Long Beach Pride, the organisation behind the Southern California city’s annual Pride celebrations, has shared disturbing images of anti-LGBTQ+ graffiti discovered outside its headquarters on Saturday.
The hateful slurs and violent messages were scrawled across a city utility box located on the footpath directly in front of the group’s office. The graffiti included homophobic and transphobic language, a swastika, and references to MAGA slogans, reportedly written sometime on Saturday.
City Leaders Condemn the Hate
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson was quick to condemn the incident in a statement posted to X, calling it:
“Not just an attack on a symbol, but an attack on our LGBTQ+ family, friends, and neighbours.”
“This vile act of hate has absolutely no place in Long Beach,” he added. “To our LGBTQ+ residents and families: I want you to know that you are valued, loved, and respected. You are an essential part of our city, and we will always fight for your right to live openly, proudly, and with the same dignity that every person deserves.”
The city’s graffiti-removal team was dispatched to remove the vandalism, and Long Beach Police are now investigating the incident.
Messages of Violence and Bigotry
The graffiti included slurs against gay, lesbian, transgender, and queer communities, with statements like:
- “F**k gay trans lesbos queers, all should die”
- “Protect REAL kids. #stopbeingquietMAGA”
- A Nazi swastika and the phrase “I hate f*gs”
- “Fck f**ots, go to hell” on another side of the utility box
Long Beach Pride Responds
Elsa Martinez, interim president of Long Beach Pride, issued a statement on behalf of the organisation:
“This is deeply concerning. Acts of hate are not something we expect to see in our own front yard, in a city like ours — one where we have fought for decades to be seen, accepted, and embraced as equal members of this community.”
She added a message of compassion towards the individual responsible:
“We do not respond with fear or hate toward those who commit such acts. Instead, we hold them in love, trusting that love has the power to dissolve the fear and ignorance that fuels hatred. We ask our community to join us in this spirit — because only love can drive out fear.”
Community Support & Safety Measures
In support of the LGBTQ+ community, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn joined city officials in condemning the incident and announced a $2,500 commitment to help Long Beach Pride upgrade and expand its security camera system.
“This was not just vandalism — it was a threat meant to terrorise the LGBTQ community,” Hahn said in a statement. “My hope is that these security upgrades will give staff, volunteers, and community members peace of mind as they continue their important work.”
This isn’t the first time Hahn has made such a contribution. In August, she pledged an identical sum to Mi SELA, a Latino LGBTQ+ youth centre in Bell, which had been targeted multiple times with bags of dog faeces hurled at the building.
“The fact that this person is going out of their way to do this says everything about them and nothing about our LGBTQ community in Southeast L.A.,” Hahn said at the time.
As investigations continue, city leaders and community organisations remain committed to ensuring Long Beach is a safe, inclusive space for all.
