City of Santa Monica to Celebrate Diversity and Accomplishments, Shed Light on Challenges Faced by LGBTQ+ Community during Pride Month

June 1, 2021 11:29 AM


SANTA MONICA, Calif.
  The City of Santa Monica will celebrate Pride 2021 with the month-long lighting of City Hall in rainbow colors and a series of educational, uplifting events during the month of June. The public is invited to stop by City Hall during the evenings to view the lighting and take photos. Community members are also encouraged to attend a series of events focused on increasing visibility and understanding about the broad spectrum of gender identities and experiences within the LGBTQ+ community particularly those who are trans and gender non-conforming. As part of the City’s commitment to advancing racial equity and its ongoing series of events focused on the effects of racism on historically marginalized groups, programming for Pride will also elevate the voices and experiences of Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) who are part of the LGBTQ+ community.   

Below is the list of events community members are invited to attend in honor of Pride Month.

City Council Proclamation, Tuesday, June 8, 2021, 6:30 p.m. 

The City Council will proclaim June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month with a special proclamation written by local poet Terry Wolverton. Join us for a reading and presentation on Santa Monica’s work to support the LGBTQ+ community. 

You can watch the City Council meeting on YouTube at youtube.com/Citytv16santamonica. 

BIPOC, Queer and Proud: An Intersectional Discussion Centering Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Members of the LGBTQ+ Community, June 10, 2021 from 6-8 p.m. 

A panel discussion featuring local Queer activists and leaders who will discuss the joys, struggles, barriers and belonging that are unique to the BIPOC Queer community. Panelists will touch upon topics including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, high murder rate of Black transgender women, homelessness among LGBTQ+ adults and youth, and the toll of discrimination both within the LGBTQ+ community and outside of it. Panelists will also explore the intersectional impact of race, gender and sexuality, overcoming biases, protecting their own energy, and thriving in these times. This event is open to the general public. 

Register and learn more on Eventbrite 

Pride at the Beach, June 15, 2021 at 4 p.m. 

Red Hen Press and the Annenberg Community Beach House present Pride at the Beach featuring Kazim Ali, Carlos Allende, Judy Grahn and Joe Jiménez, with conversation moderated by Ching-In Chen. These five incredible LGBTQ+ writers will share their work and discuss what the future of PRIDE looks like in a post-pandemic world and how we can increase the visibility, representation, and support for BIPOC writers and their experiences in the LGBTQ+ community. 
 
The event will be livestreamed at santamonica.gov/beachculture, and the recording will be viewable online afterward. This is part of a series of summer literary readings in partnership with Red Hen Press. Sign up for updates from Santa Monica Cultural Affairs here and Annenberg Beach House here 

Advancing Trans Equity: A Discussion during a Time of Heightened Visibility and Attacks, June 24, 2021, 6-8 p.m.  

Join us for an engaging conversation with nationally recognized trans leaders, who work locally in the fields of healthcare, law, professional sports, and the workforce, as they discuss the pressing issues of our time and offer solutions to many of the barriers that the trans community faces. Indeed, the hard-fought visibility for the trans community has had some positives, but this surge in visibility has also vastly outstripped any real improvement in the material conditions of trans peoples’ lives. While trans visibility in the media has increased exponentially (albeit predominately transphobic coverage of “trans issues”), organized transphobic campaign groups have proliferated and legal attacks on trans rights have ramped up to a level we have never seen. Panelists will discuss these issues and what we can do at a city level, at a community level, and in our own personal lives to advance Trans Equity, and create a better, safer, and more inclusive world for our trans neighbors, friends, and community members.  

You won’t want to miss this discussion. Register and learn more on Eventbrite.  

Queer Prom, June 25, 2021, 7-10 p.m. 

Samohi’s Queer Prom is back this year in a COVID-19-safe format, sponsored by the Samohi Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA), Church in Ocean Park, and the City of Santa Monica. The theme for this year's Queer Prom is Enchanted Forest Masquerade Ball, so get ready to dance the night away in this magic-filled event. For more information and to RSVP, check out the Eventbrite page or email gsasamohi@gmail.com  

Pride Reading Lists from the Santa Monica Public Library 

The Santa Monica Public Library is inviting folks of all ages to celebrate Pride through reading: 

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Media Contact

Constance Farrell
Communications & Public Information Manager
Constance.Farrell@santamonica.gov

Categories

Arts, Culture & Fun, Get Involved, Library, Programs, Strategic Priorities

Departments

City Manager's Office