By Following last year’s cancellation, Associated Students Inc. raised a pride flag outside of the University Student Union on Oct. 16 in celebration and in commitment to value Long Beach State’s LGBTQ+ population on campus.
The intersex-inclusive pride progressive flag, which includes additional colors and patterns to represent transgender and LGBTQ+ people of color, was raised during a ceremony from 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
An audience of staff, faculty, students and ASI members watched the ceremony, which began with a speech from third-year political science major, and ASI student body president, Nikki Majidi.
As the flag was raised on Oct. 16, an audience of staff, faculty, students and ASI members watched. Some had ASI provided hand-held Pride flags and crossbody sling bags with rainbow straps and “LB” emblazoned on the front. Photo credit: Julia Goldman
The journey to get the flagged raised on the Long Beach State campus was a quiet, but worthwhile battle, according to ASI’s LGBTQ+ commissioner, Bruce Veal.
In 2023, ASI announced they were going to raise the flag in celebration of OUTober, but plans were canceled on Sept. 18.
The cancellation, Majidi said, was due to legal conflicts with the then Time, Place and Manner policy that bound all 23 CSU institutions to content neutrality.
“Last year, we thought because the pride flag falls into our school’s mission and values, of course we can put it up,” Majidi said. “Then, we fell into actual legal troubles, so that’s why we had to cancel the event.”
Following the cancellation, ASI’s previous LGBTQ+ commissioner, Avery Morgan, advocated for the flag to be raised and contacted the Long Beach Current, formerly known as the Daily Forty-Niner, to write a story.
Majidi, an ASI senator at the time, drafted a resolution for the flag to be put up.
From there, ASI’s executive director consulted legal counsel and their associate director, Sylvana Cicero met with Fresno State, San Jose State and San Diego State for advice on legal policy as those three CSU’s made alterations to allow pride flags on their campus.
After that, Majidi said, it was a waiting game.
The changes to this year’s new CSU-wide TPM policy, released on Aug. 24, allowed ASI and Majidi to “poke holes in the policy” and raise the flag this year.
“Because the policy changed where things are private and public, they were able to make our flag poles private property, so we are now able to put up our flags,” Majidi said.
Despite this change, Majidi said the current policy makes it only possible to fly the American and Pride flags.
Attendees on the walkway in front of the USU converse and laugh as they wait for ASI to raise the Pride Flag on Oct. 16. Photo credit: Julia Goldman
To Veal, the raising of the Pride flag symbolizes a more accurate reflection of the student body.
“There are many that identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community,” Veal said. “That flag gives those students hope and makes them feel peace and at ease at our school, so I think that means a lot.”
From now on, the flag is going up every year, Majidi said.
The pride flag will fly above the USU entrance until the end of OUTober on Oct. 31.
“Because we’ve changed the policy for this exact reason, October happens every year, June happens every year,” Majidi said, “[We’re] just making sure that students feel seen, heard and valued. This is one way to show that.”
