The Long Beach Police Department is investigating anti-LGBTQ+ graffiti that included a swastika and a reference to MAGA and was written on a utility box outside the Long Beach Pride headquarters over the weekend.
In a written statement, the Police Department said officers responded shortly before 6 p.m. to the 1000 block of Obispo Avenue about a report of vandalism. The arriving officers were then directed to a utility box where someone had written derogatory statements against the LGBTQ+ community. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime, police said.
Long Beach Pride, a nonprofit organization run mostly by volunteers that puts together a popular three-day pride festival in Long Beach, posted photos of the graffiti and a statement from the interim president on Facebook expressing concern and shock over the incident. The photos show expletive-filled statements directed at members of the LGTBQ+ community, along with a Nazi symbol and a hashtag that included the word “MAGA,” an apparent reference to President Trump’s Make America Great Again motto.
“We must remember: Pride began as a protest. It has never only been about parades and celebrations — it is about standing up for our right to live openly and fully, to share in all the privileges and freedoms that every American deserves. And we will continue to prevail,” Elsa Martinez, the interim president, wrote in her statement. “We simply ask that you remain vigilant, look out for one another, and continue to show the love and resilience that define us.”
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson took to X to condemn the incident.
“Our city does not tolerate threats or attacks against our LGBTQ+ community. Period,” he said, adding that the city’s had sent its graffiti removal team to the site. “We are living through a dark chapter in our nation’s history, where incidents of hate and violence are on the rise and the political tone being set by the country’s most powerful leaders continues to breed division and hate.”
Long Beach Councilwoman Cindy Allen, whose district includes the Long Beach Pride center, echoed that sentiment in a statement issued to her constituents.
“We live in a time where ideas can be exchanged freely, and recently there has been lots of discussion on the nature of free speech, which is protected by the Constitution,” she said. “But what occurred [Saturday] is not a matter of free speech, nor was it a matter of trolling — this was plain and simple, old-fashioned hate and intimidation, and an affront to our values.”
She said she hoped that those responsible would be found and prosecuted.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, whose district includes Long Beach, said on X that Long Beach Pride had been a “beacon of love and acceptance for decades” and that her office had committed $2,500 to help boost the center’s security camera system.
“My hope is that this will give staff, volunteers and community members peace of mind as they continue their important work,” she wrote on X. “These are dark times, and I know it can feel like we are losing ground in the fight for equality, but I want every LGBTQ+ person in Long Beach and across Los Angeles County to know this: you are not alone, you are valued, and we will stand shoulder to shoulder with you to confront this hate.
Last year, California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta reported that hate crimes, particular those against LGBTQ+ and Jewish communities, had increased in the state by 2.7% from 1,970 reported incidents in 2023 to 2,023 in 2024.
“There is absolutely no place for hate in California,” Bonta said in a written statement at the time. “Transparent and accessible data is a critical part of understanding where we are and how we can end hate crimes in our communities.
“Everyone has a part to play as we continue to fight intolerance in California,” he said. “And I urge leaders up and down the state to review the data and resources available and recommit to standing united against hate.”
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