A person in a rainbow top wearing an animal mask poses in front of a large shiny, sequin sign reading WeHo Pride. Credit: Blossom Brown
TransLash kicked off Pride Month by inviting Blossom Brown to be our trusted guide through the joyous festivities of WeHo Pride 2024.
By Oliver Whitney, Cobbie Cobb, and Daniela “Dani” Capistrano, with reporting by Blossom C. Brown
West Hollywood has long been home to many LGBTQ folks in the Los Angeles area, with more than 40 percent of residents identifying as such. It’s only fitting that each year the city has hosted its own Pride Month festivities, and the latest one was its most epic so far! Thousands of folks poured into West Hollywood for WeHo Pride 2024 to enjoy the street fair, concerts, and more.
The weekend, which spanned from May 31 to June 2, was full of social events, pride parties, and a mega three-day musical festival headlined by none other than Ke$ha, Janelle Monáe, and Kylie Minogue. To capture all the fun, TransLash Media sent actress, activist, producer, and motivational speaker Blossom C. Brown to document all the celebratory love and glamor. Here’s everything that went down at WeHo Pride.
Watch our recap video and read more below!
Day 1 of WeHo Pride: Friday, May 31
WeHo Pride kicked off on Friday night with a free concert in West Hollywood Park. Ke$ha performed as the headliner, while audiences got to enjoy performances from Adam Lambert, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” star Monét X Change, Laganja Estranja & Morphine Love Dion, Niña Dioz, Jessica Betts, Owenn, and Venessa Michaels, according to CBS News.
The concert also marked Ke$ha’s first show since she became a “free woman,” as Rolling Stone reports, after settling her decade-long lawsuit with Dr. Luke last summer.
Day 2 of WeHo Pride: Saturday, June 1
For those who prefer a more low-key Pride Month activity, there was the WeHo Pride Street Fair on Saturday afternoon. The eight hour family-friendly fair, stretched along Santa Monica Boulevard, featured a handful of community group booths, vendors, exhibitors, and even some performances by Bonnie McKee, Rêve, The Aces, and more.
After that, the Women’s Freedom Festival took place, which was presented by the historically lesbian non-profit, L-Project Los Angeles. The festival, which was in its third year according to CBS News, featured emerging LGBTQ and BIPOC women, non-binary musicians, comedians, poets, and activists.
Jackie Steele hosted the Women’s Freedom Festival, which featured plenty of performances throughout from KingQueen, MariahCounts, Medusa, Theia, Gattison, Cheri Moon, Shiah Luna, Nekeith, DJ SterlingVictorian, DJ Boom Boom, Suri Chan, and Jen Cheng.
Why We Need Queer Women Representation
Being able to attend the Women’s Freedom Festival on Saturday was a key highlight of the weekend for Blossom. “The representation of queer women in West Hollywood is so crucial and important. We have to amplify these types of voices, as they usually go unheard and unseen,” Brown said.
She added how exciting it was to see one of her friends get up on stage and speak her truth. “We must protect Native women. We must protect Black women at all costs. We must amplify all voices that are important in the movement,” Brown’s friend told the crowd.
WeHo Pride’s Dyke March
Later on Saturday afternoon, WeHo Pride’s Dyke March took place. The motorcycle-led march began with a biker gang — because how else could it start? — followed by a performance by non-binary alt-pop/hip-hop producer and singer Medusa. The rally trailed down Santa Monica Boulevard and included even more live performances from Gattison, Theia and the KingQueen Band, as well as poetry by Yazmin Monet Watkins, Suri Chan and West Hollywood’s Poet Laurette, Jen Cheng.
For those who love to dance, there was also the Queerchata Pride Social on Saturday afternoon. The event included instructors guiding attendees through a lively Bachata class, a style of dance that originated in the Dominican Republic. After learning a few basic moves in the beginner class, attendees got to enjoy some Bachata and Salsa dancing with fellow queers in the Los Angeles sunshine.
Then the real party kicked off: the second night of the OUTLOUD musical festival included a concert with performances by Yaeji, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Noah Cyrus, Keke Palmer, Pegasus and Jack Faulkner, Channel Tres, Doechii, and, of course, headliner and former TransLash Podcast guest Janelle Monáe. What’s a pride party without Monáe anyway?
Blossom’s WeHo Pride Highlight
Brown didn’t just get to experience this mega concert live in person — she got to bask in all the joyful celebrations from backstage! One of her top five highlights from the weekend was being backstage at Saturday night’s OUTLOUD music festival. “The vibe backstage was so chill, so dope. I saw celebrities like Doechii, Queen Latifah, Gabrielle Union,” Blossom recounted. “I got to witness the moment that Gabrielle Union and Queen Latifah surprised Doechii after her performance. It was such a beautiful, healing moment. I was so inspired,” she added.
Brown’s other top moment from WeHo Pride 2024? Meeting the Queen herself. “She was so kind, so humble, so sweet,” Brown said of Queen Latifah, whom she met backstage. “It’s wonderful to meet A-list celebrities who are down to earth, who are kind. It’s so great to be in that space in WeHo Pride and meeting someone as legendary as Queen Latifah.”
Day 3 of WeHo Pride: Sunday
And finally — the parade! What’s Pride with a Pride Parade, after all? On Sunday afternoon, tens of thousands of people gathered along Santa Monica Boulevard to watch festive floats, colorful marching groups, plenty of dancers, and rainbows and glitter galore, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Celebrating Pride With the Queen Mother
Brown didn’t experience the WeHo Pride Parade from the sidelines, though — she got to be in it. She rode along Santa Monica Boulevard on a float with the organization the Imperial Court of Los Angeles, alongside the Queen Mother of Southern California herself, Mother Karina Samala.
An active member in the LGBTQ+ community for over twenty-five years, Samala is a Filipina trans woman, President of the Board of Directors for the Imperial Court, and current chair of the Los Angeles Transgender Advisory Board.
Additionally, Blossom expressed gratitude for being able to enjoy the parade festivities with some Pride first-timers. She celebrated with a group of Russian and Ukrainian LGBTQ folks who were able to be their fullest selves and attend a Pride event for the very first time.
A Kylie Minogue Finale
The vibrant and joyful Pride weekend came to a bitterweet close on Sunday evening (who wants Pride to ever end?) during the final leg of the OUTLOUD musical festival. Attendees got to dance to music by Ashnikko, Big Freedia, Vincint, a DJ set by Trixie Mattel, and more.
Then the big event everyone had been waiting for finally arrived — a big, queer Kylie Minogue concert. Is there any better way to close out Pride than Padam-ing with a massive dancing crowd?
The Australian queen of pop performed a handful of her most beloved songs, according to Variety, from “Come Into My World” to “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” to “Love At First Sight,” and of course “Padam Padam.” She even brought Orville Peck on stage to debut a brand new single called “Midnight Ride,” produced by Diplo, who also joined the duo on stage for a fringe-filled performance.
It was a rainbow-infused weekend full of queer love, trans joy, music, dancing, and celebration.
This isn’t the end of TransLash’s WeHo Pride 2024 coverage! Stay tuned for more exclusive Pride Month photos and videos from Blossom Brown on our socials, including on-the-street interviews from the WeHo Pride weekend with a variety of amazing, inspirational trans and queer folks throughout the Los Angeles area.
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