Hermosa Beach teen spearheads project to paint lifeguard tower rainbow for Pride Month

Despite it being their summer break before heading off to college, every day for 10 days, Izzy Bacallao, 18, arrived at the 13th Street lifeguard tower in Hermosa Beach just after sunrise in their painting clothes ready to work.

Bacallao, who identifies as nonbinary because they do not identify as strictly male or female and uses the pronouns “they,” “them” and “their,” pushed to have the lifeguard tower painted rainbow in honor of Pride Month. 

“Pride Month, to me, means joy. It means breaking down barriers that are typically brought into society,” Bacallao said. “It means expressing yourself to an unlimited extent. It’s embracing your community and diversity and everyone’s identity. It means tolerance, and it means learning. But it’s ultimately a celebration.”

Each morning, a group of volunteers began working at 6 a.m. by prepping the tower for painting. This included lining the tower with tarps, measuring the rainbow stripes and simply hauling the cans of paint to the tower. From 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., volunteers worked in shifts to paint the tower. 

Emma Howard, a volunteer and Hermosa Beach resident arrived at 8 a.m. to help paint the tower on June 25.

“I mean, why not help? It’s such a great thing happening in my own hometown,” Howard said while painting the red stripe on the tower.

Over the course of 10 days, there were about 160 volunteers who signed up to work in shifts to paint the tower, Bacallao said.

Frank Paine, a family friend of the Bacallaos, came out multiple days to help with the project.

“I just like the idea of having a handsome tower on the beach,” Paine said while climbing a ladder on the backside of the tower to take measurements.

The idea to paint the tower rainbow arose after Bacallao learned the rainbow painted lifeguard tower in Long Beach had been burned in March. Bacallao said they initially felt anger and sadness, but behind the anger and sadness was also fear.

“It’s scary, you know, especially as a queer youth, to see such hate, and nobody wants to be in a community where you feel unwelcome, and you feel threatened,” Bacallao said. “It’s really upsetting that we still live in a world that still has that hate.”

Bacallao wanted to find a way to combat this hate. They decided to push to have a lifeguard tower in their hometown of Hermosa Beach painted rainbow in honor of Pride Month.

“I’m not one to just stand around and be like, ‘Oh, yeah, you know, something bad happened,’” Bacallao said. “I want there to be change, and I want people to be able to see that they’re not alone.”

Bacallao enlisted the help of their father to pursue the project. Jose Bacallao was also upset by the burning of the tower in Long Beach.

“Any time I see any form of hate, it reminds me of my own kids. And as a dad, it terrifies me,” Jose Bacallao said. “I think what happened in Long Beach was a form of terror. It frightened Izzy and our family. It shook us up.”

With the help of their father, the two approached the city about the project. They pitched the idea to the city council and eventually were able to go to the county with their idea. In May, the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors unanimously passed the motion to temporarily paint the lifeguard tower on 13th Street in Hermosa Beach rainbow in honor of Pride Month. 

Supervisor Janice Hahn said she hopes that when people walk by the painted tower that they feel pride.

“I think people will remind themselves that it’s a symbol of love and acceptance and diversity and treating people equally and treating people with respect,” Hahn said. “And I hope that everyone can look inside themselves and make sure that they are like that themselves.”

Hermosa Beach Mayor Justin Massey echoed Hahn’s sentiment.

“This [painted lifeguard tower] is a celebration of unity in honor of Pride Month for our LGBTQ sisters and brothers, but it’s also to show that we all need to stand together unified against hate of any form,” Massey said.

Bacallao said they hope the tower serves as a welcoming beacon to all.

“I really want people to just feel joy when they walk past it,” Bacallao said. “I want them to look at it and smile and, you know, just feel good about themselves and feel good about the community.”

Despite Bacallao’s intent for the lifeguard tower to be a symbol of joy and hope, some have not seen it that way. The tower was vandalized before the painting was even complete, Bacallao said. They returned after the weekend on Monday, June 21 to find that someone had broken off a railing on the side of the tower.

“It’s important to remember the love and support that our community holds. Hate has no place here,” Bacallao said. “This will not tarnish our spirits, and we will continue strong.”

Even with the delay caused by the vandalism, the team was able to finish the tower within their initial 10-day plan, just in time for the city’s Pride celebration Saturday, June 26.

The 13th Street lifeguard tower will remain painted rainbow through the end of summer. However, Bacallao hopes the tower might have a longer lifespan.

“Well, you know, the tower in Venice Beach was originally supposed to be temporary until someone started a petition to make it permanent. So if anyone wants to start that petition for this tower, they’re welcome to,” Bacallao laughed.