The LA Pride Parade, celebrating the transgender, lesbian, gay and bisexual communities, will be held along Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood today, with organizers expecting more than 400,000 spectators and participants.
The parade will begin at 11 a.m. at Crescent Heights Boulevard, and continue west along Santa Monica Boulevard to Robertson Boulevard.
In connection with LA Pride’s efforts at reducing hate and ignorance toward the transgender community, the parade’s traditional moment of silence at noon will be dedicated to members of the community killed in hate crimes, according to Steve Ganzell, a board co-president of Christopher Street West, the event’s producer.
Singer Demi Lovato will be the grand marshal while the couples who were the plaintiffs in the lawsuit that overturned California’s ban on same-sex marriage, Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo and Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, will be the community grand marshals.
“The LA Pride Parade is based on celebrating the TLGB community and the people and organizations that have helped make progress in terms of equality,” parade chair Tom Pardoe said. “This year’s community grand marshals are the epitome of that idea and have proven themselves as valuable champions for the success of the TLGB fight for inclusion.”
Mayor Eric Garcetti, Assembly Speaker Emeritus John A Perez, D-Los Angeles, and Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, will also be among the participants in the parade, which will have 130 entries.
The parade will prompt the closure of Santa Monica Boulevard from Fairfax Avenue to Doheny Drive; Crescent Heights Boulevard from Romaine Street to Fountain Avenue; and, streets one block north and south of Santa Monica Boulevard from Fairfax Avenue to La Peer Drive from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Parking is available for $20 at structures at 8383 Santa Monica Boulevard and 901 Hancock Avenue.
Metered parking will not be enforced during the day today while enforcement of permit parking in West Hollywood will be suspended until 7 a.m. Monday.
The parade has been held every year since 1970, except for 1973 when infighting over crude displays the previous two years left the organizers in disarray. The parade was held in Hollywood until 1979, when it moved to West Hollywood.
