This will only be my second year going to pride, I am excited but a lot of them are on the same weekend. In So Cal alone we have Long Beach, LA, West Hollywood, San Diego, Riverside, and Palm Springs. I know San Francisco and Toronto run the same time, being a native Cali girl married to a Canadian Boi this one is always a hard choice. What cites have the best Pride?
….. I don’t have the answer yet but this will be my mission…….
Update… Well Pride Season for QueerCompass officially kicked off last weekend @ Long Beach LGBT Pride. I set out a seasonal goal: to find the best celebration of pride and the most Lesbian friendly within my traveling distance. After the first pride, my quest to find the best overall pride shall continue. Long Beach Pride will not be a fierce competitor this year, as this 26th addition of Long Beach Gay and Lesbian Pride fell short to say the least.
We adventured down to the Long Beach pride area around 10 Sunday to watch the parade. We found a position at the very end of the route and found it belaboring waiting for each group to make their way to the end. There were three floats during the parade, I got the idea that the theme had something to do with Peter Pan or Pirates I was not sure. Then again, thinking about it further, it could have been “Booty” but what pride isn’t..
P-Flag, Disneyland, Wells Fargo, local bars, dance and cheer groups marched along Ocean Blvd. It was evident that there was either poor planning in the timing or poor execution. The huge gaps between each group left many heckling or looking bored as they waited for the next. At certain points, the distance was so bad we actually thought the parade was over. I do think the award for the most “prideful” members of the parade should go to ‘The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’ who amused the crowd with colorful costumes and the usual flirtatious antics.
Colorful and flirtatious Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
Personally, the best moment was seeing the enormous tongue of Heidi Hamilton, radio personality of Frosty, Heidi and Frank Uncensored.
Better luck next year Long Beach. I would have rather slept in.
From FHFU, Frank Kramer and Heidi Hamilton. Heidi is Famous for her HUGE tongue.
Off to the the festival area. Upon entering the entrance gate and reviewing the directory, our day looked promising. There was a Dance, Latin, Country, Gospel, Coffee House, and Main stage, rows upon rows of vendors and a huge line up of D.J’s and entertainers. It took just under two hours to cover the whole event grounds checking out everything. It lacked something in comparison to years in the past. I did not get that networking feeling. Maybe it was the drive against Prop 8 that was the voice of last years Pride Festival, maybe it was the $20 cover that left me with a felling of whats next.
Taking a break from the pounding sun, we landed near ‘The Coffee House’ stage, this was the smallest stage yet provided the best entertainment.
Angie Evens Tipped her hat and sang "Tip" a song about energy and a quest for truth.
Dyke activist, poet, singer, song writer, Angie Even’s and band preformed mellow folk/jazz/blues style songs with powerful lyrics. She sang out against discrimination and promoted self acceptance. I was most moved by the words she recited about who she is, why she says “thank you” to those who call her a Bitch. Her last number, one not on her album “Cycle of Fruit”, told a story of the “hell” we overcome as Lesbians. Angie’s heart truly shows in the passion of her songs.
angieevens.com
myspace.com/angieevans
Annie's lyrics, Alyssa's strums and Laura's beats provide the 'Loaded' queer rock that is Ask Alice.
Our friends ‘Ask Alice‘ closed the stage with high energy hard rock, and a wardrobe malfunction. It was my first time seeing Long Beach locals Annie, Alyssa, and Laura preform and I definitely would pay to see them again. In addition to the great lyrics were the awesome stylings of the lead guitarist, Alyssa, exciting the crowd with her moves. In between songs Annie shared humorous stories about their music, joking of a wardrobe malfunction when she broke a guitar string during the fan favorite “Tambourine”. If Ask Alice keeps up the crowd pleasing style this “All Rock no Cock” queer band is sure bring “dyke power rock” to a level similar to The Cliks. Keep your eye’s on Ask Alice these ladies are defiantly a good time. http://www.myspace.com/askalicexo
Thanks for making it worth my day Ladies! Long Beach you can do much better!
J.
