Pasadena Raises Flag for Pride Month

As debates over diversity and inclusion escalate nationally, the City of Pasadena raised the Progress Pride Flag over City Hall Monday to mark the beginning of Pride Month. The ceremony, under sparkling blue skies, reaffirmed Pasadena’s commitment to inclusion and support for the LGBTQ+ community.

Mayor Victor Gordo, flanked by City Council members and LGBTQ+ advocates, led the brief but resonant ceremony on the steps of City Hall. 

“In Pasadena, inclusion and diversity are not just words—we live by them,” Gordo said. “Raising this flag is an annual reminder that every resident, regardless of who they love or how they identify, is a valued part of our community.” 

Among the attendees were Councilmembers Gene Masuda, Jason Lyon and Vice Mayor Jess Rivas, along with Hector Placencia, chair of the LA County LGBTQ+ Commission; Camila Cameleon of the SGV LGBTQ+ Center; Nic Arzen of the Altadena Town Council and LA County LGBTQ+ Commission; and Christian Port, of SGV LGBTQ+ Center and Planned Parenthood Pasadena. 

While Mayor Gordo emphasized the importance of diversity and inclusion, Councilmember Jason Lyon, the city’s first openly gay elected official, underscored the significance of both celebration and resistance. 

“Today is, first and foremost, a celebration,” Lyon said. “In Pasadena, we know that our diversity is our strength. When we bring together our unique ideas, our varied perspectives, our different lived experiences, we all benefit from the breadth of our viewpoints.” 

He added, “Throughout the year we celebrate the many cultures and affinities that make up our city. And in June, we honor the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community to Pasadena—whether in medicine, scientific research, the arts, government service, nonprofit institutions, or community engagement.”

Lyon also issued a passionate call for solidarity amid rising national tensions over LGBTQ+ rights. 

“Today is also an act of solidarity,” he said. “In a time when our federal government has our trans siblings in its crosshairs, when a sister city down the coast attempts to erase our existence from libraries and classrooms, when at least two members of the Supreme Court pledge to roll back our rights—Pasadena stands with us.” 

He praised the city’s refusal to comply with federal pressure to align funding with policies discriminatory to LGBTQ+ people: “Pasadena’s support is not just in word but in action. Our values are not for sale.” 

As the Progress Pride Flag ascended the pole and caught the breeze, it symbolized not just of the city’s support, but of its defiance against bigotry. 

“Whether you identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, cis, intersex, queer, questioning, asexual—or as a heterosexual ally, said Lyon, “today is a reminder that the City of Pasadena sees you, sees us, and celebrates us.”