By Portia Lopez
Earlier this month La Union del Pueblo Entero (LUPE) traded our famous red aguila valiente flags for rainbow banderitas in celebration of our historic, first ever 2-day Pride celebration! We’re still coming down from the high of Queer joy, celebration, and resistance, so join us in recounting all of the things that made our celebration a super graphic ultra modern slay!
At LUPE we’re firm believers in education being one of the hottest tools we can use for the liberation of our community. So what better way to start our Pride festivities than with a Pride-themed Junta General? On Friday, June 7th, members gathered at our iconic San Juan Salon where our LUPE Deputy Director and Field Organizer, Dani Marrero Hi and Alexis Elizerio, all but solved homophobia itself. Joking- while we may not have solved systemic discrimination against the Queer community, our Junta General was a productive and momentous start.
Imagine looking into a kaleidoscope; colorful, fragmented, reflective, and utterly transformational- this is what the scene of our gathering was like. Despite the mix of generations, ideologies, and upbringings, our presentation on the history of Pride Month and the importance of inclusion was a catalyst for curiosity, conversation, and progress. It was a reminder that true transformation begins when hearts and minds open, when different generations come together not just to coexist but to learn from one another, to teach and to be taught in equal measure.
If not solve homophobia we did one thing for certain: THAT.
As our conservative counterparts would say, the gay agenda didn’t stop there. The next day we invited our community to come dance the night away with us at our LUPE Pride 2024 celebration.
With the help of our Pride Committee we were able to host over three dozen community partner organizations, local vendors, and local artists to celebrate and uplift our LGBTQ+ community. Picture hand-crafted decorations ranging from vibrant, oversized paper flowers, to colorful balloon sculptures, papel picado, and rainbow flags, all adorning our historic Cesar Chavez murals and symbolic aguila valiente monument. We were graced by 956 entertainment legends: DJ Queen Killah Bee, The Kyle Sisters, Who IS OL2?, and Victoria Rose who were the heartbeats of the night (expect for the moment our hearts stopped from Miss Alita Kyles’ death drop- she ate by the way). Our celebration wouldn’t have been complete without our “El Grito” contest where contestants’ echoing gritos left the audience gagged. LUPE served pride, culture, AND inclusivity in our version of an eleganza extravaganza.
But beyond the glamorous decor and music, our Pride celebration was a beacon of something deeper—a safe haven and sanctuary where differences were celebrated and embraced. It was a testament to our mission of unity, inclusion, and the power of acceptance and understanding. We felt love, and we hope you did too.
This may have been our first pride celebration but it definitely won’t be our last. In fact, our Pride Committee is continuing its activities beyond Pride Month! The gay is here to stay and if you’re interested in being a part of making LUPE and the 956 a more inclusive space for everyone, then consider joining our Pride Committee by sending us a message on our socials!
They se puede!
