The LA Pride Parade and Festival have taken place for the past 40 years in what is now the City of West Hollywood. At certain points in its long history, LA Pride has fallen under criticism for being less relevant, too focused on partying and/or commercial interests, and for lacking an educational component to teach people about LGBTQ history.
As such, the city convened a task force, which recommended the event “gradually extend the Pride Event to incorporate a month-long series of arts, film, cultural and social activities that celebrate the creativity and diversity of the West Hollywood/Los Angeles LGBT community.”
The City’s Arts & Cultural Affairs Commission (ACAC) has made the following modifications and enhancements to One City One Pride:
Grants- are applied for by organizations who wish to present LGBTQ art projects in the month of June.
Arts Coordinator- is now responsible for programming and principal coordination of the event.
Funding- is now provided by the council in the amount of $25,000.
Competition- Artists now compete to design a poster each year. Submissions come from artists from six continents, including submissions from several countries where gay activity is illegal.
Themes- now provide an annual focal point for programming.
To promote inclusiveness and equity, One City One Pride makes grants accessible to both arts organizations and individual artists. Additionally, the Transgender Arts Initiative (TAI) Grant addresses the historically low-representation of this community. Lastly, about 90% of One City One Pride programs are free to attend, making it accessible to anyone.
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