Over 175,000 people participated in the 38th annual lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Pride Parade on Sunday, June 8, in Los Angeles. This year’s celebration had extra significance because of the May 15 California Supreme Court ruling overturning the ban on same-sex marriage. An estimated 375,000 people attended the three days of pride festivities.
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The Party for Socialism and Liberation and the ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) marched in the parade holding political banners and signs and chanting slogans. Slogans on the banners and placards read “Equality for all, same sex marriage rights now!” “Stop bigotry now!” and “Stop the right-wing amendment!”
The PSL’s contingent featured Lucilla Esguerra, PSL member and out lesbian, who is running for State Assembly in the 48th District on the Peace and Freedom Party ticket. Parade goers lining the march chanted along with the contingent’s slogans, including “What do we want? Equality! When do we want it? Now!” and “Gay, straight, Black, white—same struggle, same fight!”
Thousands pledged their commitment to fight against the right-wing constitutional amendment on the ballot in November that would ban same-sex marriages in California. Many signed the PSL’s petition for full marriage equality and vowed to vote for PSL candidates in the November 2008 elections. PSL presidential candidate Gloria La Riva and vice presidential candidate Eugene Puryear have full equality for LGBT people as a key component of their platform.
This year’s pride festivities in Los Angeles were not only a celebration of the recent marriage victory; they were also a reminder of the heroic struggle waged by the LGBT community against discrimination and bigotry and a pledge of continued struggle for equality in the future.
To read more about Lucilla Esguerra’s candidacy for the California State Assembly, District 48, click here. To read more about other PSL candidates running in local and national elections, click here.
