The first Dyke Day LA was officially held in 2008 at Barnsdall Art Park in East Hollywood.
What You Need To Know
- The Annual Dyke Day LA returns in-person for the first time since going virtual during the pandemic
- It was held in Sycamore Grove Park in Highland Park, a new location, where organizers said they could see up to 1,000 people
- The event is a free picnic day in the park put on by Dyke Day LA, a local nonprofit and is meant to be accessible the entire community, including families
- Like many grassroots groups, Organizers say they struggled financially during the pandemic but the community helped them raise the thousands of dollars necessary to make this year's event possible
"When we started, there were probably about 200 people that would attend Dyke Day at our smaller venue and now it’s upwards of 750-1,000 attendees every year," said Sarah Tomchesson, one of the group's founding members.
She came out as queer in college and said the event is a day in the park for queers and allies to unite and find a community without having to shell out big bucks.
"Pride often comes with big corporate sponsors, high entry fees, isn’t necessary friendly to all ages, both youth and seniors, and we wanted to see something that was more accessible," she said.
This year, it was held at a new location on Saturday at Sycamore Grove Park in Highland Park.
"We’ve got the puppy parade. We do drag queen story hour for kids. We have a bounce house. We have face painting. There’s always DJ sets," Tomchesson said.
The word "dyke" is historically derogatory.
Tomchesson said it has long been used as a slur against gay women as a way of desexualizing and dehumanizing them, but the lesbian community has worked hard to reclaim the term for decades. The organization "Dykes on Bikes" has been around since 1976 and has motorcycle chapters all over the world.
Instead, Tomchesson said the main issue these days is whether the term accurately reflects the changing community.
"What we’re hearing is that people who have been coming to the event for a long time really get it but newbies are like, 'Wait, is that for me? I’m not a dyke,'" Tomchesson said.
She said LA does not have any lesbian bars anymore, and many queer women don’t feel welcome at gay bars.
"Events that focus on queer women usually don’t last or get the worst night at the bar, so for us, keeping those events going throughout the year is really important," Tomchesson said.
But like many other organizations, the pandemic threatened the group’s future. They had to decide whether to fold or reinvent themselves.
Thankfully, she says the queer community stepped up, raising the thousands of dollars needed to continue the event.
"We have a group of organizers this year who are so passionate, like they are as excited about it as we were when we started the event, and that is really cool," Tomchesson said.
"I kind of think of "Dyke Day" as like a big queer annual family reunion, like that feeling that you get when you get to really connect with your people."
People who are showing off their true colors with pride.
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