LA PRIDE 50th Anniversary Celebration
More celebrity guests join “LA Pride 50th Anniversary Celebration,” hosted by ABC7 Eyewitness News anchors Ellen Leyva and Brandi Hitt, with special guest host, actress Raven-Symoné on Saturday, June 27 (8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. PDT). “On the Red Carpet” host Karl Schmid joins the three-hour live event, introducing various interviews, tributes, musical performances and historical vignettes that celebrate the central role of the LGBTQ+ community in Los Angeles.
Adding to the star-studded lineup of celebrity guests with special Pride tributes include Marsha P. Johnson as an honorary grand marshal, Dr. Jill Biden, Shangela of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” MLB Los Angeles Dodgers, NFL Los Angeles Rams and NHL Los Angeles Kings, aerial arts performer Izzi Kessner, Dan Guerro of “Gaytino, Made in America”; Andy Bell and Vince Clark of Erasure share their new video and song, “Hey Now (Think I Got A Feeling)”; Joely Fisher performs “Praying For Time”; and a performance by West Coast Singers and the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles.
Previously announced guests include grand marshals Rev. Troy Perry as the community grand marshal and Project Angel Food as the organizational grand marshal, with Marsha P. Johnson recently added as honorary grand marshal. Actress Laverne Cox delivers a profound speech about Black transgender lives, and multi platinum musician Katy Perry provides a special tribute and encore of her “American Idol” finale performance.
Other previous celebrity appearances and performances announced include Mj Rodriguez, Sandra Bernhard, Cheryl Burke, Leslie Jordan, Alex Newell, Neve Campbell, Jake Borelli, Kelly Osbourne, Jane Fonda, Jaclyn Smith, Cheyenne Jackson, Abigal Breslin, former U.S. presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, Los Angeles Dodgers’ Dave Roberts, LA Rams Cheerleaders Quinton Peron and Napoleon Jinnies; the casts of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” “Raven’s Home” and “Pose”; as well as musical performances by Ana Barbara, Megan Hilty and Brian Gallagher; Jordy, Shea Diamond and Justin Tranter introduce their “I Am America” video; Trixie Mattel of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” and Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, and other special surprise guests.
KABC set out to reimagine the 50th anniversary of LA Pride for Angelenos and continue the traditions set by the LA Pride Parade and Festival as one of the biggest pride events in the country each year. This year, the celebration will pay tribute to the history of LA Pride and celebrate the Los Angeles area’s storied role in the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement.
The virtual festivities will air as an exclusive special that honors the journey through historical vignettes and celebrates the central role of the LGBTQ+ community in the culture and history of Los Angeles. The special will feature in-depth interviews and spotlight local unsung heroes, queer culture, community activists, raise awareness of the struggles surrounding being Black and gay, and footage that bring to life all the achievements of LA’s LGBTQ+ community throughout the years.
The celebration will air live exclusively on ABC7’s linear broadcast and stream on abc7.com, Hulu and ABC7’s connected TV apps for Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Roku.
ABC7 Los Angeles is Southern California’s No. 1 local news and information source. ABC7 is a leader in digital and social audience engagements and was the first station in the Los Angeles market to regularly broadcast news in high definition and also the first local television station in the United States to surpass 3 million Facebook followers. The station’s offices and studio are located in Glendale, California.
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