Long Beach Post Photos Capture Crowds at the 2022 Pride Parade

On July 10, 2022, the Long Beach Post published a photo story from the 39th annual Long Beach Pride Parade, and the headline said it all: after a two-year hiatus, the crowds came back. Writer Anthony Pignataro reported that it was the first in-person parade since 2019, and that people packed Ocean Boulevard under overcast skies.

The Post noted the year’s theme, “Many voices, one spirit,” and that organizers billed the event as the third-largest Pride parade in California. The route ran from Ocean Boulevard and Lindero Avenue west to Alamitos Avenue.

Some of the best moments in the story come from the people on the curb. Tom Manderfeld, a Long Beach resident who told the Post he had been to at least 20 Pride parades, had a simple explanation for the size of the crowd.

It’s probably because people couldn’t be here for the last few years.

Tom Manderfeld, Long Beach resident, in the Long Beach Post

Another resident, Mike Kohel, told the Post he was glad to see more families out. First-time parade-goer Renee Trepagnier said she came as an ally to show her support.

The photos and story showed how much of Long Beach marched together. The Long Beach Fire Department, the Long Beach Police Department, the Port of Long Beach, Long Beach City College and the SoCal Pride Guard were among the entries, and city leaders joined the route as well.

One detail stayed with us long after the parade ended. Participants carried a quilted Pride flag 30 feet wide and 112 feet long, created together by the Museum of Latin American Art and the Long Beach AIDS Food Store. It was a beautiful reminder of how art, care and history come together on Pride Sunday.

The Post also shared that grand marshal Amy Schneider was unable to attend because of a family emergency. Our president, Elsa Martinez, sent the community’s love: “We send our best wishes to Amy and her family at this trying time.”

Thank you to the Long Beach Post for documenting a day so many of us had waited years to see. Seeing those crowds again was worth the wait.

Read the full story at Long Beach Post.