LA seeks to raise flag honoring LGBTQ+ Pride Month

Photo for illustration purposes only. FILE PHOTO/REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday instructed staff to amend the city’s policies to allow for the Progress Pride Flag to be raised in the Civic Center and other facilities as a way to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.

Council members voted 14-0 in favor of the motion and requesting the city attorney’s office to prepare an ordinance in one week to ensure the flag gets flown in time for Pride Month, which is celebrated in June. The month-long celebration commemorates lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride, taking place after the Stonewall riots, a series of gay liberation protests in 1969 in New York City.

Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez was absent during the vote.

“It gives a chance to make a modification to our administrative code to create something that I believe was unintentional,” McOsker said prior to the vote. “We have provisions in our code that technically disallow us from raising the Pride flag over city buildings.”

Council members Tim McOsker, Monica Rodriguez, Traci Park, Hugo Soto-Martinez and Bob Blumenfield introduced a motion last year seeking to raise the Progress Pride Flag at City Hall, City Hall East, City Hall South and other city facilities where the American, Californian and city flags are displayed during the month of June.

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.

Last year, McOsker said, “It is an important message for us to be saying that we’re not only accepting, but we’re embracing and celebrating Pride…”

The councilman had recognized that, under the direction of Supervisors Janice Hahn and Lindsey Horvath, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution to raise the Progress Pride Flag over the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration and county facilities.

McOsker had said he would be “remiss” if he didn’t point out that his motion was motivated by his constituents and Hahn, a longtime friend, for setting an example.

Earlier this month, the Downey City Council enacted a “neutral flag” policy in a 3-2 vote, taking down the Pride flag that had previously flown for three years at City Hall. In March, the city of Huntington Beach had also decided to take down its Pride flags from flying on city property, and allow certain flags from flying.

According to the LA council members’ motion, 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, Gilbert Baker sewed the flag to symbolize the value and dignity of the gay community.

In 2015, the White House lit up with rainbow colors following the Supreme court’s landmark Obergefell v. Hodges ruling that guarantees a constitutional right to same sex-marriage. In June 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom requested that the Pride flag be flown on the main flagpole at the State Capitol building in commemoration of LGBTQ+ Pride Month — marking the first time in state history that occurred.

On Dec. 13, 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act, which provides federal protections for same-sex marriage. (CNS)