Actress Queen Latifah has been announced as the headline act for
this year's Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride Festival, which takes
place in California on 19 May.
Despite her large following in the gay community, it will be the
Grammy Award winner's first performance at a Gay Pride event
anywhere in the world, according to the Huffington Post.
"Queen Latifah is the voice of our generation, and her concert
here will be phenomenal" said Pat Crosby, Co-President of Long
Beach Pride on the event website. "For her to make her debut here
in Long Beach is a tremendous testament to the popularity of our
celebration and to the strength of our community."
The annual festival, first held in June 1984, is thought to be
one of the largest Pride festivals in the USA.
Previous performers at the event have included Jennifer Hudson
and Maya.
Latifah, whose real name is Dana Elaine Owens, is known for her
acting and hip-hop music. Her latest film project Joyful Noise, in
which she stars alongside Dolly Parton, is due for release in the
UK in June. See this month's DIVA for our review.
