the pride
⚫
10.01.2023 – 10.31.2023 October 2025 March 2026
LOS ANGELES 1
WWW.THEPRIDELA.COM
THE LOS ANGELES LGBT NEWSPAPER
West Hollywood opens applications for WeHo Man Charged With Killing Burbank Mayor Faces Backlash Over Playful Pride 2026 Weekend Dog, Burglary of Former Roommate’s Home Video, Cites Critics Anti-LGBTQ+ Bias City sets June dates Mayor Konstantine and opens signAnthony Defends ups for vendors, Actions Amid performers, and Controversy Over parade participants. Video
Applications are now open for participation in the City of West By Dolores Quintana Hollywood’s 2026 WeHo Pride celebration, a three-day seriesAnthony of events Burbank Mayor Konstantine is scheduled for from earlyconservatives June. City following officials facing criticism the circulation of a are video showing being said applications now being him accepted spanked by a performers, drag queen during an event for vendors, exhibitors, and on the participants weekend of across September 10. events. Anthony parade several hasThe responded that Street some Fair of his critics are WeHo Pride is scheduled motivated by anti-LGBTQ+ thatand the for Saturday and Sunday, bias Juneand 6–7, incident wasSanta harmless. will span Monica Boulevard. The In the video,event posted the Wisenuts free, public expected to podcast, feature Prosecutors haveisby filed multiple felony Mayor Anthony seen being spanked by LGBTQ+ community organizations, charges against ais27-year-old man accused aof drag artist, backed by the Village People’s allied groups,into artists, exhibitors, along breaking his and former roommate’s “Macho Man.” Anthonyapartment, described thekilling events West Hollywood with live entertainment on a community as “shenanigans” and emphasized that it was the victim’s small dog, and damaging property during the incident. Anmol Bhatia faces one count each of first-degree residential burglary, felony animal cruelty, and vandalism involving more than $400 in damage. Prosecutors have also alleged that the victim, who is at least 65 years old, was particularly
27-Year-Old Suspect Faces Animal Cruelty and Burglary Charges After a Violent Attack
stage. Organizers said the fair is intended to highlight visibility, expression, and all in good fun. He went on to reveal that a community participation. secretly recordedto video was in made Applications participate the during Street the event and subsequently Fair as an exhibitor are open shared throughwith Aprila prominent hate group. 15, 2026. Food and beverage vendors In a posttoon his Instagram account, seeking participate should Anthony contact stated, “For several days, extremist right-wing vendor@dlsevents.com for additional organizations,or including information apply here.Fox News, have spread information to fuel fear, The misleading annual WeHo Pride Parade will discrimination, and hate. I will alwaysalong be a take place Sunday, June 7, moving proud supporter the LGBTQ+ community Santa Monica ofBoulevard. The parade and drag performers.” traditionally features floats, marching He added, “On a busy Saturday with contingents, bands, dance teams, filled and other various independent gatherings, ILGBTQ+ attended creative entries celebrating the Santa Clarita Valley Democrats’ private representation, inclusion, and progress. fundraiser for and theirorganizations organization.interested Notably, Individuals thereparticipating were no officially endorsed candidates in in the parade must or state and federal political figures15, present. submit applications by April and The event openParade to young adults agessaid 15 can applywas here. organizers and above. However, there were no attendees a wide range of entries are encouraged, below 18.performance Additionally,groups, no children were including community present.” organizations, and themed floats. They While“Get not creative specifyingand thethink particular advise, outsidehate of group in question, it is possible that vulnerable should the box!” and that Bhatia knew orAnthony was to the now have known theTwitter time ofaccount, the crime. In referring additionthis to at participant applications, known as X, called “Libsaround of TikTok,” The attack occurred 11:30which p.m. on September 4, when Bhatia allegedly forced his way into the apartment. Investigators said video evidence shows him violently slamming the dog to the ground, stomping on it, and then throwing the lifeless animal off a balcony onto a nearby construction site, where it was
reposted the video and garnered over 8 million views. In response to the video, the Libs of TikTok account claimed that children were present at the event. Mayor Anthony disputed this assertion, stating that “actually, there weren’t any children at this private 21+ event. But of course, lying is totally on brand for you.” While the account correctly pointed out that individuals aged 15 and older were permitted to attend, the event’s organizer, the Santa Clarita Valley Democrats, released a statement clarifying that no individuals under the age of 18 were in attendance. Mayor Anthony reiterated this point during a City Council meeting and expressed his concern that the video’s circulation had led to city officials receiving “some of the most vile hate speech that I have ever seen.” Anthony encouraged those with concerns about his actionsopportunities to communicatearewith also him sponsorship directly viaforemail kanthony@burbankca. available the at 2026 celebration. City gov. He stated, “IfAuthorities you wantoptions toalso talkaccuse to me later found officials saiddead. sponsorship range about what happened over the weekend, send Bhatia of vandalizing property inside the from Street Fair and parade visibility me an before email. Send me an email. I will talk to home fleeing.
you about it. There is no reason to involve all of the other people who were not at a public event, not at a government-sponsored event. It wasn’t even in the city of Burbank.” In a statement released on Tuesday, the Santa Clarita Valley Democrats voiced their support for Mayor Anthony and strongly denounced the sensationalized and inaccurate portrayal of their event for political purposes that promoted fear, homophobia, transphobia, to customized activations tied to the and bigotry. The Democrats reaffirmed their OUTLOUD Music Festival. Organizations commitment the LGBTQ+ community can and October 9.in to interested sponsorship opportunities drag performers, refusing to engage with what If convicted on all counts, Bhatia could contact sponsorship@jj-la.com. they referred to asyears “fake and outrage.” face up to seven eight months in
Local Argentinian restaurateur behind key Bomb Threat Temporarily “LilShow Nas visual moment in Super BowlHalts Halftime Beverly Hills police arrested Bhatia on September 21 following a two-week search. He was arraigned on Tuesday at the Airport Courthouse and entered a not guilty plea. Bail was set at $175,000, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for
state prison. The case is being handled by the Animal Cruelty Section of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and remains under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, West Hollywood Station.
X: Long Live Montero” Premiere at TIFF
Hall, where the documentary was setSeek A spokespersonPossible for the Toronto police security swept the scene and cleared it within WeHo LASD Detectives Additional World Premiere of Thomson to be screened. informed CTV News Toronto that the threat 20 minutes,” noted Constable Victor Kwong. Lung stated, “Our standard security had been conveyed to the festival’s private Toronto police also clarified that the threat Victims After Indecent Exposure Arrest Documentary Was measures remained in place during this time, security by a passerby. “Out of an abundance had a general nature and did not specifically and the screening commenced with a slight of caution, the Toronto police and the private target any individual or entity. with an incident that occurred on Sept. delay. To our knowledge, this was a general Sheriffs SayAfter a Man Screened 19, 2025. Investigators said Harrington threat and not directed at the film or the artist.” allegedly approached a woman inside a Was Arrested After 20-Minute Delay BACK OR UNFILES Fuegos LA co-owner laundry room and exposed himself before
Allegedly Exposing Himself to a Woman
By Dolores Quintana Fede Laboureau
served as production designer for the “la casita.”
The premiere of “Lil Nas X: Long Live Detectives withToronto the LosInternational Angeles County Montero” at the Film Sheriff’s Department West Festival (TIFF) faced a momentaryHollywood setback on Station are asking the public’s Saturday night due tofor a bomb threat. help in identifying Judy Lung,additional TIFF’s Vicevictims Presidentfollowing of Public the arrest a man accused confirmed of indecent Affairs andofCommunications, to exposure. CTV News Toronto via a written statement Harrington was taken One the biggest events of investigation 2026 sointo far thatJackie the of festival was alerted to an “in vicinity of28, the redconnection. carpet” at Bad Roy custody onthan Sept. 2025, in connection has the more one local
leaving the area. No further confrontation was reported. Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show was Authorities believe there may be other spectacular, and the talk of the nation, and victims who have not yet come forward. many pointed out that Villa’s Tacos and its Anyone with information about this case owner had a cameo appearance during the is urged to contact West Hollywood Station show. Detectives at 310-855-8850. Tips may also Fuegosanonymously LA, a restaurant located at beBut submitted through Crime 3957 South Avenue, is owned by Stoppers by Western calling 800-222-TIPS (8477), two Argentinians, Fede Laboureau and using the “P3 Tips” mobile app, or visiting Max Pizzi, who both have a background in lacrimestoppers.org. The investigation remains ongoing. production design. The restaurant is known
TAXES?
for its empanadas, beef, and Argentinian many different parts of Latino culture and atmosphere. a unifying force. Fede Laboureau announced, via social Laboureau “Being part of the ALL FORMS • ALL TYPES • ALL said, STATES media, that he was the production designer Super Bowl means representing our whole for the beautiful house, or la casita, that Bad community! We’re showing the world SAMUEL B. MOSES, CPA Bunny, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, falls into and then kicks the door open to exactly how powerful Latinos are. We return to the joyful celebration. It’s not have the tenacity and the perseverance to •overcome anything—now surprising100 that Latinos from different parts1753 Wilshire Blvd., Suite Santa Monica 90401 with @ maximilianpizzi just harvesting the seeds of the Americas were involved because the show was meant to be emblematic of you guys watched us plant.”
(310) 395-9922