san fernando valley

Long before the sun goes down, this downtown San Fernando wine bar-coffee shop — where the community is so tight-knit it’s hard to tell who’s an employee — is already putting on a show. Catch Bodevi Wine & Espresso Bar on one of its vinyl nights to find a DJ table with a rainbow-colored disco ball, where ’80s records blast from a speaker and customers dance in the middle of the room. Earlier in the day, however, you wouldn’t expect such a joyous transformation — laptops are usually out at tables and bar seating, next to cold brews, matcha lattes and maybe an avocado toast or burrata pistachio sandwich.

One of the best parts of Bodevi is the space itself, decorated with colorful wall decor, leather chairs and houseplants. Owned by husband-and-wife duo Joeleen and Miguel Medina, who also own Truman House Tavern next door, Bodevi has a boho-chic aesthetic that matches both its daytime coffee shop crowd and its eccentric evenings, when customers often drift to the back room for board games, beer and wine in hand.

Whether you go for a DJ set or a journaling session (check Instagram for upcoming events), accompany your evening with charcuterie. Bodevi offers two options: one charcuterie board and a smaller personal plate. It also has $18 wine flights — for the most variety, opt for the Studio 54, which comes with a light South African Champagne, a Portuguese white, a bright rosé and a 2021 Pinot Noir.

Pride Month, which officially starts Sunday, is already in full swing and continuing through June with a host of activities and events. (After Long Beach Pride in mid-May, West Hollywood, Los Angeles, Venice, Santa Monica, San Fernando Valley, Catalina Island and other communities are following up with their own Pride celebrations.)

Although there is no shortage of opportunities for enjoying this worldwide celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, this year seems like a particularly pivotal time to partake in activities that uplift queer arts programs.

In 2025 and beyond, arts and culture funding is facing increasing threats of cancellation and cuts by the Trump administration. Los Angeles is home to numerous forms of art, but nothing is guaranteed to last forever. And in a world increasingly dominated by AI and virtual technologies, engaging with our imaginations can play a more important role than we might realize.

“I think more than ever people need to embrace the arts because we don’t know how much time we have left or how bad things can get,” said Lucé Tomlin-Brenner, a queer comedian and filmmaker who hosts the film-comedy show “Video Visions” at Highland Park video rental store Vidéothèque.

“We have to get into the practice of recognizing that what makes us feel free and joyful matters because that will strengthen us for the hard times,” she said. “If we’re just despairing, if we feel like we’re trapped already, then they’ve won because we’re not using our voices or our talents to change our realities.”

So this Pride Month, along with celebrating via boozy drag brunches and dancing at the Pink Pony Club until the sun rises, partake in L.A.-area activities that serve as a lifeline for queer community and creativity.

From learning how to use oil paints to discovering queer films streaming networks ignore and sewing your own Pride flag, opportunities abound throughout June to connect with your imagination and help ensure the survival and growth of local arts programs.