Iconic L.A. landmark gets new look for Pride

You can tell a lot about someone by their Instagram feed.

If you’re a Southern California resident, for example, there are some landmarks that can’t be missed – the sight of sauce dripping down an In N Out Burger, picturesque palm trees as you cruise down the California coast, and of course, the infamous Paul Smith pink wall.

Located just off Melrose Avenue, the pastel pink wall has become the choice background to show off the trendy spirit of Los Angeles. As of April, there have been over 28,728 geo-tagged photos of the wall on Instagram accounts, marking it as a top tourist attraction in the city.

However, the “pink wall” underwent a recent facelift to celebrate Pride. In collaboration with Instagram, the wall is painted with bright rainbow colors. The wall is complete with a #KindComments section, which encourages members of the community to take a photo or video sharing words of affirmation and support for the LGBTQIA community.

The wall premiered on May 31 with special guests present, including Mayor Eric Garcetti, social media influencer Joey Graceffa, singers Teagan and Sara, and actress Victoria Justice.

The celebration is a global event, with murals from artists appearing in London, Madrid, Nashville and Cleveland. The best part? No matter where you are in the world, you can still leave messages of support by using the hashtag #KindComments on Instagram.

Our words have the power to bring healing, and social media is an imperative tool to hold critical conversations, affirm each other’s existence, and provide mechanisms of support to our communities. Whether it’s a selfie on Melrose Avenue or an encouraging word on your friend’s post, you can make a difference and be an agent of change for the LGBTQIA community.