SAN DIEGO – A new member of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors was sworn in Tuesday at the County Administration Center.

Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe will represent the Fourth Supervisorial District for the remainder of the current term ending in January 2027.

Supervisor Steppe was sworn in by her father-in-law Cecil Steppe and joined by her husband Steve while reciting her oath. She becomes the county’s first Black woman supervisor.

“We know that today marks a momentous occasion in our county’s history, filled with promise, filled with hope and filled with progress,” Supervisor Steppe said. “As I stand before you, deeply humbled and immensely grateful, l am acutely aware of the weight of responsibility and the honor to be chosen by the people as the first Black woman to serve on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors in the history of this county. I am truly honored.”

District 4 voters selected Steppe to fill the vacant board seat during the Nov. 7 special election. She previously served as a council member for the City of San Diego.

“This moment also belongs to every person who dared to dream, who fought against adversity and believed in the possibility of a more inclusive and equitable future for our community,” She said. “I stand on the shoulders of countless individuals who paved the way, breaking barriers and clearing the path for diversity, representation and for change.

Steppe, whose new supervisorial district includes the LGBTQ+ neighborhood of Hillcrest, was endorsed in the special election race by Out California State Senate President Toni Atkins and openly gay Assemblymember Chris Ward who represents the 78th Assembly District which includes the cities of Coronado, Del Mar, Imperial Beach, San Diego and El Cajon.

Steppe was born and raised in San Diego and spent most of her life in District Four. She served on the San Diego City Council, representing over 160,000 San Diegans and was chair of the Budget & Government Efficiency Committee– overseeing the process for the City’s $5.2 billion dollar budget. She’s also on the San Diego City-County Reinvestment Task Force, the board of MTS, the San Diego Workforce Partnership, and the San Diego Housing Authority.

An attorney by trade, Steppe has a deep connection with the San Diego community. She began her education at Pacific View Leadership Elementary. After completing her undergraduate degree at Spelman College, she returned to San Diego to earn her Juris Doctor from California Western School of Law.

Before entering elected office, she dedicated her life to public service law. She fought for families to stay in their homes during the foreclosure crisis in the Great Recession, worked at the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties as a Criminal Justice Advocate, and served as a Senior Policy Advisor at the City of San Diego with specific focus in the policy areas of criminal justice reform and public safety, neighborhood revitalization, workforce development, small business development, equal opportunity contracting, and youth services.

District 4 includes the following areas: Alta Vista, Azalea Park, Balboa Park, Bankers Hill, Bay Park, Bay Terraces, Birdland, Broadway Heights, Casa de Oro – Mount Helix, Chollas Creek, Chollas View, City Heights, City of La Mesa, City of Lemon Grove, Civita, Clairemont Mesa, College Area, El Cerrito, Emerald Hills, Encanto, Hillcrest, Kensington-Talmadge, Lincoln Park, Linda Vista, Lomita Village, Mid-City, Middletown, Mission Hills, Mission Valley, Montezuma Mesa-SDSU, Morena, Normal Heights, North Bay Terraces, North Clairemont, North Park, Oak Park, Old Town, Paradise Hills, Portions of Grantville, Portions of Kearny Mesa, Portions of Spring Valley, Rancho San Diego, Rolando, Serra Mesa, Skyline, University Heights, Valencia Park, and Webster.

DES MOINES, Iowa – The Iowa State Supreme Court on December 1, upheld the conviction of a man who left threatening notes on the homes of people displaying LGBTQ Pride flags during the June 2021 Pride month.

Robert Clark Geddes, 27, of 1814 Eighth Street in Boone, Iowa, was arrested after leaving handwritten notes reading, “Burn that gay flag,” at four different houses in this small hamlet of 12,000 located 49 miles northwest of Iowa’s capital city.

According to a local media outlet, the Perry News in its June 23, 2021 reporting, Boone City Council member Elijah Stines was one of the victims of the hate crimes.

“Let me be very clear,” Stines said on Facebook. “I will never back down from standing up for the lives of my LGBTQ friends, family, constituents and all members of our community. My house was one of five locations in my ward alone that I know of that received a similar cowardly note this weekend. To everyone in the Boone LGBTQ community: There are so many more people here who will stand with you and ensure your safety than would threaten it. Call on us any time!”

Investigators determined that the four notes were “linked together by consistent handwriting, matching paper tear marks and marker bleed through on each page,” according to court records.

The victims were “annoyed and alarmed” by the notes, and Geddes “had no legitimate purpose to be on the property other than commit a public offense,” according to court records.

Associate Judge Stephan A. Owen, for the Iowa District Court for Boone County, found Geddes guilty and sentenced him to up to two years of probation.

On September 14, 2023, he appealed his convictions for trespass as a hate crime, arguing that the evidence of guilt was insufficient and that the convictions violated his constitutional rights of free speech and due process.

In its Friday ruling the high court disagreed noting: “The individuals’ display of the LGBTQ+ flag or flag decal on their own properties was an exercise of First Amendment rights; the defendant’s surreptitious entry onto those properties to post his harassing notes was not.”

The Associated Press reported that as the court noted, the rainbow flag has come to symbolize support for LGBTQ+ rights. The majority said the state statute in question does not criminalize speech, but rather conduct with a specific intent — trespassing because the property owners or residents had associated themselves with a protected class.

The AP also reported that in his dissent, Justice Matthew McDermott said there was no evidence in the record that the recipients of Geddes’ notes were members of the LGBTQ+ community or whether he believed they were, nor whether any of the residents had an “association with” an actual person in those protected classes. He noted that the Legislature chose the words “association with” rather than “solidarity with” when it wrote the hate crime law.

“As a symbol, a flag doesn’t independently create or express actual association with particular persons,” McDermott wrote, adding that, “Not everyone who displays a pirate flag is associated with actual pirates.”

Related:

LOS ANGELES – One year after being sworn in to serve as Supervisor for Los Angeles County’s Third District, Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath became the youngest-ever Chair of the Board of Supervisors as she took the gavel Tuesday.

During the Board’s reorganization meeting, Supervisor Kathryn Barger was selected as Board Chair Pro Tempore. 

In her remarks following her becoming Board Chair, Horvath noted:

“In listening to young people, I am clear that the crisis of the moment is homelessness. From the threat of falling into homelessness because of the rising costs of rent and just living, to the reality of being unhoused while trying to go to school, and never being able to recover from the debt that piles up, the pervasiveness of homelessness in our region is a daily attack on our dream for a better future.”

“While homelessness is the crisis of the moment, climate change remains the crisis of our time. No one makes that clearer than our young people, whose commitment to a cleaner, more sustainable future is unwavering.”

“But, the most insidious, sinister crisis we face today is the crisis of despair. The rate of suicide is unprecedented, especially among women and girls who face increasingly complicated mental health challenges. Anxiety, depression, and substance use are pervasive.”

 “This is a moment for urgency. This is a moment for impatience. This is a moment for profound change. We must march forward together and take bold steps to bridge generations and create the change that we so urgently need,” she added.

Horvath since her election as a Supervisor she has made it clear that she is on a mission to end homelessness in Los Angeles County. As Third District Supervisor she represents 10 cities and 26 unincorporated communities from West Hollywood to Malibu, Topanga to Chatsworth, and Pacoima to Santa Monica. Her district spans 446.08 square miles and is plagued by homelessness.

There are approximately 69,144 homeless people within the county, and that number is on the rise. 75% of those unhoused individuals do not have any form of permanent housing and are forced to wander from place to place, finding or making shelter wherever they can.

Six out of ten of these unhoused individuals are newly homeless – a reflection of the inequity between rising home prices and stagnant income levels that have left so many in California unable to make ends meet. 

On a mission; Supervisor Horvath tackles homelessness

This past January, [2023] the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors declared a state of emergency for the homeless crisis. 

“The declaration has allowed us to do two things,” Horvath told The Blade. “First, we were able to accelerate hiring. We learned that in the Department of Mental Health, for example, it can take longer than a year for mental health professionals to be hired into the department. That is completely unacceptable. We need to hire people faster to do this work. 

“Second, we were also able to expedite contracting. We learned from LAHSA that a contract could be touched up to 140 times before it is finally executed, and funding is able to reach service providers. Obviously, that is unacceptable. We are improving our contracting processes.”

Given the new laws attempting to outlaw the existence of the LGBTQ+ community in many Republican-controlled red states across America, young LGBTQ+ people flock to places like Los Angeles with little to no resources to avoid being persecuted for their identities. 

When asked how the she intends to deal with the influx of homeless LGBTQ youth pouring into LGBTQ+ safe havens like Los Angeles, Horvath told the Blade that she is prepared to welcome them with open arms. 

“We tackled this challenge a lot when I was the Mayor of West Hollywood. We saw a lot of people come to West Hollywood for exactly this reason, and we know that that is not unique to West Hollywood. It’s happening throughout Los Angeles County, so we are already providing those services to those who need them. Anyone who comes to our area will be met with support and care.”

In a statement released by her office, Horvath detailed her accomplishments over the past year:

• Introduced the emergency declaration on homelessness, the foundation for expedited results across the County, and appointed herself to LAHSA where she now sits as Chair.  
• Introduced protections for renters as essential homelessness prevention, including extending a 4% cap on rent increases for unincorporated Los Angeles County, along with other actions to strengthen the Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protections Ordinance.  
• Championed environmental action through motions to create a cleaner Santa Monica Bay and to protect our coast from sea level rise and erosion; opened improvements to the Marvin Braude Bike Trail; and today introduced implementation steps for the first comprehensive water plan for the region. 
• Stood for working Angelenos by authoring motions to strengthen hotel worker protections and created an entertainment business interruption fund. She also supported the WGA and SAG/AFTRA strikes. 
• Advanced a more inclusive and just LA County by initiating a Jewish Community Safety Plan; rooted out hate and antisemitism in all its forms; and recognized LA County’s unofficial “gay beach”. 
• Focused on care for system impacted young people and families by authoring a motion regarding Mandated Supporters, and co-authored a motion to create a Prevention framework for LA County.

As the new Chair of the Board of Supervisors, our message is clear:

This is a moment for urgency. This is a moment for impatience. This is a moment for profound change. pic.twitter.com/9qvgA8YmAe

— Lindsey P. Horvath (@LindseyPHorvath) December 5, 2023

LOS ANGELES – The Original Farmers Market invites you to join its annual Chanukah celebration on Sunday, December 10^th from 3 to 5:15 pm. Bring your loved ones and immerse yourselves in an afternoon filled with music and fun!

Kicking off the festivities is an ice sculpture menorah carving demonstration, followed by arts and crafts for kids to enjoy. The evening continues with a youth musical performance by JLA, followed by a Chanukah sing-along with Miss Melo. As the sun sets, get ready for the grand finale, an ice sculpture menorah lighting with Miracle Mile Chabad.

Don’t miss out on this bright and festive event full of fun, food, and cheer!

WHEN:	Chanukah Celebration on Sunday, December 10th from 3:00 pm to 5:15 pm
WHERE:	The Original Farmers Market, 6333 W. Third Street, Los Angeles, CA 90036
EVENT SCHEDULE:	3-4:45 PM Menorah Ice Sculpture Carving Demo And Arts & Crafts Activities  4:45 PM Youth Musical Performances by JLA  5 PM Chanukah Sing-Along with Miss Melo  5:15 PM Ice Sculpture Menorah Lighting with Miracle Mile Chabad

By Cal Benn | WASHINGTON – As the world reckons with worsening impacts of climate change, some LGBTQ communities and destinations are grappling with the “existential” threat posed by the crisis.

The United Nations’ annual climate conference will take place in the United Arab Emirates through Dec. 12. LGBTQ climate activists, however, are concerned about representation at COP28 because the meeting is taking place in Dubai, which is in a country that criminalizes consensual same-sex sexual relations.

President Joe Biden on Nov. 14 delivered a statement on climate change policy during his administration. Biden spoke on the American Rescue Plan, the Fifth National Climate Assessment, new transparency about the state of the country’s climate and more. 

Biden emphasized “advancing environmental justice for disadvantaged communities, because they’re the ones always left behind.” Evidence of this trend can be found in LGBTQ destinations across the country.

Julian Cyr, a gay Massachusetts state senator who represents Provincetown and other towns on Cape Cod, recognizes the state’s importance to the LGBTQ community, stating that “according to the Census, it may be the highest per capita density of LGBTQ+ people certainly in the United States, and perhaps internationally.”

Provincetown, a popular gay destination located at the tip of Cape Cod, is facing worsening storms as climate change advances. These storms reshape the natural environment as well as damage the built environment. A series of Nor’easters in 2018 flooded Provincetown, damaging homes, businesses and the town hall. 

“The climate crisis is … already forcing us to do a lot of planning and reevaluation of coastal resilience of our built environment,” said Cyr. 

All hope isn’t lost yet for Massachusetts destinations. 

Then-Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, in 2022 introduced the Climate Roadmap, which aims for zero carbon emissions by 2050. The state also is building the country’s first offshore wind farm, Vineyard Wind. 

Cyr said citizens can push for climate change legislation by making the urgency known to their local elected officials.  

“This is truly existential for coastal, low-lying communities like those that I represent,” said Cyr. “It’s really important that constituents weigh in with their elected officials and make sure that they know that this issue is crucially important. I don’t know how we not solve this issue.”

Experts are seeing similar effects in nearby LGBTQ destinations, such as Cape Cod.

“One thing that we do see already is the effect of storms,” said Mark Adams, a retired Cape Cod National Seashore cartographer. “Those storms are the signal of sea level rise.”

Adams said that as a result of rising temperatures and new, intense storms, he is also starting to see damaged ecosystems, unnatural migration patterns of local wildlife, and planting-zones moving northward. Adams told the Washington Blade these changing ecological relationships may mean an uncertain future for life along the coast: the self-sustaining lifestyle and seafood could be at risk as ocean acidification puts shellfish in danger. 

“If you can’t get oysters and clams, that would really change life on Cape Cod,” he said. 

In addition to the damage caused by storms, Cape Cod’s natural environment is also facing the threat of littering and plastic pollution. While the area’s beaches keep tourism alive, fishing gear and marine debris washing up on the shore are growing concerns for the community. 

Adams said this is where the choices individuals make to avoid plastics will make a huge difference in the future of these communities. 

“There are little choices we can make to get off of the petroleum stream,” he said.

Aspen Gay Ski Week adapts to warmer winters

Aspen Gay Ski Week was the first gay ski week, and it is the largest such event in the world, and is the only non-profit gay ski week.

Rising temperatures and short winters are growing concerns for destinations like Aspen, Colo., that depend on snow, according to AspenOUT Executive Director Kevin McManamon.

“As our seasons get shorter … we have to plan for the future,” McManamon said.

Colorado has also faced increased forest fires in recent years.

The Marshall Fire in 2021 devastated the state, destroying buildings and killing two people. Increasingly dry conditions feed into these fires, which will mean more impacts on humans, nature, and infrastructure.

McManamon nevertheless said he is optimistic about Aspen Gay Ski Week’s future due to the organization’s forward thinking. One such initiative is its involvement with Protect Our Winters, an organization that advocates for protecting the environment with the support of the outdoor sports community. 

“The cool part about being here in Aspen and having a great relationship with Aspen Skiing Company is that they are … on the leading edge of climate change,” said McManamon. 

Stronger storms threaten Fire Island

Fire Island Pines on New York’s Fire Island has been a safe haven for the LGBTQ community since the 1950s.

Fire Island Pines Property Owners’ Association President Henry Robin notes natural disasters cause more damage in the community as opposed to those that are across the Great South Bay on Long Island because Fire Island is a “barrier island.”

“When Superstorm Sandy hit, or when a Nor’easter hits, or a hurricane hits, the brunt of the storm is first taken by the Pines,” said Robin. 

Robin said “the Pines is thriving” just over 11 years since Sandy, but there is no climate change response. The federal government implemented a beach restoration project for Fire Island, and later, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers created an engineered beach for the Pines. 

Robin also formed three task forces — comprised of community members — to address local concerns, many of which were climate related, according to focus groups and a survey. Robin is also hoping to introduce recycling programs and solar energy to the Pines. 

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Cal Benn, is a journalism major at Emerson College who is in D.C. with the Washington Center, and is a Fall intern at the Washington Blade.

Benn’s work focuses on human rights, climate change and how the two issues intersect. They are also passionate about sustainability, advocacy and writing and enjoy skateboarding and playing with their cats when they are not writing.

By Erin Reed | JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – On December 1st, Missouri’s legislature commenced a period known as pre-filing, where legislators can start submitting bills to be considered in the 2024 legislative cycle.

Often, the first day of pre-filing provides insight into the legislative priorities for the upcoming session, which begins on January 3rd, 2024. For LGBTQ+ individuals and their allies, the first day of pre-filing revealed that the Missouri Republicans’ assault on queer and trans people is nowhere near over.

Notably, at least 21 bills specifically targeting LGBTQ+ people, with a particular emphasis on transgender individuals, were filed on the very first day. These bills aim to ban bathroom access, books, medical care, public drag performances, classroom topics, and more.

Individuals proposing these bills are likely recognizable to those who followed Missouri’s 2023 legislative session, which targeted transgender people heavily. For instance, Senator Mike Moon (R-29SD) has filed several bills in the 2024 session focusing on transgender people. He gained notoriety as the primary sponsor of the state’s gender-affirming care ban, leading to many trans youth losing access to their medication.

Furthermore, Sen. Moon infamously defended child marriage in a video clip that captured national media attention. Representative Mazie Boyd, who last year proposed one of the most restrictive drag bans in the United States, is also involved.

In a hearing last year, she declined to confirm that a daughter painting her father’s fingernails would be acceptable when directly questioned about her bill.

This year, Missouri has seen several new bills introduced in a legislative session that promises to be equally contentious around LGBTQ+ people, especially transgender people. One bill, HB1574, would defund libraries that refuse to ban books. Another, HB1405, would force teachers to use the wrong pronouns for trans students who are not out to their parents. HB1543 would charge teachers with a crime for the distribution of what the law defines as “sexually explicit material.”

We know from debates over book bans in 2023 that many LGBTQ+ books in red states often get judged as “sexually explicit.”

See this excerpt from HB1574, which would remove funding from libraries that refuse to ban books or ban drag reading hours:

Many more bills focus on LGBTQ+ topics in schools, including a SB1024, a “Don’t Say Gay Or Trans” bill. Currently, Missouri is not among the 16 states that impose restrictions on LGBTQ+ discussions in schools. These restrictions are frequently referred to as “Don’t Say Gay” bills and often extend to targeting transgender teachers, potentially leading to their firing for using different pronouns or honorifics in class. This push for anti-trans school policies by Republicans is significant, given their unpopularity in the 2023 school board elections, where over 70% of candidates supported by Moms For Liberty were defeated.

One particularly bad bill is HB1520, which modifies the state’s current gender affirming care ban for trans youth and incarcerated adults passed in 2023. The original bill allowed those who were already getting care to continue to get care, and also set a sunset date for the law to August 28, 2027, ostensibly to wait for “further research” on care to be released. House Bill 1520 removes both of those exceptions, meaning that the gender affirming care ban would become permanent, and those already receiving care due to being grandfathered in would be no longer allowed to continue receiving care.

See this excerpt from HB1520, where those provisions are crossed out:

Missouri has seen the introduction of new bills this year aimed at “online obscenity.” Although the full texts of several bills seeking to ban youth from accessing “obscene content” online are not yet available, there is a history of similar legislation being used to target LGBTQ+ individuals. For example, in Montana, a bill of this nature was almost amended to include “acts of transgenderism.” 

On a national level, the Kids Online Safety Act, intended to regulate social media content accessible to minors, has encountered obstacles. A key stumbling block has been lead sponsor Republican Senator Blackburn’s statement that the bill would target transgender people. In Missouri, these proposed measures include HB1426, which seeks to prohibit “material harmful to minors” without age verification, and SB1084, an obscenity bill applicable to online websites.

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Erin Reed is a transgender woman (she/her pronouns) and researcher who tracks anti-LGBTQ+ legislation around the world and helps people become better advocates for their queer family, friends, colleagues, and community. Reed also is a social media consultant and public speaker.

Follow her on Twitter (Link)

Website here: https://www.erininthemorning.com/

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The preceding article was first published at Erin In The Morning and is republished with permission.

CULVER CITY, Calif. – The City is envisioning the future for Bill Botts Fields and Veterans Memorial Park, and we want to hear from you!

The comprehensive visioning project will determine how these two parks will accommodate the community’s 21st century needs for indoor and outdoor recreational, community meeting, event and cultural facilities. Community meetings and a community survey will help determine the needs and priorities for Bill Botts Fields and Veterans Memorial Park. 

IN-PERSON COMMUNITY MEETINGS 
Saturday, December 9, 2023, 9-11AM with Childcare
Thursday, February 8, 2024, 6-8PM

Community meetings will be held at Veterans Memorial Auditorium located at 4117 Overland Ave., Culver City, CA 90230.  Free parking is available onsite.  The Culver CityBus lines 3 and 7 have stops in front of Veterans memorial Building.  Plan your trip by visiting Culver CityBus.  Neighbors are encouraged to walk/bike to the community meeting.

CHILDCARE OFFERED 
Recreation leaders from the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Culver City Afterschool Recreation Program (CCARP) will offer childcare services for parents who wish to attend the meeting.  The recreation leaders will offer games, coloring activities, and a creative project allowing children to draw what they wish for in an ideal park.  Childcare hours will be from 8:30 AM-11:30 AM. 

ONLINE COMMUNITY MEETINGS
To attend any of the above community meetings virtually, please visit the Project Website and click on the virtual meeting link.

For more information about the visioning project for Bill Botts Fields and Veterans Memorial Park, please visit the Project Website with past community meeting minutes, past presentations, and meeting board displays.  

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday announced sanctions against current and former Ugandan officials who committed human rights abuses against LGBTQ+ people and other groups.

“After Uganda’s flawed 2021 presidential elections, I announced a visa restriction policy targeting those believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic process in Uganda,” said Blinken in a statement. “At that time, I implored the government of Uganda to significantly improve its record and hold accountable those responsible for flawed electoral processes, violence and intimidation.”

Blinken announced “the expansion of the visa restriction policy to include current or former Ugandan officials or others who are believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic process in Uganda or for policies or actions aimed at repressing members of marginalized or vulnerable populations.” 

“These groups include, but are not limited to, environmental activists, human rights defenders, journalists, LGBTQI+ persons and civil society organizers,” he said. “The immediate family members of such persons may also be subject to these restrictions.”  

Blinken added the U.S. “stands by the Ugandan people and remains committed to working together to advance democracy, human rights, public health and mutual prosperity.”  

“I once again strongly encourage the government of Uganda to make concerted efforts to uphold democracy and to respect and protect human rights so that we may sustain the decades-long partnership between our countries that has benefited Americans and Ugandans alike,” he said.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on May 29 signed the Anti-Homosexuality Act, which contains a death penalty provision for “aggravated homosexuality.” The State Department a few weeks later announced visa restrictions against unnamed Ugandan officials.

The Biden-Harris administration in October said it plans to remove Uganda from a program that allows sub-Saharan African countries to trade duty-free with the U.S. The White House has also issued a business advisory for Uganda in response to the Anti-Homosexuality Act.

WASHINGTON – Rapper, actor, and singer Queen Latifah was among the honorees who were welcomed to the White House for a reception in the East Room on Sunday prior to the Kennedy Center Honors show, where she joined the latest class of inductees alongside singer Dionne Warwick, comedian Billy Crystal, Bee Gees member Barry Gibb, and opera star Renée Fleming.

“It’s a wonderful tradition at the White House to recognize the President and Mrs. Kennedy’s love of the arts and the culture in America — love that endures 60 years after his death, tragically,” President Joe Biden said in prepared remarks. “The anniversary was marked last month.”

The honor is “not just based on the length of the career or the scope of work or the height of fame but because of their unique place in the conscience and the very soul of our dynamic and diverse nation,” the president said. “You’re an incredible group.”

After decades of speculation about her sexuality, Latifah publicly acknowledged her partner Eboni Nichols and son Rebel for the first time during an acceptance speech at the BET Awards in 2021.

She is also the recipient of a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two NAACP Image Awards. Latifah was also nominated for an Academy Award in 2003 for her performance in “Chicago.”

Calling her “a natural storyteller,” Biden noted that Latifah released her first album at age 19. “In the studio, she rapped about everything from the pain of losing her brother to the abuse of power, respect for Black women to — the respect that Black women deserve, and how infinite love is the only hope for unity.”
 
“She’s also a skillful storyteller onscreen,” the president said, “The first woman in hip-hop to earn an Oscar nomination, which she did for her role in ‘Chicago'” and also “the first hip-hop artist with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.” 
 
Biden also celebrated Latifah’s honorary degree in 2011 “from Delaware State University, my HBCU” and her other contributions “From serving as a mentor for young women of color to building housing in her hometown of Newark.”

“Tonight, Queen Latifah,” the president said, “you become the first female hip-hop artist to receive a Kennedy Center Honor, lifting — and fitting because it’s tribute to the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.” The award serves as proof, he said, “that anything is possible when we discover our own voice, write our own story, and share it with the world.” 

By Paulo Murillo | WEST HOLLYWOOD – The City of West Hollywood hosted the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) LA’s 35^th anniversary with a tribute event at Plummer Park’s Great Hall/Long Hall, on Saturday, December 2, 2023.

The event also paid tribute to the memories of ACT UP LA activists Mary Lucey and Nancy Jean MacNeil, who died in early 2023 and raised awareness of ACT UP LA’s history surrounding World AIDS Day by highlighting ACT UP LA’s decade of brave and deeply influential HIV/AIDS activism. And it all originated in West Hollywood.

West Hollywood council members Lauren Meister and Chelsea Byers attended the event, which turned out a packed house paying tribute and celebrating 35 years of AIDS activism following World AIDS Day the previous day. Community members were also joined by City Staff, City Commissioners and Board Members.

ACT UP is a diverse, nonpartisan group of individuals, united in anger, and committed to direct action to end the AIDS crisis. ACT UP was founded in 1987 in response to the Reagan administration’s blatant refusal to acknowledge the growing AIDS crisis.

In December 1987, ACT UP Los Angeles became one of the first chapters established in the world. Regularly meeting at Plummer Park in West Hollywood, ACT UP LA stood out from other chapters with its focus on compassionate release for prisoners with AIDS, fight for clean needle exchange, and taking a national leadership role in the ACT UP Network Coalition for Universal Healthcare.

ACT UP/LA’s Mary Lucey & Nancy MacNeil’s legacy of compassion

Mary Lucey and Nancy Jean MacNeil were together for more than 30 years. They eventually married when it became legal to do so. Lucey and MacNeil, along with fellow AIDS activists Jordan Peimer, Helene Schpak, and Judy Ornelas Sisneros, launched the ACT UP LA Oral History Project on World AIDS Day 2021 with the goal of documenting HIV activism in the Los Angeles area from 1987 to 1997, with a notable focus on the work of ACT UP LA.

Mary Lucey and Nancy Jean MacNeil both joined ACT UP LA after they attended the first Women’s Caucus meeting in June 1990. Lucey was among the first HIV-positive women in Los Angeles to be out about her status. Fueled by a sense of outrage at AIDSphobia, she fought for several years in ACT UP to expand the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s definition of AIDS to include women’s opportunistic infections and for health care for incarcerated women with AIDS. MacNeil became the founding Executive Director of Women Alive, an organization by and for HIV-positive women with a membership of more than 500 people. She established a treatment-focused newsletter and the first national women’s AIDS hotline.

The ACT UP LA Oral History Project is committed to giving a voice to the activists who constructed regional and national history during the AIDS pandemic. Focused on the lifespan of ACT UP LA from 1987-1997, the intent of this project is to capture the experiences of those individuals whose participation in ACT UP LA led to successes in the community that saved lives, changed the way society thought about people with AIDS, and challenged and changed the institutional biases that allowed the AIDS crisis to explode to such a devastating level.

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Paulo Murillo is Editor in Chief and Publisher of WEHO TIMES. He brings over 20 years of experience as a columnist, reporter, and photo journalist.

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The preceding article was previously published by WeHo Times and is republished with permission.