On Monday, the final street signs that were used to target the LGBTQ+ community in Silver Lake during the 1990s were taken down.
City leaders, in partnership with local LGBTQ+ organizations and community members, gathered at the intersection of Griffith Park Boulevard and Hyperion Avenue to dismantle the last few “No U-Turn” and “No Cruising” signs. These signs were initially put up in the 1990s following complaints from residents about a gay bar in the area. They were intended to prevent individuals in the LGBTQ+ community from socializing and meeting with others in the community.
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“I was also surprised that these U-turn signs were still up, and at first, they seem a little … ‘Oh, ok, it’s just a no U-turn sign,’ but when you learn the history of it, and you realize that these were used to profile gay people, it’s so important that we have these removed,” said Silver Lake Neighborhood Councilmember Maebe A. Girl.
This form of homophobia persisted in Silver Lake for three decades following the Black Cat protests, and the visible reminders of that discrimination remained on our streets until yesterday, when we, along with @nithyavram, joined forces to remove the signs!” Soto-Martínez stated. Soto-Martínez shared videos of himself and Silver Lake Neighborhood Councilwoman Maebe A. Girl removing the signs while onlookers applauded and cheered.
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“I’m very pleased and grateful that @cd4losangeles and @cd13losangeles were so receptive to the idea of sign removal, and we got it done!” Girl wrote. “Silver Lake and Los Angeles will continue to be havens for LGBTQIA+ people.”
No hate tolerated in this town,” Girl added.
The signs will be given to the LGBT archive at the University of Southern California.
Socialist congressional candidate Aaron Reveles criticized the removal as being “performative.”
In another post on Soto-Martínez’s X account, the councilmember supported a pro-Palestine workers strike at the University of California Los Angeles, which was recently stopped by a judge who deemed it harmful to the school.
“We stand with @uaw_4811and the striking UCLA workers, as they demand protection of their free speech rights on campus, and amnesty for academic employees and students facing disciplinary action for their participation in peaceful protests,” Soto-Martínez wrote.
