Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley and 5 city council members issued an official proclamation for Gay Pride Week in Los Angeles, and members of the Christopher Street West Association
were happy to report about it at this press conference.
With the 1976
theme, We Were There, members and friends of CSW
worked to put together a special bicentennial
publication
to commemorate
Gay Pride Week.
But the person really responsible for making the publication possible was its editor, Frank McGill, who worked for a full year on the project.
The 52 page slick magazine
had 16 pages in color and numerous articles written by community
leaders and was perhaps the best publication
ever issued in connection with Gay Pride Week.
Since San Francisco was having its gay parade 1 week earlier than Los Angeles, several CSW members went there to be in their parade. And with members and friends from other Los Angeles organizations,
the Los Angeles contingent was warmly welcomed by the San Francisco community.
The parade was almost 4 miles long, winding its way through the business and residential sections of the Golden Gate City.
The heat wave that San Francisco was having prompted many of the parade watchers to shed their clothes. And with the friendly attitudes of their police department and the liberated standards of the city, this proved no problem at all as people enjoyed this freedom of expression in San Francisco as perhaps in no other city in the United States.
Certainly, the Los Angeles Police Department isn't ready to look the other way at this kind of open expression.
Following the parade, a festival in Golden Gate Park drew thousands of men and women there to enjoy the happiness and high spirits that pervaded San Francisco's
gay pride celebration.
The hot sun and the liberated standards prompted many more people to shed their clothes.
And when a water pipe broke, they had a field base flashing and cooling themselves off in the unexpected but very welcome cold shower.
Of course, if you're going to run around nude, almost anything could happen.
All in all, San Francisco enjoyed one of its best gay pride celebrations
to date.
Back in Los Angeles, clearing the weeds from a big open lot in the heart of Hollywood was one of the many jobs that had to be done to clear the way for the carnival booths and carnival rides that would be going for 4 days nights.
Even special telephone lines were set up for the gay pride event.
This is Opal, one of the 4 Pollock Brothers Elephants that CSW had hired for its circus.
Earlier that day, we registered Opal at the Hollywood Plaza Hotel as a way of welcoming her and the gay pride circus to Hollywood. Yeah. I
And now we were officially underway.
44 carnival booths were set up representing numerous gay organizations that participated in the the 4 day event.
This was the best representation that Christopher Street West had ever had, and the diversity of wares available in the booths made the carnival just that much more fun.
The Zion Travelers played the greatest listening and dancing music during the 4 day event, which also featured the raffling of a brand new car.
The carnival was just as much fun at night, with its dazzling lights, rides, and carnival booths going full swing.
The fabulous Christopher Street West Freedom Circus was the first circus
circus acts went through their paces in both day and night performances.
Elephant walk were the cue words that meant the elephants had to be moved from their tethering place through the carnival midway and to the circus area for their performances.
Although the crowds were light during these scenes, often hundreds of people had to be made wary and kept safe from the ponderous pachyderms as they walked within inches of the people on the Carnival Midway.
That this feat was accomplished 20 times without mishap is a tribute to the superb volunteer security force assembled by mister David Glasscock for the CSW
event.
As thousands of people lined Hollywood Boulevard, the 7th annual Christopher Street West Parade was about to get underway on a beautiful bicentennial
4th July in Hollywood.
And so one of the best Christopher Street West parades came to an end as thousands of people headed for the carnival and circus grounds to continue the gay pride celebration.
For the final circus performance, professional elephant trainer Ben Duane wore the official Christopher Street West gay pride t shirt, in his own words,
as a tribute to the gay people that I've come to respect, admire, and enjoy working for and with for the past 4 days.
Following the circus,
awards and trophies were presented by Morris Kite and other members of CSW
for the exceptional entries in the big parade. The Stonewall Democratic Club received a trophy for best theme presentation.
Then a winner was selected for a gown that was being raffled during the past
4 days. And members of the California Association of Gay Student Organizations
were honored for their parade entry.
Although the celebration is ending, gay pride will continue, and We Were There will resound as we are here.
As for Christopher Street West, we'll see you next year.