(Additional pictures can be found in part 2 here: https://la.indymedia.org/news/2025/06/302676.php.)

For an afternoon it was possible to forget that fascism has taken over the country (albeit, that’s a luxury here in Southern California). The atmosphere was joyous, fun, and friendly. Unlike the Pasadena Rose Parade, people tended to be amiable and considerate.

Various organizations represented community services. Some advertised free STD examinations and treatment, including AHF (https://www.freehivtest.net/). (Near the parade route was also a tent offering free STD tests.) Other organizations present included Extraordinary Families: A Program of Allies for Every Child (their banner read, “foster with pride, adopt with love”); The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health; and Planned Parenthood.

The several pro-LGBTQ+ churches participating included First Unitarian Church, United Methodist Church—Hollywood and Westwood—and All Saints Church (with the slogan “you are loved”).

During a time when corporations are caving to tr*mp and other Nazis (e.g., Target discontinuing DEI and Pride flags), plenty of corporations are continuing to participate in Pride. They included various banks, airlines (including American), Mattel (with the slogan “play is for everyone”), and media like Universal (“pride is Universal”), and KTLA.

Local businesses also had large parade entries, including The Abbey, Mickey’s Hamburger Mary’s, and Out of the Closet.

As is usual during peak times in WeHo, sidewalks and streets were strewn with discarded beverage cans and bottles on Santa Monica Blvd., but this time several unofficial individuals collected them, presumably to redeem, filling up large trash bags.

"Play is for everyone."

Besides being thrift stores, they offer free AIDS tests.