Local
LA LGBT Center’s ambitious Anita May Rosenstein Campus opens
A new symbol of LGBT triumph
Anita May Rosenstein Campus across from The Village, with trees in lower left (photo courtesy the Center)
Strong women are emerging as political powerhouses in 2019. In addition to California Sen. Kamala Harris and the five other female presidential hopefuls, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Reps. Maxine Waters, Katie Hill, Katie Porter and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rivet the imagination among the 127 outspoken women in Congress.
That’s what we see in Trump’s America, strong women standing up and fighting back in their own fashion. What we may not see are the powerhouses on the ground, the strong women who are creating, funding, building achievements that blow our minds at the ribbon cutting and endure years beyond anyone remembers why that ribbon cutting moment made history.
Los Angeles LGBT Center CEO Lorri L. Jean and philanthropist Anita May Rosenstein are two such strong women whose vision, commitment and determination led to the grand opening of the massive Anita May Rosenstein Campus on Sunday, April 7, marking as monumental a moment in LGBT history as the Stonewall riots did for the gay liberation awakening 50 years ago. There’s nothing like this campus anywhere in the world—and no one else has even imagined it.
LA LGBT Center CEO Lorri L. Jean and Anita May Rosenstein. (Photo courtesy of LA LGBT Center)
Located at 1118 N. McCadden Place in Hollywood—just blocks down the street from where Center co-founder Morris Kight lived for many years—the two-acre complex on nearly one full city block directly across from the Village at Ed Gould Plaza will provide comprehensive intergenerational services for LGBT seniors and youth with emergency and transitional housing and beds, affordable housing, a new Senior Community Center, Youth Drop-In Center and Youth Academy, and employment programs. Phase II will add more apartments by mid-2020.
Additionally, the Center is moving its headquarters to the AMR Campus, turning the current four-story McDonald/Wright Building into an LGBT health center.
“Without a doubt, the Anita May Rosenstein Campus will change lives,” LA City Council member David Ryu said Sept. 7, 2018 after the council approved his motions for $850,000 in funding. “I firmly believe that when completed, the Anita May Rosenstein Campus will be the pride of Hollywood.”
The idea for the complex grew out of an in-depth planning process that began in late 2006 and culminated in February 2008. The Strategic Planning committee was comprised of Loren Ostrow, LuAnn Boylan, Marki Knox, Eric Shore, Glenn Tan and three staffers—Jean, Chief of Staff Darrel Cummings, and Chief Administrative Officer Kathy Ketchum.
“We were trying to figure out what would be the future needs of our community,” Jean tells the Los Angeles Blade.
They came up with five priorities: 1) medical care for the entire community (not just people with HIV); 2) housing, especially for youth and seniors who faced homelessness and discrimination; 3) expand services for seniors; 4) expand services for all youth, not just youth experiencing homelessness; 5) Build a public policy and community building department. (A 6th priority was added in Aug. 2014 to expand substance use prevention and treatment programs.)
“All of this expansion was to be in the context of making our services more geographically accessible, ensuring that we had the managerial capacity to implement plan goals and that new programs and services were financially feasible and sustainable,” says Jean.
“It was a bold vision. But it was such a bold vision, Darrel and I freaked out. We said to the board ‘We’re not sure we’re up for this!’”
Jean and Cummings previously left the Center burned out by years of around-the-clock pressure and upon their return, they promised themselves they’d find more balance in their lives. Wanting to keep the two prized executives, the board offered to change the plan. “No, it’s the right plan,” Jean recalls saying, suggesting that perhaps the two were not the right people for the job.
Jean and Cummings took a few weeks of soul searching, though they finally told the board, “OK, we’re in.”
But Jean was frank. “This is going to mean a capital campaign because the only way we’re going to be able to afford the space to do all of these things that we’ve set our sights on is we’ve got to raise it,” she remembers telling the board. “’And I have my eyes on exactly the property I want – I want that property across the street from the Village, which belongs to the state of California. And I want to get it for free.”
They immediately started working on the state of California and making their rounds, meeting with LA City Council member Eric Garcetti, in whose district is the Center headquarters. They preferred speaking with him rather than Council member Ferraro, in whose district sits the Village.
And then the stock market crashed. “So that delayed everything because nobody knew what was going to happen,” Jean says. “We put many things on hold for about a year. We were still growing in the other program areas, if we had the money to support them—but we weren’t going to launch anything dramatic in light of the crash.”
In addition to the crash, the Center was also in the No on Prop 8 coalition that 2008. Prop 8 passed and Barack Obama was elected as America’s first black president. Meanwhile, the Center kept working.
Lorri Jean, CEO Of the Los Angeles LGBT Center (Blade photo by Karen Ocamb)
“We began to achieve different bits,” Jeans says. “We became a federally qualified health center. We were setting our sights on what we were going to do for youth and what fell in our lap but Life Works. We got into the foster youth business when GLASS folded. And we began to open up other sites—Boyle Heights; last year Korea Town with our Trans Wellness Center; right now doing tenant improvements on a site in South Los Angeles; we did the new clinic in West Hollywood; Gay & Lesbian Elder Housing came to us and that was right, perfectly in the wheelhouse.”
The whole time, “we’re talking to the state of California about how we want that property. And so finally they agree to give it to us for $1. We were getting it for free!,” Jean says.
And then comes a twist. “We found out that the federal government had equity in the property. And because it was an Employment Development Department building, it was the Department of Labor – headed by Sec. Hilda Solis! So we worked with Hilda and she agreed to let the state give it to us for a dollar,” Jean says.
And then another twist. Hilda Solis steps down to run for the board of supervisors — “before the deal was consummated. Tom Perez stepped in (as Obama’s new Secretary of Labor). He was brand new,” Jean says, “but we had a deadline running with the state that we had to fish or cut bait. And even though we got (Rep.) Adam Schiff’s help, Tom Perez did not have the guts to follow through on Hilda’s deal—and he had toured the Center!
“So I will always be very disappointed in Tom Perez for that decision,” Jean says. “So we had to pay $12.7 million for it.”
But the team was undeterred.
“During this time, we began to define the scope of what this project would be,” though it was a number of years before they were secure in knowing they actually had the two acres, getting help from a number of people, including Assembly Speaker John Perez.
“We pulled in a lot of favors to get that state building without having to go to a public competition,” she says. “Within a year after we bought the building it was appraised for more than $17 million.”
They also knew they had to “over-achieve” in their fundraising.
“We had momentum right out of the gate,” says Jean. “Before this campaign, no living donor had ever had ever made a seven-figure gift or a seven-figure pledge, excluding estate gifts. There have been a few people who’d reached the million-dollar mark in cumulative giving over the decades. But no one had ever said, ‘yeah – here’s a million dollars’ or anything above that. In this campaign, excluding some estate gifts, we have 15 people who gave seven figure gifts. Our biggest gift is $8 million from Anita.”
Jean waxes poetic about one particular night of fundraising. “We were at an amazing party at a board retreat in 2013 at Anita May Rosenstein’s Laguna Beach home,” she says. “She hosted a dinner and that night I announced how much we had raised in the first two months. I think it was almost $4 million. Well, damned if Anita didn’t say, ‘I’ll match it.’ That inspired more gifts. One donor was so inspired, he said, ‘Maybe I ought to call my wife. What the hell – a million dollars, if Anita will match it.’
“So by the end of that night, we were at $13 million,” Jean recalls. “It was the most incredible, amazing evening of fundraising I have ever experienced in my life! And we were off and running.”
And then came 2016 and the election of Donald Trump as president instead of Hillary Clinton.
“When Trump got elected, people got scared, myself included,” Jean says. “And there were a number of people who came to me from the community, donors, members of my staff who said should we re-think doing this Campus because what if we face all these cuts and we need that money for services and not for bricks and mortar. First of all, I said to them, if we don’t build the building the money goes back. People won’t give it to us for services. That’s how capital campaigns work.”
More importantly, she said, “we have to do this project now more than ever. We have to show that we will not be stopped, that we cannot be stopped! It’s become to me an even more powerful metaphor. Here we have a president and his team of people who want to build a wall to keep the most vulnerable out. And what do we do? We build a beautiful campus to invite the most vulnerable in.”
And an inspired LGBT community and allies raised money to make it happen. “The estimated total project cost is approximately $141.5 million,” Jean says. “I say ‘estimated’ because two big pieces of the puzzle haven’t yet been completed, i.e., the affordable housing to be completed in Phase II (senior units and youth micro units). Our affordable housing development partner, Thomas Safran & Associates, estimates they will cost $63 million; the remainder is for the rest of the campus.”
And powerful women are leading the campaign.
“I like to think of this project as woman powered!,” Jean says. “Two of our top three donors are women—Anita and Ariadne Getty. And Ariadne has generously named both our Youth Academy and our Senior Housing. Moreover, 5 of the additional fourteen 7-figure gifts are partially or entirely from women.”
The Youth Academy at the new campus will be named The Ariadne Getty Foundation Youth Academy.
For Lorri Jean, the Anita May Rosenstein Campus now symbolizes the triumph of the LGBT community in Los Angeles.
“This campus is a testament to more than those of us who worked on it. It is a testament to 50 years of Center staff and volunteers toiling. And it is a testament to this community,” Jean says.
“Our community in Los Angeles has had the ability to envision things here that no one else ever did—from the Mattachine Society or Edith Eyde (Lisa Ben) and Vice Versa, or the ONE Institute, or the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Cooper Donuts—the first demonstration against gays in the military in the early 60s. The Metropolitan Community Church. People have had courage and boldness in our community in LA. And this could not have been created anywhere else. Something like this is not even being contemplated anywhere else in the world.
“And that is a testament to this amazing Los Angeles LGBT community and increasingly, with our allies,” says Jean. “And I’m just proud of all of us. Proud of this community. LA doesn’t get its just due in terms of our role in our movement.”
Perhaps until now.
Correction: In an earlier version of this story, we inaccurately noted that the property was appraised for $70 million one year after purchase. It was actually appraised for $17 million. We regret the error.
California
Equality California has sponsored 12 bills to advance LGBTQ+ rights in the state
On Feb. 27, the LGBTQ+ civil rights organization announced its 2026 legislative priorities, which cover trans healthcare and queer education.
Nationally, queer and trans people are facing a crisis. Last July, the Trump administration defunded the 988 suicide prevention lifeline for LGBTQ+ youth. Anti-trans hate crimes are on the rise, specifically those targeting Black and brown trans women. Just last week, trans people living in Kansas who had changed their gender designations in the past received abrupt letters stating that their driver’s licenses were no longer valid.
Federal and statewide legislation is targeting LGBTQ+ rights, creating a social landscape that is reverting to sanctioned violence against these communities. In response, LGBTQ+ civil rights organization Equality California has sponsored 12 new bills that are fighting to strengthen queer people’s rights, safety, and sense of stability.
This means “being able to access health care, live free from discrimination, gather safely, and trust that our personal information will not be weaponized against us,” said Equality California’s executive director, Tony Hoang, in a press release. Hoang also states that these bills offer Governor Newsom an “opportunity to define real leadership” and set himself and the state apart from the proliferation of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric amongst the most politically elite.
What are the bills and what would they do?
The 12 priority bills Equality California has sponsored span various areas, from healthcare to the criminal justice system and from schools to emergency hotlines.
AB 1876 (Dawn Addis): Protecting transgender patients from discrimination
Introduced on Feb. 12, AB 1876 would prohibit health insurers and plans from discriminating against people based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics. This would help advance the rights of trans, gender diverse/expansive, and intersex (TGI) people across California, allowing them greater accessibility when seeking the healthcare they need.
AB 1930 (Rick Zbur): Protecting transgender patient privacy from out-of-state investigations
Introduced on Feb. 13, this bill was written by Assemblymember and former Equality California executive director Rick Zbur. It focuses on protecting transgender patients who have received gender-affirming care, abortions, or any other form of trans health care in California. AB 1930 will place greater protections on confidential, private medical information, barring out-of-state agencies from readily obtaining these records and using them against trans people.
SB 1114 (Christopher Cabaldon): Protecting LGBTQ+ data privacy
California-based agencies continue to champion research on LGBTQ+ communities, collecting data related to gender and sexual identity. However, there are concerns that federal officials will try to surveil, shut down, or extract this data. SB 1114 would counter this by limiting when state agencies can share this sensitive data and barring the disclosure of such data outside of California.
AB 1540 (Mark González): Restoring the youth crisis support hotline
Since last year, after the administration ended the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline’s specialized services for queer youth, L.A. officials have been advocating for its revitalization. AB 1540 was introduced this January by prominent LGBTQ+ Assemblymember Mark González, and the bill calls for the restoration of the “Press 3” option for queer youth struggling with their mental health. Many have lauded the service’s necessity, urging officials to recognize and take action to address the broader mental health crisis of young LGBTQ+ people across the country.
SB 934 (Scott Weiner): Advocating for conversion therapy survivors
SB 934 aims to extend the statute of limitations so conversion therapy survivors can pursue legal claims against licensed mental health professionals who have subjected them to conversion therapy practices.
In other states, victories against conversion therapy have taken a step backwards. In 2023, conversion therapy was legally banned, to prevent the “horrific practice” from continuing to harm LGBTQ+ youth. This past December, the ban was blocked, on the grounds that it violated First amendment rights for therapists and counselors — even if they engaged in the practice.
AB 1775 (Chris Ward) — Supporting transgender veterans
In January 2025, the Trump administration issued an executive order that barred trans people from serving in the military, stating that the forces had been “afflicted with radical gender ideology.” As a result, tens of thousands of active-duty service members, veterans, and their family members were abruptly cut off from a steady income, putting them at risk of homelessness and financial instability. AB 1775 will make sure trans veterans impacted by the executive order can access housing assistance, employment support, and be able to correct their military orders.
AB 1836 (Jesse Gabriel): Protecting safety of LGBTQ+ community events
This bill intends to expand the state’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program so that organizations can access funding for security efforts when hosting LGBTQ+ community events. Currently, the grant program provides funding for LGBTQ+ community centers and nonprofit facilities, but does not cover off-site events. For queer people celebrating their joy in public, which can be its own act of resistance, the possibility of retaliation leaves in many a remnant of fear and apprehension. This bill combats these fears by creating funding opportunities to ensure proper protections can be accessed at such events.
SB 1023 (John Laird): Creating greater access to injectable PrEP
Assemblymember Laird’s bill proposes improved insurance coverage and reimbursement practices so that healthcare providers can offer long-acting injectable PrEP without being slowed down by financial or administrative barriers.
Community clinics often face the brunt of ineffective insurance reimbursement practices, which blockade and clog their ability to provide HIV preventative medicine. SB 1023 aims to make these processes smoother, ensuring that clinics and providers can provide PrEP in a timely, equitable manner.
AB 908 (Jose Solache): Ensuring LGBTQ+ curriculum is meaningfully adapted
This bill would require California’s Department of Education to make sure school districts are complying with the state’s FAIR Education Act, which calls for curricula to cover the histories and contributions of various marginalized communities, including Black, brown, indigenous, and LGBTQ+ people.
The FAIR Education Act was signed into law in 2011, but AB 908 calls attention to the fact that only 37% of school districts actually implement meaningful LGBTQ+ education in their curricula. The bill reaffirms what has already been legally mandated for 15 years: that school systems concretely cover LGBTQ+ history and contemporary advancement for their students.
SB 1328 (Sabrina Cervantes): Creating more LGBTQ+ outreach for higher-ed students
This bill would require higher education institutions to designate specific confidential employees at satellite campuses, outreach centers, and other external branch facilities to support the needs of LGBTQ+ students and staff.
LGBTQ+ “points of contact” can be found at various primary campuses, and this bill calls for the same measures to be taken at outreach centers related to higher education institutions. SB 1328 argues that more should be done for queer students, faculty, and staff who are present at an institution’s various locations — not just its main campus. It highlights a need for intention and care for queer people’s needs within the education system: cursory attempts at inclusion are not enough.
AB 2014 (Sade Elhawary) — Preventing gender bias in criminal trials
The California Committee on Revision of the Penal Code released its 2025 annual report in December and identified that an important point of reform was the way gender-based evidence is treated in court. AB 2014 would require courts to apply heightened scrutiny — a more demanding form of review that requires substantial evidence — before hearing arguments based on harmful gender-based stereotypes.
SB 1149 (Maria Durazo) — Expand Bereavement Leave for Chosen Family
This bill expands the definition of work-protected bereavement leave to include chosen and extended family members. Currently, California law restricts bereavement leave to immediate family, and does not take into account that queer people are often piecing their own families together after abandonment, estrangement, or fear for their safety and health.
The pain of losing a chosen family member can be just as, if not more, searing and altering than the loss of a blood relative. SB 1149 would protect workers experiencing this kind of grief.
Kristie Song is a California Local News Fellow placed with the Los Angeles Blade. The California Local News Fellowship is a state-funded initiative to support and strengthen local news reporting. Learn more about it at fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows.
The 2026 Los Angeles Blade Best of LGBTQ LA Awards are here! You submitted your nominations—now it’s time to vote for the finalists. Voting is open through March 6, 2026.
Among some of your favorite categories are Best Drag Performer, Local Influencer of the Year, Best Happy Hour, Go-Go of the Year, Activist of the Year, Public Official of the Year, Best Non-Profit, Best Bartender, Best DJ, Best Local Podcast, and so many more!
Winners will be revealed at the Best of LGBTQ LA celebration on Thursday, March 26 at The Abbey. Stay tuned for more party details coming soon!
Vote using the form below or by clicking HERE.
Here are this year’s nominees!
Best Drag Performer
- Cake Moss
- Charles Galin King
- Kyra Jete
- Laylah Amor
- Misty Violet
Best Drag Show
- Bring It To Brunch at Mattie’s
- Brunch Service at The Abbey
- Hamburger Marys West Hollywood
- Las Reinas at Mickys
- Rocc-ettes at Mattie’s
Local Influencer of the Year
- Charles Hernandez (CnoteLA)
- Curly Velasquez
- Justin Martindale
- Lucas Dell
- Rose Montoya
- Victoria Pousada Kreindler
Best LGBTQ Bar
- Gym Bar
- Kiso Los Angeles
- Mattie’s Weho
- Or Bar
- The Abbey
Best Happy Hour
- 33 Taps
- Fiesta Cantina
- Hi-Tops
- Mickys
- Motherlode
- The Abbey
Go-Go of the Year
- Daniel Mooney
- Gabriel Gonzalez
- Jay Nova
- Prince Joshua
- Steven Dehler
- Victoria Shaw
Best Restaurant
- Bottega Louie
- Hamburger Mary’s
- La Boheme
- Pura Vita
- WeHo Bistro
Best Radio or TV Station
- CHANNEL Q
- KTLA
- LatiNation
- Out TV
- REVRY
Best Cannabis Retailer/Lounge
- Artist Tree Lounge
- Elevate
- Green Qween
- Med Men
- The Woods WeHo
Best LGBTQ Owned Business
- Fan Girl Cafe
- Green Qween
- JJLA
- MISTR
- Wildfang
Best LGBTQ Social Group
- Dark Circle Film Society
- Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles
- NLGJA Los Angeles
- Outloud Sports
- Unique Woman’s Coalition
- WeHo Dodgeball
Best House of Worship
- Congregation Kol Ami
- Founders Metropolitan Community Church Los Angeles
- Hollywood Boulevard Episcopal
- Hollywood United Methodist
- InVision Church Los Angeles
Activist of the Year
- Cory Allen
- Joshua Marin-Mora
- Liliana Perez
- Maebe A. Girl
- Rose Montoya
Public Official of the Year
- CA State Treasurer Fiona Ma
- Chelsea Byers
- John Erickson
- Lindsey Horvath
- Maebe A. Girl
Best Local Pro Sports Team
- Angel City FC
- LA Chargers
- LA Dodgers
- LA Lakers
- LA Rams
- LA Sparks
- Los Angeles FC
Local Ally of the Year
- Abbe Land
- Jessica Steinman
- Kevin De Nicolo
- Lindsey Horvath
- Senator Lena Gonzalez
Best Doctor/Medical Provider
- AIDS Healthcare Foundation
- Better U
- Dr. Eric Chaghouri
- LA LGBT Center
- St. John’s Wellness
- UCLA CARE Center
Most LGBTQ-Friendly Workplace
- AIDS Healthcare Foundation
- City of West Hollywood
- JJLA
- Los Angeles LGBT Center
- Revry
Non-Profit of the Year
- AJ Socal
- Equality California
- Los Angeles LGBT Center
- OutAthletes
- Project Angel Food
- Trans Lifeline
Best Local Actor
- Annie Reznik
- Jason Caceres
- Michael Scott Montgomery
- Nhut Le
- Shaan Dasani
- Trevor Dow
Best Local Theatre
- Celebration Theatre
- Center Theatre Group
- Geffen Playhouse
- International City Theatre
- LA Opera
- Pasadena Playhouse
Local Musical Artist of the Year
- Prince Joshua
- Robert Rene
- Ross Alan
- San Cha
- Tom Goss
Best LGBTQ Event
- Dinah Shore
- GLAAD Awards
- LA Opera Pride Night
- MISTR’s National PrEP Day
- Outloud Music Festival at Weho Pride
- Pride Night by Hyperion LA
Best Regional Pride
- DTLA Proud
- Hermosa Beach
- Long Beach Pride
- Palm Springs Pride
- WeHo Pride
Best Promoter of the Year
- Andres Rigal
- Ash Rodriguez
- Beau Byron
- Joshua Flores
- Paul Nicholls
LGBTQ Professional of the Year
- Cory Allen
- Erik Braverman
- Kathleen Rawson
- Liliana Perez
- Michael Ferrera
- Tristan Schukraft
Best Bartender
- Alex Satoshi DiDio
- Danny Hernandez
- Manny De Cielo
- Matt Stratman
- Michael Susi
- Michael Vega
Best DJ
- Boy Apocalypse
- DJ Les Ortiz
- DJ SRO
- Lord Izac
- Simon Harrison
Best Local LGBTQ Podcast
- BabyGay
- No Matter What Club
- No Matter What Recovery
- On The Rocks
- Sloppy Seconds Podcast
- Very Delta
Best Salon/Spa
- Bautis LA
- Folklore Salon & Barber
- Project Q
- Shorty’s Barber Shop
- The Massage Company WEHO
Best Music Venue
- The Disney Concert Hall
- The Hollywood Bowl
- The Roxy Theatre
- The Troubadour
- The Wiltern
Best Fitness/Workout Spot
- Barry’s WEHO
- Equinox on Sunset
- Gold’s Gym
- John Reed Fitness
- LA Fitness, Hollywood
Best Hotel
- Andaz
- Edition Hotel
- Hotel Ziggy
- Kimpton La Peer Hotel
- SoHo House
California
Experts discuss pathways forward as anti-trans violence continues to rise
On Thursday, Feb. 19, the Williams Institute invited a panel of local experts to discuss the rise in anti-trans hate crimes, and ways communities can seek refuge and support.
During a recent webinar hosted by the Williams Institute, a local LGBTQ+ policy think tank, several policy experts, law scholars, and advocates gathered online to discuss violence against transgender people in California as well as potential solutions to navigate the year ahead.
Here are important updates gathered from the session. These expand on an earlier Blade article about the increase in reported hate crimes and incidents against trans people since 2013.
What we’re familiar with: trans people face higher rates of victimization and violence
llan H. Meyer, the Williams Distinguished Senior Scholar of Public Policy at the Williams Institute, utilized data collected by the 2022-2023 National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) and the 2022 U.S. Transgender Survey (USTS) to re-solidify the lived experiences of trans Angelenos and Californians.
The reality is: transgender, gender expansive, and intersex (TGI) communities face much higher rates of violence compared to cis people who are not queer-identifying.
Out of the 9,146 Californian respondents who participated in the national USTS, 19% of those surveyed reported that they received threats of violence. 38% reported facing verbal harassment, and 42% experienced online harassment. Overall, nearly 60% of the TGI people surveyed experienced some form of violence, threatening behavior, or harassment.
And for Black and brown trans women, whose experiences of transphobia may also coincide with misogynoir, racism, and anti-immigration rhetoric, they are at an even greater risk when it comes to experiencing violence and harassment.
Why is there an increase in violence against trans people?
When the webinar’s moderator, Senior Scholar of Public Policy Ayden Scheim, posed this question, Meyer pointed to the political “scapegoating” of trans people in the U.S. Under the current administration, there is a proliferation and mobilization of anti-LGBTQ+ hate that is especially rooted in anti-trans bias.
The higher numbers in recent data can also be explained by increased training for police when it comes to investigating and reporting anti-trans hate crimes and incidents. This could also be because more people are willing to report the violence they face.
Historically, though, TGI people report higher rates of distrust when it comes to seeking support from the police, so they often underreport the violence they experience. While researchers are working hard to collect a more “complete record” and a full portrait of anti-trans hate and violence, there are factors that can limit this work.
“Not everybody reports, not everybody who reports is assessed to actually be a hate crime, and not everybody who is assessed to be an actual hate crime is actually reported upward so that it gets into the data,” Meyer explained, detailing the difficulties researchers can face when trying to piece together a more “complete record” and full portrait of anti-trans hate and violence.
There is a “gap between legal protection and lived safety.”
Much of the distrust trans people experience when it comes to police and officials is a product of systems that have proven to be hostile towards trans people. “I feel like that tells us something that’s really important. Violence is not some random act…It is a pattern. It is structural. It interacts with social perceptions and economic vulnerability,” said Pamuela Halliwell, the Director of Behavioral Health Services at the San Diego LGBT Community Center.
Halliwell described her work as existing at the crossroads between behavioral health, community practice, and research, allowing her intimate insight into the tedious, chronic “hypervigilance” many trans people begin to embody as they face increased fear and stress from the threat of violence.
“It looks like people are being removed from their homes. It looks like fear, shame,” Halliwell described. “It looks like discrimination that feels overwhelming and contributes to a host of other mental health symptoms that become overwhelming and damaging. It looks like housing instability. It looks like communities are carrying communicative stress.”
While acknowledging that California has some of the strongest legal frameworks for trans people, Halliwell explained that there is a gap between stronger protections and the still prominent and tangible violence trans people face. She pointed towards a need for accessible survivor-centered reporting systems, making sure people know that these resources are available and ensuring that data collection and analysis moving forward really centers people across all gender identities.
How do we address our “structural vulnerability” and lean into different avenues of care?
Alec Watts, Assistant Deputy Director of Research and Policy at the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), explained that the department conducts extensive outreach to make sure communities and organizations are empowered with inclusive education. Part of this includes attending events as well as hosting trainings to educate people about civil rights protections, human trafficking, housing, and hate violence.
There are also direct ways members of the public can make their voice heard.
File a complaint
Watts explained that people are encouraged to file a complaint with the CRD directly if they believe their rights were violated. The department is in charge of investigating thousands of these complaints, and can provide mediation and, potentially, help file lawsuits in court on behalf of victims.
Consult in the CRD’s Community Conflict Resolution Unit
These are free, confidential resolution services intended to help community members when people are experiencing fear, conflict, or tension. Members of this unit can help facilitate discussion after an incident occurs, provide educational materials, and can assist schools in mediating tension between students, adults, or both.
Seek anonymous support through the California vs Hate hotline
The CRD operates the non-emergency reporting hotline for anyone in the state who has experienced or witnessed a hate crime or incident. But Watts stresses that this is more than just a reporting hotline — once you make a report, you are connected with a trauma-informed care coordinator who can connect you with legal, financial, mental health, or mediation resources. Services are free and available, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, or immigration status. Reports can be made at the website or on the phone, at 8338-NO-HATE.
“Our psyche cannot function in survival mode forever,” Halliwell said, pointing to a sustained fear that trans people navigate the world with. As severe and real as these fears are, Halliwell also clarified that TGI communities are not solely defined by harm. “The data [also] reflects a community that continues to show up, build networks, create chosen families, and demand better systems…It also highlights where intervention is possible. Structural vulnerability can be addressed, prevention is possible, and community care is real and expanding.”
Kristie Song is a California Local News Fellow placed with the Los Angeles Blade. The California Local News Fellowship is a state-funded initiative to support and strengthen local news reporting. Learn more about it at fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows.
Los Angeles
Nikko LaMere’s photo exhibit “JOY!” documents the euphoria of Black queer nightlife
Now available to view at the LA LGBT Center, “JOY!” is a raw preservation of Black queer nightlife, fantasy and self-discovery.
It’s 2018, inside queer dance party Ostbahnhof, and the floor is packed with a sweaty, hypnotic energy as people groove to the sexy, lush soundscapes of techno and deep house. Photographer and visual artist Nikko Lamere rushes to grab their disposable camera, accidentally spilling some of their whiskey ginger on someone, and snaps a couple of shots of their friends: immortalizing their uninhibited joy and movement forever.
Eight years later, these photos LaMere captured across various local queer dance parties comprise their newest and largest photo exhibition yet: “JOY!” Displayed at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, “JOY!” is a raw documentation of Black queer nightlife, fantasy, and euphoria. It includes two of LaMere’s major bodies of work and follows the artist’s queer journey and creative evolution.
The exhibit’s opening on Feb. 13 is one of two events in the Center’s “Highly Favored” programming series that uplifts Black queer liberation every February. The next event comes this Saturday, and is a celebratory dance party akin to the ones documented in LaMere’s photos.
Prior to this exhibit, LaMere was most known for their saturated and stylized editorial work with contemporary music phenoms like Doja Cat, SZA, Latto, Billie Eilish and Kehlani. Propelled at a young age into flashy spaces with modern-day tastemakers and legends, LaMere sought refuge in photography throughout their adolescence. Their fascination with the camera began in elementary school while growing up in Culver City, when their grandmother gifted them a Nickelodeon-themed camera to take photos with.
Their eye and talent were reinforced with praise, and this love for the craft grew from curiosity to solace in high school. Bullied for being gay and femme, LaMere sought refuge at the library, where they first discovered the technicolor, surreal work of visionary photographer David LaChapelle. This became a direct pathway for LaMere’s own career: one that, though successful and fulfilling in its own way, led to a need for change.
For so long, the camera was a means to fulfill someone else’s vision. Now, LaMere began to use it as a tool for connection and raw documentation. In 2018, they didn’t set out to create what is now their “In the Night” photo series; they were simply trying to explore their own queer journey, and preserve the friendships and environments that made them feel comfortable in their own skin.
That vulnerable process of “becoming” is one they hadn’t touched upon in their previous work. For the first time, they couldn’t carefully and methodically create the shot; whatever they snapped was based purely on instinct, a fleeting moment of true and embodied tenderness, ecstasy, and freedom.
“To have this body of work shot all in black-and-white, for it to be so gay and Black — it feels really affirming,” LaMere said. “These are the most raw images and things I could create. There’s no Photoshop. There’s no retouching. It’s literally straight from the camera. It just is. I think part of joy is being able to just be, and that’s what these images are.”
“JOY!” also includes LaMere’s work, “Queer Fantasy,” a collection of 40 black-and-white film portraits and interviews with local queer performers, artists, and everyday people. This newer project grew from the core of “In the Night,” and is another intentional project focused on highlighting the beauty and individuality of queer Angelenos. Each person is asked: “What is your queer fantasy?,” illustrating that queer fantasy is not only a transformative kind of rebirth: it is a process built by radical efforts to cultivate joy, success, and safety in the face of violence and discrimination.
For LaMere, “JOY!” is about this process and the moments of self-discovery found on the dance floor, where you can really feel tethered to the person you’re becoming while “the world is burning around you.” While speaking with LaMere, I am grounded by the words of DJ, artist and organizer Darryl DeAngelo Terrell.
“Here, in this space we as black people [are] forced to find liberation in our own bodies, it’s in us, deeper than melanin, and it is activated by bodily acts,” Terrell writes. “We Move* in ways that others can not fathom to understand. Through these acts, we find the most beautiful yet temporary forms of true freedom; we find joy, peace in these acts.”
“JOY!” is available to the public on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. More information about the exhibit and “Highly Favored” can be found here. This Saturday’s queer dance party will also honor special guests Hailie Sahar, a starlet on the revolutionary FX show Pose, as well as filmmaker and ballroom culture documentarian Elegance Bratton.
Kristie Song is a California Local News Fellow placed with the Los Angeles Blade. The California Local News Fellowship is a state-funded initiative to support and strengthen local news reporting. Learn more about it at fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows.
Los Angeles
A new “queer summer camp” cycling event rises from the legacy of AIDS/LifeCycle
The LA LGBT Center will host its first ever “Center Ride Out,” a 3-day community cycling adventure from Los Angeles to San Diego.
On April 24, 500 cyclists will meet at Elysian Park before dawn, stretching and preparing for a 110-mile ride through urban scenery and rolling hills. They will be part of the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s inaugural “Center Ride Out,” a 3-day journey that takes riders through Los Angeles and Temecula, reeling to a stop at the San Diego LGBT Community Center.
The cycling adventure is a rejuvenating, communal queer experience that taps into the importance of shared joy and advocacy in the fight to defend LGBTQ+ rights. Its roots are sacred for many queer elders: Center Ride Out rises from the legacy of the cherished AIDS/Life Cycle (ALC), a seven-day cycling adventure from San Francisco to L.A. that formed in 1994 and ended with its last ride in 2025.
In its 31-year run, ALC riders raised over $300 million for HIV and AIDS resources, services, and awareness. This year, Center Ride Out provides a new, exciting extension of this important event, allowing cyclers to raise funds in support of the LA LGBT Center, The San Diego LGBT Community Center, and the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert.
This support is crucial as LGBTQ+ organizations face a new crisis: widespread defunding. In the last fiscal year, the LA LGBT Center lost $9 million in federal support, according to its CEO Joe Hollendoner. The funding raised by Center Ride Out’s participants will help offset this loss and keep the organization’s various programs and services, from gender affirming care and HIV prevention resources to LGBTQ+ senior and youth support, afloat. “We anticipate further divestment in our work by the Trump administration, [so Center Ride Out] allows people to align their own personal passions with our mission in a broader way,” Hollendoner told the Blade.
Altogether, Center Ride Out participants will cover nearly 200 miles of ground together. At the end of the first 110-mile day from L.A. to Temecula, where riders will get to look at historic landmarks and embark on a museum lunch stop together, the day culminates at campgrounds at Lake Skinner.
Here, riders can take a full rest day at their lakeside camp, where it will exude queer summer camp vibes. There will be massage and medical services, arts and crafts activities, dance parties, and time to relax and connect with the community. “Folks [can] build relationships, have some fun, and feel safe. That’s a feeling a lot of people [need] right now, especially our trans and nonbinary siblings,” Hollendoner said.
Day 3 ends with an 87-mile downhill, coastal ride through the town of Rainbow in northern San Diego County, before ending with a celebratory bash at the San Diego LGBT Community Center.
Hollendoner rode ALC five times while it was active and is excited to be part of this new legacy from its very beginning. “I’ve heard our community elders talk about how powerful it was to be at the start of AIDS/LifeCycle, and the idea that I can be here at the start of Center Ride Out, an event that I hope will go for three decades or longer…It feels really exciting to me,” Hollendoner said.
For newcomers and experienced cyclists alike, Center Ride Out aims to provide an accessible experience: paring down the initial weeklong ALC ride to three days. To take part, cyclists are expected to raise $2,500 by April 10. For those who may struggle to reach this minimum, staff members have established a community fund.
The community fund will also provide scholarships for BIPOC, trans, women, and femme participants — historically underrepresented communities at ALC — as well as microgrants for BIPOC and trans-led teams to encourage a diverse range of cyclists.
Come April, scores of queer cyclists will get to experience this adventure together: one that is both storied and fresh in its purpose, lineage, and joyful expression of queer togetherness. “Center Ride Out is providing an exciting opportunity for people to not only fight back and be in community with one another, but to build resiliency and be surrounded by people who share values around liberation,” Hollendoner said.
To learn how to register, donate to or volunteer for Center Ride Out, more information can be found here. The three-day adventure takes place from April 24 to April 26.
Kristie Song is a California Local News Fellow placed with the Los Angeles Blade. The California Local News Fellowship is a state-funded initiative to support and strengthen local news reporting. Learn more about it at fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows.
Los Angeles
Stonewall Young Democrats bounces back from “quiet year” with Hero Awards
On Saturday, Feb. 7, the Stonewall Young Democrats (SYD), an organization that mobilizes and fosters community for young, LGBTQ+ people, hosted its “Hero Awards” ceremony at Beaches West Hollywood. Under luminous pink light, vibrant crowds of community members showed up to support and celebrate people and organizations spearheading LGBTQ+ visibility, change, and livelihood across L.A. County. Political figures filled the venue wall to wall, including LA Mayor Karen Bass, West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman, West Hollywood Council Member John Erickson, and California Assemblymember Rick Zbur.
Several local advocates and politicians were honored for their queer advocacy and leadership, including City of Los Angeles LGBTQ+ community affairs liaison Carla Ibarra, L.A. Democratic Party Chair Mark Ramos, Congressman Mark Takano, and L.A. County LGBTQ Commission Chair Sydney Rogers. The Los Angeles Blade was also recognized with an Impact Award.
Los Angeles Blade publisher Alexander Rodriguez accepted the award. In his acceptance speech, Rodriguez shared, “We report on and share the struggles of our queer community. We also get to see the resilience and strength our community has, even in the face of adversity. We see firsthand the importance of the Stonewall Young Democrats and the amazing network of people they have put together, as seen here today.”
The Stonewall Young Democrats formed in 2004, immortalizing the 1969 Stonewall riots in its name. The decision to carry the legacies of early gay rights movements is poignant: queer resistance and their enduring battle against political and social marginalization and violence are seared into the organization’s core.
SYD’s President Kanin Pruter is keeping this link to the past alive; it’s a reminder of the interconnectedness of the queer community. “Our history is there for a reason,” Pruter told the Blade. “Without lesbians during the AIDS crisis, we would not be where we are today. And our movement was started by Black trans women.”
This recent Hero Awards marks SYD’s revitalization. After a relatively quiet year, its board is excited to grow its organization, recruit diverse and eager LGBTQ+ folks, and create fruitful opportunities for everyone in the organization to develop their political advocacy and organizing skills.
Most importantly, Pruter hopes that SYD can be a safe, inclusive, and accessible space for any LGBTQ+ person who has felt outcast before. “In a loving and joking way, we’re an island of misfit toys,” Pruter said, who is intentional about creating environments where queer folks who have experienced trauma, isolation, and exclusionary social politics can fit in and belong.
“I want folks to be open, vulnerable and leave any preconceived notions at the door. We come in here [and] we are who we are. We respect each other’s identity, and we’re here to foster a culture where everyone feels welcome.”
Pruter encourages young LGBTQ+ people who are interested in getting involved in SYD, to contact him and learn more about the organization. More information can be found here.
Kristie Song is a California Local News Fellow placed with the Los Angeles Blade. The California Local News Fellowship is a state-funded initiative to support and strengthen local news reporting. Learn more about it at fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows.
AIDS and HIV
Congresswoman Maxine Waters introduces new resolution for National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
H.Res.1039 supports more funding, resources and awareness for Black American communities, who are disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS.
Today is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Advocates established this day of awareness on Feb. 7, 1999, and nearly 30 years later, Black communities in the U.S. continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV.
On Wednesday, California Congresswoman Maxine Waters introduced H.Res.1039, a resolution that supports the goals of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and calls for a collective commitment to address disparities Black people with HIV face. Waters represents the state’s 43rd congressional district, a majority Black and Brown population comprising South L.A. cities like Hawthorne, Gardena, and Inglewood.
In the resolution, Waters urges state and local government officials, as well as their public health agencies, to acknowledge the importance of this awareness day and encourage their constituents to get tested for HIV. The resolution also requests that the Secretary of Health and Human Services prioritize distributing grant funding to minority-led, HIV organizations and community-based approaches to fighting HIV stigma, LGBTQ+ discrimination, and racism.
In 2023, young Black men accounted for 47% of new HIV diagnoses among youth, while young white men made up 3% of these diagnoses, according to a new Williams Institute report. Black women also have the highest HIV diagnosis rate among women, and Black community members overall represent 38% of new HIV diagnoses and 39% of people living with HIV in the U.S., despite being only 12% of the national population.
Beyond the disproportionate rates of infection and diagnosis amongst Black Americans, these communities also face greater difficulties in accessing the medical care needed to prevent and treat HIV. In the same year, white Americans were 7 times more likely to access Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) compared to Black Americans, a data point that affirms racial and healthcare inequities Black people continue to face in the U.S.
“[This] is a day to commemorate the impact of HIV/AIDS on Black Americans and encourage continued efforts to reduce the incidence of HIV, eliminate health disparities, improve access to care and treatment, and show support for all those who are living with HIV/AIDS,” said Congresswoman Waters, in a press release.
Waters has been an advocate for people impacted by HIV/AIDS since the peak of the crisis in the 1980’s. In 1998, she worked to establish the Minority AIDS Initiative, which expanded national prevention and treatment efforts in support of minority communities, who remain disproportionately impacted by HIV. In 2025, Waters introduced the “HIV Prevention Now Act” as well as the “PrEP and PEP are Prevention Act,” to increase prevention efforts and reduce health insurance barriers to access preventative resources, respectively.
H.Res.1039 is the latest addition to the congresswoman’s efforts to raise awareness for Black and other minority communities impacted by HIV/AIDS, and to fund and support on-the-ground efforts that prioritize their care and wellbeing.
The resolution is endorsed by various LGBTQ+ organizations mobilizing for communities impacted by HIV, including AMAAD Institute (Arming Minorities Against Addiction and Disease), LA Pride, AIDS Foundation Chicago, and PFLAG National. The resolution is also co-sponsored by 29 other U.S. representatives, including fellow California congressmembers Robert Garcia, Laura Friedman, Nanette Barragán, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Lateefah Simon and Mark Takano.
H.Res. 1039 has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and currently awaits further action.
Kristie Song is a California Local News Fellow placed with the Los Angeles Blade. The California Local News Fellowship is a state-funded initiative to support and strengthen local news reporting. Learn more about it at fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows.
Los Angeles
Project Angel Food is now able to feed 10,000 people daily with expanded building
On Thursday, community gathered to celebrate Project Angel Food’s new kitchen and campus building, which allows them to serve more of the county’s critically ill community.
On Feb. 5, community members gathered at 922 Vine Street to celebrate the expansion of Hollywood-based non-profit Project Angel Food. That Thursday morning, the organization cut the ribbon for its Chuck Lorre Family Foundation Kitchen and Campus: one of two new buildings that greatly increase its capacity to provide healthy food and nutritional resources to the county’s critically ill community members.
Project Angel Food was founded in 1989 by author and activist Marianne Williamson and blossomed from a dire need to feed people impacted by HIV/AIDS during the epidemic. Today, the organization cooks and delivers over 1.5 million meals, tailored to specific needs that include chronic illnesses and gastrointestinal issues, to 5,000 people across Los Angeles.
In August 2023, the organization launched its “Rise to the Challenge” campaign, a multi-year expansion and renovation project backed by $51 million. Now, its first phase is complete, and its impact is expected to double.
With the new Chuck Lorre Family Foundation Kitchen and Campus, Project Angel Food’s kitchen staff — which, like the rest of the organization, is majorly powered by volunteers — has access to 16,000 square feet of expanded space, which includes more ovens, walk-in freezers, and hot cook lines than they’ve ever had access to previously. Project Angel Food CEO Richard Ayoub explained today that this will allow staff and volunteers to serve 10,000 people a day.
The organization’s executive chef, John Gordon, explained to the Blade that “space issues” were a major hindrance previously. Before the new kitchen was opened, staff worked out of a much smaller Lincoln Heights facility. “If you didn’t get the rack, you don’t have the sheet pans. If you got the sheet pans, you don’t have the last chiller,” Gordon said, explaining how difficult it was before to balance multiple tasks in the same space. Now, their team of seven chefs, 12 kitchen assistants, dishwashers, and volunteers can work in several cook lines at the same time.
“We’re much more efficient this way,” Gordon continued. In the kitchen, the day begins at 8 a.m. Someone will pick music for the morning, setting a groove for staff as they sync up to review recipes, pack meals prepared from the day before, and cook meals for the next day ahead. After a lunch break, they continue to work until 4 p.m. to make sure they’re meeting the needs of the community they serve.
For locals like Celeste, a Project Angel Food client who is affected by multiple sclerosis, this service is crucial. On days the disability “really takes effect,” being able to receive nutritious meals customized to her needs makes a meaningful difference. “Some days, I’m not able to get up,” Celeste said. “Just that one meal [can] give me an extra boost [and] allow that sun to shine brightly even on my rainy days.”
For advocates and Project Angel Food supporters, Thursday’s celebration was also an act of resistance and a bold declaration against the federal administration. Jamie Lee Curtis, the honorary co-chair of the “Rise to the Challenge” campaign, spoke of the “love” that lay at the core of Project Angel Food’s foundation: a kind of love she finds completely absent in the federal administration.
“We are a community here today the same way they are in Minnesota, and I feel like what they’re doing is what we’re doing,” Curtis said to the crowd, defiance firm in her voice. “And we’re only going to get any shit done if we do it together and defy these motherfuckers.”
County supervisor Lindsey Horvath, a former delivery volunteer at Project Angel Food, affirmed this statement and guaranteed the county’s continued support in the organization. Horvath spoke of the government’s “glaring absence” during the HIV/AIDS epidemic: one that is “eerily similar” to its attitude now.
As the government mobilizes Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, sending immigrant communities spiraling into crisis, on-the-ground organizations like Project Angel Food are standing in firm support of their marginalized and ill community members. Horvath’s confirmation of county support is also rooted in this mission.
The building’s exterior also reflects the organization’s dedication to its residents. On the south side, a new large-scale mural painted by esteemed local muralist Robert Vargas highlights the stories of local volunteers and vendors who live and work in the neighborhood. Vargas explained that seeing these people in action “crystallized” the dedicated service and harmony that exists among the organization’s volunteers, clients, staff, and nearby community members.
Next, the second building of the Chuck Lorre Family Foundation Kitchen and Campus begins construction this summer. This space will house the organization’s nutrition, volunteer, and client services and will also include its first department dedicated to research and policy. There will also be a training kitchen, where clients will be able to learn how to cook meals on their own.
As Project Angel Food’s growth continues, Ayoub hopes community members who are able to pitch in will do so. While public funding can feel unsteady, he explained, community strength and sustainment can fill those gaps of doubt. The organization is $2.3 million away from its goal in securing capital for this second building, and Lorre will match donations up to $1.5 million.
Kristie Song is a California Local News Fellow placed with the Los Angeles Blade. The California Local News Fellowship is a state-funded initiative to support and strengthen local news reporting. Learn more about it at fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows.
Arts & Entertainment
2026 Best of LGBTQ LA Readers’ Choice Award Nominations
Nominations for the Best of LGBTQ LA Awards are open from until February 15th!
It’s time to celebrate the vibrant and diverse LGBTQ+ community of Los Angeles! Nominations for the Best of LGBTQ LA Awards are open from until February 15th, giving you the chance to highlight your favorite local legends, hotspots, performers, and change-makers. Then, from February 23rd to March 6th, cast your vote for the finalists and help decide who truly represents the best of LGBTQ LA. The Best of LGBTQ LA Awards Party will be held on March 26th at The Abbey!
Use the form below or click the link HERE to nominate!
Los Angeles
Community members urge city council to invest in trans lives
Advocates introduced the TGI Wellness and Equity Initiative, a campaign that would direct crucial funding to trans, gender expansive and intersex community organizations.
At 9 a.m. on Tuesday, ahead of L.A.’s regular city council meeting, a long procession of people wrapped around the entrance leading into the council chamber. Someone remarked that it was “unprecedented” to see so many people gathered, waiting to get inside. Several housing advocates and legal experts were waiting to make public comments about Measure ULA, otherwise known as the county’s “mansion tax.”
Another fifty or so transgender, gender expansive and intersex (TGI) advocates from the TransLatin@ Coalition (TLC), a long-standing organization that provides housing and meal support, legal services, mental health guidance and peer support groups, showed up to demand real, tangible support on behalf of themselves and their community members as the Mayor prepares the city’s budget on how funds will be allocated.
TLC advocates called on the city council to invest in their TGI Wellness and Equity Initiative (TGI WE), a two-year pilot program that would provide $4 million to five organizations that support the safety and rights of local TGI people. This money would expand each organization’s ability to hire more staff and expand their outreach, resources, and ability to serve a continually underserved community: TGI Angelenos who are multiply marginalized as violence against trans people and immigrants continues to increase.
During public comment, TLC president and CEO Bamby Salcedo requested that the council move forward with the initiative. Aside from general support, she asked that two council members act as co-sponsors and petitioners for the initiative. This way, TGI WE can be added as an official agenda item for future city council meetings, which would get the ball rolling for the initiative’s funding goals.
“Right now is the time to stand in solidarity with our community and stand against the federal government, who is attacking and trying to disappear trans people,” Salcedo told council members. Several other advocates, including TLC policy ambassador ChiChi Navarro, Christopher Street West board member NiK Kacy and Invisible Men director Jovan Wolf delivered passionate statements in support of TGI WE.
“Los Angeles is in a state of crisis, and our communities are running out of time,” Navarro told the council. They also spoke to the county’s growing investment in LAPD, while TGI organizations receive nothing. “This is not a resource shortage. It is a resource allocation choice [that] is costing lives. We need this council to introduce the TGI Wellness and Equity initiative immediately…We cannot wait. We need urgent investment today.”
TGI WE would fund community-run organizations that focus on individualized care that is facilitated with language support and sensitivity training, a kind of care that is crucial for TGI community members who often face criminalization and discrimination at the hands of law enforcement agents.
“We are their lifeline, and we demand your support,” Jovan echoed. “It’s time for the city of L.A. to make good on its promises to be for everyone…You and all of us know that we have been marginalized, pushed to the sidelines, and we continue to be an afterthought in your budgets and your agendas.”
When the meeting concluded, TLC members rallied together for a demonstration, calling out: “Support trans lives!” as council members filed out of the chambers.
On the quiet walk back onto the street outside, Navarro reflected on the importance of this meeting and the effort community members made to be there. “A lot of the time, not just city council, [but] groups in general tend to forget trans people,” Navarro told the Blade. “Trans people are here. You saw today: clearly, we’re not a small pocket. I think we have to show them: we’re here [and] we’re not going anywhere.”
“It’s not great to be left in a place where you’re expected to continue to do the work, but without any actual support,” Navarro continued. Besides concrete funding, official citywide support for TGI WE would affirm that elected officials are willing to take a stance and take meaningful action when it comes to supporting TGI community members. “So it’s not just the money,” Navarro said. “L.A. has a motto, [that] L.A.’s for everyone. But I don’t know how you can say that when you’re not doing everything in your capacity to protect everyone.”
Kristie Song is a California Local News Fellow placed with the Los Angeles Blade. The California Local News Fellowship is a state-funded initiative to support and strengthen local news reporting. Learn more about it at fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows.
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