From drag queens to gay icons, these celebrities told us what pride means to them

LOS ANGELES — In honor of Pride Month, On The Red Carpet asked the stars what celebrating pride meant to them.

Actor and model Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman told us, “Honey, I celebrate pride every day, just like this. Right now. Just by being us. All of us here celebrating together in a safe space? This is pride.”

Long-time ally and advocate, Lisa Rinna beamed at the question. “I love my gays so much. I just love everybody. I love my trans friends and my gay friends and my drag friends, and I mean, that’s my circle! That’s my family,” she said.

As LGBTQ+ representation in the media has developed, so has the breadth of stories that has been told.

Joel Kim Booster, who recently appeared on Freeform’s “Chrissy & Dave Dine Out” alongside Chrissy Teigen and David Chang, mentioned that LGBTQ+ representation is important for people that may not know a LGBTQ+ individual. “That person on a television show might be their only frame of reference,” he explained. On the show, his warm demeanor encouraged guests to open up and spill some juicy details.

Booster teased, “As a professional gay person, pride has been a gauntlet for me for the last several years.” He went on to say, “Pride has now become finding the little moments where I can actually sit down and rest and reflect.”

Ronen Rubinstein, who stars in “9-1-1 Lone Star,” publicly came out as bisexual in 2021. He commented on his character, TK, an openly gay firefighter. “Specifically for Pride Month, I think playing a queer character on television every day that I go to set is a little extra special,” he said.

“I think more than ever, it’s important for LGBTQ+ folks and allies to be out there celebrating pride and just being an example of love to everyone out there,” Daniel Franzese, best known for playing Damian in “Mean Girls,” expressed.

Looking for more ways to celebrate Pride Month? Catch the 2024 LA Pride Parade, hosted by Ellen Leyva and Gio Benitez, Sunday, June 9 at 11 a.m. PT streaming live on ABC News Live and Hulu.

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