Parade participants during the 2022 Long Beach Pride Parade, along Ocean Boulevard, Sunday July 10, 2022. Photo by Stephen Carr.
It was overcast Sunday morning at the start of the 39th annual Long Beach Pride Parade, but the crowds didn’t seem to care. The first in-person parade since 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the celebration drew some of the largest crowds in memory with thousands of people lining Ocean Boulevard.
This year’s parade’s theme was “Many voices, one spirit,” and organizers billed it as the third-largest Pride parade in California.
Parade participants during the 2022 Long Beach Pride Parade along Ocean Boulevard, Sunday, July 10, 2022. Photo by Stephen Carr.
Tom Manderfeld, a Long Beach resident who said he’s attended at least 20 Pride Parades, thought everyone seemed more enthusiastic than in past years.
“It’s probably because people couldn’t be here for the last few years,” Manderfeld said.
Mike Kohel, another Long Beach resident who said he has attended many Pride Parades in the past, said he was heartened to see more families out this year.
There were many first-time attendees as well, like Laseni Williams, who lived just off the parade route and showed up to sell a few Pride T-shirts and fly a drone over the crowd.
Parade participants during the 2022 Long Beach Pride Parade. Photo by Stephen Carr.
Renee Trepagnier, who also said it was her first time attending the Long Beach Pride Parade, said she was an ally and wanted to show her support.
As in years past, the parade began at the intersection of Ocean Boulevard and Lindero Avenue and then proceeded west to Alamitos Avenue.
The SoCal Pride Guard during the 2022 Long Beach Pride Parade. Photo by Stephen Carr.
A wide variety of agencies and corporations participated in the parade, including the Long Beach Fire Department, the Long Beach Police Department, the Port of Long Beach, Wal-Mart, and Virgin Orbit, among others.
Mayor Robert Garcia participated in the parade as well, riding down Ocean Boulevard on a bicycle while wearing a “Keep Abortion Legal” T-shirt.
Parade-goers pose with Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia. Photo by Stephen Carr.
This year’s parade grand marshal was to be Amy Schneider, the most successful woman ever to compete on the Jeopardy! game show, and the only openly transgender contestant ever to qualify for the show’s Tournament of Champions, but she canceled shortly before the parade due to a family emergency, according to a July 8 statement from Long Beach Pride.
“We send our best wishes to Amy and her family at this trying time and hope that she will be able to join us in person at next year’s event,” said Elsa Martinez, president of Long Beach Pride.
Parade goers during the 2022 Long Beach Pride Parade. Photo by Stephen Carr.Large crowds lined Ocean Boulevard. Photo by Stephen Carr.It was one of the largest crowds for Pride in memory. Photo by Stephen Carr.Many parade-goers held signs promoting abortion rights. Photo by Stephen Carr.Parade-goers during the 2022 Long Beach Pride Parade. Photo by Stephen Carr.Many people watched from balconies along Ocean Boulevard. Photo by Stephen Carr.Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish was one of many Long Beach city officials who attended. Photo by Stephen Carr.Onlookers during the 2022 Long Beach Pride Parade. Photo by Stephen Carr.Former Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna rode in the parade. Photo by Stephen Carr.Congressman Alan Lowenthal also rode in the parade. Photo by Stephen Carr.Parade participants during the 2022 Long Beach Pride Parade. Photo by Stephen Carr.Parade participants during the 2022 Long Beach Pride Parade. Photo by Stephen Carr.Many floats rolled along Ocean Boulevard. Photo by Stephen Carr.Parade-goers during the 2022 Long Beach Pride Parade. Photo by Stephen Carr.Parade-goers cheer during the 2022 Long Beach Pride Parade. Photo by Stephen Carr.Parade onlookers celebrate the return of Pride in Long Beach. Photo by Stephen Carr.Long Beach Pride Run participants receive awards before the 2022 Long Beach Pride Parade. Photo by Stephen Carr.Parade-goer Holly Grater under a Disney rainbow made of balloons. Photo by Stephen Carr.Members of the So Cal Pride Guard perform during the 2022 Long Beach Pride Parade. Photo by Stephen Carr.Parade participants during the 2022 Long Beach Pride Parade. Photo by Stephen Carr.Riders rolling down Ocean Boulevard as part of the Pride Parade. Photo by Stephen Carr.Long Beach City College parade participants during the 2022 Long Beach Pride Parade. Photo by Stephen Carr.Thousands of people lined Ocean Boulevard to watch. Photo by Stephen Carr.Parade-goers during the 2022 Long Beach Pride Parade. Photo by Stephen Carr.Onlookers cheer and wave. Photo by Stephen Carr.The Port of Long Beach float. Photo by Stephen Carr.Tom Wang cheers on parade participants. Photo by Stephen Carr.Parade participants during the 2022 Long Beach Pride Parade. Photo by Stephen Carr.Onlookers wave and cheer during the Long Beach Pride Parade. Photo by Stephen Carr.Parade participants carry the 30-foot-wide, 112-foot-long quilted Pride flag created in collaboration with the Museum of Latin American Art and the Long Beach Aids Food Store. Photo by Stephen Carr.Parade participants carry the 30-foot-wide, 112-foot-long quilted pride flag created in collaboration with the Museum of Latin American Art and the Long Beach Aids Food Store. Photo by Stephen Carr.
Anthony Pignataro is an investigative reporter and editor for the Long Beach Post. He has close to three decades of experience in journalism leading numerous investigations and long-form journalism projects for the OC Weekly and other publications. He joined the Post in May 2021.
