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(West Hollywood, California) West
Hollywood's gay pride weekend is no longer relevant a task force set up by city
council has concluded.
The blue ribbon panel made up of marketing,
business and community leaders is recommending a complete re-think of the annual
event that attracts about 300,000 people a year.
"People like the parade and festival, but they want
to know what's new. They want the latest, hippest and coolest," West
Hollywood Mayor John Heilman tells the Los Angeles Times.
"But how do we win over some of the people who say, `Oh, I did that
five years ago?' How do we make it appealing to somebody who went to gay pride
20 years ago and doesn't have any compelling reason at this point to come
back?" In its report to council the
task force says that if West Hollywood is to maintain its
reputation as Southern California's most vibrant gay community , it needs to
liven up and expand the gay pride celebration.
It recommends expanding pride to a full month and
calls for it to be run by the city of West Hollywood and include all of Los
Angeles. The month, the report concludes, should include a series of arts,
film and cultural festivals intermixed with social activities "that celebrate the creativity"
of the whole region.
©365Gay.com 2006
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