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Long Beach Gay Pride 2008 Pictures

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Sr. Lupita of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in dramatic yellow, red, and white face paint at Long Beach Pride 2008
Sr. Lupita, a Sister of Perpetual Indulgence,
Long Beach Pride Parade 2008
© John Corney 2008
June is LGBT Pride month in America, with Southern California's celebrations kicking off at the Long Beach Pride Festival toward the end of May. These events are a gift for photography — color, spectacle, and every flavor of self-expression a crowd can muster, without much need to go looking for it. Long Beach delivers on all three: pageant contestants working the crowd in their sashes, a procession of the always-theatrical "Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence" — among them, as I've since learned, Sr. Lupita, pictured above — a cyclist pausing mid-route, and, because no Pride parade is complete without one, the usual contingent of Christian protestors along the sidelines. Sr. Lupita turns out to be something of a recurring face in my archive; I've photographed her before, in a post of her own. Below is a selection from that day, reflecting the diversity of gay pride, Long Beach, 2008.
A drag queen in an elaborate white gown holds parasols amid a colorful floral display A parade participant in a golden feathered headdress and matching costume Two shirtless young men in camouflage cargo pants pose together at the parade A Sister of Perpetual Indulgence poses under a black lace parasol in elaborate white makeup and headdress A procession of Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and other costumed marchers A cyclist in a plaid cycling cap and striped jersey pauses at the parade route Contestants wearing Mr. Gay pageant sashes at the Long Beach parade Two glamorously dressed parade-goers in ornate hats wave to the crowd A blond parade-goer poses against a backdrop of red, white, and blue balloons A parade participant in a straw hat with a rainbow band and beaded necklace A woman with striking spiked orange-and-black hair in the crowd A marcher wearing an orange lei helps carry a parade banner A parade-goer in an oversized blonde wig and dramatic makeup Two friends in matching San Diego Pride t-shirts share a laugh A parade rider leans out the window of a support vehicle A young man holds a Christian Center banner among the parade crowd A parade participant dressed in a pink baby costume, complete with bonnet and pacifier Two young men share an affectionate moment at the festival
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Comments

Anonymous said…
Love the lollipop guy!! And the Hot guy showing off ain't bad either.

Great pictures from a great event.

xoxo,
Lesli
June 22, 2011 at 10:35 AM
Anonymous said…
Love the lollipop guy!! And the Hot guy showing off ain't bad either.

Great pictures from a great event.

xoxo,
Lesli
June 22, 2011 at 10:35 AM
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