A PARADE FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY
At STIIIZY, we recognize the importance of demonstrating support for our LGBTQIA+ family. That’s why during this Pride Month, we celebrated diversity in our backyard at Orgullo Fest, the 3rd Annual Boyle Heights Pride Festival.
STIIIZY Joint Efforts volunteers who live and work locally in Los Angeles, were invited to march in the Orgullo Fest Parade and hold the #LoveWillKeepUsTogether banner throughout the route, which culminated a block from the historic Mariachi Plaza.
Elders, families, and youth were invited to dance and march in the street alongside community organizations like the Translatina Coalition, Latino Equity Alliance, and The Walls Las Memorias, while neighborhood street vendors and food trucks lined East 1st street with authentic Latinx cuisine. Throughout the festival, drag performers and impersonators filled the main stage, while transgender activist, Bamby Salcedo, and singer performer, Fedro, served as the parade’s Grand Marshals.
WHAT IS ORGULLO FEST?
“Orgullo Fest” refers to a celebration of LGBTQIA+ pride, often known as a Pride festival. The term “Orgullo” is Spanish for “pride,” and these events are typically held to commemorate the LGBTQIA+ community’s progress and raise awareness about their ongoing struggles for equality and acceptance. During these festivals, there are usually parades, parties, cultural activities, workshops, and other events to promote LGBTQ+ rights, visibility, and inclusivity.
Orgullo Fest events take place during Pride Month, which is celebrated in many parts of the world in June. Historically, in Los Angeles the annual Pride parades were almost exclusively hosted in West Hollywood. Times have certainly changed, with Pride celebrations now spanning throughout Southern California, and even outside the month of June.
These festivals are an opportunity for the LGBTQIA+ community and its allies to come together, celebrate diversity, and advocate for equal rights and respect for all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression.
STIIIZY is delighted to participate in Pride celebrations like Orgullo Fest, which continue to bring together the unique identities and queer histories that exist and survive in East Los Angeles, just 1.2 miles from our flagship store, STIIIZY DTLA.