On Easter Sunday, thousands of activists, including drag queens and allies, marched in West Hollywood to protest against the more than 400 anti-LGBTQ+ bills tabled in 2023 alone. Organized by the Los Angeles LGBT Center, alongside more than 40 other LGBTQ+ groups, faith organizations, and queer activists, the demonstration aimed to raise awareness of the wave of vile anti-LGBTQ+ legislation currently sweeping the United States.
The legislation mainly targets trans and gender non-conforming people, and puts forth bans on gender-affirming care, involvement in competitive sports, and drag performances. The organizers of Drag March LA highlighted that this is a crucial moment for the LGBTQ+ community, and the march aimed to show solidarity and resistance against these discriminatory laws.
The event started at 11 am in West Hollywood Park, with speeches from West Hollywood Mayor Sepi Shyne, Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, and Los Angeles LGBT Center CEO Joe Hollendoner. They addressed the crowd and denounced the bills, emphasizing the importance of standing up for LGBTQ+ rights.
Performances from Ru Paul’s Drag Race alumni Kerri Colby and Honey Davenport then followed the speeches. Colby described the event as “so beautiful” and “so powerful,” adding that this is the start of something revolutionary. “I feel like it’s so important for me, and I hope that it’s so important for all of us here, to stand and fight and be a voice for those who don’t have a voice. This is not just a fun little moment to gather and meet with friends, this is our life,” Colby stated.
A one-hour long march then followed, with people donning their ‘Sunday best’ drag in a colorful display of solidarity and defiance. Colorful signs, including “Hate is a Drag,” “Drag is NOT a crime,” and “Legislate guns not makeup,” were held aloft by protestors while chants echoed through the streets. Aerial video footage taken during the march shows the scale of the protest, with huge swathes of people visibly marching down the heart of West Hollywood.
According to Hollendoner, the Center’s Drag March is a nod to the origins of the LGBTQ+ movement, when the first demonstrations started in opposition to moral policing and anti-crossdressing laws designed to impose a singular ideal of gender and sexuality onto citizens. “It is no mistake that today’s ‘Drag Bans’ are accompanied by a sweeping movement to ban access to gender-affirming care; we are fighting for our right to privacy, bodily autonomy, self-determination, and freedom of expression,” Hollendoner said.
The event showed that the LGBTQ+ community is willing to come together and fight against discrimination, even during a pandemic. The march demonstrated the community’s resilience, strength, and ability to come together to make their voices heard.