecurities and social awkwardness. It gave me an unreal ability to focus that I’d never had before and it solved a lot of problems,” he says. “Before long, it also created a whole new set of problems. I was hopeless and desperate. The elevator had reached the basement. I knew I wanted more for myself, but I was in the grip of a drug that I could not stop. No amount of thinking or logic or praying would stop it.” One day, he accidentally walked in on a friend’s drug intervention being conducted by the friend’s brother and actress Carrie Fisher, who took Pendleton aside, hugged him, told him he was beautiful and that he should get sober. “I was in tears the whole way walking home,” he recalls. “I thought, ‘If anyone

cared enough about me to come to my house and tell me I needed to go to rehab, I will say yes.’” A month later he got the miracle he desperately desired when his parents and some friends staged an intervention and begged him to go to rehab. Without hesitation, he agreed. “It was the love of family and friends and the [12-step recovery] program that rescued me,” Pendleton says. “Learning new ways to think saved my life. I’ve been sober for 20 years now.” Shortly after completing rehab, a friend asked that Pendleton sponsor him on the annual AIDS Ride, the 600-mile, week-long charitable bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Writing that $50 check changed the course of Pendleton’s life.

Within a few years, Pendleton was working for Pallotta TeamWorks, the for-profit fundraising organization, created by entrepreneur Dan Pallotta, that put together large scale charitable fundraising events like the AIDS Ride (now known as the AIDS LifeCyle). A computer whiz, Pendleton was hired to create the first ever online donation-processing program, which reduced the time it took to record donations from several months to several seconds. When he got the chance to move into the organization’s forefront and pitch for those charitable causes, he found he not only loved it, he excelled at it. After Pallotta TeamWorks closed in 2002, he formed his own company, CauseForce, to carry on similar event-style charitable fundraising. His first client was Toronto’s Princess Margaret Hospital, a cancer research center. He convinced them to put on a two-day breast cancer walk, which was projected to raise $8 million, but ended up bringing in $12.7 million. Over the years, he raised millions more for other charities.

Pendleton sold CauseForce in 2013 but stayed on as chief executive for several years. Upon his retirement last year, he had visions of vacations, sleeping late and watching Netflix. However, slowing down doesn’t seem to be part of his DNA as he’s been busier since his retirement than before it. Pendleton has always been an achiever. Chad Goldman (the two now are separated but remain best friends), notes that when Pendleton wanted to learn how to fly small airplanes, he completed his flight training and course work, which normally takes about two years, in a record six months.

you wouldn’t expect him to have the ability to do that. When he gets something in his mind, there’s nothing that will stop him.” Pendleton notes that he will be “unemployed come June 12” (the day after the Resist March). Whether the future holds becoming a motivational speaker like Tony Robbins or a politician like Barack Obama, only time will tell, although no one who knows him would be surprised if he chose politics given his innate talents.

BLUE MARCH. IT’S A RED, WHITE A N D B LU E M A RC H . . . LE T ’ S G AT H E R TOG ETH ER AN D MOVE A S O N E B I G , L I V I N G , B R E AT H I N G H U M A N M O N U M E N T F O R O U R R I G H T S .”

For now, Pendleton is just focused on resistance. “ R E S I S T I S T H E Z E I T G E I S T,” H E S AY S . “ I T ’ S T H E L A N G U A G E O F T H E M O M E N T T H AT O U R P E O P L E

“He has a tenacious drive to learn new things,” says Goldman. “For someone who has a short attention span and doesn’t have the education a lot of us have [Pendleton never went to college],

ARE

COMING

TOGETHER

G AT H E R I N G

T H AT

RESIST

S AY,

AND

‘NO.

IDEA,

NO.

WE’RE

B E T T E R T H A N T H AT . W E C A R E ABOUT

HUMAN

R I G H T S .’

IT’S

NOT A RED MARCH, IT’S NOT A

James Mills, the author of this story, is a freelance writer who was the editor of West Hollywood Patch and is a frequent contributor to WEHOville.com.

#LOVEWINS

I N W E S T H O L LY W O O D , A C I T Y T H AT C O V -

E R S O N LY 1 . 9 S Q U A R E M I L E S , 4 0 P E R C E N T O F T H E 3 5 , 0 0 0 R E S I D E N T S A R E G AY M E N (AS ARE THREE OF THE FIVE CITY COUNC I L M E M B E R S . ) C O U L D T H E R E B E A G AY E R P L A C E T O C E L E B R AT E P R I D E ? O R T O J U S T H A V E A G AY O L E G O O D T I M E ?

Most people come to Pride for the parade and the festival. This year, because of construction in West Hollywood Park, the footprint for the annual festival will be sharply reduced. However, it still will go on. Details of the Pride festival typically are announced at the last minute. One way to keep up to date on which entertainers will appear and when is to visit the L.A. Pride website, https:// www.lapride.org/. WEHOville (https://www.wehoville.com) also will post updates on Pride events.

A M A J O R TO U R I S T D E S T I N AT I O N , W E S T H O L LY WO O D H A S D OZ E N S O F H O T E L S , R A N G I N G I N P R I C E F R O M T H E H O L L O W AY M O T E L T O T H E S U N S E T T O W E R , A M A J O R C E L E B R I T Y H A N G O U T. A M O N G T H E M :

Alta Cienega Motel 1005 N. La Cienega Blvd. (323) 656-4100

Charlie Hotel 819 N. Sweetzer Ave. (323) 988-9000

Le Parc Suite Hotel 733 N. West Knoll Drive (310) 855-8888

Petit Ermitage 8822 Cynthia St. (310) 854-1114

Andaz West Hollywood 8401 Sunset Blvd. (323) 656-1234

Grafton on Sunset 8560 Sunset Blvd. (323) 654-4600

London West Hollywood 1020 N. San Vicente Blvd. (310) 854-1111

Ramada Plaza Hotel & Suites 8585 Santa Monica Blvd.(310) 652-6400

Best Western Sunset Plaza 8400 Sunset Blvd. (323) 654-0750

Holloway Motel 8465 Santa Monica Blvd (323) 654-2454

Mondrian 8440 Sunset Blvd. (323) 650-8999

San Vicente Inn 845 N. San Vicente Blvd (310) 854-6915

Chamberlain 1000 Westmount Drive (310) 657-7400

Le Montrose Suite Hotel 900 Hammond St. (310) 855-1115

Palihouse West Hollywood 8465 Holloway Drive (323) 327-9702

Sunset Marquis Hotel & Villas 1200 N. Alta Loma Rd. (310) 657-1333

S EH W CM TIS OPNR T IN I TGL E 2017

Sunset Tower Hotel 8358 Sunset Blvd. (323) 654-7100

Santa Monica Boulevard, which runs the length of West Hollywood, parallel to Sunset Boulevard to the north and Melrose Avenue to the south, is West Hollywood’s Main Street and the site of the annual L.A. Pride Parade. This year the parade will be replaced by the Resist March. That march, a protest against intrusions on the rights of women, immigrants, minorities and LGBT people, will begin at 8 a.m. on June 11 at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland. It will continue down La Brea Avenue to Santa Monica Boulevard, at which point it will enter West Hollywood and the marchers will proceed to La Peer Drive. In WeHo, Pride is not just that one weekend in June. The City of West Hollywood focuses on LGBT history and culture during Pride with its annual “One City One Pride,” series of dozens of events listed elsewhere in this magazine. Most have free admission. And then there’s the nightlife. While gay men (and a smattering of lesbians and transgender people) live in all areas of this compact town, the biggest concentration when it comes to nightlife is the west end of Santa Monica Boulevard. The area that stretches from San Vicente Boulevard to Robertson Boulevard is called Boystown because of its assortment of gay bars and restaurants. They range from the world famous The Abbey bar and restaurant on Robertson (where Elizabeth Taylor used to drop by for a drink) and its adjacent The Chapel, both of which have dance floors, to Motherlode, a classic dive bar. Next to Motherlode is PUMP, a restaurant and bar for those infatuated with reality TV and celebrity. And across Santa Monica Boulevard from PUMP is Rage, which offers a restaurant, a dance floor and themed events such as Latin Night and a drag show.

Further east on the north side of Santa Monica you’ll find Bar 10, a casual dining spot with a focus on cocktails, and the Bayou, with a hint of New Orleans. Then there are the very popular Micky’s and Revolver, known for their go go boys. And there’s Flaming Saddles, the city’s only country/western gay bar. Trunks? Famous for its wonderfully cheap drinks. Fiesta Cantina is about both the drinks and the cheap and tasty Mexican food. If you want to refresh your palate, stop by Yogurt Stop near Micky’s, which has a wide variety of serve-yourself yogurt and toppings. Not everything gay is in Boystown. Further east there is Gold Coast, the dive bar on Santa Monica at North La Jolla, behind which is the area that was known for “cruising” in the days before gay men could use mobile phone apps like Grindr and Scruff to meet up. And a bit more east is Fubar, which is on Santa Monica Boulevard in Mid City. It is reminiscent of New York City’s old East Village scene. All along Santa Monica Boulevard you’ll find very gay restaurants such as Saint Felix, Cafe d’Etoile, La Boheme and Basix. Further east from Boystown there’s Marco’s on the corner of Kilkea and Santa Monica. There also are diners such as Joeys and Kitchen 24 (which, as its name suggests, is open 24 hours a day) that are farther east on Santa Monica. And there’s the Big Gay Starbucks, on Santa Monica Boulevard at Westmount Drive. At the BGS, it’s not about the coffee. It’s about the eye candy, and the chance to wink and flirt and perhaps actually meet. Being that it’s West Hollywood, all restaurants are gay friendly. Other more upscale restaurants on Santa Monica that are worth a look (and a reservation well in advance) are Laurel Hardware, Norma’s and Connie & Ted’s.

The Standard Hotel 8300 Sunset Blvd (323) 650-9090

PRIDE

Rev. Perry has recalled the Los Angeles Police Chief Edward M. Davis telling him, “As far as I’m concerned, granting a permit to a group of homosexuals to parade down Hollywood Boulevard would be the same as giving a permit to a group of thieves and robbers.” Grudgingly, the Police Commission granted the permit, though there were fees attached exceeding $1.5 million. After the American Civil Liberties Union stepped in, the commission dropped all its requirements but a $1,500 fee for police service. That, too, was dismissed when the California Superior Court ordered the police to provide protection as they would for any other group. All that negotiation left the team with only two days to throw together a parade before the June 28 anniversary. In other

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1 9 7 1 -2 0 0 9 After controversial parade entries in 1971 and 1972, and internal disagreements, the parade went on hiatus in 1973. But it was back in 1974, when pioneering gay filmmaker Pat Rocco came up with the idea for a festival to accompany the parade. The first festival was a carnival with rides, games, food, and information booths held in a Hollywood parking

P O L I C E C H I E F E D WA R D M . D AV I S

lot at Sunset and Cherokee. But continued LAPD hostility, as well as redevelopment in Hollywood, led Pride to move to what would become the city of West Hollywood in 1979. The parade and festival have found a welcoming home in WeHo ever since.

1979 Through the decades, L.A. Pride has offered an opportunity for the members of the LGBT community to celebrate who they are and what they’ve accomplished and also to bring attention to the work that’s ahead of them. In

the 1970s, the focus was largely on sexual liberation. In the 1980s, the community was primarily concerned with the emerging HIV/AIDS epidemic. In the 1990s, Pride was a platform for social equality. Marriage equality has been a major issue in the 2000s.

1990

T H I E V E S A N D R O B B E R S .”

It was fast approaching one year since the Stonewall riots when Rev. Bob Humphries (United States Mission founder), Morris Kight (Gay Liberation Front founder), and Rev. Troy Perry (Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches founder) gathered to plan a commemoration. They settled on the idea of a parade down Hollywood Boulevard. But homosexuality was still illegal in the state of California at the time, so securing a permit from the city was no easy task.

cities, the anniversary was marked with marches, rallies, and demonstrations, but in Los Angeles, the parade was a true display of pride, complete with a float from The Advocate magazine, loaded with men in swimsuits, and a conservative gay group clad in business suits. Immediately, there was talk of making it an annual event. It would become the model for Pride celebrations across the nation.

THE SAME AS GIVING A PERMIT TO A GROUP OF

The colorful annual L.A. Pride parade brings thousands of people to West Hollywood to watch floats full of go go boys (and politicians) and the marching bands and groups carrying banners proclaiming their pride in who they are. While New York City is seen by many to have fostered the gay rebellion with the Stonewall riots in June 1969, some don’t realize that the L.A. Pride parade was the first of its kind in the nation when it began in 1970.

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TH E H I S TO RY O F LO S A N G E LE S PRI D E

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HOW THE N AT I O N ’ S F I R S T P R I D E PA R A D E G O T I T S S TA R T A N D WHERE IT IS NOW

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ever. The decade has seen increasing diversity in Pride, with the addition of the Latino Carnival and events devoted to women and transgender people.

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panded in recent years to include staging as many as 80 events during the weeks before and after the June Pride festival, events that focus on art and culture and history in the LGBT community.

2016

Pride in 2016 was controversial, with new board members at Christopher Street West, its non-profit producer, deciding to recast the festival as a “music festival” aimed at Millennials, raise ticket prices sharply and cut back on events for transgender people and lesbians. CSW backed off somewhat in response to community opposition.

The Resist March, while some say it isn’t a protest against Donald Trump, clearly is a statement of opposition to changes his administration has made or proposed that participants believe will have a negative effect on their civil liberties in the same way that the attitude of the LAPD did in the 1970s.

Plans to replace this year’s L.A. Pride parade with the Resist March also have generated controversy. But

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Things got off to an impressive start when, in 2010, L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa opened the doors to the Getty House, the official mayor’s residence, for the firstever L.A. Pride Garden Party. Then, in 2011, he declared June as LGBT Heritage Month in the city of Los Angeles. That year, the Pride parade also included more than 350 students from the Los Angeles Unified School District, the largest youth contingent

The City of West Hollywood has always embraced Pride, given that 40% of its population consists of gay men and that it is officially committed to equal rights for all. The city’s commitment has ex-

in some ways the demonstration in support of the rights of women, immigrants, people of various races and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, harkens back to the first L.A. Pride parade in 1970. That parade was staged against the wishes of homophobic Los Angeles Police Chief Edward Davis.

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