LOS ANGELES (June 1, 2022) – Christopher Street West Association Inc (CSW), the 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that produces the annual LA Pride celebration, announces its trio of grand marshals to herald the start of the June 12 official Pride parade in its original historic location within Hollywood. This year’s Pride grand marshals include legendary activist and trailblazer Sir Lady Java as this year’s Community Grand Marshal, out actor Mark Indelicato, as this year’s Celebrity Grand Marshal, and the newly created Icon Grand Marshal title given to longtime LGBTQIA+ ally and award-winning entertainer, Paula Abdul.
“LA Pride is excited to be back in person for our official parade! Returning to the historical location of Hollywood this year, we have the opportunity to celebrate our 50th anniversary in a wonderful way that we could not in 2020,” said Gerald Garth, CSW’s Vice President of Community Programs and Initiatives. “This year, we are especially excited to celebrate Sir Lady Java, a true icon, as our Community Grand Marshal. What’s more, she will be accompanied by Pose cast alum, Hailie Sahar, who will portray Java in an upcoming feature film about her storied life. It was very important to LA Pride that we lift history and legacy as a part of the parade this year, so this is a new and exciting moment.”
Paula and Mark will ride down the Hollywood parade route in custom Pride-wrapped Porsche 911 Cabriolets, courtesy of Porsche Experience Center, LA, while Lady Java and Hailie Sahar will ride in style in a vintage convertible to experience the full parade route.
As a popular LA nightclub star in the 1960s, Sir Lady Java was targeted by LAPD for violating “Rule Number 9,” a ban on “impersonation by means of costume or dress a person of the opposite sex.” Lady Java challenged the police, the law, and the City of LA, taking them all the way to the California Supreme Court. With some help from the ACLU, she won her case: Rule Number 9 was struck down. Java is a trailblazer and legend, and we celebrate this living pioneer of LGBTQ rights.
Mark Indelicato is best known for playing Justin Suarez, the fashion-conscious, musical theater-loving nephew on the hit ABC show, Ugly Betty, a character based on show creator, Silvio Horta’s experiences as a gay teen raised by a single mom. Mark is currently starring in the Emmy-winning HBOMax series, Hacks.
Continued Garth: “We’ve also created the Icon Grand Marshal. We recognize that there have been and are individuals who have shown themselves as long standing pillars in the LGBTQ+ community and work, and LA Pride is thrilled to honor Paula Abdul as our inaugural Icon Grand Marshal!”
A legendary performer and influential entertainer over her 40+ year career, Grammy and Emmy-winner Paula Abdul was a headlining act at the 2019 LA Pride festival. Paula also co-hosted the 2021 Pride digital experience on TikTok that was streamed by 700k+ allies and community members. Due to Paula Abdul’s unwavering and tireless support of the LA Pride organization over the past decade, she will be celebrated as the inaugural Icon Grand Marshal.
Parade Route and Community Day Details
The parade, which will also be live broadcasted 11am-1pm on long-time Pride broadcasting partner KABC/ABC7, will begin in Hollywood Sunday, June 12 at 10:30am PDT on Hollywood Blvd and Cahuenga Blvd heading west, then south onto N Highland, then turn east on Sunset Blvd, ending at Sunset Blvd and Ivar. LA Pride is happy to announce that people who were interested in its former June 10 Community Day can now enjoy PRIDE VILLAGE, a community-led, free street fair at Hollywood Blvd between Cahuenga and Vine, organized by The Hollywood Partnership, a business improvement nonprofit, in collaboration with LA Pride. Hours of operation are 10AM to 10PM on Parade Sunday, so people can enjoy PRIDE VILLAGE before, during, and after the LA Pride Parade with music, art, booths, food and drink, and of course, a ferris wheel!
A full line up of events and happenings at Hollywood Pride and Pride Village (and a map for Pride Village) can be found at https://hollywoodpartnership.com/hollywood-pride.
This year’s LA Pride celebrations are Presented by TikTok, with the generously support of our partners:
