The Long Beach Pride Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday, May 16 and 17, from 11 am to 10 pm, along East Shoreline Drive. On Sunday, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom will lead the parade as Grand Marshall.
Mayor Gavin Newsom allowed more than 4,000 same-sex couples to wed over a four-week period in February 2004 before the California Supreme Court ordered a stop to the ceremonies. Subsequently, the Court said the city acted improperly by granting the marriage licenses and annulled the unions. The court voided nearly 4,000 same-sex marriages that had occurred in the city, ruling that city officials did not have authority to bypass state law.
In May of 2008, the California Supreme Court reversed that decision, validating the right of same sex couples to marry in the state. In November, the voters cast their votes to reverse the court’s decision. As the LGBT awaits the decision of the high court as to whether Proposition 8 will stand, the LGBT community in Long Beach will celebrate with Newsom in anticipation of rights being restored either by the court or by the people ultimately.
(Photo: Newsome as keynote at the Lambda Human rights Dinner in October 2008)