Queer Signs of the Times. Artist Ruben Esparza
The City of West Hollywood’s “One City One Pride” explores the festival theme “Into The Streets” which is based on a rallying cry of early LGBTQ rights groups (Out of the Closet and Into the Streets) with a variety of arts events and exhibits.
June 9–26: Hollywood Fringe / One City One Pride
The Hollywood Fringe Festival is an open and uncensored community-derived event. The Fringe’s western border is usually Gardner Street, but through a special collaboration with the City, LGBTQ shows can take place throughout West Hollywood as part of One City One Pride. Shows sponsored through this partnership are below: Times, dates, and ticket prices vary. Visit www.hollywoodfringe.org/weho for more info.
June 10, 6pm-9pm (opening reception): LA Art Association “Out There” exhibit runs through June 17
The 9th annual LAAA Out There group exhibition asks artists to examine West Hollywood’s commitment to the LGBT community. Reception June 10 from 6-9pm. Gallery hours 10am-5pm every day except Monday through June 17. Gallery 825, 825 N. La Cienaga Blvd. Free Admission. For more info: www.gallery825.com.
June 10, 6pm: Dyke March
The Dyke March kicks off from the West Hollywood Park with a program featuring Jewel Thais‐Williams (Grand Marshal of LA Pride 2016), Funny Women presented by UnCabaret (featuring Julie Goldman, Selen Luna, and Marsha Warfield) and the presentation of the Etheridge Award to the June Mazer Lesbian Archives, followed by a march at 7pm down Santa Monica Blvd. More info here.
June 10–12: LA Pride Festival
The LA Pride Festival is produced by Christopher Street West (CSW) and features performances by Carly Rae Jepsen, Charli XCX, DJs Krewella, Faith Evans, Big Freedia and more. Visit www.lapride.org for a full line-up of entertainment and to purchase tickets. West Hollywood Park, 647 N. San Vicente Blvd. Festival Hours: Friday, June 10: 6pm-1am Saturday, June 11: 2pm-1am Sunday, June 12: 12pm-11pm. Parade: The parade will begin at 10:45am on Sunday, June 12, along Santa Monica Blvd. (Free to attend).
June 11–12: “Got Framed” art installation at LA Pride
“Got Framed” is a playful, interactive art piece that encourages people to step up, take a picture, and ‘be the art’. Even the City background becomes a character in the picture. This large-scale artwork debuted at Burning Man 2015, and through a grant from One City One Pride will be on display at the LA Pride festival in West Hollywood. Ticket purchase is required to enter the LA Pride festival grounds. Tickets at www.lapride.org.
June 12, 11am: LA Pride Parade and FATA (From the Archives to the Archives—Queer Signs of the Times 1965-2016) Artist Ruben Esparza for One City One Pride—Art Intervention
The LA Pride Parade comes back to West Hollywood and runs from Crescent Heights Blvd. to Robertson Blvd. along Santa Monica Blvd. Queer Signs of the Times 1965-2016 will include 75 re-created protest signs that will be taken to the streets in a mock protest rally, depicting historical signs dating as far back as 1965 as part of the City of West Hollywood’s parade contingent and the Queer Biennial II (created and organized by artist Ruben Esparza.)
June 14, 7pm: Human Rights Speakers Series: Exploring LGBT Rights in China and Abroad
This panel features Mulan Wu, Director, Shenyang Lesbian Fraternity; Rain Gao, Director, Anhui Hefei Youth Health Service Center (HYHSC); Guo Ziyang (Joe), Gay Activist; Damien Lu, Ph.D., Interpreter; and J. Bob Alotta, Executive Director, Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice. West Hollywood City Council Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. Free admission. RSVP required at wehohrspeakerseries@gmail.com or (323) 848-6823.
June 15, 2pm-3:30pm: “Stonewall Uprising” film screening
Join the West Hollywood Library for a free screening of the PBS film, “American Experience: Stonewall Uprising” which explores the events of June 28, 1969 which are commemorated annually with June Pride month. West Hollywood Library Community Meeting Room, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. Free admission. (310) 652-5340.
June 15, 7pm: Felice Picano Talk: Gay Hollywood in the 1930s
Join author Felice Picano for a talk on how extremely gay the Hollywood film industry was during this era, despite the strictures of the Hays Commission. Followed by a short reading from the novella “Wonder City of the West.” West Hollywood City Council Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. Free admission. http://bit.ly/GayHollywood30s
June 16, 7:30pm: The Lavender Effect presents “Stand By Me: The Forgotten History of Gay Liberation” reading
Join historian Jim Downs for a book reading and Q & A around his new book “Stand By Me: The Forgotten History of Gay Liberation” co-sponsored by the LA County Public Library. West Hollywood Library Community Room, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. Free admission. Space is limited, please reserve seats at www.thelavendereffect.org/events.
June 17-18: Trans Pride At The Village
Trans Pride kicks off on June 17 at 7pm, with a Big Queer Convo with trans activist CeCe McDonald followed by the reception for the art exhibit ‘We Can Be Heroes’ from 9-10pm (exhibit remains on view until July 23). Come back for a day of performances, workshops, and music on June 18 from 12pm-9:30pm. Media sponsor: THE FIGHT magazine. The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, LA LGBT Center, 1125 N. McCadden Pl. Free. www.facebook.com/TransPrideLA.
June 18, 10am-6pm: 6th Annual “Celebrating All Life and Creation” Pow Wow
Join Red Circle Project of AIDS Project LA for a full day of traditional Native American music, dance, crafts and food, along with HIV testing and prevention resources. Plummer Park, 7377 Santa Monica Blvd. Free to attend.
http://bit.ly/APLAPowWow
June 21, 7pm-8pm: QueerWise “Selfies: Exploring Our Multitudinous Selves”
LGBTQ writers aged 50+ reveal their funny, thoughtful, brave, sexy, proud and unique selves in a spoken word performance. The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, Los Angeles LGBT Center, 1125 N. McCadden Pl. Free admission. No RSVP is necessary. www.queerwise.net
June 21, 7:30pm: Celebration Theatre—Chuck Rowland Award
Celebration Theatre will present their annual Chuck Rowland Award to Tom Jacobson for contributions to LGBTQ theatre along with readings of his work. Attention: “Pathetic Fallacy,” which was previously scheduled, is going to be postponed to another date TBD. West Hollywood City Council Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. Free admission, with donations accepted. No RSVP is necessary.
June 22, 6:30pm: Rainbow Key Awards
This year the Lesbian and Gay Advisory Board honors Jay M. Kohorn, Mark Lehman, Carol Taylor-DiPietro, the West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation, and Ruth Williams with awards for their dedication to the Lesbian and Gay community. 6:30pm reception, 7pm program. West Hollywood City Council Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. Free admission. www.weho.org
June 23, 7:30pm: Charles Pierce Biography
Professor and author Chris Freeman interviews the author of the new book on drag artist Charles Pierce along with a book signing, video clips, and a Q&A. West Hollywood Library Community Meeting Room, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd.
Free admission.
June 25 & 26, 1pm: ALAP Pride Play Reading Festival
Two programs of rehearsed readings of LGBTQ-themed plays written by members of The Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights (ALAP). Saturday’s program will feature 6 short plays, while Sunday will feature a single full-length play. Plummer Park Community Center, Rooms 5/6, 7377 Santa Monica Blvd. Free admission.
June 25, 4pm-7pm: REACH LA “Dancing in the Streets”
REACH LA is a service organization that outreaches to disadvantaged youth of color through the ball community, and have performed at MOCA and for various One City One Pride events over the years. Tapping into their talented pool of performers, West Hollywood will come alive with unexpected dance performances and interventions. For instance, two men at a picnic table playing chess, will suddenly break into a choreographed vogue dance-off. Other performances will take place in various parts of the park and sidewalk. West Hollywood Park, 647 N. San Vicente Blvd. Free admission.
June 26, 2pm: “I Stand Corrected” film screening and Summer Sounds concert with Jennifer Leitham
In 2001 Leitham transitioned from being known as John Leitham to Jennifer Leitham while on tour with Doc Severinson, a story that was the subject of an award winning documentary, “I Stand Corrected.” Join us for a free screening at 2pm, followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Andrea Meyerson. At 4pm, Jennifer will perform as part of the City’s free Summer Sounds concerts series in the City Hall Community Plaza, 8300 Santa Monica Blvd. Free to attend. No RSVP is necessary. http://bit.ly/SSJL2016
June 28, 7:30pm: Lambda Literary Book Club
City Poet Steven Reigns leads a book discussion on What Belongs to You by Garth Greenwell. West Hollywood Library Community Meeting Room, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. Free admission. http://www.lambdaliterary.org/book-clubs/lambda-lit-book-club
June 29, 7:30pm: OutSet Fifth Anniversary screening
OutSet is a filmmaking workshop for LGBTQ young people between the ages of 16-24 through a collaboration of the LA LGBT Center and Outfest. Join Outfest for a screening. $10 general/$6 Outfest members. West Hollywood City Council Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. www.outfest.org
June 30, 7pm: Lesbian Speakers Series
Join us for this special conversation on the 30th anniversary of Natalie Goldberg’s classic Writing Down the Bones—Freeing the Writer Within. West Hollywood City Council Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. Free admission. www.weho.org/wehoreads
A Brief History of Drag exhibit— through June 27
This exhibit at the WeHo Arts library exhibition spaces is an overview of the history of drag in Los Angeles County, and describes the importance of ‘drag queens’ and others in the early LGBTQ rights movement. The exhibit consists of photographs drawn from both the ONE Archives and taken by photographer Austin Young. Curated by Katie Poltz and Jessica Fowler of the LA LGBT Center and David Attyah of Glendale Community College as a result of a collaboration between the City of West Hollywood, LA LGBT Center, and Center for Performing Arts at UCLA. West Hollywood Library, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. Free admission during library hours. No RSVP is necessary. http://weho.org/residents/drag-angeles-one-city-one-pride.
