Residents are invited to the first public visioning event for the proposed LGBTQ+ cultural district at the Bixby Park Community Center on Oct. 27.
The visioning event will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and will give residents the opportunity to voice their views on what will become a cultural district for the LGBTQ+ community in Long Beach. The proposed district will be along the Broadway Corridor between Junipero and Alamitos Avenues which have been marked with pride-themed rainbow crosswalks since 2017.
“The Broadway Corridor is rich with history and at the heart of our LGBTQ+ community,” Mayor Robert Garcia said in a statement from the City. “We are working with folks across the neighborhood and city at-large to ensure we properly recognize the corridor’s significance and celebrate Long Beach’s vibrant queer community.”
The area is widely considered the “gayborhood” by many residents due to the aforementioned crosswalks and the abundance of LGBTQ+-owned businesses and famous gay bars such as Sweetwater Saloon, The Falcon, Broadway Cocktail Lounge and the new Beach Garden Social Club.
In June 2022, Long Beach City Council unanimously approved a recommendation to create a visioning process and feasibility plan for the LGBTQ+ cultural district brought forth by Mayor Garcia and co-sponsored by Councilmember Cindy Allen, whose district covers the proposed historic district.
“The LGBTQ+ cultural district will serve as an important symbol of inclusivity and pride in our community,” Allen said in a statement from the City. “I encourage our residents and business owners to help shape the future of this district by taking part in this community visioning opportunity.”
Community members are also invited to participate in the visioning process through an online survey that will be available during the visioning event and on a webpage for the LGBTQ+ cultural district until Nov. 9, 2022.
The final recommendations from the visioning process and survey will be presented to the Council later this year.
