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Long Beach's Rainbow Lifeguard Tower Burns Down, a Likely 'Act of Hate'
Long Beach's Rainbow Lifeguard Tower Burns Down, a Likely 'Act of Hate'
A symbol of Pride has been reduced to rubble and ash, with the mayor suspecting foul play.
A rainbow lifeguard tower in Long Beach, Calif., burned down early Tuesday, and the mayor suspects it to be an "act of hate."
Firefighters responded to the flames just after midnight. And now an investigation into its origins has been opened, according to Long Beach Marine Safety Chief Gonzalo Medina.
"The tower served as a symbol of our strong support for diversity within our ranks and the LGBTQ community who call Long Beach home," Medina said, according to the Los Angeles Times. "The tower will be replaced and repainted by lifeguards."
The tower had been painted rainbow colors by LGBTQ+ lifeguards in honor of Pride Month. Mayor Robert Garcia, who is gay, said on Twitter that he had "little doubt" that its destruction was a criminal act. But he also had a message for the possible perpetrator: "To whoever committed this act, we will rebuild it better and brighter."
\u201cLast night, our PRIDE lifeguard station that was painted by LGBTQ+ lifeguards, burned down. The fire is under investigation but I personally have little doubt this was an act of hate. To whoever committed this act, we will rebuild it better and brighter.\u201d— Robert Garcia (@Robert Garcia) 1616520269
Long Beach is one of the country's most LGBTQ-friendly places. The Human Rights Campaign gave the SoCal city a perfect score of 100 in a ranking of protections and services provided to the community. However, the destruction of the rainbow tower in a queer destination still left locals shaken.
\u201cThe fact that such a simple, public statement in support of queers\u2014a rainbow-ed out lifeguard tower in Long Beach\u2014was so offensive to someone that they burned it down makes me lose hope. I know this isn\u2019t what LB represents but that doesn\u2019t numb the pain & anxiety \ud83d\udcf8: K. Pifari\u201d— Brian Addison (@Brian Addison) 1616521704
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