Long Beach to host and fund California city’s pride parade

Long Beach, Calif., will host and sponsor the city’s annual Pride Parade this year, marking the first time the city has hosted the celebration.

The city announced on February 26 that it will take over Long Beach Pride 2024 for the first time in the city’s 40-year history.parade — We have a sister partnership with Pride in Sydney, Australia. — It is scheduled to return to the city in May after being held last August.

The 2024 Long Beach Pride Parade will be held along Ocean Boulevard in Southern California on Sunday, May 19th.

The parade will cost the city approximately $130,000, according to a press release. The City Council approved $80,000 in one-time funding to cover the costs of the parade during its mid-year budget review on February 13th. An additional $50,000 will be provided by Vice Mayor Cindy Allen’s one-time fund for District 2.

“As a city that proudly stands for equality and inclusion, we have long supported our vibrant LGBTQ+ community,” Mayor Rex Richardson said in a statement.

“The Long Beach Pride Parade is an essential part of celebrating the diversity of our community. We are proud to further enhance and support this year’s event.”

This comes after Long Beach Pride, a nonprofit organization that organized the parade the previous year and celebrated its 40th anniversary, requested financial support in January as the city reorganized its organization.

The organization has faced some setbacks recently. The coronavirus pandemic forced the annual event to be held virtually for two years, and there were staff deaths, including co-founder Bob Crowe, who passed away in September.

However, the organization will continue to host its annual Long Beach Pride Festival, scheduled for May 18 and 19 on the downtown waterfront.

“The Pride Parade is a Long Beach tradition that we have celebrated for the past 40 years,” Allen said in a statement. “This event is enjoyed by people across the region and is extremely important to our community and LGBTQ+ businesses.

“As the mother of an LGBTQ daughter, this is one of my favorite events to attend. I am honored to support this event again this year! I know it means a lot to Southland residents and the LGBTQ+ community. I am.”