Callin’ all the queers: It’s time for the Big Gay Takeover in Downtown Long Beach

Please, please, the gays are trying to murder us—or, well, they’re at least bringing the Big Gay Takeover to Pine Avenue in Downtown Long Beach on Aug. 24 from 4PM to 10PM.

At first, the Big Gay Takeover was rightfully on the beach, attracting hundreds of queers and allies for some quality community and party time on the sand. This time around? They want to make it a bit more urban, taking over the stretch of Pine Avenue between Broadway and 3rd Street in DTLB. Live music. Art. Food. Carnival games. Drag shows (claro). Dancing (obvi). Full bar (of course). And perhaps most importantly? It’s a fundraiser for a newly minted annual event that is just as important to the queer community as it is within the larger conversation about Long Beach events.

So what, exactly, is the Big Gay Takeover and should straight people be scared?

The Big Gay Takeover first launched last year as a part of what is now becoming an annual tradition, the Be Proud! Fest. (Which was dubbed Long Beach Proud! Fest last year.) It was part of the three-day celebration across May 19, 20, and 21: An invite to the Gayborhood and bar crawl along Broadway on day one; a massive party at Bixby Park, in conjunction with the city’s Beach Streets event, that included three different stages as well as food and bars on day two; and the Big Gay Beach Takeover to end it out.

This year’s event is significant because it is a fundraiser for this year’s upcoming Be Proud! Fest on Sept. 28. Yup: 100% of the proceeds will go to making the much-loved community event possible. Last year, tens of thousands of people made their way to Bixby Park for the inaugural event—and that is part of a more extensive discussion we’re going to have about why these community alternatives to city-funded, city-sanctioned Pride with a Capital P events are essential. It also happens to be connected to a larger push from the Downtown Long Beach Alliance to activate Pine Avenue.

Oh, and the only thing straight people should be scared of is having fun and being in an audience that wants you to be your authentic self. Speaking of which…

Hold up—Be Proud! Fest sounds like an important part of the community. And that’s because it is.

Be Proud! Fest was born out of a bit of controversy but mostly around need. After all, there’s a reason tens of thousands of people showed up to the free event at Bixby Park last May.

The controversy? Long Beach Pride—that’s the formal, massive annual event that has been going on in the city for four decades—had been perpetually altering its date post-pandemic.

The reason this irked many within the queer community is the fact that, historically, Long Beach Pride was hosted each year in May, kicking off pride season nationally. And that sparks some civic pride as well as queer pride. Come 2022, Long Beach’s second-largest event was moved to a sweltering July date followed by an even more sweltering August date in 2023.

This is where Be Proud! Fest stepped in for the community: Partnering with the city’s massively successful Beach Streets event, Be Proud! took over all three parcels of Bixby Park. And brought with it a sense of belonging and bubbly boisterousness, camaraderie and celebration, and a genuine reclamation of our streets and park spaces as human spaces; as spaces worthy of community, connection, and inclusivity.

The Big Gay Takeover is part of a larger conversation about queer events in the city

That brings us to larger, albeit more difficult, discussions we need to have about events in the city, especially Pride. And that is whether it is Pride with a Capital P events or much more grassroots events like Be Proud! Fest.

Let’s just have a frank conversation: Long Beach Pride has not been without its drama and concerns over the years. From facing serious fiscal problems and accusations of inner-circle shady behavior to a lack of diversity on their board and an archaic name that lasted for over 30 years… And yes, some of that has changed. But the organization looks, well, disorganized when this year, it not only moves the festival (yet again) back to its original kick-off date, they do so the very week Be Proud! Fest had opted to have its second annual outing.

The politics of it all look very warped and, from a purely communal level, the snatching of the very weekend Be Proud! Fest had pulled permits for looks petty and bully-ish (especially when Long Beach Pride asked Be Proud! to simply fold themselves into their own event). Even more, there needs to be more Pride events. The more, the merrier.

“We should be able to have multiple pride celebrations throughout the city, not just one,” Be Proud! Fest founder Sal Flores said last year. “There is room for more celebrations of our queer community and both celebrations are valid and have a purpose as both celebrations can live in harmony… I hope Be Proud! Fest brings people that sense of community, pride, and belonging—but most importantly a sense of home. We want our brothers and sisters to be proud of their neighborhood, be proud of our local vendors, local talent, and our local queer community.”

Can we get an amen?

Big Gay Takeover will take place on Pine Avenue between Broadway and 3rd Street in Downtown Long Beach on Aug. 24 from 4PM to 10PM.