Pride festival slated for first time in Glendale

This May, for the first time, a pride festival celebrating LGBTQ awareness and acceptance will take place in Glendale.

Grey James, founder of Glendale Pride, said other communities have pride festivals, so why shouldn’t Glendale?

“Silver Lake, West Hollywood ... Why do I have to export my gay? Why can’t I be gay where I live?” James said in a statement.

James began working with Gary Freeman and Nick Macierz, with Ace/121 gallery and Roslin Art Gallery, respectively, and with Arno Yeretzian at Abril Books.

Soon, Gay-Straight Alliance chapters in the Glendale Unified School District joined the effort, James said.

“The dots started connecting quickly. People are showing up. Like everyone’s been waiting for this moment. I look at the group that is working on this, and I am so amazed and grateful. It’s very satisfying to witness this momentum and all the individuals driving it so kindly,” James said.

The pride event is the grass-roots effort of several Glendale-based organizations and volunteers, including glendaleOUT, Gay and Lesbian Armenian Society, Equality Armenia, the Blunt Post and with media sponsorship by Revry.

The festival, slated to take place from 3 to 9 p.m. May 30 in Central Park, 216 S. Brand Blvd., will be a free, family-friendly event, and everyone is welcome.

A kids’ village is expected to be created with a special space for unique programming such as drag queen storytelling.

A variety of music, food and entertainment will also be a part of the festival, organizers say, and the event will wrap up at sundown with a DJ-hosted dance party.

For more information about the upcoming event, visit GlendalePride.org.

Kellam writes for Times Community News.