Long Beach

The Long Beach City Council gave final approval Tuesday to a ban on summer events that would serve alcoholic beverages or charge a fee at Shoreline Aquatic Park, dashing a lesbian and gay pride festival planned in June at the facility.

Organizers of the annual event indicated they were surprised by the council’s decision, saying they had hoped Councilman Marc Wilder would try to prevent the summer prohibition.

Wilder opposed the summertime ban when it first appeared before the council Oct. 1. When his colleagues favored the prohibition at that time, Wilder said he might push to have it lifted at a later council meeting and expressed confidence he had the needed votes.

But when the matter came before the council for final approval Tuesday, Wilder voted for the ban. He could not be reached for comment.

Judith Doyle, president of the group pushing the gay pride event, said admission charges and the sale of alcoholic beverages are needed to raise money for charity and defray the cost of putting on the annual festival.

She said the group now would likely hold the festival in May, but that such a change would break the tradition of holding gay pride festivals in June to commemorate the New York riots of 1969 that sparked the gay pride movement.