Long Beach City College hosted a Lavender Pinning Ceremony in honor of National Coming Out Day on Oct. 15, celebrating LGBTQ+ identities and coming out stories.
Traditionally celebrated on Oct. 11, National Coming Out Day marks the one year anniversary of the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in 1987.
In commemoration of National Coming Out Day, staff provided attendees with food, an opportunity to share their coming out experiences and lavender pins.
During his welcoming speech, Student Services Representative Sergio Gallegos, expressed his appreciation for the Long Beach City College community for providing a supportive environment.
“This is the most comfortable I have ever worked at a community college, I worked at other institutions, I worked at a Cal States and now I’m working at a community college and this is the most I’ve felt myself, this is the most I’ve felt free,” Gallegos said.
LBCC Student Edgar Luna speaks about dealing with mental health issues and her identity during the Lavender Pinning Ceremony on Oct. 15, 2026. Luna spoke about her journey as a LGBTQ member. (Abigail Soto Godinez)
For attendees, the Lavender Pinning Ceremony is a chance to celebrate and support members of the LGBTQ+ community.
“It’s an opportunity to bring our community together, it’s an opportunity to recognize our students to know that LBCC is proud to be queer friendly, LBCC is queer and LBCC supports any person within the community,” Gallegos said.
During the ceremony, students described their experience and expressed their support for other members of the community.
After their speeches, each participant was given a lavender pin and the option of choosing any item from a table with bags, pens, fans and notebooks.
Students who received a lavender pin said the recognition represented resilience in the face of adversity.
“I think that it represents standing in your identity when everyone around you or at least society at large wants to ignore your presence in the community,” said Krys Achrem, studio arts and anthropology major.
Despite only having attended LBCC for two years, Gallegos recognized a growth in participation from the college’s LGBTQ+ community.
“We’ve seen more representation, we’ve seen more students be authentically themselves whether it’s participating in events or just even walking on campus we see our people visible, we see our people proud standing up strong,” Gallegos said.
Students at the ceremony said that the event allowed them to understand and acknowledge that each individual had their own experience and perspective.
“No experience is universal like, all of us as queer people we’ll go through you know different things, we all grow up in different environments, have different people in our lives that aren’t accepting,” said biology major Abby Sowers.
Attendees recognize the importance of having a safe space for LGBTQ+ members at Long Beach City by highlighting how the campus has changed over time to provide an inclusive environment for everyone.
“Thank you for creating this space, I came to college like nine years ago and this was nonexistent,” said Alice Noriega, a community partner who expressed her gratitude during a speech to attendees.
For many attendees, the Lavender Pinning Ceremony symbolizes a safe environment for the community to come together and celebrate identity.
The next event for the LGBTQ+ community and allies was an Iconic Queer Media event held at the Pride Lounge on Oct. 21.
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