Long Beach, a sun-soaked, oceanfront city with retro charm, is steeped in a unique and often-overlooked history. While locals understand the city’s pivotal role in California’s narrative, many visitors to “the LBC” may be unaware of its rich queer legacy. But taking a stroll along the vibrant Broadway corridor, the center of queer life in Long Beach, gives visitors an opportunity to connect with and be a part of the ongoing story.

Since June 2022, the city has been working to honor this history by establishing Southern California’s first LGBTQ+ Cultural District.

“The Broadway Corridor is the heart of Long Beach’s LGBTQ+ community,” Congressman Robert Garcia (D-CA) said in a statement. “As mayor, I was proud to lay the foundations for designating it as a cultural district.This is not just about naming a neighborhood; it’s about acknowledging the history and cultural significance of the area.”

A map of the proposed LGBTQ+ Cultural district. Photo credit: Placeworks. 

The district will cover the area of Long Beach often referred to as the “Gayborhood,” a 1.4 mile stretch along East Broadway between Alamitos and Temple Avenues that is home to numerous queer-owned businesses including gay bars, coffee shops and more. It’s a hub where much of the LGBTQ+ history of Long Beach took place.

“It’s important to honor the countless contributions of local businesses and organizations that have been instrumental in supporting and uplifting the queer community,” Garcia said. “A cultural designation ensures that the legacy and impact of the Broadway Corridor will be preserved and celebrated for years to come.”

The Broadway Corridor’s deep connection to Long Beach’s LGBTQ+ community stretches back to the early 20th century, when gay spaces were subject to frequent raids and arrests of their patrons. Still, these gathering spots became vital sanctuaries for the LGBTQ+ population. By the 1970s and 80s, bars like Mineshaft and others along Broadway not only offered refuge but also fostered a growing sense of community. Over time, the area solidified its role as the heart of queer life in Long Beach, serving as the foundation for many of the city’s early Pride celebrations and political activism.

“The Broadway corridor has, since the 70s, always been the gathering spot for the queer and gay community in Long Beach,” said Robert Perkins, general manager of The Brit and Mineshaft, two popular gay bars on the Broadway corridor. “It’s where the city’s pride festivals first started, with pride parades taking place right here. The bars along this strip were safe zones, places where people could express themselves freely.”

The cultural district designation will help open up funding options for a variety of physical upgrades such as murals and historical plaques that will help highlight the significance of the area. That improvement work is expected to start in fall 2025.

Other features, like commemorative walks and sidewalk decorations will help make the neighborhood more pedestrian-friendly – something that Perkins said has long been an obvious need.

“I think it’s important to recognize that we need better lighting, signage, and murals to draw people out here – to get people walking on the streets, so they see there’s something happening,” he said. “I remember a time when, no matter what day of the week it was, you could walk down the street and see people everywhere. There was so much foot traffic, it was a great place to meet people and be part of the community. The district could bring that energy back. Right now, they just drive through and notice the empty sidewalks. I’m hoping this funding can help make the area safer, perhaps with improved lighting, more security, and a sense that something is happening here and it’s safe to walk around at night.”

The Brit is a small family-run business that for 38 years has brought some flair from across the pond to Long Beach and welcomes the community on its spacious patio. Photos by Drew Filipski.

Barbara D’Allessandro, owner and operator of Hot Stuff, a gift shop that has been in the community since 1980, said she hopes the cultural district will help preserve and highlight the neighborhood’s rich history as well as making improvements for the future.

“My brother and his partner started the business in 1980, and was conceived in 1979 from Donna Summer’s hit single ‘Hot Stuff’,” D’Allessandro said. “Back then things were quite different.”

Hot Stuff offers a unique selection of edgy greeting cards, novelties, and accessories, and has proudly supported the community through both celebration and hardship.

“We were selling items for the LGBT community back in the day, before flags existed, before we had a flag. You know, it was a pink triangle and items to identify ourselves when you couldn’t really wear our colorful T-shirts,” D’Allessandro said.

The shop itself is an homage to that past, with its entrance painted in honor of the pink and black triangles worn by gay men and lesbians during the Holocaust, a symbol now reclaimed as one of pride and protest. 

“I mean, honestly, these stories – mothers coming into the shop, talking about how their son just told them he’s gay, and oh my god, what am I going to do? How am I going to tell my mother?” D’Allessandro said. “These things, the stories – if these walls could talk – it’s just, you know, that’s the beautiful thing about being here, being a gay business all these years. There were kids who found themselves here on Broadway, sitting at the coffee shop, coming in and talking with us, finding refuge. That’s what Broadway has always been. That’s the history of Broadway.”