Burbank Pride, a committee composed of community volunteers and LGBTQ+ advocates, presents the second annual “Family Pride in the Park” event on Saturday, September 23 from 12-6pm. The family-friendly event will now take place in McCambridge Park to allow for ample space for performers, vendors, and guests.
The celebration of Burbank’s LGBTQIA+ community will feature local performers and artists, including special appearances by Pop Group XOMG POP!, Wisteria Theater Company, rock band Sister Sister, Emmy award winning Carolyn Hennesy (General Hospital), Tony Award-nominated Rory O’Malley (Hamilton, The Book of Mormon) multi-award winning Ms. Knightley, TikTok sensation Morgan Keller, TMZ’s Porshaa LeJay, Carlos Alazraqui (Rocko’s Modern Life, The Fairly OddParents, Reno 911), and Kali Rocha (Liv and Maddie, Grey’s Anatomy, Man with a Plan) and many others. The festival will also include food trucks, local vendors, kids’ activities, and resources for the LGBTQIA+ community.
The celebration is sponsored by the Burbank Community YMCA Social Impact Center, Nickelodeon Animation, Assemblymember Laura Friedman, Senator Anthony Portantino, Worthe Real Estate Group, Subaru of Glendale, The Table, Velocity Clinical Research, ReMax Empower, Rothman Andres Management, First Christian Church of Burbank, with others to be announced.
“Burbank is a special city for its ‘big city-small town’ feel with a diverse, inclusive community of families, artists, and entertainers,” says Tracy Tabb, President of Burbank Pride. “There is no better place to celebrate our LGBTQ+ community than in one of Los Angeles’ most unique, family-friendly towns, and we are thrilled to bring this celebration back for a second year.”
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Burbank Pride is a committee of local residents whose mission is to create uplifting, entertaining, educational, and safe events for our diverse LGBTQIA+ community, where all people are respected, valued, and affirmed, inclusive of their sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Burbank Pride will provide resources to our LGBTQIA+ neighbors, their friends, allies, and families – born, found, and chosen.
Photo gallery from the 2022 Pride in the Park event.
In the best interest of our community, it would be beneficial if the organizers of this event had a clear, written code of conduct for attendees. Last year, attendees made vulgar and disparaging remarks to the Burbank Police Department officers. See these body camera videos: https://youtu.be/7St5mWM8Pj8
When I spoke with the Chief of Police, he stated that “both sides were doing that.” I reminded the Chief that the protesters had no permit and were not organizers of an event that was clearly supported by taxpayer dollars, requiring more than ordinary services from the City. The group is based in North Hollywood, despite their Burbank name. A code of conduct would be appropriate. If there is a repeat of the same type of language used by individuals at the event toward City law enforcement, then the City should deny future permits. While the City cannot stop people from exercising their First Amendment rights, it is the caretaker of our public property and can deny permits to any group that does not maintain appropriate standards.
The original plan to shut down Magnolia Park was unwelcome by businesses, with more than 75% opposing that plan. Yet, those asking for a relocation were subject to doxxing on Reddit and vicious rumors that anyone opposing was a “gay hater” and “Nazi.”
According to Counts Unlimited, a City vendor, more than 20,000 vehicles pass through that section of Magnolia Boulevard every day. Closures are very inconvenient for motorists and are inappropriate, considering there are 41 parks and facilities in Burbank. The director of parks and recreation should formally invite anyone seeking a street closure to consider our parks for space, rather than closing busy streets.
Dear borntodeal,
I’m afraid you are mistaken.
1) The group was not unwelcomed by businesses nor were they asked to leave. In fact, the business between Avon and California on Magnolia Blvd where the event was to take place are huge supporters of Burbank Pride and were excited over the the amount of foot traffic for their stores.
2) The reason Burbank Pride in the Park was moved is because anticipated attendance far outgrew the two block radius on Magnolia Blvd.
3) Permits for future events will not be denied, and cannot legally be denied, because Burbank Pride in the Park had nothing to do with the protests. They have the full support of the Burbank Police Department as well as City Officials. It is a family friendly event and there was absolutely nothing lude took place. My grandkids, ages 3 – 10 had the best time!
Hey families! Come on over to Burbank Pride in the Park this Saturday, September 23rd, from 12 – 6 PM at McCambridge Park, for a fun-filled family day!
Dear BurbankGranny,
I am correct in my previous statements, as I provided a link to the body camera footage in my earlier post, showcasing attendees at the event verbally confronting Chief Michael Albanese, Captain Adam Cornils, Lieutenant John Pfrommer, and other members of the police department.
“No cops at pride!”
“No justice, no peace, no racist police!”
These phrases were made by event attendees at last year’s Pride in the Park directed at the officers, as can be observed in the following video:
https://youtu.be/7St5mWM8Pj8
The protesters were not the object of these statements, it was the police. The protesters were across the street and the police asked them to keep their distance but the police were not treated nicely at all.
A comprehensive survey was conducted amongst all merchants in the proposed closure area, revealing that over 75% disagreed with the closure. The Vice President of the Magnolia Park Merchants’ Association has also stated that they were unaware of any proposed street closures until a very long time after many steps had already been taken by city workers on the project. Councilwoman Mullins stated that more notification and better communication to affected merchants needs to occur moving forward.
Street closure permits, especially for streets experiencing a daily flow of 20,000 vehicles, can indeed be denied. You are mistaken to think anyone can shut down a street and that it is legally required. No such law or equitable court decision supports such a specious statement. There is no necessity for such closures when Burbank offers 41 parks and facilities specifically designed for events and activities.
While it’s delightful for children to enjoy such events, it’s imperative to consider, respect, and honor the interests of everyone involved, including the businesses and the residents affected by detours and closures.
Permits can be rightfully denied when the closure will “unduly interfere with the public use thereof,” as per BMC 6-1-2301. Many were taken aback that the organizers didn’t seek written consent from the majority of the affected merchants before applying for a permit.
We will be proposing a change in the local ordinance to City Council to address this concern.
If attendees of events are making unfounded accusations of racism against our police, as evidenced in the video, residents will request such permits be denied. The exclusive use of public spaces is a privilege granted by the public, not an inherent right. While everyone has the right to freedom of speech, not everyone has the right to shut down streets and parks for private events. There needs to be a balance of interests, and we urge our leaders to review and refine the current ordinances to improve notification and consent protocols for the affected parties.
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