After a successful Pride event and protest last year, the organizers of Huntington Beach's first unofficial Pride celebration have announced they'll be coming together once again on Huntington Beach Pier on the afternoon of May 19.
It's a big undertaking for the group Pride at the Pier, which has expanded in the last year from an informal group of concerned citizens and organizers into a nonprofit organization. They've expanded to a volunteer staff of nine, and they hold regular events in support of the Huntington Beach and Orange County LGBTQ community.
That expansion was partly because of the response that organizers received at last year's event, as well as the ongoing political climate in Huntington Beach. Last year, the council council restricted city libraries from giving children access to books with any sexual content. And Measure A, which would allow the city to require voters to show identification in municipal elections, appears to be headed for victory this month.
"We had so many people who came up to us and said things like, 'Hey, I didn't know that there were this many queer people in this community,' or, 'I really would like to get involved but I don't know how,' or, 'I wanted to go and speak at city council but I didn't know if there's going to be anybody else there that I felt safe with,'" said Kanan Durham, executive director of Pride at the Pier.
The group formed partly in response to Huntington Beach's 2023 ban on flying the LGBTQ pride flag on city property, reversing a policy passed by a more liberal version of the city council just two years ago.
"I love going to a Pride event as much as any other LGBT person," Durham said. "The folks in Laguna Beach, or the folks in L.A., or the folks in West Hollywood, for individuals in those communities, Pride is a party. And I love that, right? There's nothing wrong with having a party."
But with Huntington Beach's more conservative city council, as well as other threats to trans, non-binary, and other LGBTQ people across the country, the organizers saw a need to take a different approach.
"The roots of Pride have always been in joyful resistance," Durham said. "And Huntington Beach is one of the many cities in Orange County right now that needs a show of joyful resistance."
The organizers will have even more joy this year: Durham said he's planning to incorporate local queer artists and performers who will busk along the pier.
And while last year's event was a grassroots gathering with no permits, Pride at the Pier is working with local officials to obtain permits, as well as other organizations interested in having tables at the event, in the hopes of doing things in the biggest way possible.
Another big difference from last year: The organizers will be sharing information about the event more widely, since organizers were worried in 2023 that anti-LGBTQ groups might come to the pier.
"That's not what happened," Durham said. "We had far, far more people last year who were there in support than the handful of bullies that we experienced."
The organizers chose May 19 for the event to coincide with Harvey Milk Day, as well as the one-year anniversary of last year's Pride at the Pier. And while the event will be the same day as Long Beach Pride parade, Durham hopes to draw attendees from that morning's Pride parade.
"We are holding our event in the afternoon with the hope that people who may be choosing to go to the Long Beach Pride parade can just hop on PCH and come on down and join us," Durham said.
For updates about the event, visit Pride at the Pier's Instagram.
