CBS LA Shares News That Long Beach Pride Returns in 2022

On July 28, 2021, CBS Los Angeles carried the news many of us had been waiting two years to hear. Long Beach Pride announced that the festival and parade would return in person, with a three-day celebration planned for July 8, 9 and 10, 2022, along Shoreline Drive in downtown Long Beach.

The station described what people could expect: live music and dance performances, local artists, community programming and food from local restaurants and food trucks. CBS also explained who stands behind the event, noting that the nonprofit Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride presents it with a mission to “produce and support activities that educate, encourage and celebrate pride, inclusion and respect for humanity.”

Our president, Elsa Martinez, spoke for everyone on the board and every volunteer who had been holding on through the pause.

This festival feels like a wonderful comeback for Long Beach Pride and all our guests. We have missed all of them.

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

The story also covered a change in timing. Pride in Long Beach had long been a May tradition, and the 2022 dates moved it to July. Martinez explained the thinking behind the shift.

We changed the date of the festival and parade to be able to enjoy the incredible setting that we have historically used with warmer weather and longer days.

Elsa Martinez, via CBS Los Angeles

Reading this coverage again, what stands out is the relief in it. After a postponement in 2020 and an online celebration in 2021, this was the first concrete promise of a homecoming on the waterfront. CBS Los Angeles noted that more details would be shared on our website as plans came together, and they were, one announcement at a time over the following year.

Martinez called it “a long awaited celebration of our entire LGBTQ+ community,” and that is exactly how it felt. We thank CBS Los Angeles for sharing the news so widely, and we thank our community for waiting with us.

Read the full story at CBS Los Angeles.