The Open Space Therapy Collective will be hosting a community building experience featuring dozens of LA-based professionals from across different industries. This community-building event was planned in response to the sweeping political attacks against the queer, trans and BIPOC communities. The event hosted by Queerly Connected is fittingly titled We Got Us, and it will be free and open to the public. 

Wellness providers will be there to provide art therapy, movement therapy, grief counseling, sound baths, yoga and other creative and healing arts. 

“As political pressure on our communities intensifies, it’s increasingly more important for us to come together and create a space where our healing and joy can intersect,” said Renea Johnson, founder of Open Space Therapy Collective and host of Queerly Connected. “Historically, in times like these, it’s important for us to expand our community and nurture collaboration. That’s why I’m so grateful for everyone who steps out to build community with us at Queerly Connected. 

Another aim of the event is to learn and experience the modalities of the queer, trans and BIPOC communities. Attendees can deepen their understanding and learn more about a queer-informed approach. 

Some of the experiential workshops and other offerings will include grief counseling by Studio DDLA, sound baths by TSage and DG Sound Healing, full-spectrum support from The Gender Doula, artist collaborations by Secret Spot, nails by Little Brother Nails and more. 

The event will take place at Studio DDLA. This event is meant to encourage people to come as they are, with a rolling entry from 4PM until 7PM on Sunday, March 16. 

To learn more about the event or the collaborators, visit their website.

The Human Rights Campaign issued a statement Thursday criticizing Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said this week that allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports was “deeply unfair.”

HRC President Kelley Robinson said, “When LGBTQ+ lives are under attack, real leaders don’t hedge — they fight. Across this country, extremists are stripping away rights, banning books, and targeting trans kids just for being who they are. This is not the time for political calculations or playing it safe — it’s time to be bold, to stand up, and to say unequivocally: We will protect LGBTQ+ people with everything we’ve got.”

She continued, “The fight for equality has never been easy, but history doesn’t remember those who waver — it remembers those who refuse to back down. Our message to Gov. Newsom and all leaders across the country is simple: The path to 2028 isn’t paved with the betrayal of vulnerable communities — it’s built on the courage to stand up for what’s right and do the hard work to actually help the American people.”

A longtime ally to the LGBTQ+ community, Newsom was one of the first public officials to officiate same-sex marriages in the early 2000s, which at the time drew criticism from leaders in his own party.

His remarks on trans athletes came during an interview with right-wing pundit and provocateur Charlie Kirk, on the inaugural episode of the governor’s podcast, “This Is Gavin Newsom.”

The move signals a possible shift in how Democratic leaders are positioning themselves on issues concerning trans rights, especially provided the speculation about Newsom’s plans to run for president in 2028.

On Tuesday, the former Fire Chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department fought for her job to be reinstated through an appeal process that did not go in her favor. She will not get her job back, though she is expected to continue working for the department. 

At the meeting, Crowley pushed back for the first time against the arguments Bass used to justify her termination. Crowley argued that she was facing retaliation for publicly highlighting a lack of resources at the department. 

Going into the special meeting on Tuesday, she had to count on the support of at least 10 of the 15 councilmembers, or two-thirds. The appeal was almost certain to fail because she only counted on the support from Councilmembers Monica Rodriguez and Traci Park.

The main justification for her removal comes from Mayor Karen Bass, who claims Crowley allegedly made decisions that ultimately caused the Palisades fires to burn out of control. 

”A thousand firefighters that could have been on duty on the morning the fires broke, were instead sent home,” said Bass in a previous press conference. 

Crowley responded to her accusation. 

“As for the 1,000 firefighters who were allegedly sent home prior to the fires, we did not have enough apparatus to put them on,” Crowley said. “Because of budget cuts and lack of investments in our fleet maintenance, over 100 of our fire engines, fire trucks and ambulances sat broken down in our maintenance yards unable to be used to help during the worst wildfire events in our history.”

At Tuesday’s meeting, Mayor Bass doubled-down on her claims, adding that Crowley allegedly refused to conduct an after-action report following the Palisades fire. 

A claim that Crowley says is false. 

“I did not refuse to conduct an after-action report,” said Crowley to the council. “And let me be clear, this is a false accusation.”

“During our discussions about an after-action report, I advised the fire commissioners about my opinion that was best in regard to how to use LAFD resources,” continued Crowley. 

“I said that the LAFD is not capable, nor do we have the proper resources to adequately conduct an after-action report for the Palisades Fire.” 

Bass was in Ghana when the Palisades fire broke out, leaving council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson as acting mayor. When Bass returned, she blamed Crowley for not warning her of the powerful Santa Ana winds that put Los Angeles at high-risk of fires before she left. 

Back in January, Crowley took to the news media to talk about the lack of resources the fire department struggled with and that Crowley says ultimately caused the lack of response to the fires. 

Councilmember Imelda Padilla, who represents the central San Fernando Valley, also publicly criticized Crowley for making the public announcement while the fires were still raging through Pacific Palisades. 

The former fire chief also counted on the support of many LAFD firefighters who spoke in favor of her leadership skills and decisions.

Former Chief Deputy Ronnie Villanueva is currently serving as interim Fire Chief, as the search for someone to fill the position begins.

If you frequent Beaches in West Hollywood towards the later end of the week, you know and adore bartender Sumner Mormeneo. While he is an artist behind the bar, he is also a consummate artist with a list of credits who can create a variety of art with a paintbrush or typed words. Like many, he is making his way in the Los Angeles art and entertainment scene, after packing up his life and driving across the nation to follow his dreams.

We sat down to get to know your local bartender to discuss queer nightlife, his love of horror, life beyond the bar, his sober journey and his first group show now exhibiting at Circus of Books.

Hometown: I consider Orlando my hometown but was born and raised in South Florida.

Tell us about your journey to LA:

I have visited here a handful of times but specifically, it was a vacation with my dad when I was 12 when I knew I would end up here one day. It was a Santa Monica Beach sunset that did. Ever since I was a child, I was always creating, invested in art and the arts. Whether it was forcing my neighborhood friends to be in my camcorder horror movies or to star in my poolside rendition of Jaws: Live! featuring a green and purple inflatable Bruce the Shark.

If it wasn’t some sort of show, I was painting, drawing, makeup, music, anything and everything at some point. I reached a point, living in Orlando, where I felt like I did everything I wanted to do there. I love the city, the parks, and the community Orlando has, but I felt myself repeating the same work with nothing to push me out of my comfort zone. I was on a waitlist for the art Grad program at USC, ready to get my master’s and be an art professor. Los Angeles was always on the horizon for me because of what it has to offer in terms of entertainment and the arts. I can’t imagine moving here straight out of college and trying to figure myself out. I am very grateful that I allowed myself the experience to become a fully realized and recognized artist in another city before moving here.

How would you describe your art?

I’m a multimedia or interdisciplinary artist. The work itself I would describe as surreal. Haunting. Honest. And most importantly, Gay. My paintings and performance art take place in some sort of void.

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What do you love most about being part of the queer nightlife scene in L.A?

Working specifically in West Hollywood, it’s hearing people’s stories. I’m fortunate to have a family and come from a place that’s not only accepting but loving. That’s not the same for everyone. Working in West Hollywood, you meet so many queer people from all over the world with so many different stories. Once in a while, you’re the first person a queer person on the run meets. Giving my advice on how to navigate this city or sometimes just a genuine smile and “Welcome to Los Angeles” is enough to make me cry on my drive home from work. And yes, I usually listen to “Pink Pony Club” on those drives.

What do you love most about living in L.A?

There was a tweet (is that what they’re still called?) that was going around on socials during the aftermath of the fires. It says “…Los Angeles is a proud blue-collar city with people from all walks of life. And then the creative black sheep from every family in America comes here to create art together. Do you realize how beautiful that is?” Every time I read it, I get emotional. I was the weird one my whole life, still am! But even more than that, being a creative is hard to explain to people. Most people don’t understand it. It’s beautiful, intimidating, and magical to live in a place filled with others like me.

What is your signature drink to pour?

It doesn’t have a name, but I make a version of a drink I had in Miami when I was 16. It was a blueberry mojito. I’ve recreated my version of it. I like to think that being half Cuban has something to do with being able to make a good mojito.

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How do you balance your art with your nightlife?

It used to be very unbalanced! I still question if I’m doing it right. Not even the nightlife part, just balancing art with life. I find comfort in knowing many artists and creatives struggle with this. I sometimes get into a groove of a schedule and then it falls off. My ADHD brain likes to pick up new things and get over them quickly, too. Thankfully, I’ve learned to filter out which ones (projects) are worth keeping. In recent months, I’ve cleared a couple of days out of the week before working at night to make sure I always have at least 2 full days a week to invest in whatever I’m working on.

You celebrate the sober life. How does that work with you being a bartender?

I hear this question a lot and it’s the same response every time. It is so much easier for me than you think. I work the late hours of West Hollywood when people just want to get fucked up and party. A lot of them are fun and even more of them are messy (ha ha). Seeing the messy people is an instant reminder of what I do not want to be.

You also have a love for horror. What is it about horror that attracts you so much?

I wish I had a straight answer for this. There are full-length documentaries and studies on why people are attracted to it. I used to say that when I was young, I couldn’t handle it at all. The hard rated-R movies gave me nightmares for years and I’m still convinced Pennywise will tickle my feet in the shower. However, recently, I’ve realized I was actually always attracted to it. Maybe in a conquer my fears way, or maybe attracted to it in an “otherness” sort of way. I was the Wicked Witch of the West for Halloween when I was maybe 5 and Phantom of the Opera when I was 7. I insisted on renting Hocus Pocus every Blockbuster visit. The first VHS I bought with my allowance was Beetlejuice.

Oh, and the “Behind the Scenes” VHS that came with the Jaws 25th Anniversary Release was monumental in shaping my poolside production. My mother always loved horror and would show me the Classic Universal Monsters when I was little. I still have an affinity for Frankenstein. Eventually, her love for John Carpenter’s Halloween is what bled out onto me and I embraced it. I remember cowering in the theater when I was 12 during the Texas Chainsaw remake, but by 14, I was stupidly excited about going to Halloween Horror Nights.

So I’m guessing turning 13 has something to do with it? There’s a humor in some horror that allows you to laugh at life and then there’s other horror that allows you to look at life’s experiences profoundly. I think both are equally important.

How do the horror and queer worlds complement each other?

Nothing is more queer than a final girl. Under attack, stressed, trying to survive. Sounds pretty relevant to me! The queer coding of villains is something that’s come up a lot recently and that one probably has the deepest hook in me. It’s almost common knowledge now that the drag queen Divine inspired Ursula. Ursula is a drag queen. Scar is that one catty gay everyone knows and Jafar is the pretentious one. I love how the genre is being turned around from what was once considered trash to moving its way into the Oscars.

And of course, there’s that whole 14-acre expansion coming to the Magic Kingdom in Orlando celebrating the villains. The genre has so many sub-genres that can explore queerness and complement each other. I mentioned slashers and Disney villains, but even just to quickly apply it to something like a paranormal story- it could easily be translated into an “unknown” haunting relating to someone’s coming out story or someone’s identity being suppressed. Horror is the one genre that allows you to say whatever you, however you want.

What are you currently working on in the art/entertainment world?

My heart breaks a little when I tell people I don’t paint anymore or don’t plan on bringing my show The Infinite Conversation here. I would still love to paint some murals out here if given the opportunity. I think I hinted towards it earlier, but L.A. has more to offer than what I would have been able to do just on my own in Orlando. And that’s film and music. They are my first two loves and the mediums that always seemed so impossible. I realized on my U-Haul drive over here that writing scary movies was the one thing I’ve always really wanted to do, it just seemed out of reach or impractical living elsewhere. So that’s what I’m working on! I’m about to get started on my third draft of a queer paranormal feature that I’m in love with. I started writing and rehearsing with a band late last year, too. It didn’t work out with them, but I’ve been working on some stuff with another band more recently. We’ll be meeting up next week to see if we’re a good fit for each other. So, instead of sitting in a theater and watching me perform, you might get to dance in a mosh pit and watch me perform soon instead (haha). I’m showing a couple of pieces in my first group show here in L.A. at Circus of Books. The show is called Dark Hearts and was curated by Sküt. It’s up until March 17.

What do you want most out of your career in LA?

My dream is to one day focus solely on my creative work. I love bartending, but I didn’t move here to do it forever. To be pushed more, out of my comfort zone, to be able to create new things, tell new stories, experiment with and learn from new mediums, and eventually be able to make a living out it. That’s what I want out of L.A. That’s the Hollywood dream, right? To keep it simple, I just want to make scary movies and heavy metal (haha).

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What is one thing in LA that you haven’t done yet that is on your list?

Go to a premiere for a movie I wrote? (ha ha) I think this bleeds into the last question and what I’m really here for. I get hard on myself sometimes, thinking I should be working harder and longer. But realistically, I know things take time and I’m still young and learning. Eventually, getting my movie made would be nice. I already know the next couple of stories I want to write. And maybe in the next year, I will play my first show as a frontman in a metal band. Both are possible! I know you asked for one, but I’ve been focused on two things as of late.

There have been many changes in queer nightlife over the last few years, and now we are under political attack. What do you think the future of queer nightlife looks like?

It’s weird. I had a close experience with the Pulse Shooting in Orlando. I’ve seen a community come together and stronger than ever, and I’ve seen it change into something I don’t recognize. I’ve noticed far less drinking with this newer generation, too. I appreciate the growing popularity of experiential events, pop-ups, and venues. I look at things like Meow Wolf or smaller-scale events created by promoters with creative and community-driven intent. There’s always going to be bars and clubs, but I’ve noticed a slow progressive lean into experiencing things with friends, others, or a community. I think that’s beautiful. And as a sober person, more fun. Whatever political agenda is taking place in Office, and however fucked it is, we as queer people have always been here and are always going to be here. Nothing can change that.

 What is your message to the queer community?

Your voice is important. In this city and media moving forward, especially. I’m sure others can relate, but growing up queer in a straight world, I was taught to let things go, to turn a blind eye to things that didn’t sit right with me, and ultimately, as a millennial, was taught that there was only one type of gay man. Plot twist, there isn’t. Speak up, and share your story, because your story can help someone else’s perspective or even save a life.

The Los Angeles City Council originally scheduled Kristin Crowley’s hearing on Friday at 5 P.M. in Van Nuys, but is now rescheduled for Tuesday, following backlash from community members and firefighter representatives who say the timing of the Friday hearing was meant to bury the issue.

On Thursday afternoon, City Council members received an email from former LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley stating that she is appealing her termination.

“Today I notified the City Council of my appeal as provided for in Los Angeles Charter, Article V, Section 5.08(e), due to Mayor Bass’ removal of me on February 21, 2025, from the position of Fire Chief of the Los Angeles City Fire Department,” said Crowley in a statement.

The UFLAC is the union that represents LAFD firefighters.

“It is outrageous that the City Council has scheduled, on just 24-hour notice, a ‘special meeting’ for Friday at 5:00 P.M. in the Valley to hear Chief Crowley’s appeal of her dismissal,” said The United Firefighters of Los Angeles City in a statement.

In order to successfully appeal her termination, Crowley would have to count on the support of 10 of the 15 council’s members.

At least four council members stood alongside Bass at a news conference on Friday, announcing Crowley’s ouster — Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson and members Curren Price, Hugo Soto-Martinez and Adrin Nazarian.

Crowley’s decision to appeal has already been publicly opposed by at least two council members, Monica Rodriguez and Traci Park.

“This is not transparent, fair, or just. It’s yet another public blunder coming out of City Hall that makes the people of Los Angeles continue to question the motives and trustworthiness of our city’s leaders,” said the union, criticizing City Hall’s decision to handle the issue.

This is a developing story and we will continue to report as more details become available. 

The National Rainbow College Fund was launched as a new scholarship program through the San Diego Foundation aimed at supporting LGBTQ+ students across California whether they are openly out or not. 

According to a survey conducted by Student Loan Hero, LGBTQ+ students face significant barriers in paying for their education. Families may not financially support LGBTQ+ students, leading many to turn to loans to finance their education. Students who also identify as people of color such as Latinx and Black students, are further pushed into debt by racial inequality as loan borrowers in academia. 

According to an LGBTQ+ youth report by the Human Rights Campaign, only about 26 percent of youth are out to all of their family members. 

Jeff Spitko, senior director for integrated fundraising at San Diego Foundation which powers National Rainbow College Fund spoke with L.A Blade regarding the new scholarship program. 

“We have over 500 applications in draft mode and over 200 that have already been submitted, coming from over 320 different zipcodes from across California,” said Spitko. “So I think that what gets me most excited about this program is the ability we have to help LGBTQ+ youth across the state.” 

This scholarship protects students from being outed throughout the entire process–from the application process, to the award being given. 

“We want to make sure that students across California–and hopefully around the country over the next coming years–get the education they deserve and that they dream of, whether they are out and proud, or still have not had the opportunity or family support to come out,” said Spitko. 

To apply, a student who identifies as LGBTQ+ whether publicly or privately, must be a high school senior; an incoming or current college or university student; or an adult re-entry student. The application is not currently open to graduate or Ph.D-level students, but the San Diego Foundation plans to extend the scholarship to those students in the future. 

Applicants need to have lived in California for at least one year and must demonstrate financial need by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the California DREAM Act Application or the Federal Student Aid Estimator Tool. LGBTQ+ students must plan to enroll in at least 6 units in an accredited public or nonprofit community college; four-year university,  trade, vocational school anywhere in the United States.

“As a student at UC San Diego, National Rainbow College Fund eased my financial burden and enabled me to focus on my studies. It also empowered me to be recognized as a person and to be accepted for who I am and as I am,” said Brayden Pape.

LGBTQ+ borrowers had a higher debt burden on average, with $16,000 more than their cisgender and heterosexual peers: 60 percent of LGBTQ+ student loan borrowers regret taking out student loans; 28 percent feel that they can’t manage their student loan payments and more than 53 percent reported earning less than $50,000 per year. 

A 2022 study from the Williams Institute found that LGBTQ+ students are four times more likely than non-LGBTQ+ students to choose college in a state with a more welcoming climate and to live away from family; 60 percent of white LGBTQ+ students are not out to staff or faculty and less than 40 percent of LGBTQ+ students of color are out to staff or faculty. Community colleges have even higher rates of keeping sexual identity private: more than 70 percent white LGBTQ+ students and 65 percent LGBTQ+ students of color are not out. 

The application is open now until Mar. 5. 

 For more details about eligibility and selection criteria, please visit the National Rainbow College Fund website. 

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass fired Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley who served as not only the first woman, but also the first openly out fire chief, after receiving pushback from the Palisades fire.

Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement at noon on Friday ahead of the press conference regarding Crowley’s immediate removal.

“Acting in the best interests of Los Angeles’ public safety, and for the operations of the Los Angeles Fire Department, I have removed Kristin Crowley as Fire Chief,” said Bass. “We know that 1,000 firefighters that could have been on duty on the morning the fires broke out were instead sent home on Chief Crowley’s watch.

This move comes after Bass and Crowley disagreed on tensions surrounding the blame for the fires back in January. Crowley blamed Bass for budget cuts that she says impacted their response time for the Palisades fire that caused thousands of structures to be damaged and destroyed. Shortly after, Crowley spoke to the media regarding budget cuts approved by Mayor Bass, a petition for the removal of Bass as mayor began circulating and received 172,137 verified signatures.

Bass summoned Crowley into her quarters on Jan. 10, where they met for quite a while, where rumors began to circulate about Crowley being fired.

Bass is claiming that Crowley did not alert or warn her of the incoming windstorm that was widely expected and publicized days in advance of Jan. 7, making the ideal conditions for fires to start in the high-risk areas of Pacific Palisades and Eaton Canyon.

“Furthermore, a necessary step to an investigation was the President of the Fire Commission telling Chief Crowley to do an after action report on the fires. The Chief refused. These require her removal. The heroism of our firefighters–during the Palisades fire and every single day–is without question. Bringing new leadership to the Fire Department is what our city needs.”

Former Chief Deputy Ronnie Villanueva will serve as interim fire chief. Villanueva is a Latino leader with over 40 years of experience in the LAFD. He will serve as interim chief as the search for the next fire chief is now underway.

The hospital broke ground on a new 27,000 square-foot youth mental health center yesterday during a breaking ground ceremony in Echo Park, with Los Angeles City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez (CD-13), and other political leaders. Gateways Hospital serves a large population of at-risk youth, which include LGBTQ+ and Latinx patients who make up a large percentage of the population of the County of L.A.  

This inpatient wing expansion is set to be completed by late 2026. This resource comes at a time where crisis support help lines are receiving record-breaking numbers of callers who are experiencing distress under the current administration and the executive orders that are taking many LGBTQ+ and Latinx resources away. By then, the current administration will have been in office for over a year and other mental health services for LGBTQ+ and Latinx youth will be undoubtedly threatened and halted.

Organizations like The Trevor Project, which provide resources and assistance for mental health, reported up to a 700% increase in calls following the November presidential election. 

“Gateways Hospital is stepping up to meet the adolescent mental health crisis head-on. This expansion means more young people–especially those leaving foster care and LGBTQ+ adolescents–will get the care they need and deserve,” said councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez (CD-13). 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report in October 2024, highlighting disparities between cisgender and transgender youth. The youth risk behavior survey in this study was conducted in 2023 and became the first nationally representative data about transgender students. According to the study, ‘transgender and questioning students experienced a higher prevalence of violence, poor mental health, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, unstable housing and a lower prevalence of school connectedness than their cisgender peers.’

“With so many of California’s youth struggling with mental health issues, this new Gateways hospital wing for youth and adolescents in Echo Park represents a critical expansion of care. By adding specialized adolescent beds, Gateways is taking concrete action to support our young people during their most vulnerable moments,” said Mark Faucette, senior program director of the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program. 

The new expansion is supported by a $19.2 million grant from the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program. The new Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatric Center will provide support services to youth who are experiencing psychiatric emergencies and support them in their journeys through the mental healthcare system. The new hospital wing at the Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatric Center at the hospital’s main campus in Echo Park will have 37 new inpatient beds, making Gateways one of the largest providers of acute adolescent mental health services in Los Angeles County.

Gateways also currently provides free services to students at 22 Los Angeles Unified School District schools with services in Spanish and American Sign Language, as well as English. LAUSD just happens to also be currently enacting a new phone-free policy in response to declining mental health in youth.

To learn more about the project, visit the Gateways Hospital and Mental Health Centers website. 

Melissa Lopez, 46, was at home with ‘the coven’ – her two dogs Foxy and HoneyBee, and her two cats Stevie Nicks and Dulce – when she got a notification from Southern California Edison saying there might be a possible power shut-off in her area on the morning of Jan. 7. 

Lopez lived right off of Lake Ave., in Altadena – a city that sits at the bottom of the Eaton Saddle near Mount Markham and San Gabriel Peak in the San Gabriel Mountains, part of the Angeles National Forest. 

The fire stretched across 14,000 acres over the weeks it took to contain it. The latest report released on Jan. 27 by the LA County Fire Dept., listed 17 civilian fatalities, nine firefighter injuries and thousands of threatened, damaged and destroyed structures as casualties of this fire. 

Lopez’s was one of the structures that was destroyed shortly after Lopez and her four pets evacuated. 

She recalls that she was watching the news about the Pacific Palisades fire when the reporter got notice that there was a fire starting up in Eaton Canyon, announcing it live on the news. At that moment Lopez felt her stomach drop. 

“The second I heard that, my stomach just dropped, because when you live in Altadena, you kind of get notices of brush fires all the time. But, I knew this time was different because of the intensity of the wind,” recalls Lopez. 

Lopez, whose pronouns are she/they, is a licensed clinical social worker and mental health therapist who works primarily with queer clients in the Los Angeles area. They also have over 100 thousand followers on Instagram as @counseling4allseasons, where they regularly post and repost memes and educational material that is relatable, relevant and helpful for queer, trans, BIPOC, disabled and otherwise marginalized people. Lopez is known as a community leader who has been actively outspoken about issues that are intersectional with race, genocide, immigration, capitalism, patriarchy, queerness and mental healthcare. 

At the time of the interview, Lopez was having a particularly hard day as it was the one month mark since the start of the fires that burned through Altadena neighborhoods.

“Today is a hard day. It’s the one month anniversary of when I evacuated Altadena,” said Lopez in an interview with LA Blade. “I feel really pissed today. I’m pissed that so many things happened that could have been prevented. 

Lopez recalls that on Tuesday Jan. 7 when the Santa Ana winds were blowing the strongest, she received the notification about the power possibly being shut off, but during the time leading up to her evacuation, she recalls that the power was never shut off. All the other alerts she received came after the fire had already started.

As she was preparing to evacuate, she says that she was in communication with many of her friends and nearby neighbors. 

“It was really confusing because I was texting a couple of people and some were saying they hadn’t received [a notification], while others had,” said Lopez. 

At that point, their own instinct and intuition led them to make the ultimate decision to begin evacuating. 

“Everything’s kind of a blur, but I started to just grab the dogs and cats,” they said. “So I started getting all of their supplies like their food, litter – everything they use.” 

The aftermath of the fire on the property that Lopez rented a back house in (Photo courtesy of Melissa Lopez).

As soon as she was able to find short-term housing through AirBnB, she began organizing a group now led by a colleague of Lopez, to help people who had been directly affected and displaced by the Eaton Canyon fire. In the group, they discussed the experience of making the decision to take the evacuations seriously and begin gathering their belongings. She says she even felt ‘silly’ at some point, because she believed she would just be able to return the following day. 

“What I tell people now is that I don’t care how silly you feel. I don’t care if you pack up half your house and feel silly about it. If your house ends up burning down, you will be so grateful for it because there are so many things I wish I would have taken. 

Though Lopez says they don’t remember an exact timeline, they remember seeing the fire move in really fast and by the time she began evacuating it was complete chaos out on the main streets of Pasadena and Altadena because of the hundreds of people evacuating. 

“Some of us had gotten notices, some of us warnings, some of us hadn’t,” Lopez recalls the confusing ordeal. 

The smoke began to cloud the area so Lopez put her dogs into her car, but struggled to get her cats into a carrier and one of them was almost too scared to grab. She was able to make it out of the danger zone with all four of the members of ‘the coven,’ as she likes to call them. 

Lopez gathered her coven and evacuated, saying goodbye to many of her belongings (Photo courtesy of Melissa Lopez).

“I had a friend who was going to take us in who lives in San Marino and driving there is basically a straight shot, but because it was so windy, some trees had fallen over and some of the [street] lights were out, so it was all really chaotic.”

Lopez believes that the community support she has received since the evacuations has gotten through the hardest parts of the experience. Mutual aid came to Lopez’s rescue during this difficult time. Navigating the resources and legal assistance was incredibly difficult because of the stress, trauma and grief she is still currently experiencing. 

The Eaton Canyon fire burned through a large part of Altadena, an area that is predominantly and historically Black, Latinx and working-class. 

“I think it’s important for folks to remember that showing up for community is actually very political,” said Lopez. “I want to encourage people to show up and even if you don’t know people, show up. Even if you don’t f*cking like people, show up.” 

Lopez says they are very grateful for the community that showed up for them and that it is not only important to show up for this current disaster, but for everything marginalized communities are currently facing. They received many messages on IG from people offering their support in a variety of ways and that was all impactful to Lopez. They say that a lot of the support they received was from people they directly and personally knew, but a lot of it also came from people who were complete strangers. 

Lopez received holistic healing care packages from businesses like Earthy Corazón (Photo courtesy of Melissa Lopez).

In Lopez’s case, she was able to get her monthly rent for January and security deposit returned. She says she realizes that this is not the case for most people who are also navigating the aftermath of this disaster. 

“I do want to highlight that I think tenants are having a really hard time because a lot of the resources and a lot of the support goes to homeowners and that is obviously a huge class issue,” said Lopez. “One thing I tell people now is get the f*cking renters insurance.” 

The cause of the fire that took weeks to fully contain is still under investigation and many renters and homeowners await answers from insurance companies on their long path toward justice and permanent housing.

Owners Emily Bielagus and Mara Herbkersman announced The Ruby Fruit, one of only 37 lesbian bars left in the United States, was closing its doors in a now-deleted Instagram post. 

The restaurant opened its doors in 2023 and quickly became a community space marketed heavily toward being a ‘sapphically-inclined,’ restaurant, event space and bar. 

During its peak, the Silverlake restaurant was filled with a plethora of mingling queers from all over Los Angeles and beyond. As only one of two lesbian-forward bars in L.A., many people in the community were thrilled to finally have a space to feel safe and welcomed in. 

Then a series of Instagram posts amid the recent fires that devastated parts of Los Angeles, began to raise eyebrows. At first, the posts suggested the owners and staff were safe from the fires, as well as the business itself. Then, they stated that the fires were the cause of unforeseen financial impact to the business.

The Ruby Fruit announced its closure through a series of posts on Instagram, first posting about their commitment to staying open and providing mutual aid for the community, to then asking for it in order to stay open. 

Within two weeks of them posting that they were committed to staying open and continuing to employ their staff, they posted that they were closing and all sixteen of the employees were left without work. 

The public and now-deleted IG account for the restaurant with over 34 thousand followers, made their first post about the fires on Jan. 9. The first post regarding the fires was posted shortly after large-scale fires first began burning through Pacific Palisades, Altadena and parts of Pasadena neighborhoods, affecting many members of the LGBTQ+ community. 

The restaurant posted about welcoming donations as a well-intentioned effort to aid the community and provide support. 

That same day, they also posted a shot of the crew of a handful of their employees with a caption that again mentioned their support for the community and asked for donated items to support those affected by the fires. 

On Jan. 10, The Ruby Fruit got over a thousand likes on an IG post that had a ‘by the numbers,’ infographic explaining the latest updates. 

The caption states: “We feel beyond lucky to report that none of our employees’ homes were damaged by the fires.” 

Then the post reads: “In the face of extreme disaster and with a profound sense of grief, The Ruby Fruit remains committed to staying open in order to serve our community however we can and to provide our staff with steady employment.” 

Shortly after, they posted again stating the ‘current natural disaster’ as the reason for its closure and within a moment’s notice, the restaurant closed its doors. 

“We have come to the heartbreaking decision that at this time, operating The Ruby Fruit is no longer possible due to financial impact from the current natural disaster,” read the now-deleted Instagram post. The post then went on to say that they hope this is “not goodbye, but a “see ya later.” 

Hundreds of community members grieving the loss of the space flocked to the comment section of the post to express their condolences and offer financial support in an effort to crowd-fund enough money to keep the closure from happening. 

The post also stated that it was ‘unsustainable for them during this time to continue running a business, all while experiencing the grief and loss of this disaster.’ 

To many members of the community, including their former employees, this did not add up. 

Former employees and event producers speak out

“I think ultimately, my goal is to make it clear that the issues that The Ruby Fruit had are not because of the fires and that the issues that they’ve had have been persistent since the day they opened,” said Jordan Grasso Ph.D, LGBTQ+ researcher and former employee of The Ruby Fruit. 

Grasso explained that they initially made contact with the owners back in 2023, when TRF was first opening up shop. The owners reached out to the community to find a security guard who would help keep the space safe from people who might target the brick-and-mortar because it specifically catered to the sapphic community. Grasso stepped in, not only as security guard, but also as someone who was actively doing research in preserving queer spaces in the United States. They also previously worked for Gossip Grill, a successful lesbian bar in San Diego. 

“From my prior experience and ongoing conversations with people who left after me and some of the people who were impacted by the immediate closure, there’s way more to the story,” said Grasso in an interview with LA Blade.

After announcing the closure, TRF started a GoFundMe with a goal of raising $15,000 dollars for their sixteen employees who had been suddenly left without a job. On IG, the owners stated that they would be designating a beneficiary to handle the funds and distribute them accordingly and they confirmed at the time of the interview with LA Blade.

“In the meantime, we want to re-amplify the GoFundMe we created on behalf of our employees to help them as we navigate this transition. In full transparency, these donations will be managed by the beneficiaries, who will ultimately distribute the funds how best serves them collectively,” reads their IG post from Jan. 14. 

Grasso believes from their own experience, that the owners did not establish any safeguards to ensure that their business would be financially sustainable and that was apparent to them from the very beginning. They also state that if the owners were being entirely transparent during this time, they would have more community support rather than having people speak out against them for lack of communication to their now-former employees.

According to Grasso, everything down to the way the business owners wanted them to refer to the business, did not make sense. The space was marketed as a lesbian bar and is even still currently listed as a lesbian bar on Google, but the owners and TRF website refer to the space as ‘sapphically-inclined,’ meaning that they were trying to use language that was more inclusive to avoid discrimination lawsuits. However, this made it easier for people from outside of the community to feel welcome, making it feel like less of a safe space for people within the community.

According to many members of the community, who have been very vocal on TRF’s IG posts, have said that many who identify as trans and as people of color, did not feel welcomed there.

Former employees reached out to LA Blade for comment after the LA LGBT Center posted an event flyer on their IG, promoting an event in collaboration with The Ruby Fruit. The event titled ‘Leather & Lace: A Ruby Fruit Fundraiser,’ was originally set for Feb. 22 and was going to feature The L Word: Gen Q’s Jacqueline Toboni, comedian Ever Mainard, activist Janaya Future Khan, and more. The individual party tickets were going for $150, while the VIP tables were set at $500, $1,000 and $1,500 with an open bar, Hors d’oeuvres and table service. 

Though the IG post was updated to say the event is canceled before they completely deleted their account, the Resy link for the event says all tickets are sold out and the website said the fundraiser was still open. 

The post originally had a caption that promoted the event, asking the community to donate to take part in saving The Ruby Fruit, also promoting the #SaveTheRubyFruit hashtag and it has now been changed to say the event was canceled and The LA LGBT Center was removed as a collaborator. They were asking the community for $100,000 in donations to save the bar, which many customers and community members say was heavily over-priced for low-quality food and drinks.

“If you are in a position of power, part of that role is that you [have to be] willing to set aside for a second and acknowledge that you don’t have all the answers and that’s okay,” said Grasso. “You have to be willing to listen to people and reflect and learn from it.” 

Other former employees also reached out for comment on the issue and wished to remain anonymous due to fear of retaliation, which is illegal under Municipal Code Section 188.04. 

“The Ruby Fruit was a necessary and aspirational project that never lived up to its potential because of the lack of leadership skills of the owners. Their stubborn refusal to integrate feedback from employees and customers alike created an environment oriented by scarcity, individualism, exclusion and rigidity. While it is devastating that Los Angeles has lost one of its two lesbian bars, we deserve better than The Ruby Fruit led by Mara and Emily. The sadness I feel about the closure of the bar is much smaller compared to the disappointment and hurt I experienced working there,” said one former employee who wished to remain anonymous. 

A second employee came forward and posted publicly on their IG stories about their experience. 

“The space was a labor of love and took a lot of hands and sacrifice to make it work. We deserve more than being laid off and being told it was because of the ‘fires,’ when that was clearly untrue. We deserve more than a $15k [GoFundMe] that they made without consulting us and rarely posted. And we deserved more transparency about their financial situation when they knew [TRF] could close at any moment,” read the statement of the second employee who also wished to remain anonymous. 

A third person who decided to come forward about the treatment they experienced, was a community leader who hosted monthly events at TRF. 

“We had a really good run for about six months and then there were some red flags like lack of communication – I would be left on read for two or three weeks,” said the event producer. 

The event producer who hosted their events there would host events that would bring in so many people, they would reach and at times – exceed capacity. They say they consistently dealt with issues when it came to getting paid. First, it began with a change in the overall amount and way to be paid out as an event producer hosting an event at TRF. What began as an agreed-upon flat rate, turned into a contract stating the event producer would get a 7% cut from what the bar made on the night of the events hosted by the producer. They had to trust that the amount they were being paid was correct because there was no transparency about the profit amounts or any other numbers involved. 

According to the event producer, the invoices would be paid out late, sometimes even accruing over time after multiple events would be hosted. 

“I dealt with all of these logistical red flags and where I felt less and less appreciated as the time went on,” they said. 

After some time, they weren’t budging on their 7% and the event producer says they feel as though they could no longer afford to take that pay and had to make the tough decision to walk away. 

“And of course, I also noticed the patterns of how they treated my friends and treated POC people and how they treated trans folks,” said the event producer. 

Other employees have also reached out and offered their statements regarding mistreatment. 

Though the owners have said the aforementioned Leather & Lace event is cancelled, the community still has questions about the intentions of the owners and many have even referenced a similar situation that happened back in 2023, with the sudden disappearance of Hot Donna’s Clubhouse – a lesbian-oriented event promoter who asked for $30,000 from the community to open a brick-and-mortar and then disappeared with the money. 

Many community members are anxious about what comes next and former employees are struggling to find employment. 

The owners respond 

“I think it’s important to understand that all of these feelings of like sadness and devastation and anxiety and like all of these feelings of mourning a space like we are feeling all of these as well, you know?” said Herbkersman, co-owner of TRF. “And I think, it’s important to, I think, understand, that through all of this Emily and I are individuals and humans as well and I just don’t want that to be forgotten.” 

In a four-way call with co-owners Emily and Mara, their PR agent and the Blade, Emily also spoke about her perspective on the restaurant’s closure. 

“And really, the truth is, and we can tell you the numbers, we’ve been very open with the numbers everywhere. On like day two, day three of the wildfires, you know, after business truly came to a grinding halt, and I completely understood what the city was going through and it still is, such an unprecedented crisis,” said Bielagus, co-owner of TRF. 

“Our business completely stopped and we had about $11,000 in our account and that was exactly the amount of payroll up to that moment,” continued Bielagus. 

In light of the recent fires that devastated parts of Los Angeles, many businesses have benefitted from the ordinances set forth by the city in light of the natural disaster to assist and preserve businesses. 

GoFund Me accounts have seen donation goals reached in record-breaking time due to the recent natural disasters affecting people, their businesses and their homes directly. It is up to the community to hold each other accountable, so that well-intentioned efforts are not taken advantage of.

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As an LGBTQ+ news editor and fellow sapphic, it sincerely pains me to spend time, energy and resources investigating the decisions and attitudes that led to this restaurant’s closure. During this particularly vulnerable and politically oppressive time, I would much rather be using my time, energy and resources holding people in positions of power from outside of our community accountable for their actions against us. I love my community and hope trust is not lost, but rather gained and that this can become the opportunity for more open and honest conversations.

The Better Business Bureau is designated to help with resources if you have experienced mistreatment in the workplace as an employee, or in a business as a patron.