After the Downey City Council adopted a “neutral” flag policy, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn Monday rose the Pride flag at eight county-owned properties in the area.
Hahn, who represents the county’s 1st District, which includes Downey and other southeast cities, held a celebration to raise the Pride Flag outside the county Office of Education in Downey in honor of Pride Month. Downey Mayor Mario Trujillo joined Hahn as well as county Assessor Jeffrey Prang and county Superintendent of Schools Debra Duardo, as well as members of the LGBTQ+ community and elected officials from across the county.
“For the past three years, the Pride Flag has flown over your wonderful city, but a few weeks ago the City Council narrowly voted, but still it was a majority, to end that practice,” Hahn said.
A man interrupted Hahn’s speech, protesting her actions to raise the Pride Flag. Following a chorus of boos and calls for him to leave, the man was escorted out.
Hahn picked up where she left off, adding “All dark clouds have a silver lining, right. When one door closes, 100 more open. I am here today because I wanted to make sure that Mayor Trujillo, and your colleague Horatio Ortiz, know that we appreciate them being on the right side of history.”
She thanked both of them and emphasized that there is “Pride in Downey.”
A few weeks ago, the five-member Downey City Council voted 3-2 to adopt a neutral flag policy, which limits which flags can be displayed on city-owned and maintained property. Mayor Trujillo and City Councilman Ortiz voted against the policy.
“At the Downey City Council meeting on May 14, 2024, the City Council, by majority vote, and effectively immediately, moved to limit the flags flown on City-owned flagpoles to the following flags: (1) the United States Flag, (2) the California state flag, (3) the City of Downey flag, and (4) the Prisoners of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) flag,” according to a statement from Axel Perez-Beltran, a spokesman for the city of Downey.
He added, “Supervisor Janice Hahn’s Pride Flag raising ceremony at the Los Angeles County Office of Education is sponsored by Los Angeles County at a county facility and, therefore, does not fall under the jurisdiction of the city of Downey.”
Council members Hector Sosa and Dorothy Pemberton, who voted in favor of the neutral flag policy, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday morning. Councilwoman Claudia Frometa, who also voted in favor of the policy, said in an email that she had no comment on this matter at this time.
Hahn noted said the council’s vote was “painful” for many LGBTQ+ residents, but reminded people in attendance of her event that the county government “sees you.”
Prang, a former mayor of the city West Hollywood and the current president of the Los Angeles County LGBTQ+ Elected Officials Association, called the neutral flag policy an “egregious policy.”
The county official reflected on the importance of Pride Month, a month-long celebration in June to recognize lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender history and contributions. He reminded everyone that it all began with the Stonewall riots in 1969 in New York City — which began the battle for equality and justice for the LGBTQ+ community.
Prang, who is gay, shared a personal story of when he first moved to California from Michigan back in 1987. He recounted how when he first saw the Pride flag raised it made him feel safe, and that he could be his authentic self.
“Here’s the value for LGBTQ+ people, especially our young, will know that when they see these flags flown by government — county government facilities across the 4,500 square miles that constitutes L.A. County — they will know that L.A. County is a safe and welcoming place,” Prang said.
County officials are expected to raise the Pride Flag at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration Tuesday morning. The city of Los Angeles last week updated their flag policy and raised the Pride Flag.
Last year, the county Board of Supervisors voted to raise the Progress Pride Flag at several government buildings.
The Progress Pride Flag was created in 2018 by graphic designer Daniel Quasar. It retains the common six-stripe rainbow design of the original gay pride flag, but adds black, brown, light blue, pink and white stripes to include other marginalized people, including the Black and Indigenous communities and other people of color, and people who have died from or are currently living with HIV/AIDS.
In March, more than 58% of voters in Huntington Beach approved a ban on nongovernmental flags, including those for Pride Month, being flown on city property.
At least two California school districts, in Temecula and the Bay Area community of Sunol, have also banned Pride Flags.
The first known Pride Flag debuted at the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade in June 1978. At the encouragement of San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, artist Gilbert Baker designed the flag to symbolize the value and dignity of the gay community.