Los Angeles city officials are planning to fly a pride flag at Los Angeles City Hall – for the first time in the city’s history – in celebration of the LGBTQ+ community as part of the annual Pride Month in June.
The City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday, May 28, to ask the city attorney to draft an ordinance to allow the city to raise the Progress Pride Flag in the civic center, which includes City Hall as well as other city-owned facilities where the U.S., state and city flags are currently flown.
The goal is to have that ordinance return to the council for a vote this Friday so that Pride flags can be flown on city properties as soon as Saturday, the first day of Pride Month, according to Council President Paul Krekorian’s office.
Councilmember Tim McOsker, who introduced the motion, said in an interview following Tuesday’s council vote that an existing city code limits the type of flags that can be flown over municipal buildings, which he said “unintentionally” prevents the city from flying the pride flag.
“It’s overdue for us to be able to fly the pride flag, but I do understand … legislators years ago being careful about what flags would fly over municipal buildings,” McOsker said. “And so I was grateful that, although very late, we have an opportunity to clarify that language (now to) give us the opportunity to fly the pride flag.”
The City Council’s decision to raise the Progress Pride Flag comes a year after the L.A. County Board of Supervisors took similar action on county facilities.
At the time, the county board described its decision as a counter-attack against hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ bills popping up in cities and states across the country. The county board also noted that the Huntington Beach City Council in Orange County had recently decided to stop flying a pride flag on city properties after flying one at city hall in 2021.
The first pride flag was waved in June 1978 during the San Francisco Gay Freedom Parade, at the encouragement of gay activist Harvey Milk who was then a San Francisco County supervisor.
More than four decades later, in June 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom requested that a pride flag be flown at the state Capitol – the first time in California history.
Various municipalities around Southern California have taken similar actions in more recent years.
In 2021, Pasadena raised the pride flag at City Hall and hosted its first Pride Month celebration a year later.
In 2022, the city of San Fernando displayed the pride flag at all city facilities and in its downtown mall.
And last year, Redondo Beach also flew a Progress Pride Flag in front of its city hall for the first time.
But communities also have seen resistance to events recognizing the LGBTQ+ community.
Last year, the Los Angeles Dodgers faced backlash, first for inviting the L.A. Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a charitable group known for drag depictions of Catholic nuns, to receive its Community Hero Award during the team’s Pride Night event.
Under pressure from some Roman Catholics, including the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and politicians including Florida’s Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, the Dodgers rescinded its invitation to the Sisters, which then led to the Dodgers being criticized by LGBTQ+ groups and other politicians.
That prompted the Dodgers to reverse course again. Ultimately, the Dodgers invited the Sisters back to their Pride Night event.
Around that same time last year, some parents protested a school assembly at Saticoy Elementary in North Hollywood meant to educate students about different sexual identities.
Some of the parents who opposed the assembly said they respected everyone but questioned whether the discussion would be appropriate for young children.
McOsker said Tuesday he had not heard from any group opposed to allowing pride flags topride be flown on municipal buildings. He added that he was confident that Mayor Karen Bass would sign the ordinance to allow it to happen.
Pride Month will be celebrated in June, with parades and other events planned throughout the greater L.A. region.
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