Antisemitic and Anti-Gay Fliers Distributed Across Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach residents woke up in shock after a series of anti-semitic fliers were distributed to several residents this week.
Mayor Tony Strickland has taken a strong stance against hate and discrimination, telling residents that, “I am appalled to hear that a small number of unfortunate residents within one of our HB neighborhoods received hateful messaging and propaganda this morning.”
These fliers, found in the southeast area of Huntington Beach, displayed a rainbow-colored Star of David and a pentagram alongside the headline “Every Single Aspect of the LGBTQ+ Movement is Jewish.”
The fliers, which appeared homemade, insinuated that Pride Month was created and advocated for by Jewish people. Photos of gay and transgender activists with a blue Cross of David on their foreheads were also prominently featured in the flier, along with other common Jewish and LGBTQ+ logos.
Strickland emphasized that any form of hateful rhetoric or prejudice has zero tolerance in Huntington Beach, elaborating that “I want to be abundantly clear, the messaging contained within these fliers is completely unacceptable and does not reflect the values or ideas we believe here in Huntington Beach.
Some residents have questioned if the fliers are related to a recent incident at Edison High School that garnered national media attention.
The separate controversy initially arose when a Pride month video was shown to students in a math class. The video, produced by students and aimed at highlighting the celebration of Pride, elicited strong reactions from some students. They loudly groaned and protested, expressing their discontent and questioning why such content was being shown to them.
During a school board meeting, differing viewpoints were expressed regarding the Pride month video. Some students expressed discomfort with the content, which prompted their teacher to admonish them in a subsequent video that went viral.
Huntington Beach police have told citizens that while they have not found the individuals responsible for distributing the fliers, they do not believe the two events are necessarily related.
Strickland and other city leaders have urged residents with any information about the incident to contact the Huntington Beach Police Department.
