June 1 marks the start of LGBTQ
Pride Month, with a full slate of activities planned for the month in Manhattan Beach.
Highlights of the month's planned events begin tonight, when the Manhattan Beach Pier will be lit with rainbow lights for the month of June; and on "Pride Day," June 14, when there will be a formal ceremony unveiling the new
rainbow crosswalk at the Manhattan Beach Pier and other activities throughout town.
The Manhattan Beach City Council will also be proclaiming the month of June as Pride Month at its meeting on June 7.
However, in light of a recent Supreme Court decision on flags flown by cities, the Pride flag will not fly at City Hall this year. Manhattan Beach is continuing to study the Supreme Court decision and its implications, according to city spokeperson Jessica Vincent.
Pride Celebrations Planned
Manhattan Beach has a slate of activities on offer during Pride Month, starting with the lights at the Pier.
The activities will culminate on Tuesday, June 14, which is officially known as "Pride Day."
Throughout the day on June 14, select South Bay businesses will donating a percentage of their proceeds
to PFLAG Manhattan Beach/South Bay throughout the day.
From 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. that day,
PFLAG Manhattan Beach will host a community booth at the
Manhattan Beach Farmers' Market.
At 5:00 p.m.
there will be an unveiling ceremony and ribbon cutting for the new
rainbow crosswalk at the Manhattan Beach Pier at the Strand.
The event will feature a ribbon cutting and
include official remarks by incoming Mayor Steve Napolitano as well as guest speakers.
“The
rainbow crosswalk represents the city's commitment to inclusivity for
all its residents,” said Manhattan Beach Mayor Hildy Stern in a statement. “This ribbon cutting event
has special meaning during
Pride Month. It is an opportunity for our community to come together to
support the LGBTQ+ community as we strive to be a welcoming city that
assures everyone feels valued, safe, and supported.”
Following the ribbon cutting, at 6:00 p.m., pages: a bookstore will hold a "
Pride Book Talk."
At least two local businesses have already announced specials for Pride Month.
At any
Sand Spa
location, you can pick up a "Self-Care for All" card. If you fill out
all of the spaces on the card in the month of June, you will
receive a free month's membership, and be entered into a raffle for
prizes from local businesses. Sand Spa will also donate 10 percent of
all sale during the month to
The Trevor Project.
On June 24,
Yoga Loft
will hold a "Pride Yoga" session, featuring "the greatest GAY anthems
by the queens of music," followed by an open house with studio discounts
as well
as snacks and treats. It will be a donation-based class, with a portion
of the proceeds going to PFLAG Manhattan Beach/South Bay.
No Pride Flag at City Hall
The Supreme Court's May ruling in
Shurtleff v. Boston ruled that the flags that the city of Boston chose to fly were not "protected government speech," and therefore the city's refusal to fly a private religious organization’s flag violated that organization’s First Amendment rights.
While Manhattan Beach (and other cities around the country) continues to study the decision, the city will keep its three flags (the U.S. flag, the California state flag, and the Manhattan Beach flag) flying outside of City Hall, said Vincent.
Vincent added that in the future it may be possible for a city councilperson to propose raising a different flag, but that would have to be voted on by the entire City Council.
The Pride flag, as seen outside Manhattan Beach City Hall in June 2021.
Last year, the Pride flag flying outside of City Hall raised a small commotion when several
youths could be seen on a TikTok video taking down the flag and "disparaging and disrespecting" it. However, the flag was returned and it continued to fly for the rest of the month.
