Since 2018, the Latino Pride Alliance has celebrated Latino LGBTQ culture and connected people with educational, social, and health services through their Phoenix Festival. Now, they will bring a similar type of festival to Tucson.
The first Latino Pride Festival Tucson will be Saturday, April 12, at the MSA Annex.
Cumbia band La Sonora Dinamita will headline the festival.
There will also be special performances from DEV, an R&B/pop artist known for her songs “Like a G6” and “Bass Down Low,” and “Drag Race México” season one winner Cristian Peralta.
The event will also feature ballet folklorico, mariachi and drag performances, along with food, arts and crafts, and informational booths.
Steve Gallardo, chairman and founder of Latino Pride Alliance, stated that connecting attendees with services is a vital part of the festival.
“The whole purpose is to engage the LGBTQ Latino community, predominantly the Spanish-speaking community. How do you engage them? How do you introduce them to programs and services that are provided, from a nonprofit, from the city, the county, the state? There’s a lot of need out there, and there’s a lot of programs out there,” Gallardo said.
Various social, educational, health care and LGBTQ organizations will be present at the event, sharing information about their services and initiatives.
Gallardo stated that immigration is a crucial topic of discussion within the Latino LGBTQ community. Organizations will be present at the event to inform festivalgoers about their rights.
Gallardo said the festival provides a space for local performers to engage with audiences.
“We create a platform in which folks can show off their art. Of course, in the LGBT community, the drag performances are huge. They want to perform. They want to show off their talent. We have a slew of Tucson drag performers that are coming out to perform,” Gallardo said.
Gallardo said the alliance has collaborated with local high school and college student groups to raise awareness.
Tucson is a new community for them to host a festival. They have sought advice from a local DJ and drag performers.
“They’ve just been awesome in helping us put this together. We want this to be a Tucson event. Even though we’re from Phoenix, we want this to be a Tucson event. This is all about Tucson having a platform and engaging the residents of Tucson,” Gallardo said.
The event was created for people of all ages and backgrounds.
“We want people to express themselves, but we want to make it family-oriented. I want the high school kids and the young people to come. They can bring their parents, and the parents can see what a Pride is all about. It’s bringing the community together, celebrating our diversity, our culture. That’s what it’s all about, especially in today’s environment,” Gallardo said.
Gallardo said their Pride event in Phoenix has helped to connect young people with other members of the LGBTQ community. He remembers one teen who attended the festival, which was his first Pride experience, with his grandmother.
“He was able to be an event where he felt very comfortable. He was able to be himself and meet other people that he felt in common with. That’s the purpose of Pride. I really do believe it. Everyone thinks it’s about partying. It’s more than just that,” Gallardo said.
He mentioned that early on during the Phoenix festival, there were some comments questioning the necessity of a Latino Pride when a larger Pride festival already exists. He emphasized that events like Latino Pride are vital for showcasing diverse cultures.
“I truly believe there should be a Latino Pride…. There’s nothing wrong with celebrating the different cultures. It’s all about celebrating equality, inclusion and diversity. It’s about bringing the community together…We’re celebrating the Latino heritage and culture,” Gallardo said.
Latino Pride Festival Tucson
WHEN: 2 to 10 p.m. Saturday, April 12
WHERE: MSA Annex, 267 S. Avenida del Convento, Tucson
COST: $20 general admission
INFO: lpfaz.com
This article appears in Apr 3-10, 2025.
