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Rep. Katie Porter and trans actor Angelica Ross talk COVID-19 money in Equality California fundraiser

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Equality California has almost an impossible task: rallying LGBTQ voters to help pro-equality Democrats retain the House, win back the Senate and oust the most incompetent, damaging president in U.S. history – while still keeping the organization afloat amidst a global pandemic and financial meltdown.

Several progressive politicos and celebrities understand the grave difficulty existing in the new COVID world and showed up for EQCA’s online “Evening for Equality,” hosted by WeHo fan favorite Queer Eye Culture guy Jai Rodriguez.  Despite the awkward rigors of physical distancing, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and Ted Lieu, and activists Chasten Buttigieg, Angelica Ross, Stephanie Miller, Pauley Perette, Margaret Cho, Daniel Franzese, Ariana Madix, Tom Sandoval and Billie Lee showed up in solidarity and Jason Mraz and CeCe Peniston lent support through song.

The show, which was produced with the kind of homey familiarity now common during the novel coronavirus physical distancing crisis, Equality California raised nearly $25,000 in donations ranging from $5 to $5,000, with more donations still coming. That’s in addition to the nearly $150,000 raised in the last two weeks.

As a contribution to the community, EQCA is offering to share what they learned about putting on a virtual fundraiser with smaller non-profits facing the same need to raise money in a new way.

Equality California Executive Director Rick Chavez Zbur during EQCA event

“This is new territory for us — as it is for everyone — and I’m so grateful to the community for joining us and to so many of those who tuned in for stepping up and supporting our work,” Equality California Executive Director Rick Chavez Zbur told the Los Angeles Blade. “Like all nonprofits, we’re struggling right now, but we’re working to adapt to this new environment. Our goal was to provide some uplifting entertainment and engaging discussions, as well as an opportunity to come together virtually as a community. It was a success. We don’t necessarily have all the answers about virtual fundraising events, but we are committed to supporting other nonprofits that serve the LGBTQ+ community too, so we look forward to sharing some of the lessons we learned with our colleagues at partner organizations.”

Rodriguez opened as if he was engaged in a one-on-one with hundreds of fans and friends on his We Are Channel Q radio show. He laughed off a screwed up introduction that set the easy earnest tone for “live” from everyone’s comfortable Zoom-room.

Rodriguez set the tone but the leaders of Equality California and the Equality California Institute Board of Directors set the messaging.

Joe Gregorich, Jackie Thomas, Scott Malzahn, Juan Camacho, Leadership for Equality California and the Equality California Institute Board of Directors.

“Our LGBTQ+ Community has been hit hard financially from this crisis and Equality California is a nonprofit organization that services our community is no exception,” said Scott Malzahn. “But tonight we’re choosing hope over fear.”

Trans actor and influencer Angelica Ross took over, not just introducing Rep. Katie Porter but joking about how Porter has become a viral super star through her sharp questions during congressional hearings.

Their instant connection and respect was moving, informative and illustrative of how to have a smart, engaging conversation that is also funny and entertaining.

“I loved your hilarious takedown on [Housing and Urban Development Sec.] Ben Carson not knowing the difference between an REO [‘real estate owned’ property] and an Oreo [cookie]. So, we have a question from one of our audience members, Michael from Laguna Beach, wants to know: were you born fierce or did something or someone make you that way?”

Speaking comfortably from her kitchen, Porter said she didn’t necessarily think of herself as fierce until the opportunity presented itself. However, family photos show that she was a “fairly strong-willed child.”

Porter’s also experienced the adversity “that made me realize that there are real harms going on in this society and that we have to look straight on at them, call them out and be willing to commit to fixing them. And so, I grew up during the farm crisis, I watched people lose their farms and their homes and I listened to Californians during the foreclosure crisis, losing their houses. And I was there to help lift up their voices and help them be successful and make ends meet and hang on to their house.”

Porter determined to run for elective office to “fix America,” she said. “So, I think I’m fierce because I care fiercely about this, about what we’re doing, and I want to actually get things done.”

Ross noted that unfortunately, other people “seem to be in it for other reasons that aren’t for the greater interest” of the people. She shifted not so subtly to Porter’s vanquished 2018 far right Republican opponent, Mimi Walters. The GOP wants that seat back in 2020.

“So, this district is still a Republican majority district, although we’ve made a lot of great progress with the help of Equality California and other groups in reaching out to folks and engaging voters,” said Porter. “But it’s still 2% more Republicans than Democrats. And virtually, all of my local elected and county elected officials are Republicans. So, I do have to really think about how can I connect with and communicate across party lines?”

Porter explained that she uses her previous position as a law professor at University of California, Irvine specializing in the Uniform Commercial Code to respectfully listen to questions, learn about constituents lives and challenges and then “trying to teach other people why we need to make this change in policy,” she said. “I think I love that element. I love that back and forth,” giving a shout out “to all the students who didn’t do their homework for preparing me to know how to take down witnesses who were ‘yahoos.’”

Ross, who exclaimed that she loves the Uniform Commercial Code, pointed out how the COVID-19 crisis has dramatically impacted the LGBTQ community.

“More than one out of five trans adults have at least one or more chronic conditions like HIV, diabetes, arthritis or asthma. I have asthma,” Ross said. “Fear of discrimination keeps many of us from going to the doctor and many of us work in the gig economy or other industries impacted by this economic fallout.”

Porter said she’s trying to address the disparities, having just sent a letter to the FDA “asking them to expedite the approval process that’s needed to implement the new rule that they pass the blood donations for men who have sex with men,” noting that the pandemic is causing a national blood shortage and science doesn’t support the FDA policy.

Porter also noted that May is the 12-month anniversary for the House passage of the  Equality Act, which Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refuses to bring up for a vote.

“It’s not enough to just pass these laws and give people symbolic victories. Equality is an abstract ideal, but it’s also something that manifests in people’s real lives,” Porter said. “And so they need these actual protections from unemployment, in public housing and education. And with this widespread labor market disruption with the pandemic and people losing housing, it is going to be more important than ever to have these protections in place as people have to seek new jobs and find different housing and the economic dislocation of this whole situation.”

Porter confessed that she got choked up and  “a little teary” during the hearing on “the administration’s assault on religious liberty and LGBTQ rights” as a number of people talked about barriers to LGBTQ people adopting children or fostering children.

“One of my Republican colleagues — shortly before it was my turn to question — went on a little bit of a rant and rave about nontraditional families, that two-parent households are a family and these other things are not families,” Porter said. “And I don’t have any of their real life experiences that LGBTQ, trans people — I don’t walk in your shoes every day — but he literally erased my existence as a single parent. And what was he suggesting? That my children and I are not a family? I assure you. We are a family. We live together, we love each other. That is a family.

“And so it was important for me to push back at that moment because I’m so frustrated and exhausted with other people trying to impose their definition of family, their definition of love, their definition of wellbeing onto other people,” Porter said. “So, I was grateful for the opportunity to push back on that.”

Porter then turned the tables and asked Ross a question.

“A lot of people know you from your role as Candy on “Pose” or Donna Chambers on “American Horror Story,” but you’re also a very active advocate for trans equality,” Porter said. “And you are — I have this right, I’m so awed by this — you are a self-taught coder,” which resulted in Porter gushing over Ross as the real “bad ass” between them, asking about her firm helping trans people, TransTech Social Enterpries.

Ross first introduced her dog Hammer, a long-haired Chihuahua, confirming that she’s a self-taught coder with the goal of leveling the playing field around access and skills.

“I started with those simple codes of HTML and CSS and I took those skills and then started doing content management systems like WordPress and Drupal and Joomla,” Ross said. “And I started charging clients to build these small websites, content management sites. But the coding was a little bit beyond — there was more to learn. And so, what I did was build a business around building websites and hiring other people to do the more advanced coding.”

Ross went deeper:

“I wanted to make it clear that when I say tech, yes I mean coding, but I also mean being able to be a beauty influencer and run a YouTube channel, being able to be a photographer or do photo retouching. I have a lot of fans and a lot of people from the community who love the show ‘Pose’ and who keep thinking, ‘Well, how can I get started as an actor and how can I get involved?’ And one of the things that I always teach folks is how to make yourself a valuable asset to the industry because you love it.

 

So, not just wanting to be in front of the camera, but how can you make yourself valuable to the project? Can you run lights? Can you be a grip or a PA, a hairstylist or a makeup artist? So, what we do is we have an online and offline community. We meet in back channels and we help each other prepare for interviews. We share job leads, we help each other find freelance jobs. And then once a year, we have what we call the ‘Transect Summit,’ which happened two years in a row at the Groupon Headquarters in Chicago.

 

But since Covid-19, we’re taking it all online and we’re expanding it to be global. So we’ll have over 50 workshops worldwide over two days. And it’s going to be all free to … Our sponsors are going to help us make it free, but it’s going to be free for everyone to attend.”

“This Covid-19, if it hasn’t shown us anything else, it showed us all the things that people said were impossible are all of a sudden possible,” said Porter. “Look at that, us being innovative on how to connect.”

Ross asked Porter to use her famous whiteboard to explain the “absurd” confusion with the $1,200 stimulus check, as explained by Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin.

The whiteboard was unavailable so Porter went old school.

“Okay. So $1,200 divided by the 10 weeks that he’s estimating — and by the way, we’re going to be continuing to suffer for a lot more than 10 weeks, one, because we don’t have the virus under control but two, we don’t know when we’re supposed to get back —

 

So that works out to $120 additional dollars per week, if you assume this lasts 10 weeks. Then, when you step up California, even with the expansion of an additional $600 a week — which is a lot of extra on top of what California did, somebody in California — the maximum unemployment that you could get is $4,500 a month.

 

So again, if you go back to doing that a week, that’s the 10 weeks, this is over a month, you’re going to get two and a half, you’re going to come out to about a thousand dollars a week.

 

All right, so we’re being asked to live on about $1,200 a week — this works out to about $4,800 a month.”

Porter then explains why $4,800 a month is difficult to live on it California:

“The typical rent is going to easily subsume well more than 50% of that money. And rent is not something that people can do without, it’s not an easy expense to change. And so people are going to be spending half that money right off the top in rent.

 

And then that leaves them with $2,400 a month. And then you start figuring in things like food. And so when I walked [JP Morgan CEO] Jamie Dimon through all of this [in April 2019],  I walked him through a budget for one adult and one child. And so the minimum food budget for that, if you ate Ramen Noodles, would take you down to over $400 a month. And then you start thinking about things like childcare. If you have one child and you’d be down even further.  So, the bottom line is this is not going to be enough money.”

And the money mangers haven’t really done the math so they don’t understand “the challenges that working families face.”

The entire event was entertaining and informative, including “radio nerd” Stephanie Miller’s interview with House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff, “congressional rock star who is clearly desperately in need of a drive-by hairdressing from some of the fabulous gay men in the audience tonight. Chairman, I know your daughter gave you your haircut and it does, it looks fine and your neck looks less like a pencil than ever. And I just say, I don’t care what the president says.”

Miller then asks if it’s OK to open with a gay joke for the gay event, to which Schiff responds, “I would welcome that.”

“My quarantine crushes, chairman, are currently the prime minister of New Zealand, the prime minister of Finland, and the prime minister of Iceland. It’s the first time in my life I’ve ever liked women with really flat curves. Said it because they flattened the curve. You see, because they believe in facts and science, and that’s hot. Is this on? Chairman, isn’t that true that we are doing the worst, probably, of any country in the world in flattening this curve?” Miller asked.

“Well, we have the most infections of anywhere in the world and we have, by far, the most deaths of anywhere in the world. And yet somehow the president and Jared Kushner think we’re doing just great and they’re very proud of our death total, as the president said today. I don’t even know what that means, except for those that have lost loved ones, it’s just additional salt in very open and painful wounds,” Schiff said. “But Stephanie, you’re right, the women leaders are doing really well, not a surprise. And we have to follow their example.”

Miller talked to Schiff about how his “brilliant speeches during the impeachment have come true,” how Trump has “brought us literally a Vietnam and a Great Depression in the space of six weeks, he has brought this country to its knees” and how the LGBTQ community, in particular, is hurting disproportionately without the Equality Act. “Everything under Trump is worse; racism, sexism, homophobia, all marginalized groups are having a harder time,” said Miller.

“It’s so true. And even now, during the midst of this pandemic, what is the administration doing? It is trying to roll back protections in the healthcare system to prevent discrimination against LGBTQ individuals,” said Schiff. “Right now, they are promulgating new regulations to repeal Obama era protections. It’s just awful. As it is, about one out of every 12 LGBTQ Americans gets turned away from healthcare because of their orientation or because of their gender identity. And so, the last thing we ought to be doing is going backward.

“But one thing I think this pandemic is revealing,” Schiff continued, “is when we get through it, we need to build back better. We need to build a more just more equitable, less discriminatory society than the one we have going into this pandemic.

“But while it goes on, we particularly need to make sure that we meet the healthcare needs of the most vulnerable. Communities of color are being devastated right now. 80% of the casualties in Georgia are African Americans,” Schiff said, “and when you take those in the African American community who were also LGBTQ, the potential for discrimination and the most severe of health consequences is even that more profound.”

They two reminded viewers about the importance of voting by mail and getting tested for COVID-19. “You know that your patriotism makes me go from gay to questioning every time I interview you, Chairman,” Miller said in closing.

Cecilia Cabello, California Chair for former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign, interviewed the former mayor’s husband, Chasten. He joked how he was home with the dogs and how he was happy the house was split level so he could “get away” from Mayor Pete if he needs to.

But the thrust of Chasten Buttigieg’s interview was about how the coronavirus quarantine is impacting schools, which have been “a safe space for LGBTQ students, something they looked forward to.” Chasten said he is “a little worried” about how schools are adapting and how to give them a safe, warm and welcoming environment both digitally and virtually.

“Right now students are facing a community that is going through a lot of change and sometimes that means that schools aren’t willing to catch up to the change that we’re making as a society, especially with a public schools rolling back a lot of those Obama-era protections,” Chasten Buttigieg said. “Kids have to deal with a lot,” including hostile teachers and unsafe environments in school and home.

“40% of homeless youth in our country identify as LGBTQIA. So, there are a lot of issues facing young queer people in our country, said Chasten Buttigieg. “It’s important in all those spaces we make sure that they are safe and affirming.” Unfortunately, he added, “we have a lot of work to do there.”

Watch the one hour-forty minute Equality California event online.

 

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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.

******************************************************************************************

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

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Los Angeles

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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Los Angeles

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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Los Angeles

Mom says beating & stabbing of her 16-year-old son is a hate crime

The video shows the teen cover his face as he’s being stomped, kicked & stabbed as homophobic epithets & racist slurs can be heard being used

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Photo provided by the family of the victim

PLAYA DEL REY, Calif. – The mother of a sixteen-year-old boy is asking for community support as her son recovers from a vicious beating and stabbing by multiple people at Dockweiler Beach while his attackers shouted racial and homophobic slurs, the entire incident caught on mobile phone video.

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department told the Blade that based on witness statements some of the suspect assailants have been identified as minors and are being interviewed by LAPD detectives. The spokesperson noted that investigators are aware of the video footage of the attack, including it in their criminal probe.

The mother Frankie, who chose to remain unidentified by her surname, told both the LAPD and KABC 7 Eyewitness News the assault happened Feb. 10 at a bonfire party at the beach. She says her son suffered a concussion and spent days in the intensive care unit with severe injuries.

“He had a tube going through his chest. They had to collapse a lung to repair the other lung,” she said. “They had to take a camera in his stomach to check to see if there was anything else going on in his stomach because there was so much blood.”

According to the mother, the fight started after her son tried to help a friend and that he was not the aggressor – a detail police confirmed to KABC Eyewitness News.

“When he went to go help her up I guess the guys didn’t like it, and they came and wanted to fight, and my son didn’t want any problems,” his mother said. “The guy just pushed him, and then another guy came and they just all started attacking him – there was nothing my son could do.”

The video showed the teen cover his face as he’s being stomped, kicked and stabbed by at least five assailants. Also homophobic epithets and racist slurs can be heard yelled by the attackers. Initially when she got to hospital, When she got to the hospital, doctors told her they weren’t sure if he would survive. “Everything went black from there,” she added.

The LAPD has not classified it as a hate crime and continue to investigate.

The mother has set up a GoFundMe page to help offset medical expenses which continue to increase as he remains in hospital recovering and the costs of relocating.

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Los Angeles

TransLatin@ Coalition celebrates 15 Years of advocacy & progress

The organization has achieved numerous milestones, including founding of the Center for Violence Prevention & Transgender Wellness in 2015

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Led by Bamby Salcedo, President and CEO of the TransLatin@ Coalition, the press conference highlighted the perilous situations faced by transgender and Latinx individuals in their home countries. (Photo by Simha Haddad)

LOS ANGELES, CA – Today, the TransLatin@ Coalition commemorated a significant milestone as it marked the launch of its 15th Anniversary Campaign during a press conference held in Los Angeles. The event also served as a platform to unveil the organization’s 2023 Annual Report, shedding light on its journey, accomplishments, and ongoing commitments.

Led by Bamby Salcedo, President and CEO of the TransLatin@ Coalition, the press conference highlighted the perilous situations faced by transgender and Latinx individuals in their home countries, where they often confront insurmountable violence.

Salcedo emphasized the harsh reality that many flee to cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco seeking asylum, only to encounter further violence and danger, often leading to deportation and, tragically, sending them back to potential harm or death.

A poignant moment of the event was the unveiling of a new logo commemorating the organization’s 15th anniversary, aptly dubbed their “quinceañera.” This symbolizes not only a milestone but also a renewed commitment to advocacy and support for the TransLatin@ community.

In a groundbreaking announcement, Salcedo revealed plans for a $35 million state of the art multiservice and multipurpose space aimed at providing a safe and secure space for transgender and gender nonconforming individuals. With $20 million already secured, this initiative underscores the organization’s dedication to addressing the pressing needs of the community.

The TransLatin@ Coalition, founded in 2009 by a group of transgender and gender nonconforming immigrant women in Los Angeles, has evolved into a nationally recognized organization with a presence in 10 states across the U.S. It offers direct services to transgender, gender nonconforming, and intersex individuals in Los Angeles, with a focus on empowering and improving the quality of life for its members.

Since its inception, the organization has achieved numerous milestones, including the establishment of the Center for Violence Prevention and Transgender Wellness in 2015, the opening of the first-ever TransLatin@ office in 2016, and the launch of the #TransPolicyAgenda in 2019.

The TransLatin@ Coalition’s advocacy efforts have also extended to legislative triumphs, such as the passage of AB2218 in 2020, which allocates grant funding for transgender wellness and equity programs, and supporting bills like AB1163 and AB 1487, aimed at advancing transgender rights.

With the recent expansion to include the El Monte site and the opening of a new building on Sunset, the TransLatin@ Coalition continues to broaden its reach and impact, reaffirming its commitment to serving the community and creating inclusive spaces where history is made and celebrated.

“Beautiful and amazing people, who are trans, gender non-conforming, or intersex, please know that you are beautiful and amazing and that you are valued. Do not feel alone. There is a whole movement that is fighting for you. Continue to assert your presence within the tapestry of our society. We love you, we see you, we thank you,” Salcedo told the Blade.

As the organization looks ahead to the next 15 years and beyond, its mission to advocate for the specific needs of the TransLatin@ community remains steadfast, guided by values of altruism, respect, transparency, and collaboration.

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Los Angeles

LAPD Police Commission names Dominic Choi interim chief

The son of Korean immigrants, Choi began his LAPD career in 1995 after earning his bachelor’s degree from USC

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Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass with Assistant LAPD Chief Dominic Choi. (Photo Credit: Screenshot/KABC 7)

LOS ANGELES – Assistant LAPD Chief Dominic Choi will be the first Asian-American to lead the Los Angeles Police Department after the city’s Police Commission unanimously selected him to the role with a start date of March 1, 2024, as current LAPD Chief Michel Moore is set to retire effective at the end of February.

Choi’s the first Korean American to hold the job taking over from Chief Moore, whose retirement Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced four weeks ago in a press conference. The assignment is expected to last only until mid-summer, while a nationwide search is conducted to find a more permanent replacement.

“This appointment will continue our work to make Los Angeles safer. I look forward to working with Interim Chief Choi in the coming months as he provides steady and stable leadership for our police department,” said Mayor Bass. “Interim Chief Choi’s more than 28 years of service to this City as a member of the police department put him in a unique position to not only lead, but to grow and improve our department. I want to thank Interim Chief Choi for his willingness to accept this appointment as we work to make our city safer for all.”

Reacting to the news, LA City Councilmember John Lee wrote on social media: “Congratulations to my good friend Dominic Choi on being named the Interim Chief of @lapdhq!”

Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore, Assistant LAPD Chief Dominic Choi & Los Angeles Councilmember John Lee.
(Photo Credit: Office of Councilmember Lee)

The son of Korean immigrants, Choi began his LAPD career in 1995 after earning his bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California, KABC 7 News reported.

He worked patrol assignments in different divisions, rising through the ranks to detective, sergeant, and lieutenant. In 2014, he was promoted to captain, serving in both Foothill and Pacific areas. In 2017, he was promoted to Commander of Operations Central Bureau and later became the Department’s Homeless Coordinator. He remained in that position until he was promoted to Deputy Chief in 2019.

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Chief Moore has been LA’s top cop since June 4, 2018 after then Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti appointed him to the post which was ratified by the Los Angeles City Council on June 27, 2018. Moore is a veteran law enforcement official having joined the LAPD in 1981.

The Chief during his career in the LAPD, has received numerous commendations and awards for his police service including the department’s Medal of Valor, the Police Medal, the Police Star, and the Police Meritorious Service Medal.

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Los Angeles

Mayor Bass & officials warn Angelenos to prep for Sunday’s storm

The Mayor and officials are cautioning residents to stay at home and to be careful as the second storm approaches

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Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley held a press conference Friday afternoon at the LAFD's Station 29 in Hancock Park. (Screenshot KNBC Live)

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley held a press conference Friday afternoon at the LAFD’s Station 29 in Hancock Park as the second of two major storms caused by another atmospheric river approaches.

The Mayor and officials are cautioning residents to stay at home and to be careful as the second storm approaches.

The storm is slated to bring cooler temperatures with heavy rain totals with a likelihood of thunderstorms and localized flooding. This storm is expected to bring three to six inches of rain in Southern California’s coastal areas and valleys. The foothills and mountains could see up to 12 inches Saturday night into Tuesday.

The National Weather Service says Metro L.A. will see the most significant downpour from Sunday night into Monday.

On Friday, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California has mobilized more than 8,300 boots on the ground ahead of the next set of winter storms anticipated to bring serious impacts to much of the state this weekend and into early next week.

In addition to increased personnel, California has activated its State Operations Center, Flood Operations Center, Caltrans Emergency Operations Center and the Medical Health Coordination Center – all coordinating a unified response with our local and federal partners.

Supporting recovery efforts from storms in January and late December, Governor Newsom today also proclaimed a state of emergency in Humboldt, Imperial, Monterey, San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties, which join two counties the Governor proclaimed a state of emergency for last week due to storm impacts.

THE FORECAST: According to the National Weather Service, an atmospheric river will move into California starting early morning on Sunday and will continue through Tuesday and possibly Wednesday. 

  • Rain: Heavy rainfall is possible nearly statewide, but the most likely focus will be on coastal central to southern California. Significant flooding is becoming increasingly likely, including the potential for flooding on roadways, creek and main stem river flooding, mud/rockslides, and debris flows. 
  • Snow: Additional heavy mountain snowfall is expected across virtually the entire state, with snow levels on Sunday starting as low as 2,500-4,500 feet across northern California and 5,000-6,000 feet in southern California. Multiple feet of new snow accumulation are likely in several mountain ranges, and extremely difficult mountain travel conditions are expected. 
  • Wind: Periods of strong, gusty winds will likely lead to outdoor property damage, tree damage, and power outages. 

According to the State Operations Center, Flood Operations Center, and Caltrans Emergency Operations Center:

California has mobilized: 

  • 8,300+ boots on the ground, including:
    • Cal OES, through the California Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System, has deployed more than 550 local government firefighters and support staff, as well as 19 swift water rescue teams, 1 local government urban search and rescue team, in 19 counties.
    • More than 4,000 Caltrans personnel deployed throughout the state.
    • California Highway Patrol officers and other personnel are available in impacted regions and can activate limited emergency operations centers.
    • CAL FIRE has prepositioned 5 hoist-rescue helicopters, 2 swift water rescue teams, additional four-wheel drive engines, and 6 handcrews.
    • The California National Guard is ready to rapidly deploy if called upon. These resources include high-water vehicles, aviation search and rescue assets, military police, general transportation, and heavy engineering equipment units. 
    • 500 California Conservation Corps members available to support.
  • 1,200+ pieces of winter equipment from Eureka to El Centro – such as snow blowers, graders and sweepers – are available to remove snow and ice from the highways.
    • Caltrans has prepositioned water pumps in flood-prone areas, and is ensuring storm drains are clear of debris, checking portable backup generators, and stocking up on reflective signs in the event of power outages.
  • 7 million+ sandbags prepositioned 
  • Sheltering and food supplies for 37,000+ people, including cots, blankets, water and food.  
  • Other state efforts include:
    • The State Operations Center is activated, whole of state government expertise responding 24/7.
    • Community partner phone banking effort making thousands of calls to sign up Californians for local emergency alerts in the most at-risk counties. 
    • The Flood Operations Center is activated and coordinating flood planning and response. DWR Flood Fight Specialists are also on standby and are patrolling priority levees 24/7. The California Nevada River Forecast Center is in a 24-hour operation, producing updated forecasts every 6 hours throughout the duration of the event.
    • State Parks continues to actively monitor the storm’s impacts on state parks and making real-time decisions on closures as needed. As of this morning, California has fully closed 7 state parks and partially closed 6 and have staff on the ground to respond. The public is advised to stay out of the ocean during the storm. For the latest closure information, please visit parks.ca.gov/incidents.

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Mayor Karen Bass: LAPD Chief Michel Moore will retire in February

Mayor Bass did not name a successor but indicated there will be a nationwide search for the next LAPD chief

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In a press conference Friday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced that LAPD Chief Michel Moore will retire in February. (Screenshot/YouTube FOX 11)

LOS ANGELES – In a press conference Friday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced that Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore will retire at the end of February. An emotional at times Chief Moore told reporters he was proud of his career at the department.

“It’s been my distinct honor and privilege to have served for more than four decades on the finest police department in the world, and for the last five and a half years as chief, some six years ago, when the opportunity to seek the position of chief of police occurred,” said Moore.

Moore thanked his wife Cindy for her support throughout his career in law enforcement and then told reporters the opportunity to spend time with family factored into his decision to retire.

Moore has been LA’s top cop since June 4, 2018 after then Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti appointed him to the post which was ratified by the Los Angeles City Council on June 27, 2018.

Moore is a veteran law enforcement official having joined the LAPD in 1981. Rising through the ranks he was promoted to Captain and then took over command of the LAPD’s troubled Rampart Division after its former commanding officer Rafael Pérez, was arrested in a scandal in numerous crimes and corruption, notably the shooting and framing of notorious street gang leader Javier Ovando, in addition to the theft and resale of at least $800,000 of cocaine from LAPD evidence lockers.

After years of supervisorial assignments, Moore was promoted to First Assistant Chief and transferred to be the Director – Office of Operations, responsible for overseeing the department’s geographic bureaus and patrol divisions which provide uniformed and investigative services to the city.

The Chief during his career in the LAPD, has received numerous commendations and awards for his police service including the department’s Medal of Valor, the Police Medal, the Police Star, and the Police Meritorious Service Medal.

Mayor Bass did not name a successor but indicated there will be a nationwide search for the next LAPD chief, which Moore will play a continuing role as a consultant.

LAPD Chief Michel Moore to step down

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