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Equality California raises $1 million at 20th Anniversary Gala 

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 28: (L-R) Rick Zbur, honoree Jill Soloway and Alexandra Billings attend Equality California’s Special 20th Anniversary Los Angeles Equality Awards at the JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE on September 28, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Equality California)

There was something comforting about Equality California’s 20th Anniversary  Awards ceremony last Saturday, Sept. 28. The sold-out crowd of 1200-plus people in the JW Marriott/LA Live ballroom not only applauded the notable honorees and the LGBTQ lobbying organization’s successful legislative history but celebrated a political and creative unity that has historically changed American culture in the midst of an unprecedented constitutional crisis.

Transparent creator and new non-binary spokesperson Jill Soloway cheered the “wonderful young TikTokers complaining about their non-binary dysphoria” as she accepted Equality California’s Equality Visibility Award. Introduced by trans activist Alexandra Billings, who will make Broadway history in January taking over the role of Madame Morrible in Wicked, Soloway talked about how “queer and trans people are magic” and noted trans pioneers lost to history whose stories deserve to be told. “I am so privileged to walk this road paved by my transcestors,” Soloway said.  The evening closed with a standing ovation for 27-year old trans pop star Kim Petras.

Jill Soloway with runway guru Miss Jay Alexander (Photo by Karen Ocamb)

CNN Republican commentator Ana Navarro served up some red meat, dishing on Donald Trump during her Ally Leadership Award acceptance speech after a saucy appetizer. “I said to Gloria [Estefan]: ‘Do you think I should wear these shoes?’” recounting her getting ready for the gala. “And she said: ‘Are you going like that? You don’t have hair and makeup? Really, you’re going to a gay event?’”

Navarro went ten minutes beyond her allotted five minutes, riffing on her gay friends, on how getting an award for supporting LGBTQ people was like “getting a straight man an award for peeing inside the toilet bowl instead of the sink” and describing green costumed Sean Spicer on “Dancing with the Stars” during Hispanic Heritage Month as “a florescent parakeet dancing salsa. That’s a damn sacrilege.”

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 28: Honoree Ana Navarro speaks onstage during Equality California’s Special 20th Anniversary Los Angeles Equality Awards at the JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE on September 28, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Equality California)

But Navarro got serious, too, saying she “didn’t grow up feeling threatened by or superior to people that were different from me in some superficial way. I was not taught that in order to feel accepted and strong, I had to make others feel weak and illegitimate. For me? Prejudice against the LGBTQ or any group is about ignorance and insecurity and political gain. That’s the worst part. When people who know better are fanning the flames of prejudice against other people in order to win elections.”

It used to be “embarrassing to be a bigot,” Navarro said. “But in the last few years, bigots have come out of the closet.”

The need to defend LGBTQ rights is a reality. “Bigotry, it’s like shoulder pads or bell bottoms—it’s an ugly trend that really should never come back, but it does. And it’s name is Trump,” Navarro said. “But actually, I should refer to it as public, outward, institutionalized bigotry. That’s the real problem we have right now, it’s institutionalized. It is coming from the government, from the federal government. The people who don’t want to light up the White House with pride colors on Pride Month. The people who give an order to embassies to not raise a pride flag during Pride Month. That’s institutionalized discrimination. And that’s very purposeful, and very strategic.” She vowed to always remain an ally.

Equality California Executive Director Rick Zbur (Photo by Karen Ocamb)

But in some ways, the 20th anniversary was crystalized by Equality California executive director Rick Zbur. The longtime political activist and environmentalist retired from Latham & Watkins in 2014 as an out senior partner after practicing law there for decades. But his long association has been fortuitous: Latham & Watkins contributed almost $3 million in pro bono services for the last three years, including work on the Safe And Supportive Schools Program and representing Equality California in its Stockman v Trump federal fight against Trump’s transgender open military service  ban for which Amy Quartarolo and her team received the Community Leadership Award.

Amy Quartarolo and her Latham & Watkins team with plaintiff Nicolas Talbott (Photo by Karen Ocamb)

The award was presented by plaintiff Nicolas Talbott from Lisbon, Ohio who recounted his dream deferred by bigoted politics. Talbott shared:

“Growing up, I always wore boys clothes and wore my hair short, and I knew that I was transgender before I even knew what that word was. The other thing that I’ve always known is that I wanted a career that would enable me to serve my country and to protect people. So I looked into the ROTC program at Kent State University where I went to college and I decided to pursue a career in the military.

 

After graduating, I contacted several military recruiters, but they told me I would not be permitted to enlist simply because I am transgender. So, without the military as an option, I had to support myself and my grandmother with whatever jobs I could find, which included being a bus driver, an operations manager, and a truck driver, but I still hoped to enlist one day.

Then in June 2016 when I got a call from a friend who said the ban on transgender military service had been lifted, I was thrilled. The Obama Administration’s decision to lift that ban told me and the transgender Americans across the country that we were worthy of serving our country, that we would be valued and supported like any other service member.

 

But as powerful as that message was, so too was President Trump’s tweet just a little over a year later, which told me that I would no longer be allowed to serve. So alongside Equality California and six other transgender Americans, I joined one of four lawsuits to challenge this unfair, unconstitutional ban, which brings us to tonight, where I now have the chance to say thank you to Amy Quartarolo and to Latham & Watkins, both of whom so generously made that happen.”

Talbott, Amy Quartarolo said, accepting her award, “is the real superstar of the story. We are just the lawyers” of the “brave” plaintiffs.

“We have seen hope, and we have seen incremental victories. But we have also faced many challenges, and truly have gained an understanding of just how many obstacles remain,” Quartarolo said. “Importantly, we understand that with every one of those challenges, there is a new opportunity, and a renewed chance for commitment.”

In a powerful and moving speech, attorney Andreas Meyer, the President Emeritus of Equality California who formulated the organization intersectionality strategy,  outlined a particular challenge that thoughtful LGBTQ advocates may overlook if dulled by what Michelangelo Signorile called “victory blindness.”

First honoring those who were lost to AIDS and “the thousands of LGBTQ people who continue to lose their lives every year to acts of intolerance and hate,” Meyer articulated a threat the LGBTQ community has not yet fully tackled. Here’s an extended excerpt:

“I  believe we are faced at this particular moment in time with the great war of our movement. Our enemy has become more cunning than ever. He’s cloaked himself in our rhetoric of tolerance and civil rights and in the same breath incriminates us with false cries of religious persecution. And he is persuasive.

 

Even here in California, the forked tongue of our nemesis has planted seeds of doubt in the minds of ourselves and our allies. I experienced the effect of our enemy’s guile just two days ago during a board meeting at the Orange County Fairgrounds. I introduced a draft policy for the board to consider that would prohibit the Fairgrounds from entering into agreements that do not include nondiscrimination language.

 

I proposed this policy after learning that in 2018 the Fairgrounds had granted $75,000 to an institution with a long history of discrimination against our community. The OC Fair Board is almost entirely comprised of compassionate allies of our community, and the proposed policy was at first received positively.

 

But then the devil cracked open the door and whispered in our ears—‘wouldn’t this measure go too far?’—he asked. Wouldn’t we be prejudicing the free exercise of religion? Is it lawful to exclude those who have sincere religious beliefs about the sinful and abominable character of homosexuals? Doubt even crept into my own mind as these whispers craftily persuaded me that perhaps the policy was not necessary.

 

Surely, the managers of the Fairgrounds had heard the message loud and clear about the importance of nondiscrimination. Faced with conflict with my allies and desperate as I’ve always been like so many of us for acceptance, I withdrew the proposal.

 

In the two days since that meeting, I have reproached myself for letting the fog of war cloud in my mind. The answer to all those questions was simple: if an institution will not agree to conduct its activities on State property or using State funds in a nondiscriminatory manner, then it has no business conducting its activities on State land or using State resources.

Andreas Meyer (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Equality California)

I wish I would have asked myself harder these questions during the meeting. Does that go too far? No. Does it prejudice the free exercise of religion? No. Is it lawful to exclude those who have sincere religious beliefs about the sinful and abominable character of homosexuals? If it isn’t, then it should be and we should not go down without a fight.

 

In accepting this award tonight, I can promise you that I will not back down again. I will not compromise. And I will be not be told that our civil rights are an overreach. Because we are at war and we must sound the alarm. Our fight is not just a fashionable political issue, but rather a struggle for our very survival.

 

Those of us gathered here, the privileged and the blessed, must not forget where we came from. Even though it’s painful, we must constantly remind ourselves of the dark and unshakeable terror of physical violence, social exile and criminal prosecution that lurks in our recent past and which continues to torment our brothers and sisters across the country and around the globe.

 

And let’s not be fooled: our enemy would see us go back to that place. But we will not let him win. And our sacrifices will nourish the flowers of our future, the hope, and the birthright of our community. For we have been patient. We have been tolerant. We’ve learned the difficult lessons. And so the legendary children shall inherit this earth.”

 

Zbur drove home that deep commitment to full equal rights for LGBTQ people. He framed Equality California’s historical mission courageously leading on marriage equality enabling lesbian pioneers Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon to marry in 2004 and again, after winning in In Re Marriage, in 2008 before Prop 8 passed.  He also talked about working with state legislators to pass protections for transgender students, a law enabling trans and non-binary folks to up update their official state gender markers, banning so-called “conversion therapy,” sparking a nationwide movement to end the psychologically harmful practice and working beyond the California borders in with a new program in Nevada and on the immigration issue, including helping those seeking asylum—as well as having one of four lawsuits challenging the transgender ban and “all we’ve been dealing with” since Trump’s Electoral College victory on Sept. 6, 2016.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 28: Rick Zbur speaks onstage during Equality California’s Special 20th Anniversary Los Angeles Equality Awards at the JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE on September 28, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Equality California)

“Yes, we face threats from the White House and an administration that’s hell bent on rolling back the progress we’ve achieved. But at every turn we keep moving forward because we in California have a special role in leading this movement – and doing so boldly. As my friend Congressman Mark Takano likes to say: ‘We’re here, we’re queer and we’re Californians,’” Zbur said. “We cannot and we will not rest knowing that members or our community or the diverse communities to which we belong don’t have full lived equality.”

Echoing the late Harvey Milk, Zbur said, “Still, with so much work ahead of us, I have hope” because “we Californians have the courage and will to do it” until the work is done.

Then, sounding like an activist parent during the 1960s civil rights movement, or paraphrasing the Crosby, Stills and Nash song about teaching your children well, Zbur shared how the core principles of equality and social justice have been inculcated into his 10-year old twin boys, Ryan and Raffa.

“They came home from school a few months ago and they were complaining. Their homework was stupid. The school was stupid. The fact that they weren’t allowed to talk about Donald Trump in their classroom was stupid. And I looked at them and honestly, I was a little bit surprised. I turned to them and I said, you know, Raffa and Ryan, we’re not a family of complainers. If you don’t like something, go do something about it.

 

Well, the next thing we’re being called by their principal’s office because Ryan and Raffa decided they were going to circulate a petition and when they didn’t get what they demanded, they decided they wanted to organize a walk out of their fourth grade class.

 

Half of me was thinking, ‘this isn’t really what I had in mind when I said go do something about it.’ But the other half of me was filled with pride. And when they complained later on that they were punished for fighting back against what they perceived to be super extreme injustice, and after explaining that It doesn’t quite wok that way in school, I explained to them that most people are punished for fighting injustice and that during the civil rights movement, the freedom fighters who marched on Selma were beaten and jailed and even worse. And Dr. King said, ‘freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor. It must be demanded by the oppressed.

Or as Speaker Pelosi says, ‘No one gives you power. You have to take it from them.’”

 

Zbur hopes that the next generation of leaders “don’t give a damn what the cynics have to say.”

Rick Zbur (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Equality California)

So, Zbur concluded with a flare of positivity, “let’s make a toast to them, to all of you, and to us collectively, to 20 years leading the Golden State’s fight for LGBTQ civil rights and social justice on to the next 20 years of striving to create a world that is healthy, just and fully equal for all LGBTQ people—until the work is done.”

Zbur later told the Los Angeles Blade that the gala had raised $1 million and counting.

Please note: this story has been updated to correct some mishearing of words in the remarks by Andreas Meyer. 

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Los Angeles

LA leaders call for unity & protection for trans community

LAPD has noted a 13 percent increase in overall hate crimes, with LGBTQ+ specific hate crimes up by 33 percent

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LAPD Deputy Chief Ruby Flores speaks to reporters during a April 15, 2024 press conference. (Photo by Simha Haddad)

LOS ANGELES – Addressing a concerning escalation of threats against LGBTQ+ organizations throughout the country, leaders from TransLatin@ Coalition, the Los Angeles Police Department, and other officials gathered in a press conference to denounce acts of intimidation and to call for unity and protective measures for the trans and queer community.

A bomb threat called in to the LAPD on March 28, aimed at the TransLatin@ Coalition specifying today April 15 as the target date, has prompted an immediate and ongoing response from local authorities to ensure the safety of those at the coalition’s facilities and others. The LAPD has since been closely monitoring the site. 

The suspect, identified as Henry Nolkemper, a white 61 year old male, was arrested by LAPD shortly afterward after being observed entering his residence on West 53rd Street. The police then searched his residence. Despite the absence of explosives, he was booked under serious charges including criminal threats with a hate crime enhancement.

Nolkemper, known to have a history of mental health issues, was on parole for previous threats to the community. His parole has since been revoked and he is currently held on a one million dollar bail.

The press conference today began with remarks from Robin Toma, Executive Director of LA vs Hate, who highlighted the organization’s role as the third largest source of hate crime reporting in Los Angeles, trailing only police sources.

He also stated that LA vs Hate has reported a troubling increase in trans-specific crimes, noting that such incidents are grossly underreported, a sentiment echoed by surveys within the trans community.

Robin Toma, Executive Director of LA vs Hate, Bamby Salcedo at the podium speaking, LAPD Assistant Chief Blake Chow, & Capri Maddox, Executive Director, City of LA Civil + Human Rights & Equity Dept. (Photo by Simha Haddad)

Bamby Salcedo, President and CEO of TLC, expressed her gratitude for the continued support from various partners and emphasized the daily challenges faced by transgender individuals. “Every day a trans woman steps out of her home, it is a revolutionary act. We are people who walk with targets on our backs,” Salcedo declared, setting a tone of resilience and defiance against the threats.

Special thanks were given to Supervisor Hilda Solis and Jury Candelario, a partner from APAIT and a Filipino immigrant, who marked 35 years in America by calling the trans-related stress “chronic” in his long tenure as a social worker. Esther Lim, representing Supervisor Solis, condemned the bomb threat as an act of “cowardice” and highlighted Solis’ support through a previous $55,000 contribution to TLC and a new motion to establish LA’s first LGBTQ+ commission.

Assistant Chief Blake Chow and Deputy Chief Ruby Flores of the LAPD provided updates on the legal actions following the threat. They noted a 13 percent increase in overall hate crimes, with LGBTQ+ specific hate crimes up by 33 percent. “Behind each hate crime, there is a victim, there are families,” Flores said, urging the community to report incidents and support anti-hate education initiatives.  “These crimes affect people in ways statistics can’t reflect.” 

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The press conference also featured voices from the community like Mariana Marroquin, Associate Director of Trans Wellness, who spoke passionately about the ingrained nature of hate experienced by trans individuals from a young age, and Cari Maddox, who emphatically stated, “Hate has no home in Los Angeles.”

Mark Bayard, representing Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon, affirmed the DA’s commitment to fighting hate crimes vigorously, especially in light of the upcoming election season, which often sees a spike in such incidents.

As the community grapples with this latest threat, the message from today’s conference was clear: solidarity, education, and legal protection are key to combating hate and fostering a society where transgender people can integrate fully and safely.

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Los Angeles

24-year-old trans Latina Angeleno & makeup artist shot to death

“This incident has prompted renewed calls for legislative action to address gun control and protect marginalized groups from violence”

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Meraxes Medina/Instagram

LOS ANGELES – In a tragic incident that has shaken the community and advocates for LGBTQ+ rights, Meraxes Medina, a 24-year-old transgender Latina and makeup artist, was fatally shot in Los Angeles on March 21.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Medina was found dead on the road in South Los Angeles. The LAPD said she was shot in the head and that there was evidence she was also struck by a vehicle. Friends and family have confirmed Medina’s identity, celebrating her life and mourning her untimely death, which marks another violent act against transgender individuals.

Medina, known for her work at Universal Studios and her vibrant presence on social media, had begun hormone therapy and was navigating life as an undocumented person who had faced homelessness. Despite these challenges, those close to her remembered her for her potential and the positive impact she had on those around her. Friends have expressed their grief and shock, emphasizing Medina’s kindness, talent, and the bright future they believed she deserved.

The circumstances surrounding Medina’s death reflect a larger pattern of violence targeting the transgender community, particularly transgender women of color. Advocacy groups have highlighted the disproportionate impact of gun violence on transgender individuals, noting that a significant percentage of homicides within this community involve firearms.

The incident has prompted renewed calls for legislative action to address gun control and protect marginalized groups from violence.

California chapters of groups with Everytown for Gun Safety released a statement underscoring Medina was at least the third transgender person killed by gun violence in the U.S.

“We cannot ignore the disproportionate impact of gun violence on our transgender and gender-expansive neighbors, especially its impact on Black trans women and trans Latinas. We must honor Meraxes’ legacy by continuing to fight to protect our transgender and gender-expansive communities not only in California, but across the country,” said Ashley Castillo, a student leader with Students Demand Action and National Organizing Board Member.

As the investigation continues, Medina’s death serves as a poignant reminder of the urgent need for a societal shift to ensure the safety and dignity of all individuals, regardless of gender identity. “The loss of Meraxes Medina is not only a tragedy for those who knew her but also a call to action to combat hate and violence against the transgender community,” said one activist.

“Meraxes was a young woman who deserved to live out a long and fulfilling life. At just 24-years-old, she had so much more to give. Yet again, we find ourselves honoring the life and mourning the loss of someone from our transgender community killed by gun violence, and that alarming reality should emphasize our collective need to fight against lax gun laws. We need to come together and remind everyone, especially lawmakers and politicians, that our lives are worth saving and worth living,” said Tori Cooper, Human Rights Campaign Director of Community Engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative.

Bamby Salcedo, President/CEO of The TransLatin@ Coalition, issed the following statement:  “It’s unfortunate that our sister Meraxes Medina had to perish to the ignorance and violence that we continue to experience as a community, and these are just another examples of what our lives are, and we want to ensure that we hold elected officials accountable for bettering our lives and our future.”

KABC 7 reported between 2017 and 2023, there were 263 reported homicides of transgender people in the U.S., according to the organization. A gun was used in 193 of them.

In California, there were 14 homicides of transgender people reported between 2018 and 2024 so far, and 37% were in Los Angeles.

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LAPD monitoring threats against TransLatin@ Coalition

“These acts of violence underscore the urgent need for comprehensive measures to protect and uplift the most vulnerable among us”

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Los Angeles Police Department vehicles responding to a call for service. (Los Angeles Blade/LAPD file photo)

LOS ANGELES – In a concerning escalation of threats against LGBTQIA+ organizations throughout the country, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) confirmed that a bomb threat was called in to the department on March 28, aimed at the TransLatin@ Coalition (TLC), a vanguard organization for Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming, and Intersex (TGI) Latinx communities.

The threat, specifying April 15 as the target date, has prompted an immediate and ongoing response from local authorities to ensure the safety of those at the coalition’s facilities. The LAPD has since been closely monitoring the site. 

This recent threat comes at a time when the TLC, alongside other organizations within the LGBTQIA+ community, faces increasing hostility, underscored by a series of bomb threats and hate mail aimed at destabilizing the work and well-being of TGI Latinx individuals.

In response to the threat, Bamby Salcedo, the President and CEO of the TransLatin@ Coalition has amplified security measures at TLC and reinforced the importance of emergency preparedness among the staff, emphasizing the coalition’s dedication to fostering a secure and supportive environment despite the daunting challenges posed by such threats.

The bomb threats have been accompanied by hate mail, filled with vitriolic anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and attacks on the Democratic Party, aimed at undermining the coalition’s mission and intimidating its leadership, including Salcedo and Vice President/COO Maria Roman Taylorson.

Despite these attempts to sow fear, the TransLatin@ Coalition stands firm in its mission. “We refuse to be silenced or intimidated,” Salcedo said.

The organization continues to call for unity and action, urging the public to stand in solidarity with TGI communities, report threats or violence, and advocate for greater acceptance and understanding of TGI identities.

The coalition’s commitment to the rights, empowerment, and well-being of TGI Latinx individuals in the United States remains unwavering. Through advocacy, education, and community organizing, the TLC addresses the unique challenges and systemic injustices faced by this community, emphasizing the intersectionality of race and economic status.

As the TLC navigates through these trying times, they have also taken to social media to call for support and positivity, highlighting the unexpected financial strain of heightened security measures. 

This recent threat against the TLC occurs amidst a broader climate of heightened animosity towards the LGBTQIA+ community, as reported by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). The HRC’s documentation of fatal violence against transgender and gender-expansive individuals in 2024 alone paints a grim picture of the dangers faced by the community.

“These acts of violence and discrimination underscore the urgent need for comprehensive measures to protect and uplift the most vulnerable among us,” HRC noted.

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Suspects break into home of Real Friends of WeHo’s Joey Zauzig

Reports indicate that a resident in the area contacted the LAPD while the burglary was in progress at a residence on Marmont Lane

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Joey-Zauzig (Screenshot/YouTube Instagram)

By Paulo Murillo | WEST HOLLYWOOD – An attempted robbery unfolded in the Hollywood Hills early Monday morning at the residence of television personality and influencer Joey Zauzig, known for his role in “The Real Friends of WeHo.”

“Last night at around 12am, 3 men, armed with face masks broke into our house while we were sleeping,” Zauzig posted in an Instagram story. “I woke up to it and triggered the alarm as they shattered one of the glass doors. We are ok and the dogs are safe… thank god they were at training camp.”

Zauzig added that it was truly one of the scariest things that has ever happened to him. “Seeing the footage on our cameras and waking up to it,” he said. “I’m still very much in shock. Please be careful always set your alarms”

He later posted video footage of the three suspects creeping into their home and a screen grab of the vehicle believed to be the getaway car.

Joey Zauzig Instagram screen grab

“I thank you guys so much for all the messages and the love,” he posted in an update. “I’m just wondering when I’m gonna feel back to normal because I definitely don’t and a lot of messages are unfortunately from people that have gone through the same thing.”

He said that he’s getting a lot of recommendations for therapy, but all he hopes to do is to get back to normal. “Last night got zero sleep,” he said. “I had the worst nightmares…this is so f*cked up, but now I’m like at a point where I’m just like angrJoey Zauzigy and now I really want to share this to like, catch these people and it’s the worst feeling ever.”

Earlier posts on Instagram show Zauzig enjoying the sun in a Cabo trip, and indication that he was out of town.

Reports indicate that a resident in the area contacted the police while the burglary was in progress at a residence on Marmont Lane in Hollywood Hills just after midnight on April 8, 2024.

The Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson informed KTLA 5 that the burglary occurred shortly after midnight on Marmont Lane. The suspects, described as three individuals—one wearing a black shirt, one in a blue hoodie, and the third in all black—had fled the scene before law enforcement arrived, LAPD stated.

The Real Friends of WeHo reality series premiered on MTV, on January 20, 2023. The show follows the lives of six LGBTQ+ celebrities, personalities, and entrepreneurs living in West Hollywood, feature Brad Goreski, a celebrity stylist; Todrick Hall, a choreographer and singer; Curtis Hamilton, an actor; Dorión Renaud, CEO of Buttah Skincare; Jaymes Vaughan, a TV host and business owner; and Joey Zauzig, who was described at the time as a digital entrepreneur. The show was not picked up for a second season.

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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.

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LA’s chief financial officer says the city has big financial problems

Projected deficits for years to come will force wrenching choices that threaten the vital services Angelenos rely on

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LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia. (Screenshot/YouTube)

LOS ANGELES – The City is under going an audit of finances and spending on Mayor Karen Bass and the city’s Inside Safe program after the LA Alliance for Human Rights and a federal judge expressed frustration over the management of funds to tackle homelessness through that and other services programs.

LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia however, is raising alarms over what he says is a serious budget deficit that is creating greater financial issues for the City. “It’s fair to say that the city of L.A. should be worried about our financial health. It’s not looking good and the people of Los Angeles will suffer based on decisions that City Hall makes,” Mejia told KABC 7.

According to Mejia, Los Angeles has a projected budget deficit of $476 million dollars, which is made up of $289 million in overspending and $187 million in less than expected revenues. The overspending occurred in three departments: police and fire – mainly because of staffing issues and overtime – and in liability claims.

“We’re not in a recession. This is not COVID. This is a budget deficit that we made here in City Hall,” said Mejia.

The City Controller in a statement when his office released the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) in January said: “It is my responsibility to report the bad news: this year the City is spending well beyond our actual revenues. Projected deficits for years to come will force wrenching choices that threaten the vital services Angelenos rely on. This is not the result of a sudden economic downturn, but the culmination of years of short-term budget balancing at the cost of long-term fiscal sustainability.”

Mejia also pointed out that “despite widespread staff vacancies, General Fund departmental spending actually exceeded last year’s adopted budget by nearly $200 million. Had the vacancy rate been closer to normal, the budget would have been in the red.

As our Office has consistently pointed out, citywide deferred maintenance of vital infrastructure requires urgent attention. Last year’s underspending of $316 million in budgeted capital expenditures underscores that the City continues to fall behind – which means even higher costs in the long run.

Again, as we have warned, current staff shortages and long-term underinvestment in the training, technology, equipment and facilities for our workforce hobbles productivity and shortchanges our residents. The homelessness crisis and the reality of a changing climate put even further strain on City resources.”

Mejia told KABC 7 he’s against eliminating 2,000 vacant positions to save money.

“It’s not like these positions have been vacant for many years. They haven’t. All these departments have been trying to fill these positions. A few months ago, we were talking about ‘We need to fill these vacant positions. Come on, join the city.’ And now, we’re like ‘Oh wait. We need to hold back because we’re overspending on police, liability claims, on fire.’ Now, we have to cut other positions in other departments in order to cover that overspending,” said Mejia.

He also warned that without a long-term approach to “putting our fiscal house in order, short-term decisions will doom Los Angeles to an inexorable decline in public services, undermining our quality of life and the economic prospects of our residents.”

In a statement provided to KABC 7 and the Blade, the mayor’s office said they remain “focused on the work that has resulted in thousands more Angelenos coming inside last year than the previous year, a record number of LAPD applications, and finalizing a budget in partnership with our city department heads that will be balanced and protect services for Angelenos.”

The deadline for Mayor Bass to release her budget for next year is April 22.

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Los Angeles

900 Los Angeles homeless deaths in 2023- 23% lower than 2022

Across all of LA County, there was a total of 1,467 deaths of homeless people in 2023. The City’s 900 deaths make up 61% of County deaths

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A homeless man sleeps in front of Grand Park along Grand Avenue. (Photo Credit: Mayra Vasquez/Los Angeles County )

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia released a new report Thursday that showed that 900 people died while experiencing homelessness within the City’s boundaries in 2023. According to the data, this was down nearly 23% from the previous year’s total of 1,167.

Mejia noted that “any number of unhoused deaths is unacceptable.” The City Controller’s Office also released a map of unhoused deaths in 2023 using data obtained from the Los Angeles County Medical-Examiner Coroner’s office.

Mejia stated “We made this map to bring visibility to the hundreds of deaths suffered by unhoused people in the City of LA that otherwise happen quietly with little attention.”

2023 map and analysis: http://unhouseddeaths2023.lacontroller.app

In response to Mejia’s report, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued the following statement Thursday: “Every death that occurs is a tragedy and we express our condolences to those friends, family and community members who have lost a loved one due to this crisis.”

Bass added, “The focus of our work has been to take urgent action to save lives and while the controller’s data released today indicates a decrease in deaths, we know that there is still much more work to be done.”

The data from the report showed that about 678 deaths or 75% were categorized as accidental, while 160 (or 18%) of deaths were natural, 16 (or 2%) were suicide and 6 (or 1%) were undetermined. The report further detailed that about 40, or 4%, homeless people were the victims of homicide in 2023, accounting for 12% of all murders in the city.

The data on homicides noted the fact that the homeless population makes up roughly 1% of the city’s total population yet accounted for 12% of all homicides in the city.

Racial disparity was also a major point the report noting that while Blacks are only 8% of the City’s population, as a group they accounted for 33% of the total homeless population and 31% of the total number of deaths in 2023. About 274 (or 30%) of white homeless people died in 2023, and 289 (or 32%) of Hispanic/Latino homeless died in 2023.

 

Additionally, at least 338 (or 73%) of deaths were in streets or areas without proper utilities, such as tents, parking lots, parks, RVs and vacant buildings, according to the Controller’s analysis.

Also according to the Controller’s analysis January, February and March were the most deadly months for homeless people in 2023.

City Council Districts with the highest numbers of deaths of homeless in 2023 were 1 and 14 encompassing the downtown, north, northeast areas. District 14 had 269 deaths, accounting for 29.9% of unhoused deaths in 2023, followed by 105 deaths or 11.7% in District 1, and 77 or 8.6% of deaths in District 13 in the Hollywood area.

In the 2022 Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority survey, the highest numbers of people experiencing homeless were in City Council Districts 14, 9 and 1, followed by Districts 6 and 13.

Nearly 70% of deaths were suffered by people ages 31-60. Ages 51-60 had the highest death rate.

Across all of Los Angeles County, there was a total of 1,467 deaths of homeless people in 2023. The City of LA’s 900 homeless deaths make up 61% of County deaths.

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Los Angeles

South LA trans woman murdered, LAPD are looking for suspects

Surveillance footage captured near the scene of the March 21 murder showed a person dragging the victim’s body out of a light-colored sedan

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LAPD & CHP patrol vehicles/LA Blade file photo

By Rob Salerno | LOS ANGELES – A trans woman believed to be in her early 20s was murdered in the early morning of March 21 near the corner of West 70th and Figueroa Streets, the latest in what appear to be a string of slayings of sex workers in the area.

The LAPD are still looking for information and have not yet made any arrests.

The LAPD responded to a call around 4:20 am and found the victim suffering a gunshot wound to the back of the head. She was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead. 

Two days earlier, officers had responded to a call around 8:50pm on Hoover St between Slauson Ave and West 59th, where they found a woman who had been killed by a gunshot. Police believe both women were shot with a 9-millimeter firearm.

Police believe both women were engaged in sex work but have not released any information identifying them.

The Los Angeles Times reported that surveillance footage captured near the scene of the March 21 murder showed a person dragging the victim’s body out of a light-colored sedan next to the parking lot of a high school before driving off.

Police speculated that the victim was shot in the car after a sexual encounter that went wrong. The area is known as a place where sex workers are picked up by clients who drive to nearby motels on Figueroa St. 

The LA Times noted that another 25-year-old sex worker was killed on nearby Western Ave in February when someone in a vehicle fired a gun at the corner she was standing on. Another man was shot in the same incident, but he survived. LAPD does not consider this event to be linked to the other two murders.

LAPD are asking anyone with information to come forward.

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Rob Salerno is a writer and journalist based in Los Angeles, California, and Toronto, Canada.

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L.A. Marathon is Sunday & here are road closures to avoid

Roughly 25,000 runners will stream through city streets with the goal of completing Sunday’s 39th Los Angeles Marathon

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L.A. Marathon 2023 (Photo Credit: City of West Hollywood/Jon Viscott)

LOS ANGELES – Celebrating its 39th year of running, the Los Angeles Marathon course will begin at Dodger Stadium and it will conclude at Century Park in Century City. The portion of the route that runs through the City of West Hollywood remains unchanged.

Roughly 25,000 runners will stream through city streets, passing by iconic venues, all with the goal of completing Sunday’s 39th Los Angeles Marathon. The 26.2-mile course begins at Dodger Stadium, with the competition getting underway at 7 a.m. and going through several communities, including Echo Park, Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Brentwood and Century City.

The finish line is at Santa Monica Boulevard and Avenue of the Stars in Century City. Most streets will reopen by 1 p.m. Sunday, with parts of Avenue of the Stars and Century Park East near the finish line being the last to reopen at 8 p.m.

The Los Angeles Marathon route for 2024 will guide runners westbound into the City of West Hollywood along Sunset Boulevard at Marmont Lane, just west of N. Crescent Heights Boulevard. From the Sunset Strip, runners will turn left (south) onto N. San Vicente Boulevard; then right (west) onto Santa Monica Boulevard; then left (south) onto N. Doheny Drive, where they will enter the City of Beverly Hills. The Marathon will run through West Hollywood between miles 14 and 15 of the course.

To ensure the safety of the large numbers of Los Angeles Marathon runners, there will be several street closures in the City of West Hollywood on Sunday, March 17, 2024 from 4 a.m. to 2 p.m.; crews will work to reopen roads to vehicle traffic as quickly as possible as the Marathon moves through the City of West Hollywood:

  • Sunset Boulevard between Marmont Lane and Clark Street/N. San Vicente Boulevard (the route enters the City of West Hollywood from the City of Los Angeles west along Sunset Boulevard from Marmont Lane, just west of N. Crescent Heights Boulevard);
  • N. San Vicente Boulevard between Sunset Boulevard and Melrose Avenue;
  • Santa Monica Boulevard between La Cienega Boulevard and N. Doheny Drive;
  • N. Doheny Drive between Santa Monica Boulevard and Beverly Boulevard (the route exits the City of West Hollywood to the City of Beverly Hills south along N. Doheny Drive).

Parking will be strictly prohibited along the Los Angeles Marathon route. “No Parking” signs will be posted prior to the event. Vehicles in violation will be ticketed and towed at the owner’s expense.

Los Angeles Marathon spectators and community members who are searching for alternative parking solutions in West Hollywood during the Los Angeles Marathon are encouraged to visit the City of West Hollywood’s website, where a directory of parking structures and municipal lots with hours of operation and rates is available online. Members of the public are encouraged to carpool and to use public transportation, taxis, or ridesharing options.

Roads will be closed to the public for the event as early as 3 a.m. on Sunday. They include roads along the route. A map of closures can be found below:

A map of road closures along the L.A. Marathon course for Sunday, March 17, 2024. The closures will begin as early as 3 a.m. (Google Maps)

A full list of complete-street closures can be found at this link: L.A. Marathon course closures.

Along with the fully closed roads along the entire course, several streets will be local access only, meaning only residents can access these roads since they aren’t on the race course. Residents can ask for local access at the traffic closure.

A list of local-access only areas can be found at this link: L.A. Marathon additional street closures.

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Crescenta Valley councilman urinates on doorway to LGBTQ bar

One of the men on the video was later identified as Chris Kilpatrick, an elected member of the Crescenta Valley Town Council

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DTLA LGBTQ+ bar manager scuffles with men after they urinate on bar's employee entrance doorway. (Screenshot/YouTube KABC 7)

UPDATED: The Crescenta Valley Town Council (CVTC) on Thursday announced councilman Chris Kilpatrick had resigned. “Today, Councilmember Chris Kilpatrick tendered his resignation from the Crescenta Valley Town Council,” CVTC said in a statement posted to Instagram.

LOS ANGELES – In an incident caught on surveillance security video this past weekend at the Precinct DTLA queer bar located at 357 South Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, two men are seen walking into the alcove of the employee entrance to the bar and urinating on the door.

One of the men on the video was later identified as Chris Kilpatrick, an elected member of the Crescenta Valley Town Council. In an interview with KABC 7 Eyewitness News, Jeremy Lucido, bar’s general manager said:

“I was walking to my car on the sidewalk, noticed two guys, drunk with their full cocktails,” Lucido said. “I recognized the glasses from our bar so I knew they (had been) inside. I told them ‘whatsup! You can’t have your drinks out here’ and I went to grab one of the cups and the tall dude pushed me and I flew back.”

Lucido said that when he later reviewed the surveillance security video, he realized that they were the same men he had the altercation with. He told KABC 7 that he posted the video to the bar’s Instagram account which then racked up over 5,000 views and reactions.

“Two bros walk into a bar. 🍻👬😵🚫 Last Saturday night, these two party boys decided to show everyone what not to do at Precinct. They first left the bar with full cocktail glasses in hand, then decided to go to our employee entrance, whip out their 🍤 and piss all over it together. 💛 When done, they rounded the corner where one of the managers spotted the drinks and tried to take them away; the big one reacted by physically assaulting him, throwing him to the ground. Precinct is a safe space for all; let’s have a good time. Don’t be a d*ck. 🫶🏼 oh, yeah, we also have several bathrooms.”

KABC 7 reported that the video has racked up nearly 1,000 comments. Many commenters identified one of the men as Kilpatrick.

“The comments just grew very fast with different stories, other parties and party hosts, and bar managers, like ‘oh yeah, we know them’,” Lucido told KABC 7.

John Duran, an attorney for Kilpatrick in a statement to KABC claimed that Lucido did not identify himself as a bar employee. He says Kilpatrick acted in self-defense, believing he was going to be gay-bashed.

The attorney’s statement read in part: “…public urination is not a criminal offense. It is an infraction under the Los Angeles Municipal Code and one can be cited to pay a fine for this violation. Battery is a misdemeanor offense including an unlawful touching as exhibited by individual one, who grabbed my client first. Pushing back is an affirmative defense if done to defend oneself or others.”

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LAPD seeking additional victims of celebrity photographer

If you have been a victim or have information about this investigation, you are urged to contact LAPD’s Special Assault Section: 213-473-0447

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Kenneth Howard Dolin via screenshot YouTube & headshot provided via the Los Angeles Police Department

LOS ANGELES – Investigators with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Operations-West Bureau Special Assault Section (SAS) are seeking additional victims in a series of sexual assaults in the Hancock Park area.

On January 10, 2024, a 29-year-old woman reported that she was sexually assaulted by Kenneth Howard Dolin at his residence/photography studio in Wilshire Division. Dolin is a well-known photographer and acting coach.

KTLA 5 news reported that Dolin’s website includes photos of “Saturday Night Live” stars like Chris Parnell and Molly Shannon, former Laker and actor Rick Fox, “numerous multiple Oscar and Emmy Award winning actors” and “luminaries from the worlds of business and media,” he writes.

He has significant connections in the entertainment industry and has been known to solicit victims on modeling websites. The detective’s follow-up investigation revealed that two additional female victims in their mid-twenties also accused Dolin of sexual assault in 2017. All three incidents began with professional contacts that led to reports of Dolin touching women inappropriately during photo shoots when they were alone in his studio.

On March 4, 2024, SAS investigators arrested 64-year-old Kenneth Howard Dolin for 289(a) P.C., Penetration with a Foreign Object (booking #6769557). He has since been released from custody pending further investigation. 

“These victims felt trapped and had to comply with his advances,” said Detective Brent Hopkins, a supervisor with the Special Assault Section. “There’s a huge difference between art photography and sexual assault. We want to make sure we know everything that happened and make sure that line does not get crossed again.”

Investigators believe other victims have yet to be identified. A photograph of the suspect is being released to identify and speak with those victims.

If you have been a victim or have information about this investigation, you are urged to contact Officer Richard Podkowski, Special Assault Section, at 213-473-0447.

During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247).

Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or go directly towww.lacrimestoppers.org.

Lastly, tipsters may also download the “P3 Tips” mobile application and select the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers as their local program.

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