Brandy, Chromeo, ILoveMakonnen, Erika Jayne Headlining L.A. Pride
In addition to this year's resistance march, LA Pride will also include a weekend-long music festival headlined by R&B singer Brandy and Electro-funk duo Chromeo.
Pride organizers just released the lineup for the festival, which is set for June 10-11 in West Hollywood. All artists performing are either openly LGBT or known advocates to the community.
In addition to Brandy and Chromeo, featured artists will include Young M.A, Erika Jayne, Brooke Candy, Kat Dahlia, Aaron Carter, iLoveMakonnen, Spencer Ludwig, Starley, Tish Hyman, Leon Else, Connell Cruise and Jesse Møntana.
Organizers are expected to announce further details soon, including lineups for Latin, hip-hop and R&B fans.
Tickets for the event are on sale here, with general admission passes going for $35 and single-day tickets priced at $25.
Last year, LA Pride received some criticism for turning the city's annual pride parade into a three-day ticketed musical festival featuring an all-star lineup of performers including Carly Rae Jepsen, Charli XCX, Le1f, Hailee Steinfeld and over 50 others. Ticket prices were expensive and free events for lesbian women and transgender people were cut.
LGBT Californians rallied against what many considered to be the festival's attempt at a "gay Coachella" with the #NotOurPride movement. Organizers listened to the feedback and scaled back this year's festivities in response.
The main focus of this year's celebration will be the large scale protest march, though organizers have said that it's not an anti-Trump demonstration.
"It’s not a red thing or a blue thing," Brian Pendleton, a board member for Christopher Street West, told the LA Times. "It’s about marching for human rights, which are a Republican concept and a Democratic concept. We’re changing the format this year to let people know we care about human rights, whether you’re a woman, a Dreamer, or an LGBTQ person."
"We’re getting back to our roots," Pendleton concluded. "We will be resisting forces that want to roll back our rights, and politicians who want to make us second-class citizens."
