State Assemblymember Bonnie Lowenthal offers a flower to the sea.
12:00pm | A large crowd gathered near the ocean in Belmont Shore yesterday for a vigil in remembrance of teenage suicide victims, after increased LGBT suicides have made national news in the last few weeks. The event was organized by the Gay and Lesbian Center of Greater Long Beach and attempted to make “a strong statement that bullying and taunting based on sexual orientation or gender expression will not be tolerated,” according to a Center press release.
The vigil was held on the beach near Granada and Ocean Boulevard, and attendees heard from speakers and offered single-stem white flowers to the water. Local officials such as First Lady Nancy Foster, Assemblymember Bonnie Lowenthal, Councilmember Robert Garcia and Signal Hill Councilmember Larry Forrester were all in attendance. Photographer Daniel DeBoom was also there to capture these images.
