In the queer enclave of West Hollywood, some residents were furious at the sight of a Pride flag and a transgender flag lowered to half-staff to mourn Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
In the city of Los Angeles, an internal Fire Department memo saying flags should stay raised sparked conservative anger at Mayor Karen Bass.
And in Huntington Beach, where MAGA politics are warmly received, officials pledged to honor Kirk’s memory by keeping flags lowered for an additional week past the mourning period set by President Trump.
Amid the national maelstrom, Trump’s unusual decision to order flags lowered to half-staff at public buildings to memorialize a private citizen has been a flash point at the municipal level.
The fallout has exacerbated tensions in major cities and small towns, including in Southern California, as local officials chose whether to comply — and found wrath on either end of the decision.
Kirk, 31, founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA and a close Trump ally, was an incendiary figure. In life, he was lionized by the far right and castigated by many others for anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-Black remarks, among other offensive rhetoric. He galvanized a generation of young Americans to turn toward the GOP, with even critics acknowledging his organizing skills and impact.
It’s not unprecedented for a president to order flags lowered to half-staff for a civilian, according to James Ferrigan, a flag expert who previously served as protocol officer at the North American Vexillological Assn.
Trump called for flags to be lowered in August after two children were shot to death at a Minneapolis Catholic school, but not after Democratic Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed in June.
Two days after Kirk’s death, a screenshot of an internal Los Angeles Fire Department memo that said city flags should remain raised “unless directed by the mayor” began to go viral on social media. Many lambasted Bass for not ordering the flags lowered, with some accusing her of defying the president.
Fire Department spokesperson Margaret Stewart said the department follows city flag directives and had not been instructed to lower its flags. The internal memo was not sent at the request of the mayor or anyone in her office, according to someone with knowledge of the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly.
Bass spokesperson Zach Seidl declined to comment on the memo but noted that during Bass’ tenure, flags have been lowered to mourn the deaths of elected officials and first responders.
Ferrigan said that a local official’s choice not to lower flags after a president’s executive directive might be seen as somewhat ill-mannered but wouldn’t be breaking any rules.
“Is it a breach of protocol? Probably not,” Ferrigan explained. “Is it a breach of etiquette? Well, maybe.”
Fox 11, which first published the Fire Department memo, reported that several firehouses lowered their flags to half-staff anyway.
In fiercely progressive West Hollywood, a local news outlet posted an Instagram video of the city’s rainbow Pride flag and a blue-white-and-pink transgender flag lowered to half-staff, blowing in a light breeze.
Weho Times, the local outlet in question, reported that a sign was placed Sunday in the square reading: “Shame on West Hollywood for lowering our flags in honor of a racist, transphobic, homophobic, Nazi-loving monster.”
“In particular, there has been significant outrage regarding the lowering of the LGBTQ+ flags, which are prominently flown in our city as a symbol of pride, inclusion, and community identity,” West Hollywood City Manager David Wilson said during Monday’s City Council meeting, according to written comments provided by the city.
The decision to lower the flags “should not be interpreted as an expression of alignment with, or endorsement of, Mr. Kirk’s political views or actions,” Wilson said, adding that city protocol has long been to follow presidential flag lowering directives.
But, he continued, the city’s flag policy will be taken up at a council meeting next month, and potentially reconsidered.
Ferrigan, the flag expert, wasn’t entirely surprised by the battles flaring up in municipalities across the American map.
“Remember, this might be a little $10 worth of cloth,” he said. “But these are bits of cloth that people will kill for or die for.”
“Let it go!” one person screamed at a massive TV screen.
“Get him out of my villa!” shouted another.
“Oh, we’re voting tonight!” declared another as they whipped their index finger in a circular motion as if to say, “We need to round up the troops and get ready for war.”
It’s 8 p.m. at the Palm & the Pine and every single seat is taken, so some people have resorted to huddling outside to watch the action through a window. A small crew of bartenders are working double time to serve up wings, french fries and tropical-themed cocktails.
Attendees celebrate the start of the episode.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
On most nights at the family-owned Hollywood spot, dubbed “your girlfriend’s favorite sports bar,” patrons might come to watch tennis or basketball or soccer. But on this Tuesday evening, the guests were there to watch a different type of game. They came to the crowded bar to watch “Love Island USA” with 200 other fans who are just as invested in the reality dating show as they are.
“The decibel levels crush any Super Bowl, World Series or anything we’ve shown there,” said Colin Magalong, co-owner of the Palm & the Pine.
“This is our Super Bowl,” added Madeline Biebel, founder of the pop-up event series that screens reality TV shows called Reality Bar, which has been hosting free “Love Island USA” watch parties at the Palm & the Pine and other bars across L.A.
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While people have been gathering to watch high-profile television episodes in public spaces for years, the communal watch party has been having a resurgence, fueled in part by social media and the highly dissectible nature of shows like “The White Lotus,” “Severance” and “Traitors.” This summer, “Love Island USA,” a spinoff of the U.K. reality dating show that airs six days a week, has sparked a pop culture craze and Angelenos are flocking to coffee shops, bars, restaurants, social clubs like Soho House and arcades like Dave & Buster’s just to watch the show and kiki about it with others in person.
“This is our Super Bowl,” says Madeline Biebel, founder of Reality Bar, which hosts reality TV watch parties around L.A.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Now in its seventh season, the premise of “Love Island USA” is fairly simple: Ten singles are plopped into a lavish villa in Fiji, where they must couple up with a member of the opposite sex or risk getting dumped from the island. Over the course of several weeks, contestants (who are referred to as “islanders”) participate in extravagant challenges — many of which require them to wear revealing outfits and make out with one another — that are designed to stir up drama. At random, “bombshells” are brought into the mix to encourage the islanders to test their romantic connections. All the while, viewers at home can vote for their favorite islanders, sort of like “American Idol,” with hopes that they will make it to the end and win the $100,000 prize.
“It is so outlandish,” said Lauren Sowa, who lectures on television and pop culture at Pepperdine. “Shows like ‘The Bachelor’ try to maintain a level of decorum and something like ‘Love Island’ throws that into their ocean and their pool and their foam parties with both hands.”
Between the spicy games, the contestants’ disconnection from the world, their dorm room-style living conditions and the ultimate challenge of finding love, Sowa says, “The stakes couldn’t be higher. The drama couldn’t be more and therefore we could not be more entertained.”
The idea of bringing people together to watch “Love Island” and other reality TV shows came to Biebel in 2021 when L.A. was starting to reopen after the COVID pandemic. She wondered, “Why isn’t there a bar or restaurant that shows ‘The Bachelor’?” Biebel, 28, recalled.
At first the bartenders at her local sports bar laughed at her request to turn on the show, but when a crowd of people joined her to watch it on the patio, she knew that she was onto something.
Attendees arrive as early as 5 p.m. to secure a seat at the “Love Island USA” watch party in Hollywood. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
“Those moments where everyone is freaking out together are just magical,” said Madeline Biebel, founder of Reality Bar. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
She hosted the first Reality Bar event in 2023 at a restaurant on the rooftop of the Kimpton Hotel Wilshire and 40 people showed up to watch “Love Island USA” Season 5. She continued hosting watch parties for reality shows including “The Real Housewives” and “The Bachelor,” one in which Joey Graziadei, the Bachelor himself, made a surprise appearance.
But none of the events have been as popular as the parties for the current season of “Love Island USA.” Thanks to a TikTok that got nearly 3 million views, the watch party at the Palm & the Pine went from having about 100 RSVPs to 1,500. On Sunday, fans cheered when Austin Shepard and Charlie Georgiou, who were booted from the island, made an appearance at the event. To keep up with the growing demand, Biebel added 10 other venues to watch the show at including the Nickel Mine in Sawtelle, Roosterfish in West Hollywood and the Happy Rabbit in Sherman Oaks.
“People are just so hungry for connection and community especially post-COVID,” said Biebel, adding that it brings people together who share a common interest. “Those moments where everyone is freaking out together are just magical.”
(Clockwise from left) 1.) Fans of “Love Island USA” cheer, scream and gasp during the dramatic episode. 2.) Reality Bar’s “Love Island USA” watch parties became so popular that 10 more L.A. locations were added. 3.) Maya Suarez, left, and Reanna Davidson enjoy drinks and roses courtesy of Reality Bar.(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
At the Tuesday night party, people started arriving as early as 5 p.m. to secure a seat inside the two-story bar. As pop and hip-hop music played loudly over a sound system, attendees sipped on “Love Island”-themed cocktails with clever names like the “I’ve Got a Text-ini” (a vodka martini with cranberry juice), “Bare Minimum” (an espresso martini), “Hot New Bombshell” (tequila, grapefruit and lime), “Aftersun Spritz” (Prosecco, mint, soda and lemon) and “I’m Open” (cucumber, vodka, lemon and soda).
When the show promptly appeared on the bar’s multiple TV screens at 8 p.m., a thunderous roar of cheers exploded. Throughout the dramatic episode — which involved the islanders reading anonymous letters about how their fellow cast mates truly felt about them — many patrons talked among themselves and shouted at the TV, but no one seemed bothered. The energy was high and the subtitles were on.
Branson Bond, 27, of Hollywood and six of his friends went to the watch party for the first time after learning about it on social media.
“It’s one thing to see people’s perception online, but it means so much more — whether it’s music or film — to be around people who have a common interest,” said Bond, who managed to find a booth in the upstairs area of the bar with his friends. “Especially with everything going on in the world, it’s cool to kind of decompress with something silly every now and then.”
“We love to kiki, to party [and] we need a debrief like immediately after the show, so I needed to experience this,” said Giselle Gonzalez, 27, of Hollywood.
Reanna Davidson, 26, and her sister Maya Suarez usually rotate watching “Love Island USA” together at one of their homes, but they thought a watch party would be more fun.
“I feel like we’re obsessed with “Love Island” and we go crazy at home so we wanted to see what the environment was like here,” Davidson said in between sips of a martini.
“I like the drama, but also I like the love,” she said. “Like last year, watching them all fall in love and really have relationships outside of it was so sweet.”
“I love the camaraderie here and everybody yelling,” says attendee DeVante Waugh.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
After attending one of Reality Bar’s watch parties at a different venue, DeVante Waugh, 32, wanted to come back with a group of his work friends who all started watching the show recently.
“I love the camaraderie here and everybody yelling,” said Waugh, adding that he’s still mad that Jeremiah was sent home during one of the show’s most shocking moments. “It’s fun. It’s like watching a game. And then there’s a lot of pretty women, not a lot of guys,” he adds jokingly.
While some attendees left the bar immediately after the episode was over, some stayed to do karaoke, strike a pose in the photo booth or to recap what happened on the show with their new friends. It’s this community aspect that JP Stanley, 29, of Hollywood appreciates most about watch parties.
“I think it’s the sense of being a part of something,” said Stanley as he sipped on a glass of Prosecco. He attended the event with a friend and said he hopes to see more watch parties even after the current season of “Love Island” wraps. “L.A. is really yearning for that community and I think this is something that really gives people of any age a place to connect, and it’s such an easy common denominator.”
He added, “There’s no prerequisite required. You don’t have to know anything about me and I don’t have to know anything about you. I can just be like, “So, Love Island” and you’ll be like, “Right, Amaya!”
“Love Island USA”
Where to watch the season finale in L.A. on Sunday
The “Love Island USA” Season 7 finale airs Sunday, July 13, at 6 p.m. PT on Peacock. These bars around L.A. will be hosting watch parties, most of them organized by Reality Bar.
Celebrity makeup artist and entrepreneur Patrick Ta admits that he is constantly falling in and out of love with Los Angeles — the place he’s called home for the last 13 years.
“[But] right now, I’m obsessed with Los Angeles,” says the San Diego native. “I feel like I am experiencing new friendship groups. For me, what makes a place magical are the people that you surround yourself with, and this entire beginning of almost summer has been the best networking and relationship building that I’ve ever had in Los Angeles. I feel like L.A. is exciting me again.”
In Sunday Funday, L.A. people give us a play-by-play of their ideal Sunday around town. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go, what to eat and how to enjoy life on the weekends.
While Ta has lived in Southern California for most of his life, he got his start in the makeup industry in Arizona. After convincing his parents to help him open a tanning and nail salon (which he eventually had to file bankruptcy for), his roommate helped him get a job at MAC, where he honed his skills and became a freelance makeup artist. He eventually relocated to L.A., and with the help of social media — where he posted his work — his career took off, and celebrities like Shay Mitchell, Kim Kardashian, Ariana Grande, Gigi Hadid and Camila Cabello began seeking him out to do their makeup. In 2019, he launched his eponymous beauty brand, which is known for its glowy products.
As a first generation Vietnamese American, Ta spent his Sundays at one of his mom’s nail salons in San Diego.
“Weekends were their busiest [day], so we didn’t have the weekends off to just chill, but after work I remember going to Red Lobster,” says Ta. “That was such a big treat for me and my [older] sister because seafood was so expensive, and my mom would make us share. But if we were good with her at work, she would treat us to eating out.”
These days whenever he’s not traveling, Ta tries to reserve his Sundays for spending time with friends. On the agenda is hitting up his favorite flea market, enjoying a seafood brunch at Catch and sober bar hopping in West Hollywood.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
8 a.m.: Morning workout
I wake up anywhere from 8 to 9 a.m. I have a home gym, so I’ll usually work out with my friend. He will come over and we’ll do our own circuit. I’m trying to be better and more consistent with it. Then we will either go and get a green juice from Whole Foods because it’s walking distance from my house, and we always go for a little sprint.
12 p.m.: Stop by the flea market
I will go home afterward to chill for a little bit, and then I’ll see what my friends are doing so I can start planning my day. I love going to theGrove and the Melrose flea market, especially if a friend is in town. There’s a perfume stand there that I always buy a mango sticky rice perfume [from], and it also comes in a candle. I also love wearing hats, so I like seeing what hats they have. I like the Melrose flea market because I always run into people I know, too. I also love H. Lorenzo. I always shop at the shop on Sunset Boulevard.
3 p.m.: Seafood for brunch
It’s so cheesy, but I love Catch. I love sushi. I love seafood, and it’s nice because it’s on a rooftop. I love a sugar-free Red Bull. My favorite dishes are the truffle sashimi, the mushroom pasta with shrimp added and their baked crab hand rolls.
4 p.m.: Sober barhopping in West Hollywood
Sometimes I want to go to West Hollywood to see my gay friends and be out and about and bar hop. What’s so great about West Hollywood is you can walk around and see where everyone is. I don’t go to a specific bar, because I actually don’t drink. It’s more of a thing to do with my friends.
7 p.m.: Netflix and steak
I’ll finish off my day or any sort of socializing around 7 p.m., then I’ll go home and make myself some food. I have been obsessed with just eating a steak with avocado and A.1. Sauce, and watching whatever TV shows I like on Hulu or Netflix. Right now, I’m obsessed with the show “Sirens” [on Netflix].
10 p.m.: Do my rigorous skincare routine
I am super crazy about my skincare, and on Sundays I really try to condition my hair, my scalp, and I will always do a face mask. Then I’ll do my skincare routine. I love exfoliating my body. I have this silicone exfoliant pad that I will use to fully exfoliate my body. I’ll call it a night usually by 11 p.m. I always go into the office on Mondays and Tuesdays, so I don’t really like to stay up that late on Sunday.
Pride Month, which officially starts Sunday, is already in full swing and continuing through June with a host of activities and events. (After Long Beach Pride in mid-May, West Hollywood, Los Angeles, Venice, Santa Monica, San Fernando Valley, Catalina Island and other communities are following up with their own Pride celebrations.)
Although there is no shortage of opportunities for enjoying this worldwide celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, this year seems like a particularly pivotal time to partake in activities that uplift queer arts programs.
In 2025 and beyond, arts and culture funding is facing increasing threats of cancellation and cuts by the Trump administration. Los Angeles is home to numerous forms of art, but nothing is guaranteed to last forever. And in a world increasingly dominated by AI and virtual technologies, engaging with our imaginations can play a more important role than we might realize.
“I think more than ever people need to embrace the arts because we don’t know how much time we have left or how bad things can get,” said Lucé Tomlin-Brenner, a queer comedian and filmmaker who hosts the film-comedy show “Video Visions” at Highland Park video rental store Vidéothèque.
“We have to get into the practice of recognizing that what makes us feel free and joyful matters because that will strengthen us for the hard times,” she said. “If we’re just despairing, if we feel like we’re trapped already, then they’ve won because we’re not using our voices or our talents to change our realities.”
So this Pride Month, along with celebrating via boozy drag brunches and dancing at the Pink Pony Club until the sun rises, partake in L.A.-area activities that serve as a lifeline for queer community and creativity.
From learning how to use oil paints to discovering queer films streaming networks ignore and sewing your own Pride flag, opportunities abound throughout June to connect with your imagination and help ensure the survival and growth of local arts programs.
