11 fantastic ways to celebrate your creative L.A. spirit during Pride Month
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Pride Month, which officially starts Sunday, is already in full swing and continuing through June with a host of activities and events. (After Long Beach Pride in mid-May, West Hollywood, Los Angeles, Venice, Santa Monica, San Fernando Valley, Catalina Island and other communities are following up with their own Pride celebrations.)
Although there is no shortage of opportunities for enjoying this worldwide celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, this year seems like a particularly pivotal time to partake in activities that uplift queer arts programs.
In 2025 and beyond, arts and culture funding is facing increasing threats of cancellation and cuts by the Trump administration. Los Angeles is home to numerous forms of art, but nothing is guaranteed to last forever. And in a world increasingly dominated by AI and virtual technologies, engaging with our imaginations can play a more important role than we might realize.
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“I think more than ever people need to embrace the arts because we don’t know how much time we have left or how bad things can get,” said Lucé Tomlin-Brenner, a queer comedian and filmmaker who hosts the film-comedy show “Video Visions” at Highland Park video rental store Vidéothèque.
“We have to get into the practice of recognizing that what makes us feel free and joyful matters because that will strengthen us for the hard times,” she said. “If we’re just despairing, if we feel like we’re trapped already, then they’ve won because we’re not using our voices or our talents to change our realities.”
From protests and parades to the homes of early gay rights activists, the Southland has played a key role.
So this Pride Month, along with celebrating via boozy drag brunches and dancing at the Pink Pony Club until the sun rises, partake in L.A.-area activities that serve as a lifeline for queer community and creativity.
From learning how to use oil paints to discovering queer films streaming networks ignore and sewing your own Pride flag, opportunities abound throughout June to connect with your imagination and help ensure the survival and growth of local arts programs.
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Unleash your emotions through dance at Punk’s Not Dead, It’s Queer
Pico-Union Event
(Tyler Giffin)
From 10 p.m. to midnight Saturday, gather in Pico-Union for a night of raucous and rebellious performances infused with punk energy. (The ticket fee is $23.) Hosted by burlesque school Empowerment in Heels, catch a cadre of LGBTQ+ artists as they perform drag, aerial acts and burlesque with backing from a live band.
An opportunity to channel your inner punk, Punk’s Not Dead, It’s Queer is a night for shaking off current events and letting your body do the talking.
An opportunity to channel your inner punk, Punk’s Not Dead, It’s Queer is a night for shaking off current events and letting your body do the talking.
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Learn oil painting techniques at Nova Community Arts
Atwater Village Arts
(Gray Lamb)
Imagine sitting at a long table, brush in hand as you paint the tableau in front of you while surrounded by fellow artists from the local queer community. That can be your reality from 6 to 8 p.m. June 19 at Atwater Village-based Nova Arts Community, which has been hosting a Queer Art Hang series every Thursday since opening in 2021.
Taught by queer painter and writer Jason Peckham, the LGBTQ+ Intro to Oil Painting class (the fee is $80; supplies included) guides participants of all skill levels through the techniques needed to paint a still life with a queer twist. Past painting subjects have ranged from florals, fruits and frogs to clown dolls and adult toys.
Other upcoming workshops in the Queer Art Hang series include risograph printing, life drawing and beaded bracelets.
Taught by queer painter and writer Jason Peckham, the LGBTQ+ Intro to Oil Painting class (the fee is $80; supplies included) guides participants of all skill levels through the techniques needed to paint a still life with a queer twist. Past painting subjects have ranged from florals, fruits and frogs to clown dolls and adult toys.
Other upcoming workshops in the Queer Art Hang series include risograph printing, life drawing and beaded bracelets.
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Enjoy stand-up comedy based on queer films at Vidéothèque
Highland Park Comedy Show
(Video Visions)
“Video Visions,” an improvised stand-up show held at Vidéothèque, one of the last remaining video stores in L.A., is celebrating Pride Month with a queer movie night from 8 to 10 p.m. June 26. (The entry fee is $10, and drinks and snacks will be available for purchase.) The monthly event includes screenings of six film clips that a roster of totally unprepared comedians must then blindly riff on. June’s Pride Month-themed show will focus on “queer joy” with films that highlight the power of reclaiming rights and finding pleasure in community. Show host Lucé Tomlin-Brenner makes sure to select films from across decades and genres. She hints that the June show might include some lesser-known queer-coded horror films made between the 1930s and 1960s.
Expect to laugh and learn about obscure films that streaming algorithms might ignore, and don’t miss out on the concession stand, which serves candy and fresh popcorn in classic red-and-white paper buckets.
Expect to laugh and learn about obscure films that streaming algorithms might ignore, and don’t miss out on the concession stand, which serves candy and fresh popcorn in classic red-and-white paper buckets.
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Get a professional portrait taken at Junior High
Glendale Arts
(Margaret Leyva)
Portrait Day at the Glendale art space Junior High is an opportunity to get high-quality portraits taken by a professional photographer at an affordable price ($50). Less cringey than the mall portrait opps of yore, the June 27 Pride Portraits event from 2 to 8 p.m. is conducted in a fun, inclusive environment with creative scenery designed by photographer Margaret Leyva. Past backdrops have included a faux rose garden, classic harlequin patterns and a massive satin-shrouded heart cutout.
Pose solo, with a group of up to four people (allies included) or with your pets. Each photography session lasts 15 minutes and results in five edited digital photos. Appointments must be booked ahead of time.
Some might argue you can just as easily snap a photo using your phone, but it won’t be as memorable of an experience. Or come with the opportunity to mingle with (and maybe even emulate) queer Angelenos as they serve a lewk.
Pose solo, with a group of up to four people (allies included) or with your pets. Each photography session lasts 15 minutes and results in five edited digital photos. Appointments must be booked ahead of time.
Some might argue you can just as easily snap a photo using your phone, but it won’t be as memorable of an experience. Or come with the opportunity to mingle with (and maybe even emulate) queer Angelenos as they serve a lewk.
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Soak up decades of queer photography at the Getty
Brentwood Art Museum
(The J. Paul Getty Museum)
From June 10 to Sept. 28, the Getty will show more than a century of LGBTQ+ history and culture captured on film with two Pride Month exhibitions: “Queer Lens: A History of Photography” and “$3 Bill: Evidence of Queer Lives. ” With snapshots and portraits captured by photography greats such as Andy Warhol, David LaChapelle and Man Ray, the collections chart the highs and lows experienced by the queer community over the decades. Viewers will get glimpses into pivotal historic moments dating as far back as 1870, including on-the-ground scenes from the first Pride parade in 1970 in New York and the Sip-In that took place at New York City’s Julius’ bar in 1966.
The Getty, which has free admission, is having other Pride-themed events throughout the summer, including a presentation of “The Dyke Show” by Joan E. Biren, a discussion of homoeroticism in ancient Greece and various free performances, talks and films.
The Getty, which has free admission, is having other Pride-themed events throughout the summer, including a presentation of “The Dyke Show” by Joan E. Biren, a discussion of homoeroticism in ancient Greece and various free performances, talks and films.
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Mingle and mold clay at Still Life Studio
Santa Monica Art studio
(Kiki Liu)
Let your hands do the talking as you mold figurines and trinket boxes at Still Life Studio’s Play With Clay: Queer Mixer from 6 to 8 p.m. June 14. (The fee is $45.) Launched as a one-time event during last year’s Pride Month, the mixers, which are spearheaded by the studio’s LGBTQ+-identifying staff, proved so popular, they’ve turned into monthly events at Still Life Studio’s downtown L.A. (588 Mateo St.) and Santa Monica locations.
Students receive 1.5 pounds of clay and two hours of time to mold, schmooze and paint as many pieces as they can. Instructors provide group and one-on-one guidance on how to hand build and glaze mugs, vases, planters, sculptures and anything else your imagination can come up with. The finished pieces are ready to be picked up around three weeks later.
Students receive 1.5 pounds of clay and two hours of time to mold, schmooze and paint as many pieces as they can. Instructors provide group and one-on-one guidance on how to hand build and glaze mugs, vases, planters, sculptures and anything else your imagination can come up with. The finished pieces are ready to be picked up around three weeks later.
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Watch queer and campy films for $10 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
Mid-Wilshire Museum
(Betsy Youree / Academy Museum Foundation)
Those who love movies that are “so bad they’re good” should check out the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ Summer of Camp! series. Launching Sunday with fan-favorite “Mommie Dearest” and ending on Aug. 30 with “Drop Dead Gorgeous,” the 25 films in the series range from exploitation oddities (“Reefer Madness”) and trailblazing stereotype challengers (“To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar”) to black comedy horrors (“Frankenhooker”) and the outright ridiculous (“White Chicks”). There are also a few triple features themed around film legends such as Joan Crawford and Elizabeth Taylor.
The $10 general-admission films invite viewers to embrace the uncanny and over-the-top, with the screenings shown interchangeably at the museum’s two state-of-the-art theaters.
The $10 general-admission films invite viewers to embrace the uncanny and over-the-top, with the screenings shown interchangeably at the museum’s two state-of-the-art theaters.
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Get in the singing spirit with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles at the Saban Theatre
Beverly Hills Performing Arts Theater
(Gregory Zabilski)
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles is closing its 48th season with “Dancing Queens,” a blockbuster finale celebrating more than 20 iconic dance songs. The Pride Month event, which caps every yearly season of the chorus, spans multiple genres, including musical theater, pop, film soundtracks, R&B and disco. Although the full song list is kept under wraps, the chorus’ 200 singers, plus guest artists Kristine W and Bruce Vilanch, have revealed they’ll perform popular melodies from the likes of “Singin’ in the Rain,” Lady Gaga, Luther Vandross, Earth, Wind & Fire and Donna Summer.
Past Pride Month concerts have focused on Disney hits and famous female singers, but this year’s event is sure to get your toes tapping harder than ever. Designed to incite joy, “Dancing Queens” will be at the Saban Theatre on June 21 and 22, and yes, you’re allowed to sing along. Tickets range from $45 to $125.
Past Pride Month concerts have focused on Disney hits and famous female singers, but this year’s event is sure to get your toes tapping harder than ever. Designed to incite joy, “Dancing Queens” will be at the Saban Theatre on June 21 and 22, and yes, you’re allowed to sing along. Tickets range from $45 to $125.
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Get high and decorate pottery at Pot Studio’s Pride event
Jefferson Park Art studio
(Pot Staff)
Bring your own booze and cannabis to the Pride edition of Pot Studio’s popular Pot & Paint class from 7 to 9 p.m. June 27. (The fee is $58.) Instead of slogging through the timely, technical aspects of molding a piece of pottery and waiting for it to fire, skip right to the part where it’s ready for you to paint. All of the supplies are provided at this queer community-focused event, and attendees can choose from a long list of unpainted objects, including rainbow vases, rolling trays, pipes, ashtrays, planters, wavy vases and skull lanterns. For an extra fee, select the bong or stash book from the “top shelf” of items to paint.
The workshops are intended to be safe spaces for all queer-identifying folks, with other LGBTQ+-focused events planned for the summer such as Queer Throwing and Makeup & Skincare 101.
The workshops are intended to be safe spaces for all queer-identifying folks, with other LGBTQ+-focused events planned for the summer such as Queer Throwing and Makeup & Skincare 101.
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Crack up over relatable queer stories at the Crow at Bergamot Station Arts Center
Santa Monica Arts
(Cary Qian)
Storytelling merges with stand-up for Storyectomy: Family Pride, a live comedy event featuring LGBTQ+ community members, allies and professional comedians at the Crow inside Bergamot Station Arts Center in Santa Monica. With two shows at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. June 21, this pay-what-you-can event aims to celebrate queer lives with humorous tales that are relatable and personal.
Earlier in the day, the self-described “mom-owned comedy club” is putting on a drag queen storytime event at the Santa Monica Pier and an all-ages improv show called “Pull My Finger.”
Earlier in the day, the self-described “mom-owned comedy club” is putting on a drag queen storytime event at the Santa Monica Pier and an all-ages improv show called “Pull My Finger.”
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Decorate your own Pride flag with the Radical Sewing Club
Huntington Park Arts Space
(Dora Hernandez)
The focus for Radical Sewing Club’s classes throughout the month of June are on making your own personal Pride flag. Held every Wednesday night at Art Space Huntington Park, the $10 classes provide canvas flag templates for crafters that can be hung on walls or attached to a pole, along with the tools, sewing machines, fabrics and trimmings to decorate them with. Fashion your flag after the lesbian flag, in the hues of the nonbinary flag, embroider it with a protest phrase or come up with your design — anything goes!
From 6 to 9 p.m. June 25, the last class of the month, crafters will show off their flag creations and celebrate with a group potluck. Classes are drop-in and do not require advanced RSVP.
From 6 to 9 p.m. June 25, the last class of the month, crafters will show off their flag creations and celebrate with a group potluck. Classes are drop-in and do not require advanced RSVP.
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