Writer Isaiah Piche pictured on the left, with friends Jamie (center) and Kristie Norton (far right).
I kept a keen eye on my weather app. I set the location for Long Beach and tracked the clouds for about a week. I was looking specifically at May 20, 2019 – It landed on a Sunday and it was the day I hoping to attend Long Beach Pride.
There is something about Long Beach Pride that brings me back every year since I first started attending in 2010. Maybe it’s because it’s by the calming Pacific, kissing festival goers with a beautiful breeze. Maybe I have hopes that I will run into the guy who cuddled with me at my first Long Beach Pride, making me experience magical. Maybe it’s because Long Beach Pride is the first Pride event I ever attended, and I love taking up space. It’s probably a combination.
On Sunday morning it was raining. I checked my weather app and saw that it would clear up by 1 pm. Most of my friends were out of town, but I refused to let a fresh haircut, done eyebrows, and a fun outfit go to waste. I got ready in time for my 1:05 Access ride.
Long Beach Pride was very empty compared to years prior. I attributed the low turnout to the weather but later learned that false treats were perpetrating on social media. I went alone, but made plans with friends to meet at the festival.
It was also windy, but the sun was shining and it was perfect.
I arrived around 2 pm. I was alone but excited to see who I would run into. Years of going to Long Beach Pride allowed me to establish many friendships.
However, as I was entering the festival, I met a guy named Jaime and his beautiful friend Kristie Norton.
Norton, 30, lives with a muscular dystrophy condition called Friedreich’s Ataxia. “There are like 40 something different kinds,” she says. This year was also her first time at the Long Beach Pride festival.
“I went to the parade once like 7 years ago, before I was even out, I went with my sisters and my mom to support my sibling who was walking with the military vets (they are gender fluid) since then I’ve been meaning to go again but just never made it. This was my first time at the festival and I will definitely be going next year!” Norton says.
The festival was lit – everyone was in a good mood, the music was jumping, and navigating the event came with ease.
I was especially impressed by a designated bathroom area for disabled people. The setup held assistants, which calmed my mind over my outfit. Norton was just as pleased.
“Everyone was so awesome there that I met, I didn’t really run into any problems. The few lines I got in they put me right to the front,” she raves.
Other Pride events can learn a thing or two from Long Beach Pride. A Pride’s disorganization can severely hinder the entire experience for disabled individuals. A couple of years ago, when I was actually able to gain access into the festival grounds of LA Pride, the restroom situation was a free-for-all. Lines of people trailed behind disabled port-a-potties. The chaos and lack of privacy prepared my bladder for the Olympics; thus, taking away from my experience. Small gestures like letting us in for free, and setting up a restroom area, increases accessibility, and thus, overall enjoyability of the festival.
And I believe this leads to solidarity and understanding. I believe when people from different backgrounds can share the same space for a common purpose, then maybe LGBTQ+ liberation isn’t so far-fetched.
So to kickstart Pride season: HAPPY Pride! 🏳️🌈
