The Pride flag will be raised over Los Angeles City Hall for the first time after the mayor signed an ordinance that was unanimously approved by the City Council.
The flag will fly over City Hall during June after an update to city ordinance on flag regulations. The City Charter, section 7.66, prohibits flags other than the American, California and city flags from being raised at City Hall or any other city facilities.
The council members introduced the motion in June 2023, but were too late to raise the flag that year for the month of LGBTQ+ celebrations. Bass signed the motion as Pride Month celebrations began in Southern California and around the world.
“I’m proud to have signed this historic motion to fly the pride flag over City Hall,” Bass said. “Our message to the rest of the country and to the world is clear – now more than ever, we must stand together. I want to thank Councilman Tim McOsker and the rest of City Council for working together to get this done. We know the harm that discrimination and hate brings and I’m proud that in Los Angeles, we accept our LGBTQIA+ community with open arms.”
The decision comes at a time when some Southland communities are moving in the opposite direction.
In May, the Downey City Council enacted a “neutral flag” policy on a 3-2 vote, taking down the Pride Flag that had previously flown for three years at City Hall.
In March, more than 58% of voters in Huntington Beach approved a ban on nongovernmental flags, including those for Pride Month, being flown on city property.
At least two California school districts, in Temecula and the Bay Area community of Sunol, have also banned Pride Flags.
About the Pride flag
The first known Pride Flag debuted at the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade in June 1978. At the encouragement of gay activist Harvey Milk, artist Gilbert Baker designed the flag to symbolize the value and dignity of the gay community.
The original Pride Flag depicted multicolored stripes similar to a rainbow. A 2018 re-design by graphic designer Daniel Quasar added black, brown and pink stripes to the classic Rainbow Flag to place a greater emphasis on “inclusion and progression” and became known as the Progress Pride Flag.
City News Service and Jonathan Lloyd
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