Los Angeles Times. “The tower will be replaced and repainted by lifeguards.”The tower had been painted rainbow colors by LGBTQ+ lifeguards in honor of Pride Month.
Mayor Robert Garcia, who is gay, said on Twitter that he had "little doubt" that its destruction was a criminal act. But he also had a message for the possible perpetrator: "To whoever committed this act, we will rebuild it better and brighter." Long Beach is one of the country's most LGBTQ-friendly places.
The Human Rights Campaign gave the SoCal city a perfect score of 100 in a ranking of protections and services provided to the community.