A spokesperson for the Long Beach Fire Department said Tuesday that a lifeguard tower that was painted in the vibrant colors of the LGBTQ Rainbow Pride flag had been burned down to its steel frame.
Around 12 a.m., the LBFD responded to a call of a structure fire located on the beach between 12th Pl. and 13th Pl. Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia told The Los Angeles Times he believes the fire was an intentional act of hate.
"To have the one lifeguard station that's burned to the ground be the one that was recently painted in pride colors - that leaves little doubt that this was a targeted incident," he told the paper. "As a gay man who is also the mayor of a city, I understand that hate incidents still happen. They happen to people I know, and they've happened to me."
"We're going to build that lifeguard station back brighter and better than ever," he added.
The rainbow tower was painted by LGBTQ+ members of the LBFD's marine safety division in June of 2020. In a statement posted on Twitter last year, the department said the rainbow tower symbolized "our strong support for the diversity within our ranks & community."
An investigation is underway, Long Beach Marine Safety Chief Gonzalo Medina said, according to The Times.





