LGBTQ Festival in Downtown Hollywood Will Include ‘Banned Book Nook’

With a stated mission to provide a space where everyone is welcome and can feel proud to be who they are, the My Hollywood Pride festival returns for its second year.

This time, the chosen theme is a simple, but heartfelt, “Welcome Home!” This, My Hollywood Pride festival organizers say, is a way to remind Florida’s embattled LGBTQ communities that there is strength in numbers. The event will take place Sunday, Jan. 29th, from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. on the 1900 block of Hollywood Blvd. Tickets are free. To order — and reserve a spot — visit HERE.

“LGBTQ+ people have long created their own chosen families in the face of adversity and marginalization. With that in mind, we are inviting you to join us as though we were welcoming you back to our home, and to remind everyone that we are stronger together,” informs the event’s website.

Taking Back the Pride

Over the last years, and under Gov. Ron DeSantis’ governorship, Florida has been a leader in anti-LGBTQ legislation with laws like Parental Rights in Education. Dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” by its critics, it needlessly bans schools across the state from discussing sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels, since these topics are not taught in Florida public schools. 

Additionally, Florida is No. 2 in the nation with the highest number of banned books in the classroom, according to a recent analysis published by PEN America, a free speech and literary organization. Some of the children’s books targeted contain LGBTQ content.

For this reason, this year the festival will include a “Banned Book Nook.” 

“We have added a Banned Book Nook for the opportunity to see and read books that have been banned from Florida schools,” says Jameer Baptiste, a board member of The Hollywood LGBTQ+ Council, which first staged My Hollywood Pride last year.

The Party Continues!

The one-day street fair will have LGBTQ films, cultural exhibits, art and dance, and educational displays. It will also provide fun activities and learning for all ages. Find out more HERE.

After the Festival, the event will move indoors, and the party will continue with the “My Hollywood Pride Tea Dance,” starting at 6:00pm. For tickets to the Tea Dance, visit HERE.

To submit a vendor/exhibitor application visit HERE.