Recommendation to authorize City Attorney to draft a resolution officially declaring the 3rd Week of May in the City of Long Beach as LGBTQ Pride Week.
So why don't we hear item six as well and we'll just make it one on item madam quick can you without him? Six Communication from Councilwoman Gonzalez Councilmember Pierson Council Member Urunga Recommendation to request the city attorney to draft a resolution declaring the third week of May as LGBTQ Pride Week. Okay, Councilman Gonzalez. Great. First, I want to thank my colleagues who have signed on to this. So Councilmember Pearce, who could not be here tonight, as well as Councilmember Ranga as a strong ally of the LGBTQ community. It is a tremendous honor for me to offer this item and officially declare the third week in May as LGBTQ Pride Week in Long Beach. And it's no secret that Long Beach has a thriving and diverse LGBTQ community. We have, after all, the very first of the nation's very first Harvey Milk Park, which is also a source of pride for us. And before I go any further, I want to pay respects to the LGBTQ leaders who have passed away and who couldn't be here today, because I know that there are so many of them, local leaders, national leaders that have contributed greatly to our community. And it is their shoulders that this community was built on, and it is their shoulders that provide me as a voice, as an ally on this city council as well. We live in a new world with our new administration. We must take advantage of every opportunity to celebrate our diversity. Thank you to everyone who continues to serve on our community, in this community on a daily basis. From the LGBTQ center of Long Beach, who provides social services like crisis counseling, HIV, AIDS, test and attend meetings for people of all ages to the AIDS Food Store. For the past 30 plus years have been distributing food to people living with HIV AIDS who might not otherwise be able to obtain food to the Imperial Court. And yes, I do actually we do have a crown as well, but I didn't bring it tonight. And who dedicates their free time to raising money for other LGBTQ communities to ensure they are able to continue to operate? To Long Beach Pride, who we also have a presentation for Produce of the second largest event in Long Beach. But it is committed to serve the community 365 days out of the year through scholarships to youth and low income housing for seniors and many others and newer organizations like we've seen just recently, like Project Alpha, founded by two new, which helps the LGBTQ AAPI community and does tremendous work in that scope. This list goes on and on. There's so many more people that we can recognize and it is beautiful that we are here today, recognizing this week as LGBTQ Pride Week. With that, I asked my colleagues to support this item and I think everybody for their tremendous work in this case. Any public comment on this item saying none. No public comment. And did you want to have were you going to present the presentation to Pride? Yes. And so we'll go on to the presentation as well, since this is and then we also have a video to show also. So as everyone knows, as we talked about the third weekend in May, we've just like to support and get the support in obtaining the first week in May or the I'm sorry, the third week in May as the city of Long Beach Pride Week, this annual event is the city's second largest event and brings 80 to 100000 attendees, 200 floats and millions of dollars in revenue to our city. It is hosted, produced and managed by the all volunteer team at Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride Inc. These individuals work throughout the year to ensure that each pride celebration is better than the last. What you may not know about them, we've sort of alluded to before, is that past. Over the past 34 years, Long Beach Pride has given over $1 million back to the community. They've also own and oversee hospice house and low income housing units in Long Beach. They also host an annual toy drive where they are able to donate thousands of toys each year to children throughout. Long Beach. President Dennis Newman is here, as well as vice president of administration La Ronda Slaughter and everyone at Pride. I'd like to thank you individually and collectively for your dedication to the LGBTQ community and for all the hard work and dedication you bring to Long Beach. And with that, the mayor and I have a beautiful presentation for you. And while we're doing that, we also have a quick video to show the whole audience. It really is just. A bumpy road. A year ago, we were fighting with a man who didn't want to see us on the city street. Of course, your cities weren't meant to be the artillery. The mayor at that time of Long Beach called us. We was like rats. When you turn the lights on, we all run and hide. Back in those years, we were at city council and I was running at the mayor. It was already banned. The slogan Tell me. But we. Cannot. In the city. I finally said, you know, this is just not good enough. I'm sorry. We're going to do whatever it takes. To get on the streets. Our streets. And have a parade. Are key people. The founders that rode on that float at. The advice of the police department. But there will be protests because there was a very real fear that somebody who felt that anything gay or lesbian being that out and that public was not acceptable to the point that they'd pull out a gun. Okay. Thank you so much. And so I'd like to introduce Denise and the whole Long Beach Pride team to come up and say a few words and let's give them a big round of applause for all they did. Fair, Honorable Mayor Garcia and fellow city council members, city manager and assistant city manager and city attorney, members of the audience, thank you for this evening. We are actually celebrating 34 years of pride. And what you just saw on the video is one of the things that in passions me or gives me that desire to continue to move this organization forward. One of the founders is still a member of the organization and it's rare that you can join an organization and actually link with the founder. From him. I started to understand and grow up basically sitting at his knee. What? Long Beach, lesbian and gay pride was really about and it was never about an individual. It was always about a community. It was about a vision that people should be seen. By what they can contribute. And we've worked for 34 years to to bring that to the city of Long Beach. And so. Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez, thank you for recognizing us and thank everybody here for the years of support that has been given to Long Beach Pride. Denise, and thank you very much. And just one obviously on behalf of of the city, we do know that it's that it's pride week this week and. Three days away. And we know that we were honored to host a reception last Friday night with pride, of course, in the center. And we just want to wish you the very best this upcoming week. And, of course, we also know that it's a very complex event that is put on every single year. And so I know there's hundreds of volunteers and including all of you, and we just wish you luck and know that the community should know that the more successful the event, the more pride is able to give back to the community in the numerous grants and scholarships that you provide so many organizations around senior issues or homelessness or access to services. And so we just want to thank pride for for always giving back to the community. Thank you. Thank you very much. We'll have a certificate for you. Okay. Thank you. Folks. My name is still Shawn. I'm the senior VP of staff. I just wanted to support Dennis and the team and to let the council. Robert, good to see you again. We went to a lot of state together, man, with everybody that we do major events. We're a. National corporation that's. Grow Long Beach Grand Prix, the Coachella, Stagecoach, Academy Awards, Grammys, etc.. Dennis has brought us in to do all security crowd management and control for the Pride Festival. We're excited to be a part of it for the first time. We're excited to be part of Long Beach, and I just wanted to support Denise and her team to know that this group is a class act organization. And we're glad to work with you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. It's been a round of applause and we'll do the certificate. This. Right over here. Three. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. We are going to be hearing the pool item here in just a minute. I know most folks are here for that. We are taking up item 7/1 and then we're going to go right into the hearings that we have for the evening. So item seven, please, Mayor. As an item six, we need a motion. And second. I'm sorry. We didn't. You had asked public comment. I didn't ask for public comment already. And there is a motion in a second which was Councilwoman Gonzalez, and I'm not sure who was the second on that. So cast your votes on that. Yes. Motion carries.