Pride festival organizers say they will not pay Long Beach bill
The annual pride festival will not return to Long Beach this year, organizers say. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
Organizers of the Long Island Pride festival said they will not pay a $70,000 bill from Long Beach to cover last year’s festival because other groups are not charged to run special events in the city.
LGBT Network president David Kilmnick is accusing the city of discrimination and announced the Pride on the Beach festival will not return to Long Beach for a fourth year and instead move to another beachside location.
Kilmnick said Wednesday he had been told by several Long Beach city officials — whom he would not name — that the group would not have to pay unless the city billed other organizers that host special events. He said former acting City Manager Rob Agostisi, who joined the LGBT Network as legal counsel, was not part of those discussions.
“We found out we were the only group who had pay to hold events and we said this was discrimination. We were told by numerous city officials we would be treated the same as everyone else,” Kilmnick said. “That exhibits different treatment for the LGBT community as the only group that has to pay. That is discrimination plain and simple.”
Acting City Manager John Mirando said Tuesday the city was still awaiting payment from the LGBT Network for the 2019 festival, which often is paid after grants are issued. City officials could not say whether other groups were billed for special events last year.
The City Council in 2018 failed to approve an ordinance to collect fees to cover city operations and security at special events, such as the Polar Bear Plunge and Irish Day, which officials said cost about a total of $400,000 annually to host.
The LGBT Network moved its pride celebration from Huntington to Long Beach and expanded it to three days in 2017. Organizers received a $300,000 state grant that year and gave Long Beach $150,000 to cover expenses.
Organizers received a $100,000 state grant in 2018 and a $375,000 grant in 2019 to host Pride on the Beach and to attract tourism on Long Island.
City officials said the LGBT Network paid the city $50,000 in 2018, and the city billed the LGBT Network $70,000 for 2019’s festivities, which included a parade, beach party and a Macy Gray concert.
City officials did not offer further comment regarding the alleged discrimination or if they planned to pursue any outstanding balances.
John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.
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