A devout Christian evangelical who served as a Los Angeles County lifeguard at Will Rogers Beach is suing the county for requiring him to work near a rainbow-painted tower. Jeffrey Little, who’s worked as a county lifeguard for more thantwo decades, also claims he was punished for removing three Pride flags from L.A. County lifeguard towers. The city of Los Angeles and L.A. County both have approved flying LGBTQ+ supportive flags on government buildings.
Little’s station at Will Rogers Beach in Pacific Palisades is home to a historically LGBTQ+ friendly section known as Ginger Rogers Beach, named for the glamorous Hollywood actress and dancer, and known as a gay beach since the 1940s. Little informed his superiors last year that he wanted to be exempt from the county policy of raising a modified version of the rainbow flag that represents people of color, transgender, and nonbinary people. His bosses granted him the exemption, but while re-stationed at Dockweiler Beach Little was ordered to again fly the flags in question. His lawsuit alleges religious discrimination and emotional distress.