Pride president outraged at California city officials for abruptly canceling festival — then officials fire back

Members of the LGBTQ+ community were outraged after one of the largest Pride festivals in Southern California was canceled just hours before it was scheduled to begin.

Long Beach city officials shut down the festival on Friday and accused the organizers of failing to provide them critical safety and operational documentation required for the event.

'This decision comes at a moment when LGBTQ+ people are facing escalating attacks from the current federal administration and from political forces across the country.'

The city's attorney sent a cease and desist order to the organizers right before the start time.

"The City notified the organizer that it had failed to timely submit the required application materials and supporting documentation necessary for permit review and issuance. As a result, no special event permit has been approved or issued for the events," Dawn McIntosh said in the letter.

Long Beach Pride President Tonya Martin lashed out at the city in a statement Friday demanding that it "protect and uplift" the LGBTQ community, but she did not say whether the group had provided the proper documentation.

"Long Beach Pride is deeply disappointed by the City's decision to cancel the Long Beach Pride Festival, a long-standing community institution built by volunteers, sustained by love, and rooted in the belief that every person deserves to live openly, safely, and with dignity," the lesbian wrote.

"This decision comes at a moment when LGBTQ+ people are facing escalating attacks from the current federal administration and from political forces across the country," she added.

On Saturday, the city responded with a rebuttal described as "aggressive" by the Advocate, an LGBTQ+ news outlet.

According to the city, organizers still had not submitted approved structural plans for the stages and trusses, approved electrical plans, detailed security plans, or sufficiently detailed site plans that identify critical infrastructure locations.

The city said most festivals of that size completed the documents 65 days in advance and that they had worked with the organizers all the way until the day of the event to try to get it to work out.

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The city also pointed out that it had to step in three years ago to keep the event going but had intended to do so as a one-time commitment. It has since continued funding and managing the parade.

Despite the cancellation of the festival, the Pride parade went on as scheduled.

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