The Christopher Street West Association (CSW) was formed in 1970 to organize a parade in commemoration of the 1969 Stonewall riots. The concept of a celebratory parade and naming of the association were the result of a collaborative effort by community leaders Reverend Bob Humphries, Morris Kight, and Reverend Troy Perry.

The Los Angeles Police Commission required bonds totaling 1.5 million dollars and a payment of $1,500 for police overtime before they would issue a permit for the first parade. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was contacted and attorney Herbert Selwyn appealed the commission's demand before the Superior Court of California. The court ordered the issuing of the permit and charged the police department with the responsibility to protect the parade participants. CSW became the first organization to obtain a parade permit for its pride parade.

In 1973 the Los Angeles parade was suspended; in 1974 new leaders organized the annual parade with the addition of a pride festival. The parade and festival continued in Hollywood on Hollywood Boulevard through 1978. In 1979 the festival and parade were moved to an unincorporated section of Los Angeles County, west of Hollywood on Santa Monica Boulevard. In 1984 the residents of this unincorporated section of Los Angeles County voted to incorporate as the City of West Hollywood where the parade has been held since 1979.

"History of Christopher Street West / LA Pride." LA PRIDE LGBT Pride in West Hollywood. 2012 Web. 31 July 2012. http://www.lapride.org/about/history.html

Souvenir Pride Programs 1972 and 1975

1972 Gay Pride; 1974 It’s Time For... Gay Pride; 1975 Presents It’s a Gay, Gay, Gay, World; 1976 We Were There; 1977 Silent No More; 1978 No Gay Holocaust in U.S.A.; 1979 A Decade of Pride Stonewall 10; 1980 New Horizons of Gay Pride & Unity; 1981 A Salute to Our Gay Spirit; 1982 A New Gay Dawning; 1983 Feel the Pride, Share the Magic; 1984 Unity & More in ‘84; 1985 Alive with Pride in ‘85; 1986 Forward Together; 1987 Proud, Strong, United; 1988 Rightfully Proud; 1989 Stonewall 20: A Generation of Pride; 1990 Look to the Future; 1991 Together in Pride; 1992 Pride = Power; 1993 A Family of Pride; 1994 Stonewall 25 – A Global Celebration of Lesbian & Gay Pride & Protest; 1995 Pride – From Silence to Celebration; 1996 Pride without Borders; 1997 Equality through Visibility; 1998 Unity through Diversity; 1999 Prideful Past, Powerful Future; 2000 Take Pride, Take Joy, Take Action; 2001 Embrace Diversity; 2002 Pride Worldwide; 2003 Peace through Pride; 2004 Vive La Difference; 2005 Equal Rights. No More. No Less.; 2006 Pride – Not Prejudice; 2007 United For Equality; 2008 Live Love Be; 2009 Your Rights, Our Rights, Human Rights; 2010 One Heart, One World, One Pride; 2011 Pride around the World; 2012 Pride Links Us Together; 2013 Pride 365; 2014 Reflections of Pride - Stonewall 45; 2015 Color Our World with Pride; and 2016 Solidarity through Pride.