Vandals Burn LGBTQ+ Pride Display Outside L.A. School

As a school's Pride Day approaches on Friday, conservative parents in the district are outraged at the school’s plan to demonstrate tolerance and inclusion.

Christopher Wiggins

Christopher Wiggins is The Advocate’s senior national reporter in Washington, D.C., covering the intersection of public policy and politics with LGBTQ+ lives, including The White House, U.S. Congress, Supreme Court, and federal agencies. He has written multiple cover story profiles for The Advocate’s print magazine, profiling figures like Delaware Congresswoman Sarah McBride, longtime LGBTQ+ ally Vice President Kamala Harris, and ABC Good Morning America Weekend anchor Gio Benitez. Wiggins is committed to amplifying untold stories, especially as the second Trump administration’s policies impact LGBTQ+ (and particularly transgender) rights, and can be reached at christopher.wiggins@equalpride.com or on BlueSky at cwnewser.bsky.social; whistleblowers can securely contact him on Signal at cwdc.98.

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Christopher Wiggins

May 31 2023 1:02 PM EST

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Police in California are investigating a possible hate crime after an LGBTQ+ Pride flag was burned at an elementary school in the North Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Before being burned, the flag was displayed in a planter outside a Saticoy Elementary School classroom. The Los Angeles Police Department launched an investigation into hate crime vandalism after receiving a report last week, ABC affiliate KABC reports.

While it is unclear who started the fire, it appears connected to a debate over whether grade school students should be taught about LGBTQ+ inclusion and pride.

In honor of Pride Day, the school will hold an assembly on Friday.

Conservatives and far-right extremists claim that teaching children about the existence and legitimacy of LGBTQ+ people sexualizes or confuses them.

An Instagram page was set up days before the burned flag was discovered to encourage parents to keep their children home during the school assembly.

The planned protest organizers claim they are outraged at the fact that the event has been scheduled. They say that many Armenian and Hispanic families at the school are Christian or adhere to conservative values. Therefore, according to them, children should not be exposed to Pride material.

A Los Angeles Unified School District spokesperson told KABC, “As part of our engagement with school communities, our schools regularly discuss the diversity of the families that we serve and the importance of inclusion. This remains an active discussion with our school communities, and we remain committed to continuing to engage with families about this important topic. Families are always encouraged to discuss important topics with their children, and families may also contact their schools for more information about any school programs or activities.”