LONG BEACH PRIDE
PREVIEW
QUEENS WILL RULE
No small number of queens turn out annually for Long
Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride but one queen will rule them all this year: Queen Latifah. Organizers scored a major coup when they secured the Grammy-winning, Oscar- nominated singer and actress to perform her first-ever engagement at a Pride celebration anywhere in the world. She will grace the festival’s Bud Light Main Stage 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 19.
by chris carpenter 34 RAGE monthly | MAY 2012
Since her debut on the hip-hop music scene in 1989, Queen Latifah has
broadened her talents to the genres of R&B, pop, jazz, gospel and musical theatre, as well as into TV and motion pictures. Her turn as conniving prison matron Mama Morton in the 2002 film version ofChicago scored her an Acad- emy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She has also starred in such movies as Bringing Down the House, Beauty Shop, Last Holiday, Hairspray and this year’s Joyful Noise. “Queen Latifah is a voice of our generation and her concert here will be phenomenal,” said Long Beach Pride Co-President Pat Crosby. “For her to make her worldwide Pride debut here in Long Beach is a tremendous testa- ment to the popularity of our celebration as well as to the strength of our community.” Long Beach Pride is one of the largest LGBT gatherings in the U.S., drawing
80,000 people last year from across the country. The 29th annual festival will take place Saturday and Sunday, May 19 and 20 along Shoreline Drive in downtown Long Beach and will also boast performances by The Village People, Evelyn Champagne King, Adaawe, Thea Austin, country-western singers Dudley Saunders and Landon Cider, Miami’s Andres Cuervo and Norka and numerous DJs spinning in the Dance Tent. For a full schedule of Pride events and performances,
visitlongbeachpride.com. For many locals and visitors, the highlight of Long Beach Pride weekend
is the annual Pride Parade that wends its way along Ocean Boulevard. This year’s parade will step off onSunday, May 20 at 10:30 a.m. Pre-parade festivi- ties take place at 9:30 a.m. at Bixby Park, Ocean Boulevard and Cherry Avenue and will include music fromDJ Zenway, fun with the Sisters of Perpetual In- dulgence and a pep rally featuringCheer L.A. The parade itself features spec- tacular floats by LGBT and mainstream organizations, outrageous costumes, swag giveaways and appearances by political and other community leaders. Josh Flagg, star of Bravo’s hit seriesMillion Dollar Listing, will be serving as
grand marshall for this year’s parade. In addition to being a mega-successful real estate broker and television personality, Flagg is a published author and philanthropist. He serves on the board of the Friends of Greystone, which donates time and money to the restoration of the fabled Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. Flagg will surely be checking out Long Beach’s own million- dollar homes along the parade route. Of course, the biggest queen in Long Beach—literally and figuratively—is
the retired Queen Mary ocean liner. This year, the Queen Mary will be host- ing its first “Proud Mary Weekend” in conjunction with Long Beach Pride. On-board events will include Poseidon, a three-story, all-night dance party sponsored by The Rage Monthly and the LGB2Netowrk, the night of Satur- day, May 19. Poseidon will feature DJ Manny Lehmann spinning, amazing aerial performers, breathtaking go-go dancers and a live performance by international pop sensationAmannda, whose current single “The Only One” is burning up the charts. Tickets for Poseidon are $50. Pride-goers can recover from Poseidon or other intense festival experienc-
es at a special Pride Brunch the morning of Sunday, May 20 on the Queen Mary’s Verandah Deck. $24.95 will buy attendees a light brunch buffet, a complimentary Mimosa or Bloody Mary, panoramic views of Long Beach harbor and the soulful house and trance sounds of guestDJ Kimberly S. “We are thrilled to host Proud Mary Weekend and introduce these two
incredible events during Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride,” enthused Steve Sheldon, the Queen Mary’s Director of Entertainment Events. “We can’t think of a better place to celebrate Pride than aboard the city’s biggest Queen!”
For more details, visit
queenmary.com/pride
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