This Easter Sunday, Los Angeles’ West Hollywood Park experienced a surge of activity as hundreds gathered to express their solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community to protest the increasing number of laws targeting transgender individuals and drag performers.
The event, known as Drag March L.A., was a demonstration organised by the Los Angeles LGBT Center and saw a diverse crowd, comprising people of all ages, march along Santa Monica Boulevard, proudly displaying trans pride flags and carrying signs that read “queer to stay.”
West Hollywood Mayor Sepi Shyne addressed the gathering, saying, “From the moment we are born, we in the LGBTQ+ community have been fighting for our existence, for self-expression, and for freedom. An attack on drag in this country represents yet another assault on all of us.”
Mayor Shyne declared April 9 as Drag Day in West Hollywood, which will be celebrated annually.
This year has witnessed a record number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills being introduced across the United States, with new legislation emerging in state legislatures almost daily. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, over 450 bills have been introduced during this legislative session alone.
The urgency of this situation motivated Danni Garcia to participate in their first-ever protest. Having moved from Orlando, Florida, to the San Fernando Valley, Garcia expressed their concern, saying, “It’s absurd that people in other parts of the country are more preoccupied with trans youth and pronouns than with ensuring the safety of everyone. Drag shows don’t harm anyone.”