​19 Spectacular Photos of the Inaugural L.A. Drag March

Thousands Rallied for the Event

Thousands came together in West Hollywood for Drag March L.A. in early April to protest anti-drag bills across the U.S.

On Easter Sunday, LGBTQ+ folks, allies, and religious groups walked to celebrate queer lives and drag art. Many came out in drag and others paraded on Santa Monica Boulevard with Pride flags and rainbow attire. It was meant to be a defiant show of solidarity against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation popping up across Republican-led states. Hundreds of bills have been introduced looking to erode LGBTQ+ rights, with a majority targeting the rights of transgender Americans.

"The Center’s Drag March is a nod to the origins of the LGBTQ+ movement, when the very first demonstrations started in opposition to moral policing and anti-crossdressing laws designed to impose a singular ideal of gender and sexuality onto citizens," Joe Hollendoner, the CEO of the Los Angeles LGBT Center, said. "It is no mistake that today’s ‘Drag Bans’ are accompanied by a sweeping movement to ban access to gender-affirming care; we are fighting for our right to privacy, bodily autonomy, self-determination, and freedom of expression.”

Check out images from the march below.

(All photos courtesy of the Los Angeles LGBT Center.)

Partner organizations for Drag March LA included: the LGBT Center, ACLU of Southern California, All Saints Los Angeles, API Equality-LA, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California, BAMN, Being Alive, Bienestar Human Services, CA LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network, CenterLink: The Community of LGBTQ Centers, Equality California, Found Family LA, Founders Metropolitan Community Church, Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles, Gender Justice LA, Haven Hills, Hugo's Restaurants, Lambda Legal, Latino Equality Alliance, LGBTQ Center Orange County, LGBTQ+ Community Center of the Desert, Nightshade, NMAC, ONE Archives Foundation, Pacific Oaks College, Peace Over Violence, ProjectQ, Queer Nation, REMHDCO, Radiant Health Centers, Rainbow Services, Ltd., Sacramento LGBT Community Center, SAGE, San Francisco AIDS Foundation, San Gabriel Valley Pride, Inc, SATRANG, Somos Familia Valle, The Abbey Food & Bar, The National LGBTQ Institute on Intimate Partner Violence, The Outwords Archive, The Source LGBT+ Center, The TransLatin@ Coalition, TransCanWork, among others.