Warning: This article about anti-LGBTQ vandalism at Long Beach Pride contains uncensored images with graphic text.
An array of anti-LGBTQ slurs, Nazi symbolism, and pro-MAGA rhetoric were used to vandalize an electricity box outside of the Long Beach Pride headquarters. Located at the northwest corner of 10th Street and Obispo Avenue, the space has acted as Pride’s central hub for decades. And the vandalism has sparked both concern and resilience.
“This is deeply concerning,” said Tonya Medrano-Martin, president of Pride, in a statement on social media. “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. We must remember: Pride began as a protest. It has never been only about parades and celebrations. It is about standing up for our right to live openly and fully. To share in all the privileges and freedoms that every American deserves. And we will continue to prevail.”
Congressman Robert Garcia joined in on condemning the act: “Long Beach is one of the most welcoming and affirming communities in the state. No amount of hate speech towards our LGBTQ+ community will change that. For the cowards who are trying to intimidate us, it won’t work – and we will keep fighting for our rights. We always stand with Long Beach Pride and our community. We will stay strong, even as hate and division are encouraged by many across our country. We won’t back down.”
Long Beach police are actively working with Pride to ‘ensure safety of community’
Martinez said that the Long Beach Police Department are working with Pride to ensure safety and actively investigating the situation.
“We are living through a dark chapter in our nation’s history,” said Mayor Rex Richardson in a statement, “where incidents of hate and violence are on the rise and the political tone being set by the country’s most powerful leaders continues to breed division and hate. But here in Long Beach, we believe that our diversity is our greatest strength, and that there is more in common that unites us than what sets us apart. 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.”
This follows an uptick in anti-LGBTQ sentiment across the country. In the U.S., GLAAD’s ALERT Desk tracked 932 anti-LBGTQ+ incidents between May 2024 and May 2025, which included hate speech, vandalism, and assaults. Over half of these incidents targeted transgender and gender non-conforming people. Even as the overall crime rate has declined, the FBI’s 2023 data reported an increase in hate crimes motivated by anti-LGBTQ bias. Incidents targeting gender identity and sexual orientation? They saw a year-over-year increase.
“As President of Long Beach Pride, I want to be clear,” Medrano-Martin said. “We do not respond with fear or hate toward those who commit such acts. Instead, we hold them in love. We trust 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.
