March 14, 2017 | Sex & Society

LA Pride to repeal and replace parade

In a move that feels like replacing Mardi Gras with Labor Day, the Los Angeles Gay Pride parade will this year transform into something called the Resist March.

The West Hollywood event, on June 11, will consist of “people moving through the streets” marching for human rights, said Brian Pendleton, of Christopher Street West, the nonprofit that organizes the multi-day LA Pride Festival.

Despite being called a Resist March, it's not being billed as a protest against Donald Trump.

“It’s not a red thing or a blue thing,” Pendleton told the LA Times. “It’s about marching for human rights, which are a Republican concept and a Democratic concept. … We’re changing the format this year to let people know we care about human rights, whether you’re a woman, a Dreamer, or an LGBTQ person.”

Perhaps they ought to have called the thing a Solidarity March, rather than a Resist March. Better yet, why not  simply rename it a Gay Pride March this year, with a political theme, but still preserve the fun aspects like floats and marching bands. It's important to celebrate how far we've come, as well as acknowlege the challenges before us.