INTRODUCING GLENDALE PRIDE, GLENDALE’S FIRST EVER PRIDE CELEBRATION
INTRODUCING GLENDALE PRIDE, GLENDALE’S FIRST EVER PRIDE CELEBRATION
By Vic Gerami
This year, for the first time, City of Glendale, California, also known as the ‘Jewel City,’ is offering a fully immersive Pride held on Saturday, May 30, 3:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at Glendale’s Central Park, 216 South Brand Boulevard, Glendale, CA 91203.
Pride is the grassroots effort of several Glendale-based organizations and volunteers including glendaleOUT, Gay and Lesbian Armenian Society (GALAS), Equality Armenia, The Blunt Post, and with media sponsorship by Revry. The festival is strategically located in Downtown Glendale’s shopping and nightlife district, adjacent to the library, the Americana at Brand and Glendale Galleria.
The Pride festival and its programming will raise awareness and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community as well as individuality, empowerment, and inclusivity within Glendale. With a focus on family-friendly art, events and community connection, the event will include storytelling time for kids and more to celebrate love in every color.
The festival will feature diverse music and entertainment by a local DJ and emcee and wrap-up with a dance party at sundown.
“Silverlake, West Hollywood … why do I have to export my gay? Why can’t I be gay where I live? So, I set about doing that. With Gary Freeman and Nick Macierz, with ace/121 gallery and Roslin Art Gallery, with Arno Yeretzian at Abril Books. Soon it was with Gay Straight Alliance chapters in the Glendale Unified School District and Alicia Harris,” said Grey James, one of the organizers of Glendale Pride.
“The dots started connecting quickly. People are showing up. Like everyone’s been waiting for this moment. I look at the group that is working on this and I am so amazed and grateful. It’s very satisfying to witness this momentum and all the individuals driving it so kindly,” he added.
Glendale Councilmember Paula Devine congratulated the organizers for bringing the event to fruition and said, “We should live our lives in a state of inclusion and wonder at the diversity.”
The festival will be a free community event, without an entrance fee, and everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend. A Kids’ Village will create a special space for Rainbow Families with unique programming such as “Drag Story Telling.”
For more information about Glendale Pride, please visit GlendalePride.org
About GlendaleOUT
LGBTQIA+ in Glendale, California. Allies, friends, family, and the local businesses that welcome us. glendaleOUT
About the Gay and Lesbian Armenian Society (GALAS)
The Gay And Lesbian Armenian Society is a nonprofit organization that seeks to serve and unite LGBTQ people of Armenian descent in Los Angeles and beyond. GALASLA.org
About Equality Armenia
Equality Armenia is dedicated to achieving marriage equality in Armenia. It is our mission to encourage and facilitate a constructive dialogue in Armenian communities about LGBT inclusiveness, equal rights and equal protections under law. LGBT rights are human rights. EqualityArmenia.org
About The Blunt Post
The Blunt Post is an independent news journalism, entertainment, lifestyle, LGBTQIA+ and travel web magazine. TheBluntPost.com
About Revry
Queer owned and operated, Revry was founded to showcase the works that our community wants to see and to highlight stories that are still being overlooked by the mainstream. We’re looking to the future of queer entertainment and we invite you to join us! Revry.tv
About the City of Glendale
The City of Glendale was incorporated on February 16, 1906 and spans approximately 30.6 square miles with a current population of approximately 203,054 people (US Census 2017 Population Estimates). Located minutes away from downtown Los Angeles, Pasadena, Burbank, Hollywood, and Universal City, Glendale is the fourth largest city in Los Angeles County and is surrounded by Southern California’s leading commercial districts. GlendaleCA.gov