On Sunday morning, holding a sash and tiara next to a friend in paper wings, Malia Haven Espinoza was running down Hollywood Boulevard. She had to catch a float.
The 32-year-old trans woman and human resources business partner, who was named Ms. LA Pride several weeks ago, joined the throngs of marchers and revelers in Hollywood on Sunday. 54th Annual LA Pride ParadeOne of the oldest celebrations of LGBTQ+ culture in the US
“I was inspired by the trans women I looked up to growing up,” Espinoza said. “So I’m happy that I’m now the person I looked up to and aspired to. I hope to inspire the younger generation as well.”
Rainbow colors shone on Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue despite the June haze, and parade-goers occupied prime spots as early as 8 a.m., three hours before the parade’s expected start.
Businesses were decorated with banners representing several LGBTQ+ groups, including rainbow, transgender, and pansexual flags. The dinosaur atop Ripley’s Believe It or Not! was wrapped in a colorful scarf, oversized heart-shaped glasses and a sign displaying “Power in Pride,” and anthems from gay icons like Donna Summer and Madonna played.
Parade director Mariella Spirelli said about 5,000 people will march in the parade this year, including LGBTQ+ icon and former “Star Trek” actor George Takei and Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley. The city’s first female and first fire department chief. Spirelli said about 100,000 people are expected to attend the parade.
Espinoza said her friend Karina Kendrick, with angel-like tissue-paper wings and white fur-covered calfskin boots, is her “trans mother” who helped her with her transition at age 18.
Pointing to the wings, Kendrick, a 37-year-old hairdresser, said she was dressed like a “trans angel.”
“I felt according to the Bible, angels were neither male nor female, so I am incorporating that into my outfit,” she said.
This year’s Pride celebrations, which kicked off last weekend in West Hollywood, come in the shadow of a political battle over the rights of transgender youth in California schools. Last month, there was an effort to pressure schools to require teachers to inform parents of changes in their child’s gender identity and to limit access to gender-affirming care. Failed to qualify for the November ballot.
Supporters have vowed to try again in the future, though Democrats in Sacramento have introduced a bill to ban such policies and California Attorney General Rob Bonta has sued a conservative school district that implemented a similar measure in 2023.
Whereas National LA Times poll The poll found that support for gay marriage, same-sex couples raising children and efforts to protect gay people from job discrimination has increased significantly recently, and that Americans are less supportive of transgender and nonbinary people.
Spirelli said that although Sunday’s march in Hollywood was always intended to be a celebration, organizers and participants never lost sight of the focus on civil rights.
“As celebratory as it is, the parade started out of protest. We definitely never lose that essence, while keeping it celebratory and making it a safe space for the community,” he said. “We definitely encourage our groups to make it clear that this is a First Amendment parade, so they can express what’s top of mind each year.”
Gina Campa, 56, arrived early from Palm Springs to make sure she got a prime spot. Wearing rainbow socks with a progressive Pride flag and matching sunglasses, Campa wore a custom Taylor Swift T-shirt similar to the one the singer wore in her “22” video.
Campa, who has been a regular at the Pride Parade since 2006, stressed that the event is about celebrating the freedom to come out and remembering the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, from the Stonewall riots onwards.
Campa said she grew up in a strict Christian family. When she was 18 and told her mother she was gay, her mother accused her of being “possessed by demons.” She did not fully come out to her until age 34, after her mother’s death.
Crowds of spectators streamed in as the parade began around 11 a.m. A group of bikers called the Motorcycle Contingent for Equality were revving their engines, honking horns and waving rainbow flags.
Kendrick, who underwent a medical transition at age 18, recalled a time when resources for transitioning were scarce and medical care was often obtained through the black market. Though she believes acceptance of trans people will eventually grow, she expects backlash and fear-mongering to continue for the time being.
Until then, Espinoza said he has a message for the haters: “We will continue to fight, be proud, be visible, and lead the way.”
