West Hollywood’s City Hall will be awash in color in the coming weeks as the City Council approved lighting the building’s windows to mark special occasions during its Monday night meeting.
For several weeks in November, blue and pink lights will be seen in the windows of the City Hall building at 8300 Santa Monica Blvd. at Sweetzer in observance of Transgender Awareness Month and the Transgender Day of Remembrance on Nov. 20, a day which honors those who have been killed in violence against transgender people.
During Hanukkah, which begins on Nov. 28 and runs until Dec. 5, white and blue lights will be in the windows to honor the Jewish holiday.
After that, City Hall will have red and green colored lights for the Christmas holiday season. While the city has had street decorations along Santa Monica Boulevard for the holidays since 1999, this will be the first time City Hall has been lit for the holidays.
“I am honored to have been able to co-sponsor the transgender lighting of City Hall in pink and blue. It’s very excited,” Councilmember John D’Amico said. “I’m equally excited about the holiday lighting as well.”
On Monday, the city began flying the transgender flag above City Hall in honor of Transgender Awareness Month.
The city will buy colored gel filters to place over the light fixtures in windows. The city is budgeting $500 to buy the filters, but expects them to cost significantly less. The filters can be used again in future years.
Additionally, on Nov. 30, City Hall will be lit up in honor of the International Day of Cities for Life, a global campaign to abolish the death penalty. Over 800 cities worldwide participate in the Cities for Life campaign by decorating or illuminating a city building or monument to raise awareness of the event, now in its 14th year. No specific color is designated for the observance; the mere lighting of the building is seen as supporting the cause.
For several years, red lights have been in the City Hall windows during February in honor of American Heart Month.
