Surrounded by a cheering crowd, Long Beach officials raised a rainbow flag at the Civic Center for the first time ever this morning in a show of solidarity with the worldwide LGBT community. The event was part of the Courage Campaign’s California Mayors United Against Proposition 8 movement and celebrates the U.S. Supreme Court hearing of oral arguments on the Proposition 8 case on Tuesday and the Defense of Marriage Act on Wednesday.
The so-called Pride Flag was placed directly below the California Flag on one of the flagpoles overlooking Centennial Plaza directly in front of City Hall where it will remain until Thursday. Long Beach is one of 25 California cities–including Los Angeles–whose mayors signed an open letter to the Supreme Court last week and will wave rainbow flags during the two-days of hearings.
“As Mayors, we have a responsibility to unite our cities, not divide them,” the letter read. “Key to that is building family integrity, including ensuring all loving, committed couples in our cities have the same freedoms and rights.”
City Council’s two openly gay members–1st District’s Robert Garcia and 5th District’s Gerrie Schipske–were also on hand to assist in the flag raising and each spoke briefly about the importance of these cases.
“I have been in a partnership for 33 years and this decision is not just notable to me, but to many in the United States who believe in full equality for all,” said Schipske.
“The City of Long Beach sees this as a human rights issue,” said Mayor Bob Foster. “We hope the Supreme court makes the right decision–the human decision.”
Rulings in both Supreme Court cases are expected by the summer.
Photo by Sarah Bennett
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