TITLE
Recommendation to support the 35th Annual Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Festival and Parade by examining ways to reduce city and staffing fees pertaining to the event, and report back to City Council within 30 days.
DISCUSSION
The 501c3 nonprofit, Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride, Inc. (LBLGP, Inc.), was established in October 1983 and produced the first annual Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Festival & Parade in June of 1984. The organization is governed by an unpaid, professional volunteer Board of Directors. The Board of Directors felt that with such a large gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender population, there was a great need to increase awareness, promote pride, and a greater sense of self-worth within the community. Additionally, the Board felt it was important to facilitate greater cooperation, mutual respect and understanding between the LGBT community and those individuals residing in Long Beach.
Through the years, LBLGP, Inc. has overcome many milestones, starting with the funding to meet the City of Long Beach required fees to produce its first event. Yet, after producing only two events, LBLGP, Inc. started the tradition of giving back to the community by making outright grants to other non-profit organizations. Shortly after that, LBLGP, Inc. began donating funds to its volunteers' favorite charities. The amount of this contribution has been based on the number of hours' volunteers work at the parade and festival.
For more than three decades, LBLGP, Inc. has grown to become one of Long Beach's largest philanthropic organizations by granting over one million dollars back to the community since its inception. While the main project of Long Beach Lesbian & Gay
Pride, Inc. is the annual parade and festival, the organization operates year-round and sponsors other philanthropic projects.
Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride has become one of a kind in the nation, attracting people world-wide. Its attendees contribute an estimated $12.3 million annually to Long Beach's economy and $23.4 milljpn to the regional economy. LBLGP, Inc. is a major contributing factor that has made the City of Long Beach one of the top gay friendly cities to live in America. It has also attracted thousands of new residents that have made Long Beach their permanent home.
Currently, city requirements placed on the annual festival has burdened the nonprofit organization and its efforts. In the past, the organization was able to fund 57 organizations yearly throughout Long Beach with the money generated from the festival and parade. In 2015, the number had decreased to 23 due to requirements and last year, the organizations board members had to make the difficult decision to temporarily freeze all grants to ensure that the event would be funded in 2018. Each year, the city fees have increased tremendously causing an impact on the event's budget.
Other cities, like West Hollywood, have taken action to fully support their annual LGBT event, LA PRIDE (CSW), thus making it one of the world's most attended Pride events, bringing millions of dollars into their local economy. Since West Hollywood's incorporation in 1984, the city has been a leading sponsor and partner in LA PRIDE by graciously waiving permit fees, providing West Hollywood Park and surrounding streets for the festival and parade, as well as, paying for the LA County Sheriff's' presence on the day of the parade. In return, the City of West Hollywood has become an international tourist destination and is promoted globally as an LGBT Mecca and LA PRIDE, one of the largest Pride celebrations in the world, as a unique and highly sought-after cultural event.
To move beyond the current status quo and to continue to generate funds for the local economy while supporting nonprofit organizations, it is requested that the City of Long Beach become a partner with LBLGP, Inc. by supporting the annual Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride event by examining how the city fees (Attachment A) can be reduced to relieve the burden imposed on the organization.
By supporting this item, the City of Long Beach ensures that they maintain their momentum as a world-class city that openly supports diversity and inclusiveness in the community. It is also a testament to the residents and businesses of Long Beach that the economic impact of their city continues to grow.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
[Timing Considerations]
FISCAL IMPACT
None.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
COUNCILMEMBER JEANNINE PEARCE
SECOND DISTRICT
COUNCILWOMAN SUZIE PRICE
THIRD DISTRICT
COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERTO URANGA
SEVENTH DISTRICT
VICE MAYOR REX RICHARDSON
NINTH DISTRICT