CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT MORE COVERAGE OF OUTLOUD AT WEHO PRIDE
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA- This year’s WeHo Pride Parade marked approximately my eighth time photographing the event, and despite covering hundreds of concerts, festivals, and public gatherings over the years, few assignments have remained as consistently rewarding. Every June, Santa Monica Boulevard becomes a corridor of celebration where individuality isn’t merely accepted—it is enthusiastically embraced. The faces change, the music evolves, and each year’s conversations are different, but one thing has remained remarkably constant: the joy.
That consistency felt especially meaningful this year.
In the days leading up to the parade, much of the public conversation centered on the announcement of Kathy Hilton as the event’s Grand Marshal Icon. The decision drew criticism from members of the LGBTQ+ community who questioned whether the honor reflected the values and history of Pride. Following those discussions, the City of West Hollywood, WeHo Pride organizers, and Hilton jointly announced that there would be no Grand Marshal Icon for the 2026 parade, emphasizing that Pride ultimately belongs to the community it celebrates.
For a brief moment, it seemed possible that the headlines might overshadow the event itself.
They didn’t.
By the time the first contingents began making their way west along Santa Monica Boulevard, the conversation had shifted away from controversy and toward the people who have always been the heart of Pride. Thousands of spectators lined the streets, cheering for every group that passed. Rainbow flags waved from sidewalks, floats rolled by with infectious energy, and music spilled into every corner of West Hollywood as marchers danced, laughed, and celebrated together.
From behind my camera, I found myself drawn less to the spectacle than to the smaller, quieter moments unfolding between it all. Parents lifting children onto their shoulders for a better view. Friends embracing after spotting one another across the street. Couples holding hands without a second thought. Volunteers exchanging high-fives with strangers. Those fleeting interactions have always been among my favorite photographs because they reveal something deeper than colorful costumes or elaborate floats ever could.
Pride has never been simply about putting on a parade. At its core, it remains an affirmation that every person deserves the freedom to exist authentically and without apology. While that message may sound familiar, witnessing it expressed so openly… and by so many people at once… never loses its impact.
One of the qualities that has always impressed me about WeHo Pride is how naturally it welcomes everyone. The parade belongs first and foremost to the LGBTQ+ community, but it also creates space for families, allies, neighbors, visitors, and those who may still be figuring out where they belong. Among the thousands watching from the sidewalks were undoubtedly people attending their very first Pride celebration. Some may have come to support someone they love. Others may have arrived carrying questions of their own. Whatever brought them there, they found themselves surrounded by a community demonstrating that authenticity isn’t something to fear. It’s something worth celebrating.
That kind of visibility carries a significance that extends well beyond a single afternoon.
Representation is often discussed through politics, film, television, or social media, but there is something uniquely powerful about seeing real people living openly in public spaces. For someone who has never experienced that kind of affirmation firsthand, simply witnessing thousands of others doing so can make the world feel a little less isolating. Pride doesn’t provide all the answers, nor does it need to. Sometimes its greatest strength lies in offering reassurance that no one has to navigate their journey alone.
As I reviewed the images from this year’s parade, I realized that my favorite photographs weren’t necessarily the loudest or most elaborate. They were the genuine expressions that unfolded between the scheduled moments: the spontaneous laughter, the emotional reunions, the knowing glances, and the quiet confidence etched across so many faces. Those are the moments that continue to define WeHo Pride for me.
Nearly a decade into photographing this event, I keep expecting the feeling to become familiar enough that it might lose some of its emotional impact. Instead, the opposite has happened. Every year offers new faces, new stories, and new reminders of why visibility matters.
This year’s WeHo Pride Parade arrived carrying the weight of an unexpected controversy, but it concluded the same way the best Pride celebrations always do: with the community itself taking center stage. Once the music started, the floats rolled, and the marchers filled Santa Monica Boulevard, the headlines faded into the background. What remained was a city celebrating the freedom to live openly, love unapologetically, and welcome others to do the same.
After eight years behind the lens, that is still the story I find myself most compelled to tell.
Follow WeHo Pride on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram
CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT MORE COVERAGE OF OUTLOUD AT WEHO PRIDE
******************************************
LIVE CLIPS
CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT MORE COVERAGE OF OUTLOUD AT WEHO PRIDE
