Diversity in Pride | Milton Darnell Smith and DTLA Proud Fest | Ep 24

Downtown Los Angeles was pulsing with color when we set up our mics at DTLA Proud Festival. The air was thick with basslines, drag queens strutted past the fountains at Pershing Square, and somewhere between the main stage and a churro stand, we spoke with actor and activist Milton Darnell Smith, a man who carries pride in his bones. This is Episode 24 of The Gay Rugby Podcast, and it’s all about diversity, visibility, and what it means to belong.Milton’s energy is magnetic. He talks about his roots in the church, the grind of becoming an actor in Hollywood, and the urgency of creating space for queer joy, not just on stage, but in everyday life. Sitting with him, it felt like we were talking to someone who’s lived a dozen lives and somehow managed to stay open-hearted through them all. He embodies what inclusive sports and queer culture both aim for: a world where authenticity doesn’t have to be negotiated.DTLA Proud, now a staple of Los Angeles Pride season, has become more than just a festival, it’s a mirror for what queer LA looks like right now. There’s sweat, laughter, flirtation, activism, and art happening all at once. It’s a love letter to the city’s LGBTQ+ heartbeat, where the rugby field and the dance floor somehow share the same rhythm. Standing there with Milton, surrounded by thousands of people celebrating who they are, we couldn’t help but feel like this is exactly what we’ve been talking about all season: inclusion that moves from words to action.We talk about inclusive sports culture, the gay rugby community, LGBTQ pride in Los Angeles, and how events like DTLA Proud push conversations forward. Milton opens up about his creative journey, his advocacy work, and the ways he’s seen representation shift in Hollywood. It’s an interview that feels both intimate and electric; part festival recap, part cultural checkpoint, part love letter to the people who show up as themselves, no matter the space.DTLA Proud isn’t just another Pride festival; it’s a reminder that inclusion isn’t something we talk about once a year; it’s something we live. From the rugby pitch to downtown LA’s streets, from athlete activism to queer storytelling, this episode is a snapshot of a movement in motion.