Singer Vincint was one of many performers who participated in last year’s LA Pride celebration. (photo courtesy of Chris Tuite on behalf of LA Pride)

Christopher Street West, the nonprofit that produces the annual LA Pride Festival and Parade, announced an official bid to host WorldPride in Los Angeles for 2025. As the first permitted pride parade in the world, LA Pride will celebrate its 50th year in 2020.

“Los Angeles is a global city where we honor our unique past and work tirelessly to imagine a better future for all. LA Pride celebrates the city’s diverse experiences ensuring all communities are represented and we are proud to announce our bid to host WorldPride Los Angeles 2025,” said Estevan Montemayor, board president of CSW. “We are confident that the vibrant infrastructure of Los Angeles is the perfect host city to welcome the world for WorldPride 2025.”

WorldPride was founded by the non-profit LGBTQ+ rights organization, InterPride. The inaugural WorldPride was held in Rome in 2000, and other cities including New York, Jerusalem and Rome have hosted the celebration.

WorldPride takes place every two years, and in 2021, over 500 Prides from around the globe will attend the annual conference in Guadalajara, Mexico, where the winning city for 2025 will be announced.

“Given the transformation our city continues to undergo as well as a perfect score of 100 on the HRC Equality Index, Los Angeles stands out as the ideal global destination to host WorldPride 2025,” stated Don Skeoch, chief marketing officer of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board.