The Los Angeles LGBT Center will host annual Trans Pride LA 2022, one of the nation’s oldest and largest celebrations of the TGI/ENBY+ (Trans, Gender Non-Conforming, Intersex, Non-Binary & Gender Expansive) community. The festivities will take place at the Center’s Village at Ed Gould Plaza and Anita May Rosenstein Campus in Los Angeles on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, June 16–18. Admission to the three-day gathering is free.
“After two years of virtual Trans Pride events, we are looking forward to the return of this joyous event to The Village and Anita May Rosenstein Campus,” said Gina Bigham, the program manager of the Center’s Trans* Lounge and organizer of the event. “These last two years have been extremely hard on our community. As we watch the continued assault on trans rights across the country, we are determined to celebrate and show the world our strength and resilience.”
Trans Pride LA 2022 begins on Thursday, June 16, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. with a job fair presented by the Center’s Transgender Economic Empowerment Project. On Thursday evening, from 5–6:30 p.m., join our friends from Club Intersex for From Invisible to Inclusion: An intersectional discussion on intersex experiences and issues. This uplifting program brings together a panel of the intersex community’s thought leaders and activists that will highlight each panelist’s unique, intersectional lens.
On Friday evening, for the twelfth consecutive year, Trans Pride LA 2022 will host the Center’s ongoing community forum series, Big Queer Convo. This year’s special guest is proud Latine/x non-binary/gender fluid actor and activist, Vico Ortiz, from the smash-hit HBO Max series Our Flag Means Death. Vico will be interviewed by actor Shaan Dasani (from the digital comedy series These Thems). Admission to Big Queer Convo is free, but reservations are recommended by registering at lalgbtcenter.org/transpride.
“We are delighted, after the hiatus caused by the pandemic, to welcome our community back to the Center’s Anita May Rosenstein Campus for this beautiful celebration of pride and visibility,” said Joe Hollendoner, the Center’s incoming CEO. “Trans Pride is a signature event of Pride month, and the Center is proud to continue our role organizing it.”
Immediately following Big Queer Convo, the evening will continue with the gallery opening of SYZYGY, curated by Marval A Rex, and featuring an interdisciplinary cornucopia of artworks from Cade Moga, D Hill, Emily Lucid, Van Jazmin, and Yozmit. The exhibition will contain video work, painting, mixed media, and drawings from a dynamic selection of TGI/ENBY+ artists living and working in Los Angeles.
On Saturday, June 18, the celebration continues with a self-defense workshop presented by Harmony Lee, a flower crown-making workshop in honor of trans icon Marsha P. Johnson, presented by Classroom for Compassion. Free food trucks will be available and nearly 50 organizations will participate in a resource fair held in Pride Hall at the Center’s Anita May Rosenstein Campus. Information on a wide array of services and programs vital to the TGI/ENBY+ community will be made available to attendees.
Saturday evening activities include a Happy Hour event presented by Tito’s Handmade Vodka and The VarieTy Show. This year, the show presents an amazing array of performers, including host Abdullah Hall (Artistic Director, Trans Chorus of Los Angeles), singers Ty Deran and Jakk Fynn, comedian Seven Graham, spoken word artist Jaden Fields, aerialists Louis Reyes Chavez & Samuel Petre, performance artist Yozmit, the Trans Chorus of L.A. and a special drag performance by our special guest, Vico Ortiz, aka Vico Suave!
The full schedule of Trans Pride LA 2022 will be posted online at lalgbtcenter.org/transpride.
The Trans Pride VarieTy Show is presented with the support of the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division as part of the City’s WeHo Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival (May 22–June 30). More info at weho.org/pride or @wehoarts.