The Fight Spotlights Long Beach Pride 2022 Headliners

In June 2022, as the countdown to our return to the waterfront got serious, The Fight magazine gave its readers a full preview of the 39th annual Long Beach Pride festival and parade. The June 22 story covered the dates, July 9 and 10, along with a free Teen Pride celebration on Friday, July 8.

The headline names told the story. Iggy Azalea, Paulina Rubio and Natalia Jiménez led the lineup, and The Fight also highlighted Sonora Tropicana, the Selena tribute group Amor Prohibido Band, Gia Banks from the series Legendary and hip hop artist YoYo. For the dance floor, the magazine listed a circuit dance pavilion powered by Reload, with DJ Alexander, DJ Alex Acosta, DJ Kidd Madonny, DJ Nina Flowers and Grammy-winning producer DJ Tony Moran.

Our president, Elsa Martinez, set a high bar in the piece.

This year’s Long Beach Pride will be our biggest, and will become the gold standard for Pride festivals across the globe.

Elsa Martinez, President of Long Beach Pride, in The Fight

What we loved most about this coverage is how much room it gave to the community side of the festival. The Fight walked readers through Community Walls where guests could leave messages, a drag makeup station, a Family Fun Zone, a Senior Fun Zone with music and karaoke, a rainbow roller rink and a silent disco.

The story also described the Transcendence Dome, a space honoring trans women of color who pioneered Pride and the history they made. Building that space mattered deeply to us, and seeing it featured alongside the headliners felt right.

Martinez explained the thinking behind all of these additions in the article, saying the festival wanted to tell its story in a way that “honors the struggle, celebrates the community, and captivates new generations.”

The Fight has long been a voice for LGBTQ+ Southern California, and we appreciate the care it took in sharing our plans. Within a few weeks, those plans became a weekend on Shoreline Drive.

Read the full story at The Fight.