New Anti-Hate Mural in Long Beach Celebrates the LGBTQ+ Community
A new mural was unveiled at Bixby Park in Long Beach celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, presented by the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations’ initiative LA vs Hate: Summer of Solidarity, in partnership with The LGBTQ Center of Long Beach. The mural, titled “Long Beach Embrace,” evokes a tableau of people, movements and issues of significance to the LGBTQ+ and greater community, and will be revealed as part of the Long Beach Pride celebration. The mural was designed by Myisha Arellano, a queer, migrant artist born in Mexico City and raised in LA County. Additional supporting partners include Long Beach Human Dignity Program, Vice Mayor Cindy Allen's Office, Long Beach Parks & Recreation and The Museum of Latin American Art.
The mural comes at a time where reported hate crime events against the LGBTQ+ community increased across California, rising 29% from 303 in 2021 to 391 in 2022. Recent violent clashes in LA County, including brawls at a Glendale school board meeting and a North Hollywood school, underscore a need to come together and show solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. New data from the Long Beach Police Department shows the number of hate crimes has risen since 2022, and this year’s total has already surpassed last year’s. Out of 39 hate crime incidents reported in Long Beach the past two and a half years, the most targeted group was the LGBTQ+ community. The purpose behind the mural’s creation and the unveiling celebration is to bring diverse people together through the unifying power of art.
The mural unveiling and dedication ceremony featured speeches from Jack Cunningham, District Deputy to US Congressman Robert Garcia, LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn’s legislative deputy Nick Holden, Executive Director of the LA County Commission on Human Relations Robin Toma, Long Beach Vice Mayor Cindy Allen, City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services leader, The LGBTQ Center of Long Beach Interim Executive Director Ellie Perez, as well as Frankie Aguirre, a victim of hate.
The speakers reflected on the significance of the LGBTQ+ community in Los Angeles as well as art’s ability to transcend division and conflict by highlighting our shared humanity and values. The event also included performances by renowned Long Beach drag performers Sabreena and Envi, a pop-up queer book fair by the Rainbow Book Bus, family-friendly activities, and food.
“The mural presents two large figures forming an embrace at a distance, reflecting the community connection and support for one another,” explained muralist Myisha Arrellano. “This embrace, a universally recognized symbol of care and affection, allows the viewer to immediately understand the larger implications of the work. The figures create vignettes of symbolic stories based on community anecdotes and values that represent care, solidarity, and showing up for one another. The mural includes depictions of people marching and celebrating together, as well as historic landmarks, movements and resources for the LGBTQ+ community in Long Beach.”
As the LA vs Hate: Summer of Solidarity continues, new murals will be commissioned and revealed, celebrating different communities and cultures across the County through partnering with community organizations. LA vs Hate will reveal a new mural that celebrates LA County’s Indigenous and Native communities on Saturday, September 9 at the Grace Resource Center in Lancaster. In the weeks to come, two additional murals will be revealed, honoring the Latine and Black communities.
