A pride-filled event on Sunday in downtown L.A. brought together Latinx and LGBTQ+ community members to celebrate “joy, resilience, and creativity,” organizers said.
“Jotería!,” an annual cultural celebration, was held Sunday, July 13 at LA Plaza de Culturas y Artes, a Smithsonian-affiliated Latinx museum near Olvera Street. The festival, co-hosted with Salvies Who Lunch, was initially postponed from June due to increased immigration enforcement activity in the area.
A member of the Latino Equality Alliance is talking to one of the festival goers explaining to him what there group offers to the LGBTQIA+ community at the Jotería LGBTQIA+ Latinx community festival On July 13, 2025 at the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes center. (Photo by Connor Terry, Contributing Photographer) Queer Bicha Arte are selling there art, stickers and books at the Jotería LGBTQIA+ Latinx community festival On July 13, 2025 at the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes center. (Photo by Connor Terry, Contributing Photographer) Baggio Ardon, owner of Poplorico is selling his art, stickers, books and comics book art at the Jotería LGBTQIA+ Latinx community festival On July 13, 2025 at the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes center. (Photo by Connor Terry, Contributing Photographer) Puchica Studios is giving away free tattoos at the Jotería LGBTQIA+ Latinx community festival On July 13, 2025 at the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes center. (Photo by Connor Terry, Contributing Photographer) Festival goers at the Jotería LGBTQIA+ Latinx community festival are posing for a picture together On July 13, 2025 at the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes center. (Photo by Connor Terry, Contributing Photographer) Sabrina and her son Valentine are taking a photo together at Jotería LGBTQIA+ Latinx community festival On July 13, 2025 at the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes center. (Photo by Connor Terry, Contributing Photographer) Puchica Studios is giving away free tattoos at the Jotería LGBTQIA+ Latinx community festival On July 13, 2025 at the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes center. (Photo by Connor Terry, Contributing Photographer) Sabrina and her son Valentine are playing a game at Jotería LGBTQIA+ Latinx community festival On July 13, 2025 at the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes center. (Photo by Connor Terry, Contributing Photographer) DJ MizSkoden is playing funky music at the Jotería LGBTQIA+ Latinx community festival On July 13, 2025 at the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes center. (Photo by Connor Terry, Contributing Photographer) Fresca Sig Flavors are making a strawberry drink for a festival attendee at the Jotería LGBTQIA+ Latinx community festival On July 13, 2025 at the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes center. (Photo by Connor Terry, Contributing Photographer) Local restaurant Mamas tamales and Pupusas are making tacos at the Jotería LGBTQIA+ Latinx community festival tacos On July 13, 2025 at the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes center. (Photo by Connor Terry, Contributing Photographer) Show Caption1 of 11A member of the Latino Equality Alliance is talking to one of the festival goers explaining to him what there group offers to the LGBTQIA+ community at the Jotería LGBTQIA+ Latinx community festival On July 13, 2025 at the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes center. (Photo by Connor Terry, Contributing Photographer) ExpandSunday’s all-ages, RSVP-only festivities included lively performances from LGBTQ+ artists and drag queens, diverse local vendors and community resources. Organizers said they took extra safety measures, including security screenings, to protect immigrant attendees.
“One of the things that we love to do is make sure that we’re keeping our eyes, ears and heart on the beat of the community,” said Salvies Who Lunch founder Cynthia Gonzalez. “We did not want to put anyone in harm’s way — not our community, not our patrons, not our vendors.”
Several women-owned, Black-owned and LGBTQ-owned businesses — including Xuc Clothing, an apparel company; I-Wear sunglasses shop by Raqui; and merchandise brand Xonaxi — were featured at the Jotería festival.
Gonzalez said she was excited to allow these small businesses to showcase their products, adding that many vendors have recently been “attacked” and “devastated” by federal operations targeting undocumented immigrants. Some small businesses in downtown L.A. have lost sales since ICE raids began in June, with more immigrant customers staying home due to widespread fears.
The term “Jotería” has historically been used to describe “people of Mexican descent who do not fit heteronormative standards,” according to the Association for Jotería Arts, Activism and Scholarship, but has since become a term of empowerment and decolonization. Gonzalez said the word is being “reclaimed” by the queer community, “a way to show power and strength.”
LA Plaza de Culturas y Artes also recently opened its newest, free multimedia exhibition, “A Great Day in East LA: Celebrando the Eastside Sound,” highlighting the contributions of local East L.A. artists, and will run through August 23, 2026. Its permanent exhibition, “L.A. Starts Here!“, presents a personal view of Mexican and Mexican Americans’ diversity, a “legacy of resilience, and community-led change,” organizers said.
Related links
LA Latinx queer festival organizers say immigration operations ‘cannot rob us of our joy’ LA County Board of Supervisors raise Pride flag over county headquarters in support of LGBTQ+ residents LA Pride marches on as immigration tension grips region As immigration operations grow, Southern California hotlines, rapid response networks step up to meet ‘record’ demand The biggest gender-affirming care center for trans kids in the US is closing, prompting protests“Our entire community has been devastated, emotionally, physically, mentally… there’s so much going on,” said Gonzalez. “(I’m) just excited to see everyone come together and share their art.”
Hence then, the article about la festival unites lgbtq latinx community was published today ( ) and is available on Los Angeles Daily News ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( LA festival unites LGBTQ+ Latinx community )
Also on site :