Over the weekend, May 16–17, Long Beach held it’s 32nd annual Long Beach Pride Festival and Parade. Hosted by Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride, and sponsored by Budwiser, this year’s festival attracted 35000 people to participate in and view the parade on Sunday alone. The total number of patrons to attend over the entire weekend is as of yet unknown.

One of the most striking things about this festival, and trust me there were many, is that upon entering the very first vendor tents to be seen were occupied by various religious groups. At first, I rolled my eyes, thinking that they were there to try and convert these people who came to the one place where they thought they wouldn’t be judged. That is, until someone from one of these groups approached me.

Her was Pastor Brenda Bos, who serves at Christ Lutheran Church in San Clamente, but was at the pride festival with So Cal Lutherans . Pastor Bos, who happens to be married to a woman, said that the church groups that were there wanted homosexual people to know that there are churches out there who love and accept everyone and all types of families.

“We have been at Long Beach pride for several years, maybe 8 or 9 years, and when we first started we were one of the only churches at Long Beach Pride. And we wanted the LGBTQ community to know that there are churches that will support them and not try to change them and celebrate that they’re God’s gorgeous creatures. It’s been really wonderful to see many more churches come and have that message of God’s love.”

Not only has the festival changed the types of vendors it attracts, it has also grown astronomically in the numbers of people who attend Long Beach launched it’s first annual Pride Festival in 1983 and the event only drew about 5,000 attendees. According to Long Beach Pride’s website, the event has boasted over 80000 participants over the two day span of the event for the past few years.

Joseph Lawrence, a vendor for Gelsons Markets, a small supermarket chain located in L.A., says he has been coming to the festival for 8 years now.

“Just in the last 2 years, it’s changed,” Lawrence said. “A lot more people, a lot more support and Long Beach is just actually a great diverse city.”

As I walked around, I saw so many people draped in rainbow colored flags. They also had rainbow colored ties, glasses, bracelets, hats, and shirts. Many of these were sold to them by various vendors at the event. In addition to that, the pride festival had a men’s leather wear tent, an organization giving out free condoms, all the delicious food you could ever possibly desire and so much more.

Entertainers such as Salt N Pepa and DJ Spark performed on the main stage Saturday night. Singer Patti LaBelle took the stage on Sunday evening.

But the real movement took place on Sunday morning. At 10:30 am, the pride parade began on Ocean and Landero Ave. The streets were awash with rainbow colors. People held signs that said things like “equality for all” and “same love.” The parade route was just under one and a half miles.

Many have called this particular pride festival Long Beach’s biggest to date, and said it is one of the largest gay pride celebrations in the country. Lawrence says it’s wonderful that so many people have opened their minds.

“There’s nothing better than knowing that the world is changing and becoming a more accepting and loving place,” Lawrence said.