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Long before rainbow flags and modern LGBTQ+ language, Indigenous nations had their own understandings of gender, sexuality, spirituality and community. That history reaches from Native nations across Turtle Island to Tongva land here in Long Beach—and continues this October with the return of Indigenous Pride LA. Most of us were taught a version of LGBTQ+ history that begins with Stonewall.
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9393 ViewsArts, food, LGBTQ+ representation and the stories shaping our communities A lot can happen in seven days. Some stories dominate our feeds for a few hours and disappear. Others quietly reveal where our communities are heading, who is being heard and what may be changing around us. That is the idea behind this new weekly Playalarga roundup. Every Thursday, we’ll
Read More123123 ViewsAmerica Turns 250: Where to Celebrate Independence Day Around Long Beach This Fourth of July feels a little different. While fireworks, backyard barbecues, and beach days remain part of the tradition, 2026 also marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence—a milestone known as America’s Semiquincentennial. Across the country, communities are marking the occasion with larger
Read More155155 ViewsFor more than a century, Long Beach’s LGBTQ+ community has been building something along Broadway. Long before rainbow crosswalks, Pride celebrations, and official cultural district designations, LGBTQ+ residents were carving out spaces for themselves in a world that often treated them as outsiders. The history of the Broadway corridor is not simply a story of nightlife and celebration. It is
Read More218218 ViewsThere are festivals you go to because one of your favorite artists is on the lineup. Then there are festivals you go to because you already know the entire weekend is going to be unforgettable. Day Trip has become the second kind. Every summer, thousands of house music fans make their way to the Queen Mary Waterfront, where the backdrop
Read More1K1K ViewThere are some festivals you hear about for years before you ever step foot inside them. They come up in conversations around campfires, after-hours dance floors, road trips, and group chats full of people who swear, “No, you don’t understand, you just have to go.” For me, Lightning in a Bottle has always been one of those festivals. I’ve been
Read More2.6K2.6K ViewsThere are not many things in Los Angeles that can make me stop and look at the city differently, but CicLAvia has always been one of them. Maybe it’s because we are so used to moving through LA behind a windshield, half paying attention, already thinking about where we need to be next. Maybe it’s because this city trains you
Read More235235 ViewsTrailblazers, storytellers, and the stories that stayed with me By the time I got to this part of the series, I already knew this wasn’t just about highlighting names — it was about sitting with these stories a little longer. Some of these women I had heard about before. Others completely caught me off guard. And that’s kind of been
Read More198198 ViewsIn the first part of this series, I talked about five Latina and Indigenous women whose stories shaped art, activism, and culture — from Frida Kahlo to Celia Cruz. Here is another group of iconic Latina and Indigenous women whose stories were just as fascinating, and in some cases completely new to me. Some lived centuries ago, others fought for
Read More290290 ViewsIn honor of Women’s History Month Every year when Women’s History Month comes around, it’s not only a celebration of women in our history and society, it is an opportunity to learn and teach their stories that helped shape the world we’re living in. While researching this piece, I realized that I knew so much less than I thought. Some
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