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ART CELEBRATES EQUALITY AND LOVE WITH THE DEBUT OF THE PRIDE CHAPEL
In celebration of the mounting victories in Marriage Equality around the United States and as part of its commitment to Arts and Culture in the in the TLGB community, Christopher Street West presents PRIDE Chapel in conjunction with TOYOTA. Debuting at LA PRIDE’s weekend Festival, the PRIDE Chapel will celebrate commitment and honor the struggle, the history and the stories behind marriage equality and will include appearances by Proposition 8 Supreme Court Plaintiff’s (and part of this year’s Community Grand Marshals) Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo.
This original public art installation, designed by INSTALL’s Mark Cramer, will serve as a monument to those members of the queer community who fought for our rights throughout the years. From those who were forced to hide a piece of themselves from the world so many years ago, to the activists that raised their voices at Stonewall in 1969, to the men and women who can now join hands before our nation as partners, PRIDE Chapel stands as a literal bridge across time.
“When I heard that Christopher Street West wanted to include an honorary venue at this year’s festival, I jumped at the opportunity to design the piece,” said Cramer. “So much of the global queer dialogue today is about equality. We’ve been incredibly lucky to work with so many artists and activists who express our journey through the arts. I’m so proud to have been apart of this with CSW and LA PRIDE. I hope this piece will instill Pride in every letter of the our diverse rainbow and every member of our family.”
The two spires of the chapel that rise from the Earth, grow, push and strain to reach one another. At its peak, they converge and bridge the gap of understanding, of politics, of the generations and of love that our community continues to struggle with, both on a global level and within our own community. This battle begins from the ground up, the pieces of which slowly but surely stack and layer on top of one another until the larger picture emerges and a convergence point becomes apparent. Even though each person and every piece of this structure begin in its own unique starting point, PRIDE Chapel stands and celebrates a future where a diverse past and beliefs become the hallmark of what makes us all the same and privy to the same respect, the same rights and the same love.
Art has become an elevated focal point at this year’s LA PRIDE celebration with the art & culture exhibit, RIOT I. These installations not only showcase talent amongst the community, they often highlight its history. Historically, companies like Toyota have helped pioneer both equality and have a long history of supporting the arts.
“While we are certainly proud of the accolades Toyota receives for its support of the TLGBQI community, it has always been about our core principals of respect for people and embracing diversity. That’s why we are honored to be part of this year’s LA PRIDE festival, and to celebrate with all of Southern California — and with people across the country — the hard-won victories for equality, and the promising future that lies before us in the gay community” – Latondra Newton, Group Vice President & Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer.
For more information on Arts & Culture @ LA PRIDE, click HERE
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