Long Beach released its preliminary plan for the city’s “gayborhood;” the Broadway corridor in the Alamitos Beach neighborhood that will soon become an LGBTQ+ cultural district.
Although the area has long been a hub for the LGBTQ+ community to congregate, celebrate and establish businesses, it has never been officially recognized. This time last year, Long Beach City Council appointed city staff to create a visioning process and feasibility plan for the creation of an LGBTQ+ cultural district.
Nearly 500 residents shared their priorities, ideas and requests for the cultural district through a community survey and engagement events.
Long Beach is inviting residents to look over the plan and send their feedback and ideas about historical context, community events and requested improvements to LGBTQVisioning@longbeach.gov from now until Aug. 25. The city will host an engagement event about the plan at the 40th Annual Long Beach Pride Festival on Aug. 4 and 5.
The district was originally planned to span from Alamitos to Junipero Avenues, but the city has extended the border to Temple Avenue to include more businesses, according to staff reports.
The creation of an LGBTQ+ cultural district is intended to honor the history the community has in the city, from hard-fought battles for equality to the central figures who helped shape the culture since the early 1900s.
A Brief History of Long Beach’s LGBTQ Community
In 1914, two well-known gay bars in Long Beach were raided by police, where they arrested 31 men and accused them of fellatio. One of the men arrested, Jonathan Lamb, eventually committed suicide and soon after the city passed a law prohibiting oral sex.
In the ‘60s, Long Beach resident and gay bar owner Lee Gaze organized a “flower power” protest where he and several other people bought out a nearby flower shop and brought the bouquets to the police department. They were at the department waiting for their friends—men who had been arrested for dancing with other men—to be released from jail.
In 1973, the city’s first gay dance club, Club Ripples on Ocean Boulevard, was firebombed.
Despite these acts of violence and discrimination, Long Beach residents continued to protest, organize and fight for equal rights. Many bars, restaurants, clubs and other stores became community hubs for members of the LGBTQ+ community looking for a place to feel safe and welcome.
A Los Angeles Times article from 1985 estimated that 25 to 50% of the businesses along Broadway at that time were gay-owned. Residents estimated that 30% of the people living in the immediate vicinity were part of the LGBTQ+ community.
The area became even more important for gay people during the HIV/AIDS epidemic. As businesses and newly established organizations began to shut down due to sickness and deaths, the remaining establishments made it their mission to educate and support their community.
Today, many Long Beach organizations still make it a point to provide services such as health screenings, medication, housing services and more. Well-known establishments such as Hot Stuff, Mine Shaft, The Brit Bar among others have continued to create a sense of pride for the gayborhood.
Community Responses & Requests
One of the most popular responses from the preliminary plan is an emphasis on this history so residents can learn about the contributions and struggles of local activists before their time.
Residents overwhelmingly requested improvements to lighting and a more activated corridor to create a stronger sense of community and safety. Suggested decorations included art installations, murals, historical plaques, banners and decorative lighting.
The report will be presented to Long Beach City Council in the fall of 2023.
Once receiving the report, the city can begin developing designs, identifying funding and applying for grants. Small improvements such as tree planting, street furniture, signage and murals can be expected within a year after the council receives the plans.
Larger improvements such as lighting upgrades and construction, are expected in the following years.
Residents can send feedback and suggestions for the LGBTQ+ cultural district to LGBTQVisioning@longbeach.gov from now until Aug. 25.
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