Rainbow flag festooning rings in Pride Month in Laguna Beach

Laguna Beach could not wait any longer to get the party started, its LGBTQ+ community and supporters holding a rainbow flag festooning event to kick off the celebration on the eve of Pride Month.

A distribution of rainbow flags began Friday afternoon in the downtown area, organizers handing them out to local businesses, residents and visitors along the Promenade on Forest Avenue.

It marked the beginning of the “Summer of Pride” celebration, an event that was scheduled to continue with a gathering at the Laguna Beach Community and Susi Q Center into the early evening.

Craig Cooley, president of Laguna Beach Pride 365, said the organization was prepared to have the flags passed out throughout the town, including North and South Laguna.

Volunteer coordinator Jonny Navarrete, right, hands out Pride flags to shoppers at Art for the Soul in downtown Laguna Beach on Friday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Laguna Beach hosted its own pride event at Lang Park last year, but Cooley, citing budgetary constraints, was uncertain if another big pride event would be held this summer.

Cooley noted the importance of flying the rainbow flag, which he has frequently referred to as one of diversity, to represent acceptance and equality. He cautioned that he feels there has been a push against the LGBTQ+ community in recent years.

“It’s nice to do something positive to say that there is a community that really cares, and a community that really supports equality, while it seems the rest of the world is more about anger and marginalizing anyone who’s different,” Cooley added.

Looking ahead, Cooley said Laguna Beach Pride 365 is working in partnership with Rivian South Coast Theater to bring a social film event to the community in June. The event would show LGBTQ+ movie shorts.