LA Pride’s solidarity march has changed hands to the black-organized All Black Lives Matter

UPDATE (6/8): LA Pride organizer Christopher Street West faced community backlash when it came to light that they’d applied for a permit with the LAPD for a planned solidarity march. In response, CSW said the event was being “reevaluated.”

On Monday, CSW announced that it had withdrawn its permit applications and that, though it would still support the protest, it was no longer the organizer. Now dubbed All Black Lives Matter, the solidarity march is being organized by an advisory board of all black LGBTQ+ leaders. It’s still slated for June 14 at 10am.

Our original story from June 3 appears below.

LA Pride was forced to cancel its in-person parade this year and pivot to a virtual parade. But now, in the wake of the citywide protests that have been sparked by the killing of George Floyd, LA Pride has decided to stage a solidarity march.

On June 14, LA Pride organizer Christopher Street West will hold a solidarity protest march in response to racial injustice, systemic racism and all forms of oppression. The walk will step off from the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue at 10am (the site of the first-ever permitted Pride Parade) and head west, into West Hollywood and to the intersection of San Vicente and Santa Monica Boulevards, where Pride is usually held.

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To our LA Pride family: While we had previously cancelled all in-person events due to COVID-19, we have decided to peacefully assemble a protest in Hollywood, where the first ever permitted Pride Parade took place, in solidarity with the Black community. 50 years ago, Christopher Street West (CSW) took to the streets of Hollywood Boulevard to peacefully protest against police brutality and oppression. We feel that it is our moral imperative to honor the legacies of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, who bravely led the Stonewall uprising, by standing in solidarity with the Black community against systemic racism and joining the fight for meaningful and long-lasting reform. The California Department of Public Health recommends that participants engaging in the march should wear face coverings at all times. WHEN: Sunday, June 14, 2020 at 10am PT WHERE: Hollywood Blvd. and Highland Ave. Hollywood, CA 90028 Together With Pride, LA Pride

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“Fifty years ago Christopher Street West took to the streets of Hollywood Boulevard in order to peacefully protest against police brutality and oppression,” said CSW board of directors president Estevan Montemayor in a statement. “It is our moral imperative to honor the legacy of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, who bravely led the Stonewall uprising, by standing in solidarity with the black community against systemic racism and joining the fight for meaningful and long-lasting reform.”

It’s sadly not the first time in recent years that LA Pride has had to respond to current events. In 2016, the parade took on a somber air following the shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando. And in 2017, amid the turbulent political environment, LA Pride aligned itself with the #ResistMarch.

The organizers remind anyone participating to wear a face covering at all times, per local health orders.


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