Special's Ryan O'Connell Named a Grand Marshal of LA Pride

Ryan O'Connell has been named a grand marshal of LA Pride.

The creator, star, and writer of Special -- a Netflix series inspired by his experiences as a gay man with cerebral palsy -- will hold the title of 2019 Celebrity Grand Marshal at the upcoming LGBTQ celebration in West Hollywood.

O'Connell joins Phill Wilson (Community Grand Marshal) -- the CEO of the Black AIDS Institute -- and the Los Angeles LGBT Center (Organizational Grand Marshal) as the honored guests of the parade, which will be held June 9.

"I'm honored to be one of The Grand Marshals at LA Pride," said O'Connell in a statement. "My hope is that every young LGBTQ person is proud of who they are and that they dream about who they can be. Can't wait to live, laugh, love with you all as we celebrate who we are and celebrate the brave shoulders that we all stand on."

"We are thrilled to have Ryan as our Celebrity Grand Marshal," said Estevan Montemayor, the board president of Christopher Street West, the nonprofit that has coordinated LA Pride for nearly 50 years. "He has broken much needed new ground on ensuring that all LGBTQ people are represented in entertainment and media."

"We know, living here in Southern California, that inclusive imagery can change hearts and minds across the country and around the globe," Montemayor added. "Ryan represents the very best in harnessing creative talents to effect positive and meaningful change."

O'Connell, who worked as a writer on Will & Grace and Thought Catalog before launching his pioneering Netflix show, recently spoke with The Advocate about the importance of showing gay sex and sex work on television. Gay sex is "awkward, funny, humiliating, affirming, all within the span of, like, five minutes," said O'Connell, who has taken Hollywood to task for its lack of representation of queer intimacy as well as the differently abled.

In addition to the Sunday parade -- which will be broadcast on television by KABC for the first time in its history this year -- LA Pride constitutes a week-long slate of events. Highlights include the LGBT night at Dodger Stadium, a "Pride Is Universal" party at Universal Studios, and a music festival headlined by Meghan Trainor and Years & Years. Paula Abdul will also be giving a free concert.

To learn more, visit LAPride.org.