West Hollywood Pride draws thousands to street fair amid grand marshal dispute

Thousands filled West Hollywood's streets Saturday for the OUTLOUD Music Festival and Pride Street Fair, even as community criticism over the removal of Kathy Hilton as the weekend parade's grand marshal shadowed the festivities, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

Performers and attendees said this year's WeHo Pride weekend carried added urgency, as anti-trans legislation continues to advance across the country and transgender artists are using visibility on stage as a form of advocacy.

By Saturday evening, the WeHo Pride Street Fair had drawn thousands of attendees, with live entertainment and food vendors lining the streets ahead of a concert by the Pussycat Dolls, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

Attendee James Thoman described the atmosphere at the fairgrounds. "The crowd, the energy, everything is like, here. Everybody together, and just love each other," Thoman said.

Among the performers was Sasha Allen, the first openly transgender artist to reach the top eight on the television competition "The Voice." Allen said the political climate transformed her appearance into an act of advocacy. "I almost felt like a sense of responsibility with how things are in this nation, the bills being passed that hurt trans people like every single day. You see it all the time in the news, and I felt like, as someone with a supportive family and friends and a support network, it was important for me to be visible," Allen said.

The weekend's celebrations were not without controversy. Event organizers removed Kathy Hilton from her role as the parade's grand marshal earlier in the week following community criticism over her selection, ABC7 Los Angeles reported. Attendee Matt Harkenrider said the episode sent a broader message. "Maybe this is a wake-up call for her to be more outspoken and show with her actions, like how she actually is on the side of the community and the working people," Harkenrider said.

The WeHo Pride Parade is scheduled for Sunday, bringing the three-day celebration to a close.

The WeHo Pride weekend, encompassing the OUTLOUD Music Festival, a street fair and Sunday's parade, ran June 6 through 8, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.