Despite Cancelled Performance, The TransLatin@ Coalition Marched with Unwavering Pride at 43rd annual Long Beach Pride Parade
Bamby “LA Bamby” Salcedo and Maria Roman-Taylorson pose in front of The TransLatin@ Coalition banner held up by staff of the organization during the 2026 Long Beach Pride Parade on Sunday, May 17th.
The TransLatin@ Coalition joined hundreds of LGBTQ+ community members and allies this past Sunday at the 43rd Annual Long Beach Pride Parade to celebrate unity under the Fearless and Free theme.
This year, The TransLatin@ Coalition decided the theme for our organization should be Trans and Proud.
“Our theme this year is Trans and Proud because it is important that we show our community that we have a right to exist with dignity and pride. We are ready to show up and show our community that in these uncertain times, we are proud of who we are as people and as part of society,” said Bamby Salcedo, CEO and President of The TransLatin@ Coalition.
Together, we celebrated yet another Pride Parade with more conviction than ever in response to the political climate that is actively working against our communities at the national and local levels. Not only are we seeing more politically motivated attacks on the Trans, Gender-expansive and Intersex (TGI+) communities, but we are also seeing more push from people outside our communities to shut down Pride, limit our rights and freedoms, and fill our hearts with fear.
This year we kicked off Pride season by showing once again that our spirits are strong, resilient in the face of adversity and unwavering in the face of oppression.
Though we were saddened to hear about the cancellation of the Long Beach Pride Festival–which meant “LA Bamby” was not able to perform her two debut songs–she still showed up and hyped up the crowds that lined up and poured onto Ocean Avenue. The Long Beach community showed us that despite the festival cancellation, they were ready to celebrate with The TransLatin@ Coalition.
We will continue to be a part of the celebration, while also remembering that Pride started as a protest for our rights to exist and freedom to be authentically out and proud.
March with us at WeHo Pride Parade on Sunday, June 7th and LA Pride Parade on Sunday, June 14th, where we will Fearlessly and Freely, celebrate being Trans and Proud.
“We have to be visible. We are not ashamed of who we are.” – Sylvia Rivera, trailblazing Trans Latina Activist.
