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Queen Latifah Will Headline Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride Festival
Photo by Urbanworld Film Festival via Flickr
Long Beach Pride has its own queen: Dana Owens aka Queen Latifah will be heading the 2-day festival next weekend.
"For Queen Latifah to make her worldwide pride debut here in Long Beach is a tremendous testament to the popularity of our celebration and the strength of our community," Pride co-President Pat Crosby said, in a statement.
It's a big deal for the Long Beach festival, but it's also putting the rumormill about the actress/singer's sexuality into overdrive: some see her choice to headline the pride festival as a sign that she's ready to come completely out of the closet (or not).
Queen Latifah will perform on-stage on May 19 around 8:30 pm, and pride organizers suggest you get there much, much earlier. The festival and parade could draw as many as 75,000 revelers over two days, the Long Beach Press-Telegram reports.
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The event goes from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on May 19 and May 20. It will be held along Shoreline Drive at Rainbow Lagoon and Marina Green parks. Admission is $20. The parade will be at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday May 20, and it will go from Redondo Avenue to Alamitos Avenue. Visit the festival's website for more info.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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