Venice Gets A Rainbow Crosswalk!

It was crazy to be back in Venice after being gone all summer, and to see how much things have changed. So many businesses gone, so many new ones in. I found myself fondly remembering the days when we stood up and fought against chains, and ran Pinkberry out of town in just a few months, and I liked Pinkberry - just not in Venice. With so much of the cool being priced out of Venice, it was nice to see one NEW cool thing ... a rainbow crosswalk on Abbot Kinney!

I remember sitting in Tim Bonefeld and Erinn Berkson's (owner of one of the few remaining locally owned businesss on Abbot Kinney, the wonderful Burro!) living room after dinner a while back, and Tim talking about how he had the idea for a rainbow crosswalk to replace the dingy one outside of The Roosterfish ... and he made it happen! Dedicated on June 28th, 2019 (when I was gone, sadly) it now glistens there in the sun, AND makes crossing safer on AKB.

The Roosterfish used to be my Abbot Kinney Festival go-to spot to use the ladies room, as there was never a line for it in there. It was almost all gay men. Those days appear to be gone, as the place was packed with the Millenial crowd, and who knows if anyone was gay anymore in there. That's fine, it's just different, and I feel a little bad for all the people who would gather there in THEIR spot. Still, it's pretty cool to have the first rainbow crosswalk in Los Angeles celebrating our LBGTQ friends right here in Venice.

There are plaques in the street for the people who sponsored each color, and they are all to be commended (especially after the debacle this year between Venice Pride and the Venice Chamber of Commerce, who refused to let them use the Venice Sign for Pride - yeah.) for making Venice still have a little cool, and making the now douchebag-filled Abbot Kinney (Seriously. Locals I spoke to that haven't left didn't even know about the crosswalk because they won't go to AKB anymore!)  rainbow bright!

Thank you.

Petty About Pride

The fight between Venice Pride and the Venice Chamber of Commerce is so petty I can barely stand to talk about it, but here we are. The Chamber responded to what they say are false accusations with an overly wordy and evasive letter on their website that is essentially a smear piece directed at Venice Pride Board President, Grant Turck.

I know Turck, and I know how tirelessly hard he works to put on a joyous celebration for not only the LBGTQ members of our community, but for everyone. He has stood up to bullies since he was a kid in the Midwest starting his own Gay club at high school, the first of its kind. There are very clearly personal problems on both sides, but I can't stand bullying, and this whole situation feels an awful lot like just exactly that.

This all started when Turck asked for some accountability when going over Pride invoices and finding that there were some big discrepancies. He merely asked about them, and was immediately met with vitriol and the threat of canceling the Pride sign lighting, way back in July of 2018. Essentially, we don't like how you're playing, so we're gonna take our sign and go home (though it is not theirs, they are merely the custodians). This is all documented - but not at all addressed in the response from the Chamber, nor was it addressed why they would choose June - exactly when they know Pride to be - for the sign to be taken down for maintenance. Why not take it down NOW (the O'Venice is already past its freshness date, and needs to be taken down anyway) so it can be ready for the Summer tourists, and Pride? In the Chamber's attempt to punish Turck, they are in effect leveling their judgement at the entire community.

Turck's response to this personal attack was the following:

"Venice Pride always paid the Venice Chamber as agreed. In 2018, the Chamber opted to pay Venice Pride $3,500 via a member of their executive committee as part of a larger sum to settle accounting errors allegedly made by Chamber leadership involving equipment billed to Venice Pride but used at a June 8 Chamber event called Flower Fest."

So ... you know what would clear all of this up? A transparent and complete audit of both Venice Pride's event and the VCC's event for everyone to see. Turck is up for that, but with the avoidance of the topic shown in the Chamber's response ... I'm not so sure they are. I say let the community decide, as that is who both of these entities purport to serve.

I have no real dog in this fight. I'm not gay, and I'm not a member of the Venice Chamber of Commerce. I don't even really want to be involved, but I do think my Venice community should be aware of what's going on .... and I'm always going to stand up against bullying. When you break it down, it's Pride versus Commerce - and the names kind of say it all.

The Venice Pride celebration (with DJ Victor Rodriguez returning!) is happening on June 1st, with or without the lighting of the Venice Sign ...  and I hope that all parties involved can put this pettiness behind them and move forward - and that there will be a fun story to write about it! I'm out.

Venice Chamber Of Commerce Pulls The Plug On Venice Pride Sign Lighting

OK, Venice. There's a little drama going on with the upcoming Venice Pride celebration planned for this June 1st. Venice Pride received a letter from the Venice Chamber of Commerce on February 22, effectively kicking Venice Pride out of the Chamber, and going even further to say, "Be informed that the Venice Sign will be taken down for unrelated maintenance during the month of June 2019 and will be unavailable in connection with any events scheduled for that month."

Excuse me? The Venice Sign has never been taken down in its decade plus history, and they're going to choose to do maintenance on it now, when Venice Pride is always in June?! The Pride lighting is already scheduled for June 1st, so they could just take it down the next day if need be. It's already on the Sign's own list of events when you do a Google search about it.

I was told that the wind and everything has made it so they need to check that the hardware securing the sign is secure and safe, but again, just take it down the next day. WHAT is really going on?

For that, you have to dig a little deeper. When Venice Pride was going over invoices to plan this year's celebration, they found some discrepancies with last year's vendors, and wanted to make sure they had a correct and adequate budget to plan for this year. When inquiring with one of the rental companies about the overcharges (several) and the disappearance of the discount that they'd been given on the original quote, Venice Pride was told that the Venice Chamber had told the vendor to apply the discount to the following week's Flower Fest instead. A totally different event with a different budget that has nothing to do with Venice Pride - but it was a Venice Chamber event. And now Flower Fest is tentatively planned for June 1st. Hmm ...

The matter had to be handled in small claims court, and there were disgruntled parties on both sides (though Pride was just trying to get back what was rightfully theirs). The next thing you know, this letter shows up (and was attached to an open letter to the Chamber, which is how I saw it) from the attorney for the Venice Chamber of Commerce, Michael Wallerstein, a member of the Chamber. The letter demands that Venice Pride cease and desist using any images of the Venice Sign in their promotion or merchandising, that their membership had been revoked, so they can no longer be a part of the Chamber, and they can't use the sign for the celebration. Wow. That feels petty retaliatory to me ... especially when they ignored California Corporation code, providing no reason for the drastic move, and no opportunity to be heard in a response before being so unceremoniusly booted from the Chamber - AND denied use of the Sign that is the centerpiece of the Venice Pride celebration. Over what exactly?

The Venice Sign hosts several celebrations throughout the year, but none of the others are for a group of people that has been so oppressed historically. This year is the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York, which is a major event in gay history. Gay Pride has grown so much over the years, and now Venice - of all places! - is going to have their own Chamber of Commerce deny the use of the sign (that they don't own, but are merely the custodians of) for this joyful annual event that the entire community enjoys? Again, WOW. I get that there are personal beefs between some parties involved, but you don't punish a whole community. It's just not right.

The Venice Pride celebration will take place on June 1st with or without the use of the Venice Sign, but it will be an awfully glaring omission to not have the rainbow sign hanging there above it - and I'd like to hear the Venice Chamber explain to everyone in attendance just exactly WHY, and why THEN? I don't think this community will stand for it. Or shouldn't. There is a backup portable Venice Sign standing by to take the place of the real Venice Sign, at a large expense for a non-profit organization's budget (which is how we got here in the first place), but the show must go on! I'd hope that the Venice Chamber of Commerce will realize the error of their ways before June 1st, because again, just how are they going to explain away this slap in the face to Venice's LBGTQ community if people show up to dance under the original sign that isn't there?

In these times, we need to support and encourage each other as a community, not get all petty over some creative accounting that was discovered and civilly asked to remedy ... and then this. I would hope that we can all be friends and grown ups here, and I hope everyone can move forward, doing their best to do the right thing for Venice - by including and celebrating everyone! That is how ALL of Venice can be proud.

Venice Pride Preparation - Get Ready For Gaywatch 2017!

Venice Pride is rapidly approaching, and now in its second year, will have no problem topping the inaugural celebration last year. With events planned all weekend June 1-3, this year's Pride celebration will most certainly be memorable.

I sat down recently with Pride organizer, Grant Turck, to hear about what's in store for our LBGTQ friends this year, and was happy to hear about how much the whole thing has grown even in just one year. The main fundraiser for the Pride events is the sale of the colored light bulbs that will make up the rainbow Venice sign. Bulbs can be adopted through the Venice Pride site for $100 each (you get to pick color and placement), and you keep the bulb after the festivities. Gratitude to the individuals and local businesses who have already taken part, especially the L.A. Rams, who sprang for all of the blue bulbs in the letter "C"! Way to support your Community, Football! - And they're new to town, so it would be nice to see longtime local businesses helping out as well. Or maybe those entities who are trying to take over our Community might like some decent p.r. while trying to un-do some damage? Just a thought ... These community events don't happen for free, and the sale of the bulbs is more important than ever to pull off this year's special events. 

Events like the dedication of the Bill Rosendahl Memorial Beach on June 1st, which will be the stretch of sand from Park to Breeze Avenue. The lifeguard tower at Brooks Avenue will be painted in rainbow colors marking the sand destination for the gay Westside. The beach is a beautiful way to recognize and remember Rosendahl, the first openly gay person elected to the City Council, and a true champion of Venice. A permanent plaque indicating the site as "Bill Beach" will be installed later this Summer.  I think Rosendahl would have loved to know that there will be a permanently inclusive beach named in his honor. How cool.

Friday, June 2nd will be the lighting of the Venice sign in its rainbow colors for Pride month. The street party there on Windward will begin at 5 p.m. until the sign is lit (by a special guest!) at 9 p.m. There will be booths and exhibitors, food trucks, music (by DJ Victor Rodriguez) and dancing in the streets the entire time. This year there are two official after-parties: "Gaywatch" will be held at The Birdcage (upstairs at The Victorian on Main Street) and go from 11:30 to 2 a.m., and "Queer As Funk" featuring the Puscie Jones Revue will be happening at The Townhouse/Del Monte Speakeasy from 9:30-2 a.m. for even more dancing and celebration. Gay, straight, whatever you are, this street party is always a blast for the entire community. A Community that needs dancing in the streets now more than ever. And support and solidarity.

For those revelers that manage to get up in time there will be a big beach clean up on Saturday morning, June 3rd, named "Beach, Please!" I love it, and I love that there is an element of giving back to the community in the mix. Everyone needs to do their part in keeping Venice beautiful, and not just by being good looking partiers (thank you in advance!). The beach clean up will be followed by a "Status Is Sexy Pride Extravaganza" at a stage at Muscle Beach, with performers and fun until 5 p.m.

With a little less than a month to go before Venice Pride arrives, now is the time to chip in where you can to help make all of this fun happen. There are still 51 rainbow bulbs available (as of this typing) for adoption, as well as the sale of Venice Pride shirts that will both help, and look great when you wear it to the sign lighting. There are also volunteer and sponsorship opportunities available, both of which may be signed up for at the website as well.

These are the times to be looking out for each other. I'm not gay, but I can sure understand the importance of inclusion and acceptance of all people, no matter what their sexual preference. Seriously, who cares? Whatever makes you happy and doesn't hurt anyone else is cool in my book. And those things should be not only supported, but celebrated. That's why we're talking about this today ... so that there is still time to make this the best party our LBGTQ will attend all year.

Let's "Light up the night for Equality!" together. Let's show the whole world that there is a whole lot of Pride on the Westside! Thank you for your ongoing support of our wonderful Venice Community - one and all.