Good morning and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Saturday, June 8th. Here’s what you need to know to start your weekend off right.
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How to be queer this weekend during Pride Month
Happy Pride Month! The global celebration of the LGBTQ+ community kicked off last weekend in West Hollywood, where a parade featuring go-go dancers in jockstraps and gay cowboys in breezy leather chaps kicked off Pride Month.
The LA Pride Festival kicks off today with Pride in the Park, a music event headlined by singer Ricky Martin.
As the month progresses, there will be even more events and celebrations marking Pride Month across Southern California.
But it doesn’t have to be a parade or a concert.
If you’re looking for another way to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, Times contributor Claire O’Callaghan has put together a list of the 10 best places in Los Angeles to spend a queer weekend. Whether you’re visiting LA for Pride, a recent transplant, or simply looking for a new way to celebrate, there’s sure to be something useful in this guide.
O’Callaghan’s experience comes after she moved to Los Angeles two years ago and was looking for community, which she quickly found in queer-owned restaurants, bars and shops across Los Angeles County.
Not only do these spots offer an opportunity to support local queer-owned businesses, but they also provide spaces to connect and build community over food and wine.
Kick off your queer weekend with a visit to Everybody in Cypress Park. This trans and women-owned gym offers a variety of exercise types, including yoga and boxing. The facility prioritizes an inclusive and accessible environment for people of all body types and gender expressions, and your first visit begins with a social contract on how to come to the gym.
Your first visit is free and membership fees are reduced during Pride Month.
Joe Maurer, owner of Black Forest Bakery, is a queer and transgender baker from the Black Forest in southern Germany.
(Chris Belugian/The Times)
Head to Los Feliz and stop by Black Forest Bakery, where a 1971 Ford Econoline delivers baked goods and whisks customers away on Saturday mornings into the mountains of southwest Germany.
As you approach the window to order, trans and queer baker Joe Maurer greets you from the van’s pop-out window, selling sourdough bread, pretzel buns, and jam-filled Berliners (German jam doughnuts). There’s also the option to do good through Maurer’s “Pay it Forward” program, where customers can pay for a loaf of bread and have it received for free by someone with fewer resources.
A view of ruby fruit at the bar’s Country Night.
(Chris Belugian/The Times)
Or spend your weekend queer sipping wine at Ruby Fruits in Silver Lake. O’Callaghan recommends going around 3pm, when the place starts to transform from quaint diner to sexy wine bar. The sit-down lunch menu changes to lighter fare like warm marinated olives and fries that you can munch on while you drink.
All of the wines and beers are from women- and queer-owned establishments, and fan-favorite cocktails include the “Martha,” a spritz of elderflower, citrus, and white wine, and the “Miller High Life,” poured upside down in a glass.
Honey’s at Star Love is an LGBTQ+ bar in Los Angeles that also doubles as an event space showcasing queer artists.
(Ben Basu)
End your queer weekend with a fun-filled night on the dance floor at Honey’s at Star Love in East Hollywood.
“A nightlife haven for queer, lesbian and transgender people,” O’Callaghan writes, “this colorful bar is known for hosting high-energy dancing parties on its checkerboard dance floor until the early hours of the morning.”
No stranger to theme nights, the bar has hosted nights like emo karaoke, dance parties and a lesbian date party called Uhaul – you might even see a celebrity dancing along with you.
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On the weekend
Hamburger Mary’s, which brought drag brunch to Southern California, is hosting four drag brunches on Saturdays and Sundays.
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Have a great weekend! Yours, The Essential California Team
Kevinisha Walker, Multiplatform Editor
Christian Orozco, Assistant Editor
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