A total of 350 Transgender Pride flags will be on display in Frances Stevens Park this weekend to call on President Joe Biden and the U.S. Senate to pass the Equality Act.
Palm Springs resident Richard Noble of Democracy in Action Coachella Valley arranged the flags and held a press conference Friday in support of the Equality Act. In 2011 and 2012, Noble made headlines for hiking across the country with the rainbow flag to call for an LGBTQ civil rights bill.
The Equality Act would expand the Civil Rights Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identification in employment, housing, education, and other areas. The House passed the Equality Act in March, sending it to the Senate.
“This is our great civil rights movement. Passing this bill is very, very important, this is our cornerstone that will complete our civil rights movement in terms of the law,” Noble told The Desert Sun on Friday.
Palm Springs became the first city in the nation to pass a resolution in support of the Equality Act in 2016.
The 350 flags represent the number of documented murders of transgender people internationally in 2020, and will be accompanied by 44 American flags representing the number of transgender people murdered in the United States last year. The flags will remain on display throughout the weekend to recognize Harvey Milk Day on May 22.
Noble, who describes himself as a gay activist and political artist, noted the famous Harvey Milk quote, “I want to recruit you.”
“I’ve been heartbroken to see so many people in the transgender community murdered over the last 18 months, it moved me to do what Harvey Milk asked us to do and honor him on his birthday. I want to recruit people to support equality for all people, that’s my goal,” Noble said.
Guest speakers at Friday’s event included retired transgender U.S. Army Major Veronica Zerrer, Palm Springs Mayor Pro Tem Lisa Middleton and councilmembers Geoff Kors and Dennis Woods, Thomi Clinton with the Transgender Health and Wellness Center and Nicole Ramirez, San Diego city commissioner and chair of the International Imperial Court Council.
Erin Rode covers the western Coachella Valley cities of Palm Springs, Cathedral City and Desert Hot Springs. Reach her at erin.rode@desertsun.com.
