Cathedral City’s gay community calls for action at upcoming council meeting
Update 09/15/26, 10:30 PM: This article has been updated to include a written statement from Sunshine Herrera, sent to our newsroom after our story aired.
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – Every March, Cathedral City puts on a large event for the LGBTQ+ community, known as “LGBT+ Days.”
“We had over 12,000 visitors over the course of the weekend from 28 different states,” said Michael Westman, the marketing manager of Montage Events, the company that produces the celebration. “And so growing on that success, we want to continue to elevate the event.”
The path forward includes renaming “LGBT+ Days” to “Cathedral City Pride.”
“I think that describes more what the event really is. It’s your your you’re proud to be in Cathedral City to live in Cathedral City. The city is very supportive of the community. And so that’s really the point of of what we’re doing,” reasoned Westman.
Organizers also want to move the event back a week, to March 12th through 14th, in 2027.
The two changes are set to be considered during Cathedral City’s council meeting on Wednesday, September 16th.
A call-to-action is making the rounds on social media for members of the Coachella Valley’s LGBTQ+ community to attend Wednesday’s meeting. Several prominent voices on Facebook want to fill the council chambers in support of the event.
It comes two weeks after the city’s previous meeting on August 26th. During that meeting, public comments were made by Sunshine Herrera, who asked the council to look into the money that was being spent for LGBT+ Days and the 2027 Palm Springs International Film Festival.
In reference to LGBT+ Days, Herrera commented from the podium, “I would like to know what is the total cost of the LGBTQ plus days to Cathedral City, how much outside revenue is being generated, and what financial reporting is council receiving before additional payments are made.”
She continued, “This is a reoccurring city event and the city’s financial involvement goes way beyond the contract payment itself. I am asking council to consider a study session or a public presentation on the LGBTQ days before the next payment is made.”
“I am not asking this because I oppose the event,” Herrera clarified at the end of her comment. “I am asking because if the city is spending this amount of public money every year, council and the public should be able to see the complete financial picture.”
Herrera, who is also running for a seat on the Coachella Valley Water District board, sent News Channel 3 a statement, clarifying her position, seen here:
“I’m shocked and appalled that legitimate questions about public spending are being portrayed as opposition to the LGBTQ+ community. I support Cathedral City Pride, have earned the support of LGBTQ+ community members, and am proud that LGBTQ+ individuals serve on my campaign team.
The attached public contract pays Montage Agency $85,000 for the 2026 event and $90,000 for 2027. It states that sponsorship revenue should primarily offset event costs but allows Montage to retain excess sponsorship funds as additional compensation. If sponsorship increased by a reported 120 percent, Mayor Raymond Gregory and the City Council should explain why the City’s payment is also increasing.
Questions about a $175,000 public contract should be answered with financial records, not inflammatory accusations. Supporting Pride and demanding transparency are not opposing positions.
Pride belongs to the community. Public money belongs to the public. Both deserve protection.”
Sunshine Herrera
At the end of the meeting, Mayor Pro Tem Ernesto Gutierrez referenced Herrera’s comments: “We’ll be working on something possibly for our next meeting so we can possibly request a City Council study session as to our event that was mentioned earlier by our speaker.”
It led to some pushback from Mayor Raymond Gregory, who asked, “Will that be all events or are you going to single out a certain event?”
“Just one single event,” Gutierrez responded.
“Alright,” Gregory replied. “Well, I’ll be interested to see why you would want to single out a certain event.”
You can view the archived livestream from that meeting by clicking here.
A full agenda for Wednesday’s meeting can be found by clicking here.
“There have been pushbacks all over the country from pride events,” said long-time Cathedral City resident John Joiner. “It always concerns me. But if you stay active and you stay proactive, then you’re going to win more than you lose.”
For Michael Westman, he said he was hoping to see a large turnout at Wednesday’s meeting.
“It’s all about coming together, about being united. And, you know, having a great event and a great chance for the community to… show that.”
“It’s not anything new. We’ve been around a long time,” Joiner reasoned. “I’m not sure why we need to be studied. I think we just need to be celebrated.”
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