Los Angeles
Kimmel, Jarrett, Emanuel and Lorri Jean spotlight decency at LA LGBT Center gala
LGBT-straight coalition exemplifies humanity in Trump era


Jimmy Kimmel speaks at LA LGBT Center gala at Beverly Hilton Hotel Sept. 23, 2017 (Photo by Karen Ocamb)
Something happened at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s 48th Anniversary Gala Vanguard Awards Saturday night, Sept. 23. It was as if the sold out suit-and-gown crowd at the Beverly Hilton Hotel took a knee in solidarity with each other and the growing effort to resist Reality TV star President Donald Trump’s pursuit of hostile divisiveness. In addition to saluting honorees Valerie Jarrett, former Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama, and Hollywood super agent Ari Emanuel, TV host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel and Center CEO Lorri Jean underscored how pushing back against Trump is an imperative fight to preserve American democracy and simple human decency.
The gala skirted that shimmering elite frat party feel for a simple elegance more befitting the budding development of a new coalition for compassion, three decades after AIDS forced the fight for humanity into the public discourse. Now it’s the latest Republican attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act with a plan that could eliminate Medicaid and protections for pre-existing conditions, a cause Kimmel has heroically taken on. (See the Center’s Action Alert here. )
Trump’s Huntsville, Alabama rally Friday night was also a jaw-dropping hot topic, with the president telling NFL owners to fire any player who takes a knee and “disrespects” the Flag during the national anthem. “You’re fired!” he said, reprising his “Apprentice” role to much applause. Trump later said his comments had nothing to do with race, even though the protest started one year ago, Aug. 26, 2016, precisely because of institutionalized racism and the fatal shootings of unarmed black men by white police officers who are rarely held accountable.
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick told NFL Media. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
Trump’s remarks sparked an intense backlash throughout the country. “It’s exhausting to have a president who gets angrier at outspoken black athletes than at Nazis,” writes The Nation’s sports editor Dave Zirin. “These athletes are doing a lot more than sitting or kneeling or raising a fist during the anthem. They are offering up an alternative model for unity, justice, and even manhood. They are showing that what makes an adult is whom you can help, not whom you can cuss, and certainly not whom you can destroy for shameless and divisive political gain.”

Lorri Jean speaks at LA LGBT Center gala at Beverly Hilton Hotel Sept. 23, 2017 (Photo by Karen Ocamb)
Center CEO Lorri Jean echoed that theme in her keynote address. “Tonight’s gathering is,” said Jean, “a reflection of the times. To put it in Tweet language, our country is now led by a lying sociopath. This has prompted an uprising by an unprecedented coalition of people who are concerned about the fate of our nation. People of every kind and every party who care deeply about building America’s well-being and fostering the human potential available to all of us, regardless of factors that should never be used to divide us, like sexual orientation and gender identity, race, immigration status.”
The Center has called Trump’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program “un-American.” It’s no joke. While Trump talks to “Chuck and Nancy”—Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi—about support for the DREAM Act, the Washington Blade’s Michael K. Lavers reports that DREAMers are already being deported. Andrea Ayala, the executive director of Espacios de Mujeres Lesbianas por la Diversidad (ESMULES) in El Salvador confirms to Lavers that a legally married gay couple with a child from Bedford, Virginia, both DACA recipients, were deported to El Salvador. One of the men was brought to the U.S. when he was 6-months-old.
Jean, who usually stokes the Center gala crowd with righteous outrage, changed direction Saturday night. “Of course, it never hurts to get fired up so long as our anger is properly directed,” she said. “But getting fired up isn’t all we need. We need to be together at gatherings like this. We need to be reminded that we are part of a large majority and that despite what it may seem, this Administration and its policies are actually supported by the fewest Americans since political polling began. We need to enjoy and be grateful for and find strength in each other because we are among those still working hard to build a more inclusive, kinder, better future regardless of who may temporarily stand in our way.”
Three fundamental truths are at the heart of this coalition: 1) “We are a humane people,” Jean said. “That elemental character doesn’t change simply because a new Administration is focused on policies that are the antithesis of humanity and caring;” 2) “We are a moral people….We know that discrimination and hatred and selfishness are wrong. Love and equity and generosity of spirit are right… We must set and demand a different, more uplifting example,” especially from elected officials; 3) “We are a determined people. All of the LGBT people in the room, all of the women and people of color in the room, all of the Jews and Muslims and immigrants in the room, we are part of one or more communities that have suffered grave injustices throughout history and continuing to today. Yet, we have persevered. And increasingly we have prevailed.”

Jimmy Kimmel hosted the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s gala, Sept 23, 2017 (Photo by Karen Ocamb)
But change only happens when people make it happen, Jean said. “We must use our humanity, our morality and our determination not only to resist, but to continue actively building the well-being of our community and our nation.” And, she said, “for the next 3½ years it is our duty, our obligation, to do much more than simply hunker down and weather the storm. We must BE the storm!”
“Obviously this has been a very interesting week,” Kimmel said to much laughter after receiving a thunderous standing ovation.
“It seems very fitting that we are here tonight because you are committed to improving the health and safety and welfare of these teenagers at the LA LGBT Center,” Kimmel said after a video featuring an LGBT homeless African American youth. “Obviously they are relying on you for help because we don’t necessarily get it from out government.”
The gala raised more than $1 million for those Center services, says Chief Marketing Officer Jim Key, who is leaving in late October for another top marketing job after 17 years of service to the Center.
Kimmel became an accidental activist last May after a heart defect was found in his newborn son. His emotional remarks on his show, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, went viral. He cried, explaining the need for coverage for pre-existing conditions, as his son Billy now has. No parent should be faced with the heartbreak of not being able to afford help for their child, he said. Even Republicans trying to repeal Obamacare conceded that they had to pass the “Jimmy Kimmel test,” said GOP repeal bill co-author Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. After details of the bill were revealed, Kimmel said Cassidy “lied to my face.”

Billy Kimmel.
By Monday, the Graham-Cassidy repeal bill seemed dead, with Sens. Ron Paul, John McCain and Susan Collins pledging to vote no if the bill makes it to the Senate floor. “We are in your debt,” Kimmel tweeted to Collins.
Kimmel told a Center video crew that he actually “crashed” the gala because “I care more about other people than other people care about other people. You know, I care deeply so I go out and I do things, whether I’m invited or not.” He cares about the Center because of LGBT youth, who “need a little extra help.”
MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell told the crowd of Kimmel put his job at risk. “Jimmy Kimmel has done something he did not have to do,” O’Donnell said. “Traditionally, in Jimmy’s sector of show business, it’s considered very risky. I am sure there were—and maybe still are— millions of Trump voters who watch him. He gave those voters a difficult decision to make this week with their affections. He took that risk. And that is a brave act.”

Valerie Jarrett and Shonda Rhimes (Photo by Karen Ocamb)
Jarrett, recipient of the Rand Schrader Distinguished Achievement Award, was introduced by her close friend and television producing powerhouse, Shronda Rhimes. “I like to think that Valerie came with hope to the White House and she left us with change,” she said.
In an exclusive interview with the Los Angeles Blade, Jarrett talked about the blow being experienced by so many, especially millennials who had come to take all the Obama progress for granted. “Well, this is the challenge. You can never take equal rights for granted. You have to constantly reinforce their importance. And we can never afford to become complacent. It is a real blow, particularly to young people who grew up with President Obama fighting on their behalf,” Jarrett says. “But part of the lesson here is that we all have a responsibility, a collective and an individual responsibility, to fight for what is just and what is right.”

Jeremy Bernard and Valerie Jarrett (Photo by Karen Ocamb)
Jarrett had a chance to reunite briefly with Jeremy Bernard, a former member of ANGLE and Obama’s appointee as the first gay Social Secretary at the White House.
Jarrett took the stage with a breezy lightness that belies her powerful accomplishments.
“I accept this award on behalf of so many people in the Obama administration who fought and who pushed and who put their shoulder on that arc of the moral universe—with your help—towards justice,” she said. “And we know we’re not done. We know we’re in challenging times. I’m so happy to have Jimmy Kimmel here. Drop the mic for you!”
Jarrett also gave props to Lawrence O’Donnell, who has been weathering criticism for a temper tantrum. Her nod seemed to push the clouds away, in recognition for his tough job. “Lawrence goes on TV every night—the media is being attacked and it’s not easy to stand up,” she said. “Until you decide you know what, I’m standing up for what I believe in. And that’s what all of you are doing. And when you think about the young people, our future—the fact that you are touching those lives and helping them grow, to love themselves and to love each other means that love truly does trump hate.”
Vanguard Award recipient Ariel Emanuel, Co-CEO of WME | IMG, introduced by artist Mark Bradford (who ArtNet calls “our Jackson Pollock” ), shared how his family inculcated his values.
“My Mom’s the one who taught me—and my brothers—that there’s no excuses when it comes to working hard and doing the right thing. She’s the one who taught me that thinking differently is a virtue, not a problem. Those values led my Mom to march for civil rights,” he said, and his pediatrician father to get Chicago to deal with the lead paint poisoning kids.
“My parents taught me that when you look out at the world and you see something wrong… even if you think it doesn’t affect you, it does affect you. And you can—and you should—do something about it,” he said, a lesson that “took a while to sink in” as he struggled with dyslexia and ADHD.

Ari Emanuel with Mark Bradford watching (Photo by Karen Ocamb)
When Emanuel was a teenager, his cousin Gary moved in with the family, not an unusual in their open house. Eventually, he realized his beloved cousin was gay. They lost touch when Gary moved to Boston.
“Then in the late 1980s, Gary got sick. Soon there were hospital visits. A lot of whispering and a lot of pills. Before long it was clear that he wasn’t going to make it,” said Emanuel to a hushed ballroom.
The last time they were in public together was at Bill Clinton’s 1993 Inauguration. “Gary dressed in a floor length golden-brown fur coat. He threw himself into everything at that inauguration—enjoying the shows and the dinners. But it was hard for him to summon the energy. It was coming
close to the end.
“When Gary was in hospice, I spent many nights there to say goodbye. You know, the cruelty of AIDS in those days wasn’t just the suffering and the few therapies. It was the silence. The feeling that you just couldn’t talk civilly and maturely about the disease, because it was a source of shame—an embarrassment. It was either yelling—demanding attention for AIDS—or whispers and winks.
“Thankfully we’re a long way from those days now,” Emanuel said. “Not just in terms of preventing AIDS, but with advances in treatments and ending the stigma around HIV. There is still more to do, but in most places in this country, gay people no longer have to hide. And for a lot of that progress, we have organizations like this Center to thank.”
But, laws can only do so much. True equality means unconditional love. It means inclusion instead of isolation. It means potential instead of powerlessness. Gary needed to be able to look out and see a culture that looked like him, like young people do today.”
Emanuel blasted Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, “hacks” who are trying “to take us back to the past—to roll back the progress we’ve made as a country” such as re-imposing the transgender military ban.
“So no matter how much things have changed, my Mom’s advice still matters a lot: If you see something wrong, even if it doesn’t affect you directly, your voice matters—and your actions matter even more. You’ve got to act to do the right thing. Be an example for others to do the same. That’s what I try to do in my own life,” he said.
“OK, so people don’t come to my office for unconditional love,” Emanuel said to much laughter. “But the work that we do in the entertainment industry gives us a unique responsibility” and ability to share stories.
“I appreciate the chance you’ve given me tonight to share my story of Gary with all of you—to share the story of our relationship, of his struggle, and to reflect on the social progress he would be so excited and proud to see. I want to use this award to honor his memory,” Emanuel said. “And with that in mind,
I leave you with a promise. A promise to use my role to tell true stories of this community and of every community…A promise to speak up where I see injustice…And to never wait to do the right thing.”
In the chatter after the awards ceremony, Jarrett told the LA Blade that her heterosexual sister-in-law had died of AIDS so Emanuel sharing Gary’s story was a shared experience among the straights, as well as among the hundreds of LGBT folks in the room.
“For so many of us, our commitment to fighting AIDS comes from the heart,” Jarrett shared in a July 24, 2012 blog for the Huffington Post. “Every day, I carry with me the pain of watching the excruciating death of my sister-in-law, Julie, eighteen years ago. Julie went for months without being properly diagnosed because it simply never occurred to her doctor to check for HIV. By the time she was diagnosed, it was too late. Julie left behind a devastated husband and a five-year-old daughter, Tracy.”
It is on the nest woven from these shared heartfelt stories that a new coalition for compassion rests and from which a new phoenix on the wings of decency and humanity will fly.
Los Angeles
Trans and nonbinary immigrants experience greater levels of poverty, new report finds
A recent study looks into the disproportionate rates of homelessness and poverty trans and nonbinary immigrants face in L.A.

In a new report published by the Williams Institute, a local research center focused on conducting studies around LGBTQ+ communities and public policy, analysts reviewed data from the 2023-2024 L.A. County Trans and Nonbinary Survey and concluded that transgender and nonbinary immigrants face significantly greater rates of unemployment and homelessness than trans and nonbinary Angelinos who are not immigrants.
Created in partnership with the TransLatin@ Coalition (TLC), an organization that works to defend and advance the rights of trans, gender-expansive, and intersex (TGI) community members, and co-authored by TLC president Bamby Salcedo, the report looks more deeply into the 98 trans and nonbinary immigrants surveyed from a broader pool of 322 respondents in the initial 2023-2024 survey.
What were the key findings?
73% of the trans and nonbinary immigrants — and 80% of trans Latine immigrants — who were surveyed live at or below the federal poverty level, compared to 44% of trans and nonbinary non-immigrants surveyed. These numbers are not meant to pit these communities against one another, but rather to highlight the disproportionate amounts of poverty that trans and nonbinary people of color and immigrants face in the city.
39% of the trans and nonbinary immigrants polled also reported being unhoused, compared to 19% of the non-immigrant participants. 47% of the immigrant participants reported that they were unemployed, compared to 22% of non-immigrant participants.
Another wide discrepancy is revealed in access to educational resources. 30% of the TGI immigrant respondents, including 41% of TGI Latine immigrants, reported having less than a high school or GED level of education, compared to 8% of non-immigrants. Nearly half of the trans and nonbinary immigrants surveyed reported that they were unemployed, and 30% reported that they lacked health insurance and thus delayed seeking necessary medical care over the last year.
“It is essential that these communities are included in county-wide problem-solving and policymaking,” said Salcedo, in a press release about the study. Last month, the Blade reported on the TLC’s launch of its TGI: Housing Initiative, a campaign that would allow the organization to work with the county’s affordable housing solutions agency, LACAHSA, to invest funds into homelessness prevention resources for transgender, gender-expansive, and intersex community members. TLC members advocated for the initiative at LACAHSA’s board meeting on Sept. 17th. There have yet to be updates on whether or not the agency will support the initiative.
Another related Williams Institute report is set to be published later this month.
Los Angeles
The TransLatin@ Coalition campaigns for $20 million to support new housing initiative
If approved, the funds will go towards homelessness prevention

On Wednesday afternoon, over 50 people gathered in the heat outside the Metropolitan Water District. They waved large transgender pride flags and chanted at the top of their lungs: “Aquí está la resistencia trans!” Here is the trans resistance.
Leaders of the TransLatin@ Coalition (TLC), an organization formed by transgender, gender-expansive and intersex (TGI) Latine immigrants to support their fellow community members, led these jubilant calls for action at their press conference yesterday.
TLC organized this event to announce the launch of their new campaign, the TGI: Housing initiative. The group hopes to partner with the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA), an organization that was established in 2023 after the passing of SB 679: a bill aimed to increase affordable housing in the region.
What is TLC asking for? $20 million to invest into their communities. If approved, the funds would be allocated towards homelessness prevention resources like housing rental assistance and legal support clinics, specifically for TGI system-impacted individuals, seniors, transitional age youth, disabled community members and immigrants. “We are investing in people, not just programs,” said Queen Victoria Ortega at the press conference. Ortega is a chief visionary officer for the Connie Norman Transgender Empowerment Center.
“Housing is the foundation for opportunity,” Ortega continued. “When you are able to be in a safe, warm home, you’re able to take your medications. You’re able to take a respite. You’re able to think about the next step that you’re going to take. And really, why wouldn’t you want that for your neighbor? I end with saying: invest in trans lives.”
Authors of a June 2024 report published by the Williams Institute, a research center that informs public policy for LGBTQ+ communities, found that 47% of trans and nonbinary adults in the county live below 200% of the federal poverty level and face significant food insecurity and housing instability.
TLC is calling upon LACAHSA to utilize money from Measure A, a countywide half-cent sales tax that went into effect this April. The measure, meant to address the county’s homelessness crisis, generates over $1 billion annually and 33.75% of these funds are provided to LACAHSA. This amounts to over $380 million for the organization.
“Right now is the time for us to be invested in. We have a federal government who is trying to erase our existence,” said Bamby Salcedo, president and CEO of TLC, to the crowd. “That is why we’re calling on the LACAHSA board to commit to community engagement and partnership to ensure that this funding is community-led and that it is invested in all of us.”
Then, Salcedo led another chant. “Can we do it? When I say ‘People,’ you say ‘Power!’ People!” “Power!” Their voices carried like bells across the courtyard: a loud, clear and unbroken chorus.
As the press conference came to an end, TLC leaders encouraged community members to attend the LACAHSA board meeting happening right after, at 1 p.m. ChiChi Navarro, an active local advocate and a policy intern at TLC, explained how to make the most of their allotted minute during public comment. “Focus on your experiences,” said Navarro. “Focus on what you’ve gone through whenever you’ve tried to acquire housing. We understand that as a community, sometimes we’re affected simply for being who we are — and they need to listen to that. We are here in numbers so we won’t be silenced. Aquí está la resistencia trans!”
Many walked into the board room together at the Metropolitan Water District. Over ten community members took to the podium to share their personal experiences with homelessness, in both Spanish and English.
“As transgender, non-conforming and intersex individuals, we face unique challenges, especially those of us who are people of color, disabled or trans women who’ve experienced violence,” said Arianna Taylor, who was unhoused for three years. “$20 million allocated for TGI housing represents more than just funding. It represents hope, dignity and safety for people who, like me, have been forced to navigate a world of violence, stigma and exclusion.”
As Salcedo and her fellow TLC staff wait to hear more updates from LACAHSA, they will return to their work: empowering their community. “I’m really grateful that people are understanding that they have to advocate for themselves,” Salcedo told the Blade. “It is important for us to speak about what our needs are, and also try to find a solution. And please do come to our organization and see how we can support you.”
Los Angeles
LGBTQ+ proponents respond to “devastating” Supreme Court ruling
Supreme Court allows “unlawful” immigration operations to continue

Since June, federal agencies began conducting mass immigration operations in Los Angeles and other major cities. For just as long, local residents, leaders, and advocacy groups have challenged their arrest and detainment practices, citing that their methods have violated constitutional rights.
In July, individual workers were joined by organizations like the Los Angeles Worker Center Network and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights in filing a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), arguing that federal agents had been illegally arresting people based on their perceived race, language and work — a violation of the Fourth Amendment.
As a result, two temporary restraining orders were issued, barring federal agents from stopping individuals without reasonable suspicion. DHS was also ordered to provide access to legal counsel for detainees.
On Monday, the Supreme Court voted to end this and granted the federal government’s application for a stay — or pause — of the temporary restraining orders. This will allow immigration operations to continue, and how they will proceed worries local leaders.
“This Supreme Court ruling strikes at the heart of who we are as a nation—allowing immigration agents to stop and detain people for little more than speaking Spanish or having brown skin,” wrote District 51 Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, a longtime advocate for LGBTQ+ civil liberty. “This endangers our communities, undermines our democracy, and erodes constitutional rights.”
Some city officials hope to continue providing resources and support to affected community members. “As the raids were taking place across the region and in our own City, we took immediate action to ensure there are adequate resources to care for and support immigrants and their families,” wrote West Hollywood mayor Chelsea Byers. “This work will continue.”
West Hollywood was one of several Los Angeles county municipalities that filed a motion to intervene in the ongoing lawsuit, calling for the court to stop the federal government from conducting unlawful stops and searches that were based on assumed race and not on probable cause. It also activated its West Hollywood Responds program to raise awareness on available services like legal toolkits and training, consultations, access to free meals and more.
Local organizations are also extending their support. “The Supreme Court’s ruling is a devastating setback for Latine and immigrant communities, especially LGBTQ+ people who already face immense barriers to safety and belonging,” wrote Terra Russell-Slavin, the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s chief strategy officer. Russell-Slavin explained that the center has expanded free legal clinics both virtually and throughout the city to provide Know Your Rights workshops and other immigration and asylum support services.
“You are not alone,” Russell-Slavin continued. “And the Center will continue to stand with you.”
On September 24, the federal district court will hold a hearing to consider additional evidence and a possible preliminary injunction that will pause this most recent ruling.
Kristie Song reports for the Blade courtesy of the California Local News Fellowship
California
Williams Institute reports impact of deportations on LGBTQ immigrants
Latest report suggests transgender, nonbinary and intersex immigrants face significantly higher safety risks

Williams Institute at UCLA has released its latest report, highlighting the intersection between LGBTQ and immigration issues and the impact of the U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) raids across Los Angeles on LGBTQ people.
According to the brief, LGBTQ immigrants who hold legal status, but who are not naturalized citizens may also face challenges to their legal right to reside in the U.S.
Recent reports indicate that non-citizens with legal status are being swept up in immigration operations and several forms of legal status which were granted at the end of the Biden administration are being revoked. Those include: Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for some Venezuelan immigrants, as well as those from Afghanistan and Cameroon, while Haitian nationals are now facing shortened protection periods, by up to six months.
The Justice Department has proposed a new rule which grants the government border authority to revoke green card holders’ permanent residency status at any time. This rule is currently under review by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, which could significantly affect non-citizens who are currently documented to reside in the county legally.
Supervisorial District 1, under Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, and Supervisorial District 2, under Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell would particularly be affected as it contains the city center of Los Angeles and nearly 29,000 LGBTQ, noncitizens would face the harshest impact. Those two districts contain many of the county’s historically Black, Latin American and Asian, Pacific Islander neighborhoods.
For transgender, nonbinary and intersex immigrants arrested or detained by ICE, there are additional impacts regarding how federal law defines biological sex and gender identity. The Trump administration has signed an executive order which redefines “sex” under federal law to exclude TGI individuals. This adds an extra thick layer of possible violence when TGI individuals are placed in detention centers or in holding that does not correspond to their identity.
According to the report, ‘transgender, non-binary, and intersex immigrants must navigate an
immigration and asylum system without information about how federal agents will respond to their gender identity and with the risk of greater violence if placed in detention centers, given the effects of this executive order.’
The brief estimates the number or foreign-born adults in Los Angeles County who will be potentially affected by the Trump administration’s executive orders on mass deportations.

Graphic courtesy of Williams Institute at UCLA.
Using previous data from other Williams Institute Studies and reports from the University of Southern California Dornsife Equity Research Institute and data from the Pew Research Center, the latest brief states that there are over 1.35 million LGBTQ-identifying people across the U.S., with 30% of them residing in California.
The report further points to 122,000 LGBTQ immigrants who reside within LA County specifically, making Los Angeles County home to about 10% of all LGBTQ adult immigrants in the U.S.
While 18% of those Angelenos are foreign-born, only around 7%, or 49,000 of them do not hold legal status.
Using research from the Pew Center and applying an estimate, that means that there are approximately 23,000 undocumented LGBTQ across LA County and the remaining 26,000 LGBTQ immigrants in the county have some form of legal status.
Among the LGBTQ population of adult immigrants in California, approximately 41,000 are transgender or nonbinary. That figure also points toward approximately 5,200 of them residing in LA County. According to the proportions applied for this estimate, the Williams Institute approximates that around 3,100 transgender and nonbinary immigrants in LA County are naturalized citizens, over 1,100 have legal status and just under 1,000 are undocumented.
According to a brief released in February by the Williams Institute, ‘mass deportations could impact 288,000 LGBTQ undocumented immigrants across the U.S.
Los Angeles
LA Black Pride: ‘We are no longer waiting to be seen’
Joy as power, presence as protest, visibility that refuses to be diminished

As Los Angeles Black Pride (LABP) gears up for another saucy season of celebration, culture, and resistance, we are proud to announce a new six-week media partnership between LABP and the Los Angeles Blade. This collaboration is not just promotion but intention. It is about making sure Black queer voices are not just heard, but honored and amplified.
To kick it off, we are excited to announce that Saucy Santana will headline LABP’s Saturday night main stage. Known for their unapologetic energy, queer-centric bops, and fearless showmanship, Santana represents exactly what LABP is about — joy as power, presence as protest, and visibility that refuses to be diminished.
The theme for LABP 2025 is “Black Queer Futures Are Now: We Are No Longer Waiting to Be Seen.” Our partnership sets the tone for what’s to come. It is a shared commitment to telling Black queer stories, past and present, and investing in what’s to come.
What started as a party born out of necessity has now become a full-scale movement. LABP Executive Director Brandon Anthony, who began his journey throwing parties like Ice Cream Thursdays, recounts the roots of this project:
“It started off as something I felt was missing… a space that felt like us: where the music hit right, where the energy felt familiar, and where we could just be,” he says. “What began as a vibe we needed grew into a platform. Now, it’s a business, a brand, a movement, but at the heart of it, I’m still just someone who wanted to create space for my community to feel good, feel seen, and feel proud.”
From nightlife to nationwide recognition, LABP is proof that when Black queer folks create for themselves, the result is not just representation, it’s revolution. In a landscape where many Pride events still sideline Black and Brown voices, LABP has become a necessary act of reclamation.
“Because if we don’t, who will?” Anthony asks. “Too often we get left out or placed in the background. Our energy, our style, our voices — we drive the culture. When we center ourselves, it gives others permission to do the same. Joy is more than a feeling, it’s a form of resistance.”
That resistance has never been more needed. From limited funding to systemic erasure, LABP continues to thrive against the odds. But the message is clear: thriving should never necessitate struggle.
“We’re not just asking for visibility — we’re asking for the tools to thrive,” he explains. “Now more than ever, we need partners who are aligned with the people, not just the optics.”
With the 2025 theme of “Legacy and Leadership in Action,” LABP honors the trailblazers who paved the way. Icons like Jewel Thais-Williams, founder of the legendary Catch One, are celebrated annually through the Jewel Thais-Williams Award.
“Catch One wasn’t just a nightclub, it was a safe haven,” Anthony shares. “Legacy isn’t just about the past. It’s about lifting up the folks doing the work right now and keeping that energy alive.”
LABP continues that work through programming that extends far beyond June. Year-round initiatives include pop-up markets, health services, creative workshops, and political advocacy.
“One of the moments that really showed what we stand for was the All Black Lives Matter march in 2020,” he says. “We co-led it alongside Gerald Garth, and it was powerful to see thousands show up for Black Trans lives. That wasn’t just a moment – it was a movement.”
Whether it’s showcasing emerging artists on stage, uplifting Black trans creatives, or building platforms for new leaders, LABP is focused on making sure the next generation has room to grow.
“When people are given a platform to show what they can do, it creates more than visibility, it creates momentum,” he says. “That’s what keeps everything moving forward.”
And with names like Saucy Santana taking center stage, that movement is gaining speed. Santana’s headlining performance isn’t just a concert — it’s a declaration. It says that Black queer talent is main-stage worthy, every time. This partnership is not performative – it’s purposeful. It’s a bridge between platforms, audiences, and shared values.
“LA Blade has a huge reach, and by choosing to amplify Black queer voices, they’re helping bridge gaps and build deeper understanding,” says Anthony. “This isn’t about charity or tokenism. It’s about showing the world who we are, what we’re building, and why it deserves to be seen.”
In the words of LABP’s ongoing mission: We are no longer waiting to be seen. We are building what’s next.
a&e features
Cumbiatón returns to Los Angeles right in time for Pride season
‘Que viva la joteria,’ translates roughly to “Let the gayness live”

Healing and uplifting communities through music and unity is the foundation of this event space created by Zacil “DJ Sizzle Fantastic” Pech and Norma “Normz La Oaxaqueña” Fajardo.
For nearly a decade DJ Sizzle has built a reputation in the queer POC and Spanish-speaking undocumented communities for making the space for them to come together to celebrate their culture and partake in the ultimate act of resistance — joy.

Couples, companions, comadres all dance together on the dancefloor at Cumbiatón. (Photo courtesy of Cumbiatón).
Cumbiatón was created during the first Trump administration as a direct response to the erasure, racism, homophobia and xenophobia that was engrained into the administration’s mission for those first four years. Now that the second Trump administration is upon us, the racism, homophobia, transphobia and xenophobia are tenfold.
This event space is a ‘party for the hood, by the hood.’ It is led by women, queer and trans people of color in every aspect of the production process.
The recent fires that burned through Altadena and Pacific Palisades made DJ Sizzle decide to step back from marketing the event in Los Angeles, an area where people had just lost their businesses, homes and where their lives were completely thrown for a loop.
Now they’re back, doubling-down on their mission to bring cumbias, corridos and all the music many of us grew up listening to, to places that are accessible and safe for our communities.
“I started Cumbiatón back in 2016, right after the election — which was weirdly similar because we’re going through it again. And a lot of us come from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) movement. We were the ones to really push for that to happen along with the DREAM Act.”
DJ Sizzle says that she wanted to create a space out on the streets to celebrate life and come together, because of how mentally and physically taxing it is to be a part of the marginalized communities that were and still are, a major target for ongoing political attacks.

Edwin Soto and Julio Salgado pose for a photo at a Cumbiaton event in 2024. (Photo courtesy of Cumbiatón).
“We need these spaces so that we can kind of refuel and rejoice in each other’s existence,” said DJ Sizzle. “Because we saw each other out on the street a lot, but never did we really have time to sit down, have a drink, talk, laugh. So I found that music was the way to bring people together and that’s how Cumbiatón got started. It was honestly like a movement of political resistance through music.”
DJ Sizzle is an undocumented community organizer who aims to not only bring awareness to the issues that her communities face, but also to make space to celebrate the wins and bond over the music that brings people in Latin America, East L.A., Boyle Heights and the Bay area together.
Julio Salgado, a queer, visionary artist and migrant rights activist from Ensenada, Baja California with roots in Long Beach and the Bay Area, connected with DJ Sizzle over their shared passion in advocating for immigrant rights.
“Cumbiatón was created during the first [Trump] administration, where you know, a lot of people were really bummed out and so what Sizzle wanted to create was a place where people could come together and celebrate ourselves,” said Salgado. “Fast-forward to the second [Trump] administration and we’re here and feel a little bit more like: ‘oh shit, things are bad again.’ But, things have always been bad.”
Salgado is involved with Cumbiatón through his art. He is a mixed-media artist who creates cartoons using his lived experience with his sobriety journey, undocumented status and queer identity.
With a background in journalism from California State University, Long Beach, Salgado documents what activists do in the undocumented spaces he has been a part of throughout his life.
In 2017, Salgado moved back to Long Beach from the Bay Area, and at the time he started doing political artwork and posters for protests against the first Trump administration, but because the nature of that work can be very tiring, he says that he turned to a more uplifting version of his art where he also draws the joy and unity in his communities.
When he and Sizzle linked up to collaborate during that time, he thought he could use his skills to help uplift this brand and bring it to the forefront of the many events that saturate the party landscape.

DJ Sizzle doing her thing on stage, giving the crowd the music they went looking for. (Photo courtesy of Cumbiatón).
“We are familiar with using the dance floor as a way to kind of put the trauma a little bit away just for one night, get together and completely forget,” said Salgado.
Coming from an undocumented background, Salgado and Sizzle say that their experience with their legal status has made them very aware of how to go about the ID-check process at the door for their events.
“When you’re undocumented, you have something called a [High Security Consular Registration (HSCR)] and it’s kind of like your ID and many of these heterosexual clubs would see that and say it was fake,” said Salgado. “But at the gay club, they didn’t care.”
Just being conscious of what that form of ID looks like and knowing that it’s not fake, helps many of the hundreds of people who come through for Cumbiatón, feel just slightly more at ease.
Edwin Soto, who is another community activist and leader in the undocu-queer community, is also involved in the planning and organizing of the event.
In the long journey of making Cumbiatón what it is now, they say that they have all been very intentional about who they bring in, making sure that whoever they are, they also understand the experience of being undocumented and accepted anyway.
“Something that Sizzle and the team have been very intentional about is making sure that [the security at the door] knows that someone might be using their consulate card,” said Soto.
Bringing together this event space is no easy task, considering the fact that their events are deeply thought out, intentional and inclusive of not just people of color, but also people with differing abilities and people who do not reflect the norm in West Hollywood clubs.
“We created the space that we were longing for that we did not see in West Hollywood,” he said. “[Cumbiatón] is what life could really be like. Where women are not harassed by men. Where people are not body-shamed for what they’re wearing.”
When it comes to their lives outside of Cumbiatón and partying, Sizzle says that it does get exhausting and planning the event gets overwhelming.
“It is really difficult, I’m not going to lie,” said DJ Sizzle. “We are at a disadvantage being queer and being undocumented because this administration triggers us to a point that, anyone who is not a part of those identities or marginalized communities would ever be able to understand,” said Sizzle. “There are times where I’m just like: ‘I’m going to cocoon for a little bit’ and then that affects the marketing and the communication.”

Usually, the events bring in hundreds of people who are looking for community, safety and inclusion. (Photo courtesy of Cumbiatón).
That’s a little bit about what goes on behind the scenes — which really shouldn’t come as a surprise for anyone who is out there fighting for basic human rights, while also making the space to party and enjoy themselves.
“I’m really trying to find balance and honestly my life raft are my friends and my community,” she said. “Like, being able to share, being able to have this plática, and be like ‘bitch, I see you and I know its fucked up, but we got each other.’”
Cumbiatón was made with the purpose of making space to include and invite the many different people in these communities who are otherwise sidelined in broader conversations and in party scenes where they are not as inclusive or thoughtful about their attendees.
“How beautiful is it to be queer and listen to rancheras and to norteñas and cumbia, and to just own it,” said Soto.
To join Cumbiatón at their next party, visit their Instagram page.
California
LA Pride 2025 announces grand marshals and parade theme
The parade will also pay tribute to the city’s first responders, relief organizations, agencies, officials and others who stepped up during the January fires

The theme for the parade set to take place on Sunday June 8, at 11 a.m., will fittingly be “Pride Marches On,” and this year’s parade grand marshals will be Niecy Nash-Betts and wife Jessica Betts, Andrew Rannells, and Trino Garcia and Adam Vasquez, who are also known as ‘TrinoxAdam.’
Rannells, a Grammy-winning, two-time Tony-nominated actor celebrated for his work on stage, screen, and television, is this year’s LA Pride Celebrity Grand Marshal.
“I’m truly honored to be this year’s Celebrity Grand Marshal of LA Pride,” said Rannells. “I don’t take it lightly and I just hope in some small way I can reflect the strength and resilience of the queer community, especially in times like these.”
Rannells made his TV directorial debut with Amazon’s “Modern Love” and is widely recognized for his role as Elijah Krantz on HBO’s “Girls,” which garnered a Critics Choice nomination. He recently appeared on Hulu’s “Welcome to Chippendales” and Showtime’s “Black Monday,” earning him yet another Critics Choice nomination. Rannells is also an author, director and Broadway actor.
Nash-Betts, one-half of this years Vanguard Marshals, is a multi-talented Emmy Award-winning actress, producer and director who has captivated audiences on many projects across the big screens. Soon, she will be making a big appearance starring opposite Kim Kardashian, Naomi Watts, Sarah Paulson, Teyana Taylor and Glenn Close, in Ryan Murphy’s “All’s Fair” Hulu TV series about an all-female legal firm.
Chicago native Betts will join her wife Nash-Betts as the other half of this years Vanguard Grand Marshal’s of the parade. Betts is an acclaimed singer-songwriter known for her original electric and acoustic rock and soul music. The two have been married since 2020 and in 2022, they made history as the first same-sex couple to grace the cover of Essence magazine, receiving a nomination for a GLAAD Media Award.
“We are thrilled to have Niecy Nash and Jessica Betts as this year’s Vanguard Grand Marshals,” said Gloria Bigelow, CSW board member. “As individuals and as a couple, they exemplify the beauty of living authentically and embracing love in all its forms. Their presence serves as a shining example for our community, reminding us to celebrate who we are, love fiercely and never back down from our Pride.”
TrinoxAdam will be this years Community Grand Marshals. The two are a loving gay couple who have dazzled the queer, Latin community with their content showcasing how they reclaim the cholo, or ‘xolo’ identities. They went viral on social media after sharing a romantic kiss on a bridge overlooking the 110 Freeway in Los Angeles. Now famous on social media, the two make content about their love, challenging traditional perceptions of masculinity, sexuality and Chicano culture.
“Pride is about loving yourself and accepting yourself for who you truly are,” said Trino Garcia and Adam Vasquez. “Being this year’s LA Pride’s Community Grand Marshals is the biggest honor and our greatest accomplishment, knowing we’ve made an impact and helped people find acceptance within themselves and finally feel the true meaning of Pride.”
This year, the parade will also pay tribute to the city’s first responders, relief organizations, agencies, officials and others who stepped up during the fires that devastated Altadena and Pacific Palisades, in a special “Heroes of the Wildfires” section in the lineup.

Los Angeles County Fire Department marches in the 2024 LA Pride Parade. (Photo courtesy of LA Pride)
“This year LA Pride marks a pivotal moment for both the Los Angeles and LGBTQ communities,” said Gerald Garth, CSW board president. “Despite facing unimaginable challenges, our community has always emerged stronger. This year’s theme, ‘Pride Marches On,’ symbolizes the strength of our community, and no matter the fire, hate or fear, Pride will always forge ahead. We look forward to embodying this spirit while celebrating resilience, hope and togetherness.”
The parade will be hosted by “Good Morning America” Saturday and Sunday co-anchor and ABC News transportation correspondent Gio Benitez and “ABC7 Eyewitness News” anchors Ellen Leyva and Coleen Sullivan.
After the Parade, LA Pride will host LA Pride Village on Hollywood Boulevard. Now in its fourth year, this free street festival will feature programming on two stages, welcome over 80 booths with local vendors and nonprofits, dozens of sponsor activations, giveaways, games, scores of food trucks, and two 21+ full-service bars.
For the third year in a row, LA Pride will also be featuring “Ballroom Battle,” the voguing competition created by New York City’s Black and Brown LGBTQ+ communities made famous by the documentary, “Paris is Burning,” Madonna, and the FX show “Pose.” LA’s premiere ballroom houses such as House of Miyake Mugler, House of Ninja, and House of Gorgeous Gucci will compete in front of celebrity judges, including Margaret Cho, who will also be in the parade, riding with longtime LA Pride alumni Project Angel Food.
A curated art exhibition called “Bring the T” will feature works in multiple media by trans artists that represent and explore themes around trans discrimination and erasure but also activism, determination and fearlessness.
The parade is set to broadcast live on Sunday, June 8, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. PDT on ABC7/KABC-TV Los Angeles.
The live broadcast will include comprehensive coverage from ABC7 news reporters David González, Sophie Flay and Kevin Ozebek, who will be reporting directly from the parade route, capturing all the festivities.
Features
Meet the new co-presidents of the NLGJA LA Chapter
The National Lesbian Gay Journalists Association’s LA Chapter under new leadership

An award-winning documentary filmmaker and a news producer make up the dynamic duo who now run the Los Angeles chapter of the NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists.
NLGJA is a nationally recognized affinity group meant to unite journalists from dozens of different industries, who identify as members of the LGBTQ community.
The national chapter recognizes the work and contributions of LGBTQ journalists who work to further the narratives by queer, trans and gender non-conforming people.
Hansen Bursic, 27, pisces, is one half of the dynamic duo who now run the L.A chapter.
Katie Karl, 30, gemini, forms the other half.
Last year, Bursic and Karl took over as interim co-presidents and have been able to grow the local chapter to include a diverse and wide range of voices on the Board of Directors and on the membership list.
The chapter has hosted a long list of events that include collaborations with other local and national organizations with roots in Los Angeles, such as GALECA: Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics and the Asian American Journalists Association.
It became the first time in the Los Angeles chapter’s history that there was such a shift in leadership, with two people taking over the leading role.
“It was just too big of a job for one of us to do, especially in rebuilding. So we decided to get together and come on as co-president’s, which was recommended by the national president, Ken Miguel,” said Karl.
When it comes to the chapter’s mission, Bursic says it’s a two-fold goal.
“We want to build a sense of community for queer and trans journalists in Southern California and we also want to advocate for those journalists any chance we get by building the spaces where journalists can meet each other, breaking down barriers and trying to reduce gatekeeping of opportunities for our members so they can thrive and find a place in Southern California newsrooms,” he said.
Many of the events that are hosted by the NLGJA LA Chapter are free and open to the general public through RSVP. One of the common misconceptions the affinity group faces, is that many people feel as though their work may not directly correspond to the work pursued by current members of the group. However, that is not the case.
“Together, we really want to make sure that everyone feels included,” said Karl. “I’m in broadcast and Hansen is in documentary and together we really push to make sure that no matter what kind of journalist you are, you know there is a space for you and you feel welcomed.”
The organization welcomes members and people to attend their public events, who work in industries that are adjacent to the work journalists do and those who might just be creatives with multi-hypenated titles.
Bursic has a full-time day job in communications for a nonprofit, but his creative work extends far beyond his work in communications. His energy and passion lie in documentary filmmaking. Bursic recently directed and produced “Trans Heaven Pennsylvania” (2024). The 12-minute documentary is about the 2010s in Pennsylvania, where each year, a group of trans women would take over a small American town for a week-long party. The documentary was funded through the Creative Hope Initiative, an incubator for emerging LGBTQ filmmakers sponsored by Traverse32 and Outfest Film Festival.
The film most recently screened internationally in London, at the Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club. Its next screening will be at the Grandview Theater Drafthouse & Cinema in Columbus, Ohio on May 3rd.
Bursic has a notable list of accomplishments, including making the 30 under 30 list at Temple University in 2023. He has also been named a DOC NYC Documentary New Leader, has had a spot in the Ford Foundation Rockwood Documentary Leadership Fellowship and Sundance Film Festival Press Fellowship.
Karl was born and raised in the Greater Los Angeles area, is a dedicated news producer with extensive experience in live news coverage and team coordination. Currently a freelance writer and producer at KABC, she brings years of experience from her work at stations like KPNX, KHQ and KEYT.
Karl, says the experience of connecting with the members more, has been really rewarding.
“Going forward, my goal is to grow the chapter in name and recognition,” said Karl. “I want our [reach to get] across other organizations in other areas of journalism and that’s why I joined the board in the first place.”
Los Angeles
Los Angeles Blade names new publisher
Alexander Rodriguez brings deep media, business experience to outlet

The Los Angeles Blade, Southern California’s leading LGBTQ news outlet, today announced the appointment of a new publisher, Alexander Rodriguez.
Rodriguez has a long background in queer media, business development, and a deep commitment to the Los Angeles community. He has worked as a lead writer and podcast host for Metrosource Magazine and for GED Magazine; content director for FleshBot Gay; and as host and producer for the “On the Rocks” podcast. On the business side, Rodriguez spent years working in business development in the banking industry throughout Los Angeles. He also has an extensive background in event planning and management and has served on the boards of many LGBTQ non-profits. As a TV and radio personality, he has served as emcee for LGBTQ events around the nation.
“I’m excited to bring my diverse media and business experience to the Los Angeles Blade,” Rodriguez said. “We will continue the Blade’s mission of serving as our community’s news outlet of record during these challenging times and work toward building bridges within our community and beyond.”
Rodriguez starts in his new role on Monday, Feb. 3.
“We are thrilled to welcome Alexander to the Blade team,” said Kevin Naff, one of the owners of the Los Angeles Blade. “His multimedia and business side experience will help us grow the Blade in L.A. and continue our commitment to best-in-class journalism serving the LGBTQ community in Southern California.”
Rodriguez becomes the Los Angeles Blade’s second publisher following the unexpected death of founding publisher Troy Masters in December. Masters served in the role for nearly eight years. The community will come together for a celebration of Masters’s life on Monday, Feb. 10, 7-9 p.m. at the Abbey.
“Troy’s legacy is in good hands with Alexander at the helm alongside our new local news editor, Gisselle Palomera,” Naff added.
The Los Angeles Blade, launched in 2017, celebrates its eighth anniversary in March. It is the sister publication of the Washington Blade, founded in 1969, which offers unmatched coverage of queer political news and is the only LGBTQ outlet in the White House press pool and the White House Correspondents’ Association, and the only LGBTQ outlet with a dedicated seat in the White House briefing room.
Alexander Rodriguez can be reached at [email protected].
Los Angeles
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS donates $500K to wildfire relief effort
Four local organizations received emergency grants

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS on Monday announced it has awarded $500,000 in emergency grants to organizations that are responding to the Los Angeles wildfires.
A press release notes the Entertainment Community Fund received $250,000, the California Fire Foundation Wildfire and Disaster Relief Fund received $100,000, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank received $100,000, and Project Angel Food received $50,000.
“All of these organizations are providing much-needed, on-the-ground support for residents and first responders,” said Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
“Our compassionate community knows the power of coming together in times of need,” added Broadway Cares Executive Director Danny Whitman. “Because of the generosity of the theater community — those onstage, backstage and in the audience — these emergency grants will immediately provide meals, shelter, medical care, clothing and emergency financial assistance, all first steps on the long road toward recovering, rebuilding, and healing.”
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