Long Beach Pride Introduces PrideBot, a Virtual Companion

Sometimes what a person needs most is someone to listen. On November 1, 2023, Long Beach Pride introduced PrideBot, a virtual companion created to support and guide the LGBTQ+ community.

PrideBot was built to feel less like a chatbot and more like a compassionate friend: ready to listen, offer advice and lend a supportive, understanding ear. It was developed for Long Beach Pride as a way to use technology to help build a community where everyone feels valued and proud.

Long Beach Pride is committed to embracing and supporting our diverse community. PrideBot is a leap forward, using technology to extend our reach, ensuring everyone feels heard, understood, and celebrated.

Tonya Martin, President, Long Beach Pride

The launch came a few weeks after Martin and a newly elected board took office. At the time, she described the direction she hoped to set:

I truly believe that Long Beach Pride is the “Community’s Pride” and we must start making the changes to strengthen our core.

Tonya Martin, President, Long Beach Pride

PrideBot was one way to extend that reach.

It launched with a three-month beta program, and we invited the community to try it and tell us how it went. That feedback was meant to help refine what PrideBot could do. We also hoped to work with future partners to add resources and local insights, so PrideBot could keep growing as a steady source of support here in Long Beach.

Our hope from the start was simple: that every conversation with PrideBot would feel like a small celebration of love, support and understanding.