Long Beach held the first ever Disability Pride Flag raising ceremony on Monday, July 8, in celebration of Disability Pride and Empowerment Month, which is recognized throughout the month of July. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
For the first time, the Disability Pride flag was raised at the Civic Center Plaza in Long Beach.
In celebration of July’s Disability Pride and Empowerment Month, Long Beach leaders, staff and community members gathered at Civic Center Plaza on Monday, July 8, for the Disability Pride Standard’s first ever Disability Flag Raising Ceremony. The Disability Pride Flag was raised on a pole alongside the U.S. flag, state flag and city flag. The flag will fly through the end of the month.
“Today, we raise this flag high, not just to mark a moment, but to celebrate a movement of accessibility, visibility, recognition and equity,” Mayor Rex Richardson said at the ceremony. “Let us raise this flag in recognition and as a pledge that we will continue to work to shape a society where all our voices are heard, where everyone has a seat at the table, where everyone feels valued and has the opportunity to thrive in our city.”
Last year, the City Council approved a resolution officially recognizing July as Disability Pride and Empowerment Month in honor of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which went into effect in July 1990. Richardson said the resolution was spearheaded by City Council Member Mary Zendejas, who has been an active advocate for the disability community.
The ADA was a landmark law that codified the rights of people with disabilities in all areas of public life, including guaranteed employment and educational opportunities. The bill also guaranteed access to transportation and public and private spaces.
Last month, the City Council agreed to raise the Disability Pride flag at Civic Center Plaza each July in celebration of Disability Pride Month.
“With this action, we are making a powerful statement of who we are as a community,” said Zendejas, the first elected Long Beach City Council member who has a visible disability and uses a wheelchair. “This flag not only symbolizes support and acceptance, but also pride in the diverse and valuable contributions of people with disabilities.”
“Not only are we fostering a sense of belonging and acceptance, but we are also advocating for disability rights and equality,” she added. “This first flag-raising ceremony marks an important milestone for our community.”
According to Columbia University’s Weinberg Family Cerebral Palsy Center, the Disability Pride Flag was created in 2019 as a collaborative design effort between the disability community and author Ann McGill, who has cerebral palsy.
Each coloured stripe has a meaning: red stripes represent people with physical disabilities, gold stripes represent neurodiversity, white stripes represent undiagnosed invisible disabilities, blue stripes represent emotional and mental disabilities such as mental illness, anxiety and depression, and green stripes represent sensory disabilities such as hearing or vision impairments.
According to the Weinberg Family Center, the faded black background represents mourning and anger for victims of ableism and abuse, while the stripes also represent light and creativity.
The inaugural flag raising ceremony featured guest speakers including Kim Vuong, Chair of the Citizens Advisory Committee on Disabilities, and Diaka McClain, Fourth District Commissioner for the Los Angeles County Commission on People with Disabilities.
“It is imperative that as a city, as leaders, and as a community at large, we continue to prioritize the voices and lived experiences of people with disabilities to ensure we are truly inclusive,” McClain said. “When we talk about inclusion, all means all. When we talk about diversity, all means all. When we talk about equity, all means all.”
More than 50 people cheered and celebrated as the Mayor raised the Disability Pride flag for the first time.
Long Beach will continue celebrating Disability Pride Month with the third annual Long Beach Disability Pride event at Harvey Milk Promenade Park from 5-7 p.m., Friday, July 26. Hosted by the Long Beach Disability Pride organization, this free, family-friendly event will feature performers, speakers, music, food and more.