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It’s the first week of Pride Month.
West Hollywood’s parade will be short its planned Grand Marshal Icon.
After the WeHo event announced Kathy Hilton’s role, the backlash was vocal and intense.
Her ties to Donald Trump and a memorable RHOBH scandal appear to have come back to haunt her.
The announcement lasted all of a week
The 2026 West Hollywood Pride Parade goes down on Sunday, June 7.
Hilton was originally slated to appear as the Grand Marshal Icon, but will no longer be taking part.
“The City of West Hollywood has always believed that Pride belongs to the community,” the joint statement began.
“Since its earliest days, Pride has served as both a celebration and a platform for activism, visibility, resilience, and the ongoing pursuit of equality, dignity, and justice for LGBTQ+ people,” the statement affirmed.
That is more diplomatic than a reminder that Pride began as a protest. Society has come a long way from the community having to throw bricks at police — mostly.
Officials thanked residents for sharing “thoughtful feedback” on matters, including Hilton’s then-planned role in the parade.
“These conversations reflect the passion people have for WeHo Pride and underscore the importance of ensuring that WeHo Pride continues to honor the history, values, and diverse voices of the LGBTQ+ community,” the anodyne statement reads.
“I am honored to have been considered for this recognition and appreciative of the support I have received from members of the community throughout the years,” Hilton said in her own statement.
“My reason for wanting to be involved in this year’s WeHo Pride weekend was simple: to celebrate, support, and share in the joy of a community that means a great deal to so many people,” she explained.
Those are very good reasons for wanting to be involved. Why, when LGBTQ+ rights are under siege on the federal level, was her involvement controversial?
Does Kathy Hilton get the F-Slur pass? https://t.co/I3S5lgzzaZ
— apple (@bruhitsapple) May 29, 2026
Why was there backlash to the news of her announcement?
Hilton’s involvement was controversial because LGBTQ+ rights are under siege on the federal level.
Officially, she has never confirmed being a supporter of Donald Trump. But she has a documented history of, well, supporting him.
We don’t just mean in 2004 when she and her husband celebrated his reality series, The Apprentice.
That wasn’t in great taste, because of everything about him, but she couldn’t have known that the show would herald America’s decline — and possible downfall.
In 2022, she attended his Super Bowl party. That was after his first term. That was after January 6, when he sent his insurgents to violently attack the legislature. This was a fully informed choice.
There is another matter, one that has less to do with the doom and gloom permeating our country under the Trump regime.
At the Season 12 Reunion special for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Erika Jayne accused Hilton of using an anti-gay slur to complain about a DJ.
“I see Kathy coming from the dance floor, very upset,” Jayne recalled. “I say, ‘Kathy, what’s wrong?’ She says, ‘The DJ’s an old f–cking f–g,’ and walked off.”
For the record, Hilton admitted to feeling “frustrated” that the DJ was “too busy” for a song request during the disastrous Aspen trip, but denied using the slur.
No one questions whether Hilton has gay friends or personally supports the LGBTQ+ community. But the people of West Hollywood deserve a Grand Marshal Icon with no ties to fascism. Actions for the queer community speak louder than words, don’t they?