ABC7 Previews the Long Beach Pride 2021 Virtual Celebration

Two days before our 2021 online show, ABC7 Los Angeles let Southern California know that Long Beach Pride was coming back, this time through a screen. The station’s May 14, 2021, story laid out the plan: a virtual celebration at 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 16, streaming on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and longbeachpride.com.

ABC7 described a broadcast built around the stages people know from the festival grounds. The Main Stage, Dance Stage, Urban Stage and Fiesta Caliente Stage all had a place in the program. Los Horoscopos were among the artists named for Fiesta Caliente, and the story noted hip hop and R&B performers sharing new music and dance on the urban stage. An aftershow on Facebook Live promised real-time questions and answers with artists and Long Beach Pride representatives.

Our president, Elsa Martinez, shared what the night meant to the organization.

We are pleased to present Long Beach Pride with an exciting star-studded online celebration.

Elsa Martinez, President of Long Beach Pride, via ABC7 Los Angeles

Although we miss seeing all our supporters and fans in person, we are looking forward to a successful interactive show that will connect our varied communities together in celebration of this iconic event

Elsa Martinez, via ABC7 Los Angeles

The station also gave its audience some history. ABC7 reminded viewers that Pride in Long Beach was first held in 1984 and has grown into one of the largest Pride events in the United States, drawing more than 75,000 people over two days. The story listed a few of the artists who have played our stages through the years, including The Bangles, Patti LaBelle, Sheila E., Queen Latifah and The Village People.

For a community that had spent more than a year apart, that kind of coverage made a difference. It told longtime fans where to find us, and it reached people who had never been to Pride in Long Beach and might watch for the first time from home. Donations were welcomed through the website and the stream to help carry the organization through the pause.

We are grateful to ABC7 for helping spread the word. That Sunday night, our community gathered in chat windows and comment threads instead of on Shoreline Drive, and it still felt like Pride.

Read the full story at ABC7 Los Angeles.