South Bay Leader

Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach today released a preliminary plan that details community history and synthesizes local input so far for the designation and celebration of a proposed special LGBTQ+ District. Known formally as the LGBTQ+ Cultural Report, released to coincide with LGBTQ+ Pride Month in June, the report outlines the next steps for the initiative including suggestions for neighborhood- and business-led activation opportunities.

“The LGBTQ+ community is an integral part of Long Beach, and our City has always been a leader in advancing LGBTQ+ rights and visibility,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “This new Cultural District will engage our local LGBTQ+ residents and families in place-making, healing, and activism. This will help educate our broader community about the significant contributions that the queer community has made in shaping our City’s history and success.”

The preliminary plan highlights and recommends various ways to activate the District that would be located along the East Broadway Avenue corridor between Alamitos and Temple avenues. Community members are encouraged to share their feedback on the plan by providing, for example, additional historical context, requested improvements, and ideas for ongoing community efforts to help improve the activation of the LGBTQ+ Cultural District.

All feedback and questions can be sent via email to LGBTQVisioning@longbeach.gov through Sunday, August 25, and at a public event that will occur in conjunction with the 40th Annual Long Beach Pride Festival on August 4-5, 2023. Staff will consolidate the input and share the final version of the report with the Mayor and City Council in fall 2023.

“The LGBTQ+ Cultural District will serve as an important symbol of inclusivity and pride in our community,” said Vice Mayor Cindy Allen who represents City Council District 2, which encompasses the proposed District. “I encourage our community to review the report and stay involved in future engagement opportunities.”

In June 2022, the Long Beach City Council unanimously approved a recommendation brought forth by then-Mayor and current Congressman Robert Garcia and cosponsored by Vice Mayor Cindy Allen for City staff to work with community stakeholders to create a visioning process and feasibility plan for the LGBTQ+ Cultural District. Since then, City staff have convened with community stakeholders to gather feedback and draft the LGBTQ+ Cultural District Report. The preliminary draft can also be found on the City’s website.

Additional information about the District is available on the City Office of Civic Innovation’s LGBTQ+ visioning webpage.

About the City of Long Beach

Home to approximately 470,000 people, the multiple award-winning and innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. As a full-service charter city, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly-rated school district, Long Beach Airport, the Port of Long Beach, as well as many award-winning City departments such as Health and Human Services; Parks, Recreation and Marine; Development Services; Public Works and more. The City also has a highly respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, 12 libraries, five golf courses, 169 parks, miles of beaches, marinas, bike paths and a Bike Share program.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov. Watch us on LBTV. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Original source can be found here.