the pride
4.2.2021 – 4.15.2021 ISSUE NUMBER 54, VOLUME 25 | APRIL 2 – APRIL 15, 2021
LOS ANGELES
⚫ 1
THE LOS ANGELES LGBT NEWSPAPER
WWW.THEPRIDELA.COM
Long Beach Rainbow Lifeguard Tower Burned Down
LGBTQ symbol burned down March 23 By TimoThy michael
Long Beach’s rainbow lifeguard tower, painted by lifeguards last June in honor of Pride month, was destroyed in a fire on March 23. Firefighters who responded to the blaze just after midnight found the tower, which overlooked the shoreline near 12th Place, engulfed in flames. An investigation is underway, Long Beach Marine Safety Chief Gonzalo Medina said. “The tower served as a symbol of our strong support for diversity within our ranks and the
Lifeguard Tower, see page 5
Candlelit Vigil Held For Rayanna Pardo March 20 event for trans woman hit by drunk driver By TimoThy michael A candlelit vigil was held on March 20th for Rayanna Pardo, a trans woman of color who died three days earlier as she walked along E 5th Street and S Eastern Avenue – mere minutes from her home – before being struck by a drunk driver. Local surveillance footage showed the 26-year-old pacing down Eastern Avenue as people followed her – Pardo’s family claim
they were harassing and threatening her.
Her family is now pushing for the Los
Angeles Police Department to investigate
the incident further, floating that she might have been pushed by those following her.
At the vigil, organized by the grassroots
activist group Trans Latina Coalition, trans
Pride flags decorated the chain fence on the street where she was slain.
Pardo is at least the 12th trans or gender
nonconforming person killed this year, according
to
LGBT+
Human Rights Campaign.
advocacy
group