Los Angeles County
A California Mayor calls LGBTQ+ identities a “choice of lifestyle”
Saying LGBTQ+ community was not worthy of mayoral consideration raised eyebrows after Chen declared April as National Pickleball Month
By Nico Lang | TORRANCE, Calif. – This year was the first since 2014 that Torrance, a California city nestled in the southward sprawl of greater Los Angeles, did not issue a proclamation recognizing June as Pride Month.
The tradition began with Torrance’s former mayor, Patrick Furey, in 2014, but following his retirement last year, the newly elected George Chen broke with the custom by declining to put forth an official statement honoring Pride. Chen, whose views lean conservative, referred to LGBTQ+ identities as a “certain choice of lifestyle for some people” in comments shared with the local news publication Daily Breeze.
“I respect each person’s personal choice,” he said in a June interview. “It does not rise to a proclamation.” His declaration that the LGBTQ+ community was not worthy of mayoral consideration particularly raised eyebrows after Chen issued a proclamation earlier this year declaring April as National Pickleball Month in Torrance.
Chen’s remarks have kicked off a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ controversies in the South Bay city whose comely beachfront and smooth weather have long been a boon to T.V. producers: The exteriors of Torrance High School famously stood in for Beverly Hills and Sunnydale in the ‘90s teen dramas 90210 and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, making the campus a popular pilgrimage for these shows’ passionate fanbases.
But for many in the surrounding LGBTQ+ community, the fallout has left them feeling as if they no longer have a place in the picturesque hamlet they call home. “We don’t have anyone to support us,” said Tiffany Garcia, who owns Torrance’s Black Raven Tattoo. “We feel like the town from Footloose here. No one’s allowed to dance. We’re just at a loss right now. We’re feeling really, utterly defeated.”
When it came to celebrating Pride in 2023, Torrance’s LGBTQ+ citizens and their allies admittedly expected very little. Unlike neighboring areas like Hermosa Beach and Long Beach, the city has never raised the rainbow flag at city hall for Pride month.
Redondo Beach, which borders Torrance to the north, hoisted the Progress Pride Flag in a June 7 ceremony, marking a first for the tourist destination immortalized by punk progenitor Patti Smith in a 1975 track of the same name. “Hate has no home here,” said Redondo Beach Mayor Bill Brand, who spoke at the event despite battling lung cancer and a brain tumor. “We’re making history by raising this flag to start a new future in Redondo.”
But business owners in Torrance knew that they had to do something more this year after a string of vandalism incidents targeted Pride decorations in June 2022. Assailants repeatedly tore down rainbow streamers that had been wrapped around trees in the city’s prime commercial hub, and members of the Downtown Torrance Association (DTA) came up with a solution to prevent that from happening again.
Rather than placing the decorations where members of the public could easily reach them, the group designed 12 rainbow banners that read “Downtown Torrance Pride” and hoped to hang them from light poles throughout the business district. “We weren’t even doing a whole Pride parade and going all out,” said Adam Schwartz, a member of the DTA and owner of the management firm Levy Living Legacy. “We truly barely did anything. Banners felt like the least we could do.”
The DTA coordinated with members of Torrance’s Community Development Department (CDD), which manages all municipal permits, on the displays for nearly a year, and Schwartz said that members of the CDD were optimistic and encouraging throughout those discussions. He said that local business leaders were told, over and over again, regarding the Pride banners: “That’s a great idea! You just have to get permission.” But on May 10, just three weeks before Pride was set to kickoff, city representatives informed businesses that the process of getting those permissions approved actually would be “really complicated,” Schwartz said.
Although the displays were never officially Okayed, the DTA decided to hang them anyway. No one within the group thought there would be pushback: Signs advertising the annual Antique Street Fair had been hung on city light poles without a permit for 24 years, through five different mayoral administrations. The lack of proper paperwork never posed a problem before.
And yet sources said all that changed when the DTA decided to issue its own proclamation recognizing Pride month after the mayor refused to do so. Members of the DTA took turns reading aloud the statement, which was ratified unanimously by the 50 businesses that comprise the organization, during the public comment portion of the June 6 city council meeting. “[T]he Downtown Torrance Association is proud to recognize the contributions of our community members and leaders who are LGBTQIA+ to the local arts, businesses, schools, government, and community organizations,” the proclamation stated. By the next morning, the Pride displays were gone.
Security cameras that Garcia mounted outside Black Raven Tattoo show city officials removing the Pride displays at 5:50am, around seven hours after the council meeting came to a close. The handful of banners were eventually returned to their owners, but when the DTA put them back up, they were met with a stern warning. In a meeting with the DTA, city representatives claimed that business owners could face misdemeanor charges if the displays weren’t removed by the end of the day.
Garcia, who opened her tattoo parlor in Torrance six years ago, said the threat felt personal to her as a queer woman who has faced discrimination throughout her life. “I don’t honestly feel safe holding my wife’s hand,” she said. “When we got married, it wasn’t even legal in California. We had to fly to another state in order to get married. We couldn’t have the majority of our friends or family there because they couldn’t afford to fly out. Straight people don’t understand the difficulties of what everyday life is like for the LGBTQ+ community.”
The banners, as ordered, were taken down within the day, to some outcry among Torrance residents. Part of the problem, as critics argued, is that the municipal leaders had not laid out clear guidelines for which kinds of banners would be eligible to display from city light poles or how residents would go about requesting to hoist them. Torrance itself owns 78 light poles in the downtown area, while the rest are the property of Southern California Edison (SCE), which limits banner displays to city and state flags or municipally sponsored events.
On June 20, the Torrance City Council met to debate the introduction of a clear policy on banner eligibility, and what was likely intended to be a tedious discussion regarding appropriate procedure quickly devolved into a circus of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment.
Some speakers opposed to the DTA banners appeared to confuse the issue with Torrance itself flying a Pride flag at city hall, which was not being discussed. A woman with a black baseball cap pulled down over her eyes asked why the city wasn’t recognizing the contributions of its straight citizens or people of faith. “Why is the heterosexual Pride flag not represented?” she asked. “Why are we not flying the Christian flag? The Catholic flag?”
Another speaker claimed the Pride flag celebrates “perverted men being perverted in lingerie” and claimed the debate is a slippery slope to “people dressing up as horses” on Torrance’s streets. “Pride isn’t good,” he said. “You are going to invite that into our cities if we don’t keep our city safe now.”
Although Torrance council members clarified that only the banner policy was scheduled for consideration that evening, at least one member of the seven-person body felt that the issue of Pride flags should be raised: Councilman Aurelio Mattucci. In a rambling, six-minute speech, Mattucci said that recognizing the LGBTQ+ community could allow outside groups to take advantage, such as hate groups or maybe even clowns. “No matter what policies we put together under the umbrella of freedom of speech, anybody can really put up anything,” said Mattucci, widely viewed as the council’s most conservative voice. “I can put up flags with clown faces. Where do we draw the line?”
In a unanimous decision, the Torrance City Council voted that evening to limit city light poles to local, state, or federal banners, under the assertion that such a policy would be in line with SCE’s own guidelines. This assertion neglects to consider that SCE is an outspoken supporter of LGBTQ+ equality.
In years past, its parent company, Edison International, has participated in both the Long Beach and Palm Springs Pride parades, and the national electric utility outfit signed onto a letter in 2019 urging passage of federal LGBTQ+ non-discrimination protections. Currently, Edison International enjoys a perfect 100 score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, a significantly higher rating than Torrance itself.
Torrance is among the lowest scorers of any California city surveyed in HRC’s Municipal Equality Index: 58, ahead of only Fontana (52), Ontario (52), Brisbane (53), and Fresno (55). Nearly its entire score is a product of the fact that Torrance resides in one of the country’s most progressive states, a longtime trailblazer in LGBTQ+ civil rights.
While a permanent decision has yet to be made on the future of Pride banners in Torrance, LGBTQ+ citizens said the debacle has been terrible for the local community’s morale. Vandals began targeting bridges in the city with anti-LGBTQ+ graffiti after the mayor refused to issue a Pride proclamation, leaving messages that read “Fuck Groomers,” “Fuck LGBTQ,” and “Fuck Pride Month.” (Neither Chen nor the city council have issued a statement formally condemning the hateful epithets.)
Silas Quinn, a 32-year-old non-binary person, said that they moved away from Torrance as an adult in fear that it wasn’t safe for someone like them, but they came back last year for an apprenticeship at Black Raven Tattoo. They hoped things had changed. “It’s frustrating for me to see that I’m still not really welcome,” they said. “I’m still not really what Torrance wants to be a part of their community. I feel that a lot of people have stopped having a sense of politeness, and their true colors are really starting to show.”
But what frustrates many local business owners is that they feel the events of the past year aren’t reflective of the vibrant, inclusive community they know Torrance to be. Torrance has one of the most diverse populations of any California city, boasting the second-highest concentration of both Korean and Japanese Americans in the state (following Fullerton and Gardenia, respectively). Even after the myriad fiascos that have unfolded over the past year, many local businesses have continued to hang rainbow flags outside their shops or behind their storefront windows. “This will not stop the Downtown Torrance Association from finding other ways to celebrate Pride,” said Isabel (Douvan) Schwartz, who was part of the team that co-authored the DTA’s Pride proclamation. “Next year we will find another way to celebrate.”
City officials in Torrance did not respond to requests for comment on this story, although sources said that some council members have been working behind the scenes to move toward a compromise. During the June 20 meeting, Councilman Assam Sheikh urged his colleagues to table a resolution recognizing Pride month, adding that he hoped the gesture would send a “message to the community that we all love you.” “Whatever you believe, you should be able to express that anywhere in this country,” he said at the time. “That’s the beauty of our country.”
But that recommendation was not heeded by June’s end, which came and went without a statement from the mayor. At a prescheduled June 28 community meeting with Chen, critics expressed their displeasure with the city’s elected leadership. Whereas the prior week’s council meeting was overwhelmed with conservatives citing Bible passages that allegedly proclaim LGBTQ+ people to be an abomination, this time nearly every person in attendance voiced support for the community. Eden Andrews, a 2o-year-old trans speaker, chided Chen for what he said was the mayor’s “lack of compassion.” “That’s all we’re asking for, Mr. George Chen, is respect,” said Andrews, who added that he and his girlfriend have been harassed walking down the street in Torrance and that he has had the word “faggot” written on his door. “You can’t look at me and say that you respect us while saying that it is a lifestyle. It’s not just about putting up ribbons. It’s just because we are like you, and I’d say we all love the same, but it’s clearly not the case.”
The Torrance residents interviewed for this story remain optimistic that next year can be different, even as many other L.A.-adjacent cities likewise bear the brunt of discriminatory backlash. On June 6, three people were arrested following violent protests outside a board meeting of the Glendale Unified School District in the suburb of the same name, which voted in favor of a Pride month proclamation that very evening. Many of the communities that have experienced such incidents, like Torrance and Glendale, generally vote Democratically in statewide elections: Also last month, the Chino Valley Unified School District in Chino voted 4-1 to ban Pride flags from classrooms. The district’s schools are also mulling a policy that would force teachers and faculty to out trans students to their parents if they become aware that a young person does not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth.
Many critics of Chen’s decisions believe that Torrance can break the trends they’re seeing in cities across southern California by showing up to vote in the next election. Torrance suffers from low voter turnout in mayoral race: When Chen was elected in June 2022, he won by fewer than 3,000 votes. Less than 20,000 ballots were cast in total, in a city that’s home to over 143,000 people. That lack of engagement results in a sharply partisan split between local and federal elections: Torrance is represented by Maxine Waters and Ted Lieu, both liberal stalwarts, in the House of Representatives. Lieu, a straight ally, recently reintroduced a bill seeking a national ban on the discredited, harmful practice of conversion therapy on LGBTQ+ youth.
Ultimately, LGBTQ+ locals and members of Torrance’s business community vowed to keep making their city a better place, with or without the help of their elected leaders. “I’m seeing people in my community losing hope,” Adam Schwartz said. “It’s destroyed people’s trust in the city. A lot of people can hear this and go, ‘Oh, Torrance is such a backward, bigoted place,’ and that hurts everyone in Torrance. What I’ve been hoping to do is show that even though city leadership does not accurately represent the actual community, our downtown community is willing to fight in terms of inclusivity and making everyone feel welcome.”
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Nico Lang is an award-winning LGBTQ+ news reporter. You can read their work in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Esquire, Time, The Guardian, BuzzFeed, Jezebel, Them, The Washington Post, HuffPost, The Daily Beast, The Advocate, Out, and the L.A. Times.
Los Angeles County
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New on the County Channel
Welcome to Meet the Fleet: the show that takes you inside the cab and under the hood of LA County’s fleet of vehicles. With more than 17,000 vehicles in its garage, LA County is ready to respond to anything by land, sea or air. Meet the Fleet will showcase how these machines serve the people of Los Angeles County and introduce you to operators who make them run.
In this episode, ride into the fire with the LA County Fire Department and learn about the heavy machinery they use when the heat is on.
You can watch more stories like this on Channel 92 or 94 on most cable systems, or anytime here. Catch up on LA County Close-Up here.
In Case You Missed It
May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month
This month, we celebrate the vibrant cultures, rich traditions, and invaluable contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Join Los Angeles County in celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month! Visit lacounty.gov to find events, programming and resources that are available for you to access throughout May.
At Your Service
Addressing Teen Mental Health Challenges
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health recently launched a Mental Health Toolkit for teens and parents/guardians of teens. If you are a teen or parent/guardian of a teen, explore the free guide to the most common mental health challenges facing this generation by clicking here.
Out and About
Take Action During Mental Health Awareness Month
The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health’s Take Action movement promotes wellness and well-being while sharing the vast array of resources and services provided by the nation’s largest behavioral health department.
The Department of Mental Health is bringing communities together in wellness by encouraging everyone to pay attention to their own needs and those around them. Drop by one of our Take Action events and learn more about what the Department of Mental Health can do for you!
In addition to this year’s Take Action events, Department of Mental Health encourages County residents to utilize the resources available through the department and its partners, including the 24/7 Help Line at (800) 854-7771, the 9-8-8 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, iPrevail digital wellness platform, our walk-in clinics and peer resource centers, and our partnerships with L.A. agencies and organizations. To learn more about these resources, visit dmh.lacounty.gov.
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(Photo Credit: Los Angeles County/Mayra Beltran Vasquez)
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Los Angeles County
Chappelle’s bisexual attacker sues Hollywood Bowl & its security
He claims that the security team for the Hollywood Bowl failed to protect him from Chappelle’s entourage intentionally
LOS ANGELES – In a lawsuit filed in Superior Court Friday, the 25-year-old who rushed comedian Dave Chappelle on stage at the Hollywood Bowl during Chappelle’s set during the “Netflix is a Joke” festival on May 3, 2022, is suing the venue’s operator’s, The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association and the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, along with its security company.
According to the court documents reported on by KABC 7 Eyewitness News, Isaiah Lee, the man who attacked the comedian alleges that the Bowl’s security guards and members of Chappelle’s entourage beat Lee “ruthlessly” when he rushed the stage.
KABC 7 noted that Lee, who identifies as bisexual, “became upset by the discriminatory nature” of Chappelle’s jokes that night and “rushed the stage in protest as the show ended,” the lawsuit read.
Lee also claims that the security team for the Hollywood Bowl failed to protect him from Chappelle’s entourage: “These individuals spat on Lee and dislocated his arm intentionally,” the lawsuit alleges.
Chappelle was attacked by Lee who also had a plastic replica of a gun that shoots forth a knife blade on him, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
After regaining his composure, Chappelle joked that the attacker “was a trans man,” a reference to the comic’s controversy within the LGBTQ+ communities.
Chappelle, beloved by many for his clever television program Chappelle’s Show, has long been a controversial figure to the LGBTQ+ communities. Following the premiere of his Netflix The Closer, which featured insensitive cracks about trans women’s genitalia and TERFs (or trans-exclusionary radical feminists), among other topics, several trans employees of Netflix staged a walkout.
Additionally, trans comedians told CNN they felt that the comments were an example of “punching down” on those with less power and a betrayal of the astute social commentary for which Chappelle is known. Chappelle eventually agreed to meet with members of the community to discuss the tenor of his jokes about trans people.
Los Angeles County prosecutors opted to not charge Lee with a felony instead with misdemeanor charges of battery, possession of a weapon with intent to assault, unauthorized access to the stage area during a performance and commission of an act that delays an event or interferes with a performer.
After Lee’s attorneys cited homelessness and mental illness, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge granted Lee a mental health diversion, thus waiving his speedy trial rights for two years after he entered a not-guilty plea. He was sentenced to 270 days in jail and after serving his time was conditionally released to Lake Hughes Recovery Center in Gorman, California.
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Los Angeles County
New on the LA County Channel
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New on the County Channel
Patients at LA County’s Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center enjoy some animal therapy as they progress on their rehabilitation journey.
Department of Health Services’ recreation therapists use animal-assisted therapy in both individual and group treatment settings to gain functional outcomes such as increasing social skills, range of motion, group participation, and overall strength and endurance.
You can watch more stories like this on Channel 92 or 94 on most cable systems, or anytime here. Catch up on LA County Close-Up here.
In Case You Missed It
LA County Day at the Fair is May 4th!
The LA County Fair opens this weekend and to celebrate, we’re offering discounted tickets on LA County Day at the Fair on May 4! Enjoy the LA County Expo showcasing all the great things the county is doing in our neighborhoods and take advantage of this discount offer. Admission is just $8 through May 3 at 11:59 p.m. Admission is $10 the day-of, May 4, 2024.
LA County Fair season runs from May 3rd – May 27th. Get your tickets today and be sure to use the password “LACOUNTY” for your LA County Day tickets for the discount price!
At Your Service
LA County Library: Citizenship in a Bag
Looking for help on your path to US Citizenship? LA County Library offers Citizenship in a Bag, a toolkit with resources for customers seeking to obtain US Citizenship.
This toolkit in a bag contains a variety of educational materials for the naturalization exam, including flash cards, multimedia tools, and a FREE citizenship folder with valuable resources that customers can keep.
Borrow or place a hold on a Citizenship in a Bag toolkit here.
For more details and questions, please call your nearest LA County Library location.
Out and About
Beach Eats Gourmet Food Trucks
Beach Eats is back for another summer in Marina del Rey!
Join us every Thursday, 5–9 p.m., May 9 through October 31, for some of the most unique and popular local food truck fare at “L.A.’s Marina.”
- ORDERS: Food orders can be made online up to five days before each Thursday event, or directly at the food trucks on-site.
- PARKING: Available in Lot #11 at a rate of $0.50 for each 15 minutes. There is a $2 minimum for credit card payments.
- MORE INFO: Visit the Best Food Trucks website to check out the upcoming food truck schedule, order online, or try the Best Food Trucks app (Apple or Android).
See you on Thursdays at Beach Eats in Marina del Rey!
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(Photo: Los Angeles County / Mayra Beltran Vasquez)
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Los Angeles County
St. John’s Community Health awarded $10 mil for climate resiliency
St. John’s Community Health is a network of 24 community health centers and 4 mobile clinics providing free & low-cost health care
LOS ANGELES – Today, St. John’s Community Health – a network of community health centers serving South, Central, and East Los Angeles; the Inland Empire; and the Coachella Valley – announced they have been awarded $10 million by the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) to help build a community resilience center in South Los Angeles.
“To protect communities made most vulnerable to climate change by racist policies and practices, we must be proactive in treating environmental disparities and implementing climate preparedness plans,” said Jim Mangia, president and CEO of St. John’s Community Health. “We will build the Avalon Health Access and Resilience Center alongside the community it is meant to serve, offering a diversity of programs and services to treat both the symptoms and the root causes of the climate crisis.”
The abundance of concrete, heavy traffic corridors, and lack of green space in South Los Angeles causes more extreme heat than in other areas of Los Angeles. Further, rapid gentrification has caused spikes in homelessness, leaving many people forced to live on the street and face dangerously hot weather with no respite. Increasing risk of wildfires also put people experiencing homelessness and low-income children at greater risk for respiratory illnesses.
St. John’s Community Health is one of nine applicants being awarded a community resilience center implementation grant.
Through this grant, St. John’s Community Health plans to build the Avalon Health Access and Resilience Center near their existing community health center and drop-in clinic serving unhoused people. The center will be a community-driven safe haven in South Los Angeles with the infrastructural capacity to prepare for, respond to, and recover from climate, public health, and other emergencies.
The climate and community resilience center will incorporate wide-ranging disaster relief and environmentally sustaining campus amenities and services, including: accessible and adaptable indoor and outdoor spaces for cooling, emergency shelter, climate and community resilience classes and events, and a community garden.
Physical infrastructure elements will be integrated with year-round medical, dental, and behavioral health services, case management, educational programming, peer support, workforce training, basic-needs services, and other programs to address lack of access to resources for low-income people of color from a diverse group of priority populations living and working in South Los Angeles.
This first-of-its-kind center represents a significant step in expediting recovery efforts and building resilience among communities in South Los Angeles.
Moreover, the center will serve as a catalyst for community cohesion, bringing residents together to collaborate, share resources, and support one another. St. John’s anticipates serving at least 15,000 members from the priority populations at the Avalon Health Access and Resilience Center annually.
Los Angeles County
Manhattan Beach PD: Hate crime investigation after Nextdoor post
Anyone with information regarding the incident was urged to contact Manhattan Beach Police at (310) 802-5127
MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. – A photo of a sign with racial slurs and the hanging of what appeared to be a noose from a tree posted online on the neighborhood centric Nextdoor website Thursday has touched off a hate crime investigation Manhattan Beach Police confirmed.
Detective Seth Hartnell told City News Service uniformed patrol units responded to an isolated section of Sand Dune Park near Bell Avenue around 11:00 a.m. Thursday, but that officers did not find a noose hanging there. Hartnell said city workers removed the sign.
“Officers took a report documenting the incident, and Manhattan Beach Police Department detectives are investigating,” he said.
Anyone with information regarding the incident was urged to contact Manhattan Beach Police at (310) 802-5127.
Los Angeles County
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Welcome to Budget Quest: the game where billions of dollars and services for millions of people are at stake! Watch this video as Buddy the Budget Wiz navigates the County’s complex budget process to build and fund a new program.
To learn more about the County’s $45.4 billion 2024-25 recommended budget, visit ceo.lacounty.gov/budget.
You can watch more stories like this on Channel 92 or 94 on most cable systems, or anytime here. Catch up on LA County Close-Up here.
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April is “Child Abuse Prevention Month” in Los Angeles County
In L.A. County, there are more sleep-related deaths than all other accidental child deaths. These deaths are completely preventable. Accidental suffocation is the greatest risk for babies under age 1. These deaths are silent and quick. It just takes seconds for a baby to suffocate.
Below are some resources for parents and caregivers to learn more about safe sleeping practices:
- Inter-Agency Council on Child Abuse and Neglect: Infant Safe Sleep
- LA County Department of Public Health: Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development: Safe to Sleep®
At Your Service
DEO Small Business Summits
Get ready, LA County! Join the LA County Department of Economic Opportunities and partners for the ultimate small business boost at the upcoming LA Region Small Business Summit series, kicking off Small Business Month on April 29th at the iconic Los Angeles Coliseum with the City of Los Angeles. Five power-packed FREE Summits throughout May, celebrating all small businesses, entrepreneurs, and County residents in style!
Discover a trove of FREE resources, services, and programs aimed at helping your business grow and thrive. From expert panel discussions to a bustling resource expo and beyond – we’ve got everything you need to elevate your business — all under one roof! Ready to supercharge your small business journey? Don’t miss out! Register now for a Summit near you by visiting here.
Out and About
The LA County Fair is Back May 3!
This year the LA County Fair celebrates the medley of communities that comprise Los Angeles County with its theme Stars, Stripes & Fun. LA County is one of the most diverse counties in the nation, brimming with a mix of cultures and communities, and the LA County Fair celebrates them all!
Join us at the Fair as we celebrate all things LA County on Saturday, May 4! Enjoy the LA County Expo showcasing all the great things the county is doing in our neighborhoods and take advantage of this discount offer. Admission is just $8 through May 3 at 11:59 p.m. Admission is $10 the day-of, May 4, 2024.
Get your tickets today and be sure to use the password “LACOUNTY” at check out for the discount price!
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(Photo: Los Angeles County/Mayra Beltran Vasquez)
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Los Angeles County
New on the LA County Channel
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New on the County Channel
L.A. County is investing millions of dollars in American Rescue Plan funds for paid early education apprenticeships. The Early Care and Education Assistant Teacher Apprenticeship Program aims to bolster the education career pipeline and bring relief to those hoping to avoid financial debt.
You can watch more stories like this on Channel 92 or 94 on most cable systems, or anytime here. Catch up on LA County Close-Up here.
In Case You Missed It
April is “Sexual Assault Awareness Month”
This April marks the 23rd observance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Sexual Assault Awareness Month is a chance for each of us to think about the role we can play in preventing sexual abuse, assault, and harassment.
Violence is preventable. Stopping sexual abuse, assault, and harassment before they happen requires us to work together to support healthy, safe, and respectful behaviors and environments. To build truly connected communities, we must start with community accessible services and support and expand the network of service providers. When it comes to sexual violence, everyone has a role to play to help build a community that is safer, inclusive, and equitable. Below are some resources and ways for you to get involved:
- Raise Awareness: The National Sexual Violence Resource Center
- Participate in Denim Day | April 24, 2024: 5 Ways to Participate in Denim Day and Denim Day Rally & Press Conference
- Learn More: Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services and The Rape, Abuse, and Incest Network (24/7 Confidential Support Hotline)
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673.
Learn more at lacounty.gov/sexual-assault-awareness-month/.
At Your Service
Commercial Acquisition Fund Program
The Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity recently launched the Commercial Acquisition Fund to provide grants to qualifying nonprofit organizations to support the acquisition of vacant or abandoned land and buildings in designated communities that were most negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Commercial Acquisition Fundis funded by the County, with $10 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds and will be awarded as recoverable grants, ranging from $500,000 to $2,000,000. Acquisitions and funding must occur before December 1, 2024.
To learn more, apply, or sign-up to attend a community webinar, visit lacaf.info.
Out and About
April 21 – April 27th is “National Crime Victims’ Rights Week”
Join District Attorney George Gascón, the LA District Attorney’s Bureau of Victim Services and the LA District Attorney Crime Victims Advisory Board for this special National Crime Victims’ Rights Week panel discussion: “Pathways to Healing: Supporting LA’s Crime Survivors.”
This hybrid event will be on Thursday, April 25 at 6 PM, with doors opening at 5:30 PM. Click here to register to attend.
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Celebrate the 4th year of SOAR at the South Coast Botanic Garden when butterflies return May 1!
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Los Angeles County
UCLA survey says quality of life in L.A. County is way down
High cost of housing is the most important factor impacting the annual Quality of Life Index, particularly among renters
LOS ANGELES – Affordable housing, groceries and consumer goods that have all spiraled upward in cost has lowered the quality of life for Los Angeles County residents this past year according to a survey conducted by UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs.
Interviews were conducted with 1,686 L.A. County residents between Feb. 22 and March 14, both in English and Spanish.
The Quality of Life Index, or QLI, is a project of the Los Angeles Initiative at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs measures county residents’ satisfaction in nine categories. The overall rating fell two points from last year to 53 on a scale from 10 to 100, marking the second time in three years it came in below the survey’s 55 midpoint since the index launched in 2016. That means a majority of respondents are dissatisfied with the overall quality of their lives.
Zev Yaroslavsky, director of the study at UCLA said renters, who make up nearly half of survey respondents, are being disproportionately affected by the economic and inflationary pressures facing the region. More than half, or 59%, cited housing as the most important factor in their rating.
“Housing costs have gone up,” Yaroslavsky said. “And incomes have not gone up anywhere near commensurate with what’s happened to housing.”
While 61% of homeowners feel optimistic about their economic future in Los Angeles County, 51% of renters report being pessimistic. Only 23% of renters think they will be able to buy a home where they would want to live at some point in the future.
KTLA reported that according to data released by the National Association of Realtors earlier this year, parts of L.A. County rank 8th highest in the nation for highest housing prices. Just 23% of the renters that responded to the survey believed that they’d be able to buy a home in an area they find desirable in the future.
Homelessness problems are worsening
This year’s survey also produced striking results on the issue of homelessness.
“We discovered very little optimism about whether the current programs and efforts to eradicate homelessness will work,” Yaroslavsky said.
More than half, or 60%, of respondents said homelessness in their area has gotten worse over the past year, with only 10% saying it has gotten better. Just 20% are more hopeful than they were last year that the homelessness situation in Los Angeles County will improve.
Respondents were also asked whether they worried about becoming homeless themselves, with the highest levels of anxiety expressed by people living in households earning less than $60,000 annually at 44%, renters 37% and African Americans 33%.
“Despite the best efforts of state and local officials, the public is more negative and less hopeful about solving homelessness,” Yaroslavsky said.
In an email to the Blade Wednesday, Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Lindsey Horvath said:
“Watching my neighbors struggle with affordability or be on the brink of homelessness is what calls me to be of service to our community. We need to urgently address our overlapping homelessness and affordable housing crises by expediting production of all forms of housing, expanding tenant protections, and ensuring fair wages to address rising income inequality.”
Dissatisfaction with the government
Noting the fact that this is an election year Yaroslavsky, a former member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors from December 1, 1994 – December 1, 2014, said: “It feeds an overall sense that things aren’t working well.”
He framed this year’s results in the context of nearly a decade’s worth of research showing positive results for neighborhood quality and racial/ethnic relations, but low marks in categories commonly associated with decisions by public officials.
“A main theme over the last nine years is that Angelenos love the neighborhoods where they live. We appreciate diversity and get along with others better than some people think. And the quality of life for most of us is pretty good,” he said. “But at some fundamental level, people think our governmental institutions are letting them down.”
The last year has seen a modest decline in most ratings for elected officials.
- Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna is viewed favorably by 34% and unfavorably by 26%. Last year was 37% favorable and 21% unfavorable.
- Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is viewed favorably by 42% and unfavorably by 32%, a drop from 46% favorable and 23% unfavorable in last year’s QLI.
- Respondents had a slightly favorable view of the city councils in their cities: 37% favorable and 32% unfavorable. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is viewed more negatively: 27% favorable and 35% unfavorable.
The Quality of Life Index in issues regarding the environment found that 25% of respondents said climate change had a major impact on their quality of life in the last year; 38% saw a minor impact.
Los Angeles County
Eric Schockman appointed to LA County LGBTQ+ Commission
Schockman served as high-level staffer in the State Assembly & was instrumental in passing AB 1 (1st LGBTQ+ civil rights bill in California)
LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles County Assessor Jeff Prang appointed LGBTQ+ community leader and educator as well as noted author H. Eric Schockman, Ph.D., to the first-ever Los Angeles County LGBTQ+ Commission.
Schockman currently is Professor of Politics and International Relations at Woodbury University, previously serving as Associate Dean and Associate Adjunct Professor at the Sol Price School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California.
He was President and founder of the Global Hunger Foundation, dedicated to helping women in the developing world break the chains of poverty by funding projects designed to provide sustainable development and organic farming. He served as CEO and President of a prestigious international anti-hunger organization for over a decade pumping some $60 million in grants into the field.
“This was an easy choice for this ground-breaking commission,” Los Angeles County Assessor Prang said. “I’m just grateful that Eric agreed to serve on this important commission, especially in light of the serious and hateful policies against the LGBTQ+ community across the country. Eric has a long record of leadership and activism, advocating for LGBTQ+ equality and will add a strong voice of experience and accomplishment to this important commission.”
Schockman served as high-level staffer in the State Assembly and was instrumental in passing AB 1 (the first LGBTQ+ civil rights bill in California). He has also written several books and edited many articles on leadership and politics in California, the nation and international affairs, and presented on scholarly panels on these same topics.
(Photo Credit: Woodbury University)
Schockman holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and International Relations from the University of California.
“I am pleased and honored to be asked to serve on this historic commission,” Schockman said. “Assessor Prang has shown his leadership in LGBTQ+ issues for years and I do not take this new assignment lightly. I am grateful to be selected.”
The Commission was created last June with a motion authored by Supervisors Hilda L. Solis and Janice Hahn. The 15-member Commission will provide recommendations on policies and budget priorities at a time when LGBTQ+ people face mounting challenges.
According to the LA County Commission on Human Relations’ 2021 Hate Crime Report, 89% of the hate crimes towards gay men were of a violent nature and 93% of anti-transgender crimes were violent – a rate of violence higher than any other marginalized group recorded by the report.
The Los Angeles County LGBTQ+ Commission will be seated and hold its first meeting in the coming months.
Los Angeles County
City of Malibu backing two bills aimed at making PCH safer
Between March 11 & 17, the Malibu CPH Task Force issued 109 citations (88 for speeding & two for distracted driving)
MALIBU, Calif. – The City of Malibu is supporting efforts by officials in Sacramento to increase and ensure efforts aimed at making the Pacific Coast Highway safer for drivers and pedestrians.
In a statement a spokesperson said that as part of the City’s commitment to addressing PCH safety and ensuring public safety in the community, the City sent a delegation of officials to Sacramento to support two State traffic safety bills, SB 1297 and SB 1509. Both bills were approved by the key State Senate Transportation Committee April 9 and will continue through the legislative process.
SB 1297, introduced by Senator Allen (co-authored by Assemblymember Irwin and Senators Stern and Friedman), would expand the State’s automated speed safety pilot program to allow the City of Malibu to participate. The City has advocated for the installation of the speed camera systems on PCH that can automatically issue citations to speeding motorists as one of the steps to help improve safety on PCH.
AB 1509, the NOT in California Act, was introduced by Senator Stern (co-authored by Senators Allen, Niello, Seyarto and Umberg), and would amend the CA Vehicle Code to make convictions of driving 26 MPH or greater over the posted speed limit, a two-point violation against a person’s driver’s license.
Malibu Mayor Pro Tem Doug Stewart, City Manager Steve McClary, Deputy City Manager Alexis Brown gave testimony and advocated for the Bills.
They were joined by Barry Stewart, whose daughter Peyton was one of the four Pepperdine students who were tragically killed by a speeding motorist while walking on PCH in October 2023, and Michel Shane, whose 13-year-old daughter Emily was tragically killed by a motorist while walking on PCH in 2010. Shane produced the powerful, moving film “21 Miles” about the dangers of PCH in Malibu. Both gave impassioned testimony about the dangers of PCH and the urgent need to improve safety conditions on the highway.
According to the California Highway Patrol, between March 11 and 17, the Malibu CPH Task Force issued 109 citations (88 for speeding; two for distracted driving; one for a seatbelt violation; and 18 for equipment violations). Four verbal warning were issued. One driver was stopped for speeding, and was arrested for DUI. Year-to-date, the CHP Malibu Taskforce has issued 721 citations.
The City Council on March 25 approved sending a letter urging Governor Gavin Newsom, State Senator Ben Allen, Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, LA County Sheriff Robert Luna, California Secretary of Transportation Toks Omishakin, and Caltrans Director Tony Tavares to work collaboratively to make changes to the State Vehicle Code to help address PCH safety. The changes include:
- Anybody who exceeds 100 MPH shall lose their driver’s license for three months, and anybody who exceeds 100 MPH more than once in a 12-month period shall lose their driver’s license for six months.
- Anybody who exceeds twice the posted speed limit shall lose their driver’s license for one month, and anybody who exceeds twice the posted speed limit more than once in a 12-month period shall lose their driver’s license for two months.
- The loss of license in these instances shall be mandatory not discretionary.
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