11 fantastic ways to celebrate your creative L.A. spirit during Pride Month
Pride Month, which officially starts Sunday, is already in full swing and continuing through June with a host of activities and events. (After Long Beach Pride in mid-May, West Hollywood, Los Angeles, Venice, Santa Monica, San Fernando Valley, Catalina Island and other communities are following up with their own Pride celebrations.)
Although there is no shortage of opportunities for enjoying this worldwide celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, this year seems like a particularly pivotal time to partake in activities that uplift queer arts programs.
In 2025 and beyond, arts and culture funding is facing increasing threats of cancellation and cuts by the Trump administration. Los Angeles is home to numerous forms of art, but nothing is guaranteed to last forever. And in a world increasingly dominated by AI and virtual technologies, engaging with our imaginations can play a more important role than we might realize.
'I think more than ever people need to embrace the arts because we don't know how much time we have left or how bad things can get,' said Lucé Tomlin-Brenner, a queer comedian and filmmaker who hosts the film-comedy show 'Video Visions' at Highland Park video rental store Vidéothèque.
'We have to get into the practice of recognizing that what makes us feel free and joyful matters because that will strengthen us for the hard times,' she said. 'If we're just despairing, if we feel like we're trapped already, then they've won because we're not using our voices or our talents to change our realities.'
So this Pride Month, along with celebrating via boozy drag brunches and dancing at the Pink Pony Club until the sun rises, partake in L.A.-area activities that serve as a lifeline for queer community and creativity.
From learning how to use oil paints to discovering queer films streaming networks ignore and sewing your own Pride flag, opportunities abound throughout June to connect with your imagination and help ensure the survival and growth of local arts programs.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
37 minutes ago
- CNN
BTS members discharged from South Korean military
BTS members discharged from South Korean military One of the world's biggest boybands could soon be making a comeback with six out of seven members of K-Pop supergroup BTS now discharged from South Korea's mandatory military service. The band plans to reunite at some point later this year. 00:47 - Source: CNN Vertical Trending Now 14 videos BTS members discharged from South Korean military One of the world's biggest boybands could soon be making a comeback with six out of seven members of K-Pop supergroup BTS now discharged from South Korea's mandatory military service. The band plans to reunite at some point later this year. 00:47 - Source: CNN Rare deep-sea squid filmed alive for first time Scientists have captured the first-ever footage of the elusive Gonatus antarcticus squid alive in its deep-sea habitat. CNN's Jeremy Roth describes the rare encounter. For more on this story, visit 01:12 - Source: CNN Trump draws boos and cheers at Kennedy Center President Donald Trump drew charged reactions of both admiration and ire at the Kennedy Center's opening night of "Les Misérables." 00:29 - Source: CNN The many adventures of the Stanley Cup Winner's of the NHL's Stanley Cup each get to take the cup for a day and do whatever they want with it. CNN's Coy Wire recounts some of the Cup's wildest days out. 00:43 - Source: CNN Man throws wood boards at police during high speed chase An individual in the bed of a white truck dumped large wooden boards onto the road during a high-speed chase with law enforcement officers in Montgomery County, Ohio. Later, the truck drove the wrong way on Interstate 75 and caused a six-vehicle collision. No life-threatening injuries were reported after the accident, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office. 01:20 - Source: CNN Combs requests mistrial for a second time CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister explains that Sean "Diddy" Combs' defense team requested a mistrial for a second time, which was denied. Combs' team accused the prosecution of presenting false testimony from Bryana Bongolan, a friend of Cassie Ventura's, who testified that Combs dangled her over a balcony. 01:26 - Source: CNN Tennessee sheriff's office airlifts escaped zebra to safety DEK: A zebra, that escaped from its owner in Christiana, Tennessee was captured on Sunday and airlifted to safety by the local sheriff's office. The animal, named Ed, had been reported missing just a day after he was acquired by its owners in Rutherford County. They have since been reunited. 00:35 - Source: CNN Jamie Foxx breaks down during BET Awards acceptance speech Jamie Foxx was overcome with emotion while accepting the Ultimate Icon Award at the BET Awards. He reflected on his 2023 health scare. 00:45 - Source: CNN See what's coming to your iPhone and other Apple devices Apple announced major software updates at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. Most of the new features won't reach users' devices for a few months when OS 26 releases this fall. 01:49 - Source: CNN Journalist explains 'huge win' for Blake Lively in Baldoni lawsuit A judge dismissed Justin Baldoni's $400 million defamation lawsuit against Hollywood power couple Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, a major development in the ongoing civil litigation between former co-stars Lively and Baldoni. Executive editor for Deadline Hollywood Dominic Patten joins CNN's Brianna Keilar to discuss. 00:36 - Source: CNN Blake Lively's lawyer on Taylor Swift's role in legal fight CNN's Jake Tapper speaks with Blake Lively's attorney Michael Gottlieb about how Taylor Swift was brought into the legal fight between Lively and Justin Baldoni. 01:04 - Source: CNN Coco Gauff reacts to winning the French Open Coco Gauff claimed her second career grand slam singles title, defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the French Open women's final. 00:46 - Source: CNN 'More of a protest than it used to be': Pride takes on DC The 50th anniversary of Pride celebrations has kicked off in the nation's capital this weekend with World Pride 2025. CNN's Julia Benbrook spoke to members and supporters of the LGBTQ community as they gathered in Washington, DC, to hear why some traveled hundreds of miles to attend. 01:06 - Source: CNN Former 'Diddy' girlfriend reveals 'love contract' A former romantic partner for Sean 'Diddy' Combs using the pseudonym 'Jane' described feeling financially coerced and revealed Combs is still paying for her rent, even as she testified against him at trial. Prosecutors hope the testimony by 'Jane' will drive home charges that include sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges. 01:30 - Source: CNN
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
MAGA Boxer Ryan Garcia Punches Back At Donald Trump: ‘I Can't Stay Silent…'
MAGA boxer Ryan Garcia has turned on Donald Trump and slammed the president over his administration's aggressive immigration raids in Los Angeles. Garcia has previously praised Trump as 'the best president' and shadowboxed for him during a visit to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. He even once wrote on social media, 'Love you Trump,' and fiercely defended him in other posts. But on Thursday, Garcia ripped Trump in response to his controversial immigration crackdown that has sparked protests in L.A. and to which Trump has deployed the National Guard, a move that has been slammed as a major, unneeded and divisive escalation by critics. 'I may have voted for Trump, but I can't stay silent about what's happening with ICE in L.A.,' Garcia wrote on X, formerly Twitter. 'These aren't just 'illegals' or statistics they're people,' pointed out the Victorville-born and raised pugilist, whose grandparents were born in Mexico and who often enters the ring with both the American and Mexican flags. 'Hardworking immigrants, especially Mexicans, who pay taxes, raise families, build our communities, and are part of the people we love,' Garcia continued. 'Ripping them away from their homes is not just policy it's pain. We can have borders without losing our humanity.' Garcia was last year expelled by the World Boxing Council for using racial slurs during a livestream. He's also come under fire for anti-LGBTQ remarks. 'Daily Show' Audience Erupts Over Desi Lydic's Trump Parade Realization Trump Ducks 'Les Misérables' Character Question, Internet Brutally Answers It For Him Jimmy Kimmel Spots Exact Moment Trump's Mar-A-Lago Turned Into 'Insane Asylum'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Nintendo scores a hit with Switch 2, but can it keep the streak alive?
Less than a week in, Nintendo's hot new Switch 2 handheld video game console is already breaking sales records—including ones set by its iconic predecessor. Starbucks just developed an ingenious way to add 15 grams of protein to almost any drink RIP to the almost future of computing: Apple just turned the iPad into a Mac 5 ways to rewire your brain for happiness Nintendo announced Wednesday that the Switch 2 has sold more than 3.5 million units around the globe, crowning it the fastest-selling Nintendo console of all time. Considering the massive success of the first Nintendo Switch and the longtime success of the Nintendo DS—the second-best-selling console of all time, just behind the PlayStation 2—that's an impressive distinction. 'Fans around the world are showing their enthusiasm for Nintendo Switch 2 as an upgraded way to play at home and on the go,' Nintendo chief operating officer Doug Bowser said. 'We are thankful for their response and happy to see the fun they are already having with Nintendo Switch 2, as they explore new features and games that bring friends and family together in new ways,' he added. For comparison, Nintendo moved 2.74 million units of the original Nintendo Switch the first time around, in 2017. Those were already impressive numbers at the time, with a month of Nintendo Switch sales passing 20% of the Wii U's sales across the odd hybrid console's entire lifespan. The first Nintendo Switch has sold more than 152 million units as of March of this year, putting it on track to eclipse the record of the Nintendo DS, which sits at 154 million units. The Switch 2 launched on June 5, following a preorder period that saw the consoles sell out online in a flash. Prior to the midnight release, gamers around the globe lined up outside Nintendo flagship stores and chain retailers, fittingly killing time playing games on their soon-to-be last-generation handhelds during the original Switch's waning hours. Nintendo's Switch 2 doesn't reinvent the wheel—but with the wheel still rolling so well, why would they? The Switch 2, which retails for $450, boasts a larger 1080-pixel screen, a beefier processor that can run more complex games, enhanced social features, and an improved software shop. (Switch fans know that the eShop update alone could justify an upgrade.) The new console launches with Mario Kart World, an open-world version of the cartoonish racing game that's defined Nintendo consoles since the Super Nintendo. While the Switch 2 might be a little tough to track down for a while, inventory woes won't hold a candle to Sony's rocky next-gen console launch in late 2020. Gamers hoping to snag a PlayStation 5 upon its debut often came up empty-handed as the global chip shortage and sky-high pandemic demand squeezed the console's supply. Sony only declared its supply chain woes officially over three years later. Nintendo is facing intense demand with the Switch 2, but these days Trump's tariffs were the company's main launch concern. The Japanese company pushed back preorder plans in April as it navigated challenges the trade war might pose to its global sales. This post originally appeared at to get the Fast Company newsletter:
