The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors gathered with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, West Hollywood Drag Laureate Pickle and L.A. County Assessor Jeff Prang to raise the Progress Pride flag over the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration on June 4. (photo courtesy of the office of Lindsey Horvath)

The Pride flag now flies over every building operated by Los Angeles County. The Progress Pride flag became a point of contention in Downey in recent weeks, when its City Council voted to ban the flag, as well as any other kind of Pride flag, at Downey city buildings.

“The city of Downey has five council members and two of them are openly gay men [who voted in favor of the flag],” L.A. County Assessor Jeff Prang said. “How can [the other three council members] sit there on that dais and look at [their] colleagues who [they] work with day in and day out and cast a vote that could be harmful to them … I don’t know how human beings do that.”

In response to the council’s decision, L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn, 4th District, held a ceremony on June 3 raising the Progress Pride flag over the L.A. County Office of Education, located in Downey.

“L.A. County has not one, not two, not three but eight county facilities [in Downey],” Hahn said, adding that the flag is now flying over every single one.

As opposed to the standard rainbow Pride flag, the Progress Pride flag is designed with additional pink, light blue, black and brown stripes to represent BIPOC, non-binary and transgender members of the LGBTQ+ community.

A large contingent of local officials attended the flag ceremony, including West Hollywood Mayor John Erickson.

“Here in Los Angeles, we still have places that would rather tell their LGBTQ residents that they are less equal rather than fully equal during Pride Month,” Erickson said. “Pride needs to be seen loud and proud everywhere.”

“I’m ecstatic that the county is choosing to take a stance, not only a strong stance for our LGBTQ community, but doing it in a way that is present to every, person that is under our rainbow,” West Hollywood City Councilwoman Sepi Shyne said.

On June 4, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors raised the Progress Pride flag over the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, with each supervisor noting the flag’s importance.

“[There is] this notion that sometimes people perceive flag raising is not enough,” L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, 2nd District, said. “That’s not true. Flags are hugely symbolic. We put American flags on the graves of our servicemen and women, we salute our flag at the top of every board meeting. There are Confederate flags that fly over statehouses in the South that carry deep, deep meaning on the negative. [Conversely] this new flag, the progressive flag that has been changed as we have grown and expanded our understanding to include the pink, the blue, the brown and the black, is not only hugely symbolic, but it really is a beacon. It lets people know, ‘We see you and there’s acceptance.’”

“Raising the Progress Pride flag is not only a moment of celebration, [but] unfortunately, in some cases, it is an act of defiance,” L.A. County Board of Supervisors Chair Lindsey Horvath, 3rd District, said. “But most importantly, it is a commitment to inclusivity to visibility to belonging, and to uplifting all people.”

The flag is also flying over Los Angeles City Hall for the first time ever this month.

“I’m proud to have signed this historic motion to fly the pride flag over City Hall,” Mayor Karen Bass said. “Our message to the rest of the country and to the world is clear – now more than ever, we must stand together. I want to thank Councilman Tim McOsker and the rest of City Council for working together to get this done. We know the harm that discrimination and hate brings and I’m proud that in Los Angeles, we accept our LGBTQIA+ community with open arms.”

Los Angeles County Assessor Jeff Prang spoke before the Progress Pride flag was raised over the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration on June 4. (photo by Rance Collins)