Downey Pride Festival returns more invigorated than ever

DOWNEY — The fourth annual Downey Pride Festival took place Saturday, taking over Downtown Downey with live music, food, vendors, and several drag performances.

Mayor Mario Trujillo, who is Downey’s first openly gay mayor, expressed gratitude to the city and his city council colleagues “for allowing this festival to go on.” He said that there “is a distinction as to what [the LGBTQ community] has to face.”

“Unfortunately, there are still kids out there that are still considering suicide because they’re coming to terms with their identity,” said Trujillo. “You never hear about kids getting kicked out of their houses just because they’re straight, or kids getting bullied because they’re straight, or kids considering suicide or even being killed because they’re straight.”

He added that events like the pride festival were “not born out of a need to celebrate, but rather a need to survive.”

This year’s pride festival comes after Downey’s city council voted to enact a neutral flag policy, which barred any flag other than pre-approved government flags from flying on city buildings and flag poles.

Proponents of the policy have said the move was not directed at any one group. Those opposed – especially within the LGBTQ community – however, have said it was a direct attack on the pride flag, especially coming just weeks before National Pride Month in June.

The policy has since drawn criticism from many local officials, including Rep. Robert Garcia, Assemblywoman Blanca Pacheco, and Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn.

In wake of the controversy, Trujillo agreed that this year’s pride festival held more meaning.

“It is very important to me as the mayor for there to be something that tells LA County that in Downey, we’re not going to judge you for who you choose to love,” said Trujillo. “It is so important to me to be able to tell people that Downey is a city of acceptance, and this festival does that.”