Located in the city of Santa Monica in Los Angeles County, Ginger Rogers Beach is a small beige sand beach. This beach is a section of the immensely popular three-mile-long Will Rogers State Beach, positioned along the south of Pacific Coast Highway. The area that stretches from lifeguard towers 17 and 18 is referred to as Ginger Rogers Beach, which has a beautiful backdrop of rugged cliffs and many oceanfront buildings, including a beach club, tennis courts, condominiums, hotels, and many restaurants.
Ginger Rogers Beach has been known as an unofficial LGBTQ+ friendly beach since the 1940s. This beach holds a significant place in LGBTQ+ history and culture and was considered a haven for this community during times of societal discrimination during World War II. In the 1950s, there were beach patrols that targeted what was then referred to as “homosexual behavior” which led to a confrontation that occurred between beachgoers and police, highlighting tensions between the LGBTQ+ community and law enforcement. This beach hosted numerous social gatherings and fundraising activities for LGBTQ+ organizations in the late 1980s. After that, in June 2023, lifeguard towers 17 and 18 were painted with the colors of the Progress Pride Flag to honor the beach's LGBTQ+ history. Shortly after being painted, the lifeguard towers were vandalized, but they were subsequently restored. Despite challenges, the beach remains a symbol of resilience and pride for the LGBTQ+ community.