Vanguard December 2013

L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center’s Monthly Newsletter­­–Read By More Than 60,000 People

Becoming ONE with LGBT history pg. 6

Fostering a Chinese revolution... in HIV care pg. 12 JANUARY 2014

1 & !* r 3 ollar e b m for d e c r De dolla y b ift hed g a tc ke ma a M l be il it w

HOMELESS

LGBT are

YOUTH

ALONE, Scared & hungry

Give young people food, medical care, warm beds and a welcoming place to stay during the holidays.

Make a gift by December 31 and longtime Center supporter Barry McCabe will match it dollar for dollar.*

Donate today at lagaycenter.org/match * up to $25,000

CEO LETTER

‘TIS THE YEAR TO BE JOLLY! This has been an incredibly successful year for LGBT people in the U.S. and those who care about us.

We’ve experienced the greatest progress in our fight for the freedom to marry. In California it became legal—again!—after the U.S. Supreme Court found that the extremist supporters of Prop. 8 had no standing to challenge a ruling that overturned it.

States that joined us in 2013 were Maryland, Rhode Island, Delaware, Minnesota and New Jersey (even France came around). At press time, Hawaii looks like it will soon join the crowd and the Illinois legislature just approved marriage equality! Two men were even married in Oklahoma under local Native American tribal law. Plus, key provisions of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act were repealed and now the federal government recognizes our marriages.

In other civil rights arenas, the Boy Scouts of America partially succumbed to critics’ calls to end their discrimination against gay people.

They agreed to allow gay scouts under the age of 18, but the minute these youth turn 18, they’re kicked out. Many corporations refused to resume donations under these unacceptable circumstances.

At the same time, the number of television shows with LGBT themes seem to have increased, from powerful dramas like The Fosters to gay-friendly moments on shows like Game of Thrones.

We are indeed making enormous progress. Yet, much work remains to be done. For example, in most states in the nation, marriage

is not legal for same-sex couples. We still have no federal law that prohibits employment discrimination against LGBT people. Some states disallow same-sex couples from adopting.

And LGBT people face rejection, bigotry and even violence every day in every state in the nation—even in Los Angeles.

Here at the Center, we have seen recordbreaking numbers of LGBT folks coming to us for help. Several months ago, our new Youth Center on Highland served an all-time record of 134 homeless youth in a single day. The same is true in our Jeffrey Goodman Special Care Clinic—1,077 clients seeking medical care in a single month.

In the last few years alone, the number of seniors participating in our programs has more than tripled! It’s almost as if the progress in our society and the increasing visibility in film and television have made LGBT people more willing to come to us for help.

The Center is doing everything it can to respond to these increasing demands.

At this time of year, I’m especially grateful to those in our community who help us do so and to our remarkable staff and volunteers, without whom none of our work would be possible.

I wish everyone happy holidays and here’s to an even more successful 2014 for all of us!

Lorri L. Jean, Chief Executive Officer

At this time of year, I’m especially grateful to those in our community who help us [meet the increasing demand for services] and to our remarkable staff and volunteers, without whom none of our work would be possible.

On the cover: Clockwise from the top Jennifer Dave, Mary Jane Hufstedler and Molly Sircher are some of the teachers leading the Center’s students to success.

JANUARY 2014

3

group meetings at the village

seniors services

Community Groups

Social Networking Groups

Bears L.A. 3rd Wed., 7 - 10 p.m.

30+ Lesbian Chat Meet women outside of the bars Every 1st & 3rd Fri., 7:30 - 9 p.m.

Art Lab Fri, 1-3 p.m.

No experience necessary

Gay Men’s Sexual Dysfunction Support Group If you’re a gay man facing any type of sexual dysfunction, this group is for you Every 2nd & 4th Tues., 7 - 9 p.m.

Registration required. Contact GMSHF@yahoo.com or 323-860-7340 L.A. Leather Coalition 1st Thurs., 7 - 9 p.m.

Positive Images HIV+ Men’s Forum Every Wed., 7 - 8:30 p.m.

Call 323-860-7321 to RSVP Positive & Powerful Connect with other gay and bisexual men who have recently tested positive Every Thurs., 7 - 8:30 p.m.

Call 323-860-7321 to RSVP Prostate Cancer Support Group Every 1st & 3rd Tues., 7 - 9 p.m.

Registration required. Contact scohen@lagaycenter.org or 323-860-7340 Rated M Last Tues., 6 p.m.

Meet other young guys (18-24) to talk about, dating, relationships and healthy, erotic sex To RSVP or for more information, contact colorincommon@lagaycenter.org or 323-860-7353 S.M.A.R.T. Recovery Every Sat., 9:15 -10:45 a.m.

Coming Out Coming Out Workshop for Women Coming Out Workshop for Men Safe, nurturing workshops for anyone who is facing their own coming out process Call 877-OUT-4-LIFE (877-688-4543) for information and to register Coming Out Group for Youth A safe, nurturing space for those ages 22 and under to explore issues related to sexual orientation or gender identity Every 1st & 3rd Sat., 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Out Talk A safe, supportive space for anyone who loves or knows someone who is coming out to ask questions and process their feelings.

Every 1st & 3rd Sat., 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Visit lagaycenter.org/comingout for information

Bi-osphere* Explore and discuss the many shades of today’s diverse bisexual community Every 2nd & 4th Mon., 8 - 9:30 p.m.

Lesbian Chat* Great conversation for lesbians and bisexual women; Every Mon., 8 - 9:30 p.m.

Canceled Jan. 20 Men’s Speakeasy* Great conversation for gay and bisexual men; Every Tues., 8 - 9:30 p.m.

Transgender Perceptions* Conversation and community-building for transgender people; Every Fri., 8 - 9:30 p.m.

Village Readers An LGBT reading and discussion group.

Jan. 8, Rubyfruit Jungle, by Rita Mae Brown Feb. 5, The Two Krishnas, by Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla Every 1st Wed., 7:30 - 9 p.m.

12-Step Groups AA Happy Hour Tues. - Fri., 6:10 - 7:10 p.m.

Al-Anon Gay Focus Thurs., 7 - 8 p.m.

Alcoholics Anonymous It’s Come to This Mon., 6:10 - 7:10 p.m.

CMA—Let Go and Let God Fri., 8 - 9:30 p.m.

Crystal Meth Anonymous Sat., 9:10 - 10:10 a.m.

Debtors Anonymous Tues., 8 - 9 p.m.

Gay & Lesbian CODA Tues., 8 - 9 p.m.

Marijuana Anonymous Wed., 8:15 - 9:15 p.m.

NA—Heartbeat of Recovery Mon., 7 - 8:15 p.m.

OA Thurs., 7 - 8 p.m.

One Page at a Time Thurs., 8 - 9 p.m.

Sex & Love Addicts Anonymous Thurs., 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Sexual Compulsives Anonymous Mon., Tues., Wed., 8 - 9 p.m.

Thurs., 8:15 - 9:15 p.m.

Sat., Noon - 1:15 p.m.

UA—Artist in Prosperity Tues., 7 - 8 p.m.

Women’s AA Wed., 8 - 9 p.m.

Center Angels The Center Angels give back through various volunteer opportunities. For more information, call 323-860-5830 and leave a detailed message Chair Yoga with Master Lakshmi Every 1st & 3rd Wed., 10:30 a.m.

Comunidad Latina Every 2nd Wed., 3 - 4:30 p.m.

Metropolitan Community Church-Los Angeles 4607 Prospect Ave. Call 323-860-7369 to RSVP Coping with Caregiving Every Thurs., Dec. 5 - Feb. 27 11:15 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.

Open to everyone aged 50+ Grief and Loss Support Group Every 2nd & 4th Tues., 1 - 2:30 p.m.

Call 323-932-5414 for location HIV+ 50+ Men’s Drop-In Support Group Thurs., 1-3 p.m.

Larry’s Computer Club Wed., 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.

MahJong Club Mon., 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Men’s Drop-In Support Group Wed., 10 a.m. - Noon with Steve Men’s Lunch Every 2nd & 4th Wed., Noon - 1 p.m.

Rise & Shine Women’s Support Group, drop-in Mon., 10 a.m. - Noon Stretch & Balance with Bobby Wed., 11 a.m. $5 suggested donation Valley Social and Networking Group Thurs., 12:30 - 2 p.m.

Call 323-860-5830 for location .

Women’s Lunch Every 1st & 3rd Mon., Noon - 1 p.m.

For more information about Seniors Services classes, please call 323-860-7322.

Email seniors@lagaycenter.org or call 323-860-5830 to RSVP. Parking permits are required at The Village during office hours.

Please call ahead for information.

Unless stated otherwise all activities occur at *group may not welcome late arrivals

4

JANUARY 2014

The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N. McCadden Place

upcoming events

advertising You can effectively reach more than 60,000 members of the coveted lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender market in Los Angeles! Advertise in the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center’s monthly newsletter Vanguard and gain unparalleled (and direct) access to this niche demographic.

DEC

8 A CLOTHING DRIVE FOR HOMELESS LGBT YOUTH Sunday, December 8 Noon - 4 p.m.

contact info

Eleven Nightclub & Restaurant

General Information 323-993-7400

Medical Services 323-993-7500

AIDS/LifeCycle 323-860-7380

Mental Health 323-993-7669

lagaycenter.org/threads

Cultural Arts 323-860-7324

Pharmacy 323-993-7513

Presented by

Domestic Violence 323-860-5806

Room Rentals 323-860-7301

Family Services 323-993-7430

Seniors Services 323-860-5830

HIV/STD Testing 323-860-5855

Social Networking Groups 323-860-7332

Learning Curve 323-860-7332 Legal Services 323-993-7670

Village Box Office/ Tickets 323-860-7300 or lagaycenter.org/ boxoffice

8811 Santa Monica Blvd. West Hollywood

Sponsored by

DEC

12-15

LESLIE JORDAN: SHOW PONY December 12, 13, 14 at 8 p.m.

December 15 at 7 p.m.

L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center’s Renberg Theatre The Village at Ed Gould Plaza 1125 N. McCadden Place, Hollywood

vanguard staff

General Admission $35 Tickets available at lagaycenter.org/theatre

Jim Key

or by calling 323-860-7300

Chief Public Affairs Officer

Kimiko Martinez

Associate Director of Marketing & Communications

Jesse Finley Reed Creative Director

JAN

17-19

Manny Sanchez

Marketing Communications Coordinator

Gil Diaz

Marketing Communications Manager

Kurt Thomas

Graphic Designer

THE $100,000 MISMATCH GAME Created and hosted

printed by Pace Marketing Communications

by Dennis Hensley

subscriptions

January 17, 18 at 8 p.m.

January 19 at 7 p.m.

Vanguard is published monthly by the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, a nonprofit corporation. 1625 N. Schrader Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028, Voice 323-993-7400 • TDD 323-993-7698.

Copyright 2013, Vanguard. All rights reserved. Subscription rate: free to membership. Printed in the USA. Publication of

the name, quotation or photograph of a person in articles or advertising is not an indication of the sexual orientation or the HIV status of such person. Moving, getting duplicate mailings or wish to be removed from the Vanguard mailing list? Call us at 323-993-7620 or visit lagaycenter.org/newsletter.

The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center’s Renberg Theatre The Village at Ed Gould Plaza 1125 N. McCadden Place, Hollywood General Admission $15 Tickets available at lagaycenter.org/theatre or by calling 323-860-7300

JANUARY 2014

5

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF ONE NATIONAL GAY & LESBIAN ARCHIVES AT USC LIBRARIES

ONE FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS

by Manny Sanchez It was New Year’s Eve at a popular Silver Lake bar and, as usual, a few singers were performing “Auld Lang Syne” while the exclusively gay clientele embraced and exchanged kisses.

It was a joyful celebration until several plainclothed police officers suddenly began beating and arresting more than a dozen people.

The bar was the Black Cat, and the police crackdown happened just minutes after the start of 1967, about two and a half years before the much more widely known police raid on New York’s Stonewall bar. The subsequent protests outside the Black Cat, though unfamiliar to many people now, were a monumental catalyst in the gay rights movement in Los Angeles.

Soon, public high school students in Los Angeles will learn about this raid and other significant LGBT historical events and figures from their textbooks, thanks to a groundbreaking partnership between the Center’s Project SPIN (Suicide Prevention Intervention 6

JANUARY 2014

(clockwise from upper left) In 1967, PRIDE (Personal Rights in Defense and Education) led hundreds in protest of a police incursion into the Black Cat bar in Los Angeles that left numerous individuals injured and a bartender in critical condition; San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk as the Grand Marshal of the Christopher Street West pride parade in Los Angeles, June 1978; Exterior of the Center’s former headquarters.

Now) and the ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives—the world’s largest repository of LGBT materials.

“It’s especially important for young people to identify with LGBT role models who are reflected in their school lessons,” said the Center’s Project SPIN coordinator Sara Train.

“LGBT history was integral to the development of American history. The Center’s collaboration with ONE Archives will create a positive impact in the classrooms because all students will gain a more informed education about the LGBT community.”

The collaboration includes LGBT-inclusive lesson plans that meet the standards of the California FAIR Education Act, which became a law in 2011 and requires general instruction to include information on the contributions of LGBT people.

“We hope the LGBT-inclusive curriculum we are developing for Los Angeles County schools will be seen as a model for the rest of

It’s especially important for young people to identify with LGBT role models who are reflected in their school lessons.

- Sara Train, Project Spin Coordinator

the nation to use when teaching American history,” said Joseph Hawkins, Ph.D., Director, ONE Archives at the USC Libraries.

Thanks to this partnership, every student will soon learn about our community’s contributions, not as a sidebar, but in the pages of history.

CENTER WELCOMES NEW CFO

by Gil Diaz During his second week on the job, the Center’s new Chief Financial Officer Richard Hetherington got a taste of what it’s like to be a Los Angeles resident: His car got towed.

Accustomed to riding the subways of New York City, the challenges of driving in L.A.—not to mention parking—are new experiences for Hetherington, a native of New Zealand. But aside from his auto-related woes, Hetherington is thrilled to be in the City of Angels and working for the Center.

“I enjoy working for nonprofits because I enjoy being a part of organizations that are really making a difference in people’s lives,” he says.

“What’s special about the Center? This is my community. And that’s what really cinched my

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARC CARTWRIGHT

decision to accept this great opportunity.”

He also credits the Center’s Chief Development Officer Bill McDermott and board member Brad Ong for encouraging him to apply for the position.

Prior to joining the Center, Hetherington worked at Kiwi Partners, Inc., a company that provides accounting and CFO services to the New York nonprofit community, where he was the CFO for 15 different nonprofits simultaneously. He worked on special projects with several highly regarded organizations, such as Gilda’s Club of NYC, New York Cares, and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission.

He holds an MBA from New York University-Stern, where he majored in Finance, Management and Leadership.

The Center congratulates This is my community.

And that’s what really cinched Richard with a hearty “kia ora” my decision to accept this (“welcome” in great opportunity.”

New Zealand’s Maori language)!

Celebrating the Golden Age Belmont Village residents enjoy exceptional hospitality, luxurious amenities and premier programs for health and wellness.

Senior Living has never looked better!

S E N I OR L I V I N G

belmontvillage.com Burbank (818) 972-2405 Encino (818) 788-8870 Hollywood Hills (323) 874-7711 Rancho Palos Verdes (310) 377-9977 Westwood (310) 475-7501 Thousand Oaks (805) 496-9301

RCFE Lic 197608468, 197608466, 197608467, 198601646, 197608291, 565801746 © 2013 Belmont Village, L.P. Vanguard_10_2013_golden.indd 1

8/29/13 10:22 AM

JANUARY 2014

7

They’re the kids in America

By Gil Diaz

Photographs by Jesse Finley Reed

“I cried every time I went to school. I thought they would kill me one day.”

Since coming out as transgender in seventh grade, Nichole* was bullied and assaulted so frequently by classmates that she tried—twice—to end the pain by killing herself.

“I was punched. I was spit on,” she recalls.

“Even my teachers were rude to me. They would throw me out of class just for wearing eyeliner or skinny jeans.”

Naturally, the painful experiences did more than hurt Nichole emotionally and spiritually: They began to affect her studies and grades. But then she learned from a substitute teacher about a public charter school program, operated in partnership with the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, just for LGBT students and their allies.

Known as Opportunities for Learning (OFL), the charter school program offers students the opportunity to learn in small groups and at their own pace. And, of course, none of the students enrolled in the program who meet at the Center’s Village at Ed Gould Plaza ever have to worry about bullying.

HUMBLE START OFL, headquartered in Pasadena, was founded in 1999 with a mission of “academic and social recovery” and the motto “Mutual Trust, Mutual Respect, Compassion and Integrity.”

It’s a fully accredited public school program for students ranging from 7th to 12th grade, and graduates earn a diploma equivalent to the diploma from any other public high school.

“This is a safe space for LGBT students to

continue their learning,” says the Center’s LifeWorks Program Director Michael Ferrera, who oversees the Center’s OFL program. “They come to us struggling in their lives and studies, but they leave here stabilized.”

Launched in January 2010 with one teacher and two students, the Center’s OFL program now has more than a dozen students who fill the classrooms when they’re on “campus,” twice each week, to check in with their teacher.

“This school has a special place in my heart,” says Molly Sircher, the program’s first teacher who still works there. “I believe in its mission and the idea that everybody deserves to feel safe while pursuing their education. The students’ successes are momentous because a lot of them have been through quite a journey in their lives before getting here.”

Before enrolling at the Center, 17-year-old Thomas was attending school in Little Rock, Ark., where he was accompanied by two security guards every day. The Board of Education mandated the use of the guards after he got beaten up by a group of classmates when he came out.

“My classmates attacked me from the back, punching my skull and temple,” Thomas recalls.

“After that, my thinking became slower, and my memory got worse.”

For six months, in order to protect Thomas from any more violence, the guards made him enter the school five minutes before the first bell rang, and they picked him up five minutes before school ended.

Thomas’s brother persuaded him to travel 1,700 miles to learn at the Center’s school. The

Students won’t earn a grade lower than a C-minus because we don’t let them. If they fail a test, we work with them until they learn to master the materials.

Molly Sircher, Lead OFL Teacher

10

JANUARY 2014

brother—who’s also gay—had graduated from the very same school.

“My brother knew this program was what I needed, because of its endless possibilities,” says

OFL

A poem by Vanessa A rare Treasure Chest Filled with wondrous mysteries Eclectic Each an individual With their own stories Their own goals Ours is a safe haven Free from judgment and scorn A place of Knowledge of Laughter A place where they listen Where they help you Opportunities for Learning Opportunities for me

Thomas. “So many people here see so much potential within me—things I didn’t see myself.

I’m happy coming to school every day because I’m constantly around people who are just like me.”

of LGBT students, any student under age 20 is accepted into the Center’s OFL program as long as they’re committed to studying in an environment in which all people are welcome. A 19-year-old who enrolls in the program can stay as long as it takes him/her to graduate.

“Students won’t earn a grade lower than a Cminus because we don’t let them,” says Sircher.

“If they fail a test, we work with them until they learn to master the materials.”

His teachers’ persistence is exactly what Austin wants from them. The 17-year-old, who identifies as bisexual, hated traditional high school so much that he began skipping classes during 10th grade and eventually failed nearly all of his classes. He thought his only educational options were traditional high school or homeschooling—two choices he detested—until he discovered OFL. “Traditional school was too slow for me,” he explains. “I wouldn’t do the homework and ended up getting behind [in my studies]. I wasn’t trying.”

Since reenrolling in the Center’s OFL campus last year (he discontinued attending OFL for a moment to try another attempt at a traditional high school), Austin has grown into a responsible young man. He now has a part-time job at a fast-food restaurant.

“If it wasn’t for OFL, I probably would be a high school dropout by now,” he says.

RULES TO LEARN BY As an added advantage of attending the Center’s school, students have the opportunity to participate in the after-school offerings of the Center’s LifeWorks program, including its mentoring program, Creative Expressions curriculum and the hugely popular OutSet filmmaking class.

OFL student Ceilidh (pronounced “Kaylee”), 17, participates in the Outside Voices choir and the Pen Pushers spoken word group—unpredictable choices for someone who once preferred to stay at home rather than attend school.

“Because of OFL, I’m doing better at school than I’ve ever done before,” says Ceilidh, who identifies as neither male nor female but rather as “agender.” “I’ve always had issues with motivation. Now, I’m able to work at my own pace.”

Ceilidh learned about the Center’s school purely by accident while attending an open house at The Village. “If I hadn’t found this school,” Ceilidh says, “I’d probably still be in regular school and struggling with all my classes.”

Although it was designed to meet the needs

BRIGHTER FUTURE Since its launch nearly four year ago, the staff of the Center’s OFL campus has expanded to five teachers–including math, English and special education teachers–and a school psychologist. More than 65 students have participated in the program and many have gone onto college (see sidebar article).

Nichole, the transgender student who tried twice to end her life, is now determined to be one of the program’s success stories. After graduating, she plans to get a degree in business administration while pursuing a part-time modeling career. Dreaming big was never a viable option for her until the Center’s OFL entered her life.

“I can wear pretty clothes and be who I am,” she says with a big smile. “I feel really happy here. This is the best gift the substitute teacher who told me about the program gave me.” *Names changed to protect minors

GOLD STAR GRADUATES How the Center helped youth see a brighter future

“Because of the Center’s school, I have more potential than I thought.

I’m moving up in life. I’m going to have a better future because I realize that education is everything.”

- Abel Sandoval • • •

Graduated in 2013 from the charter school at the Center Currently a 1st year student at California State University Northridge Majoring in film studies

“I used to depend only on myself to get through life.

But, my teachers helped me grow into a new person.

They taught me how to ask others for help whenever I need it.”

- Chris T. • • •

Graduated in 2012 from the charter school at the Center Currently a 2nd year student at Santa Monica College Studying kinesiology and nutrition

PHOTOGRAPH BY JESSE FINLEY REED

YOU DON’T KNOW JACK

How one doctor is taking the Center’s model for HIV care back to China

by Gil Diaz

Dr. Wenyuan “Jack” Wang couldn’t wait to return home to China in October … not just because he hadn’t seen his family and friends for more than three months, but also because he was ready to shake things up in health care policies.

Last summer, Dr. Wang interned at the Center’s Jeffrey Goodman Special Care Clinic as the newest participant in a long-running collaboration between the Center and China known as the Emerging Leaders Program (ELP). Unlike his ELP predecessors, who were mainly LGBT activists and advocates, Jack was making history as the program’s first medical doctor.

“I have a lot of gay friends, and we talk about HIV and AIDS a lot,” he says. “I want to help them. I understand what they need.”

Dr. Wang works for an LGBT organization known as the Aibai Culture & Education Center in Chengdu, China’s eighth largest city. The goal of the Aibai/LAGLC medical internship is to establish a community-based, comprehensive HIV/AIDS medical services model of health care—similar to that of the Center—in Chengdu, which could eventually be replicated throughout the country.

He shadowed medical director Dr. Robert Bolan and other physicians, as well as nurses, a registered dietitian, case managers and mental health clinicians five days a week, studying the Center’s standards of care.

12

JANUARY 2014

HIV is my whole life’s work, and I need to help our HIV-positive patients lead better lives.

- Dr. Jack Wang

“What Dr. Wang observed at the Center is the premier model of coordinated HIV/AIDS care,” says Health Services Research Program Manager Risa Flynn. “Our patients are treated by a highly trained team that is welcoming, nonjudgmental, caring and inclusive. We evaluate each client as a whole person, caring for them with respect and compassion for their varying needs.”

This comprehensive model of care is rare in Dr. Wang’s country, which was the main reason for his visit. HIV-positive patients in China experience a highly fragmented health care system.

“It takes a long time—perhaps weeks—to get their health in order,” says Aibai Board Member Damien Lu. “A person gets tested at a government-run testing clinic and must go

to another clinic to pick up the results. If the test result is positive, the person is required to take a second test at Centers for Disease Control offices, which may be located very far. So, by the time you’re ready to talk with a doctor or nurse about the virus, enough damage has been done already.”

A 2012 Chinese CDC report indicates that 15 percent of gay men in Chengdu are HIVpositive. Additionally, according to Flynn, the newer classes of HIV medications are unavailable to the majority of HIV-positive patients in China.

“The drugs most commonly prescribed as ‘first line’ antiretrovirals are the drugs we used in the United States over 20 years ago,” Flynn says.

Dr. Wang hopes his learnings from the Center will transform the way his homeland cares for people living with HIV. His goal is to establish a better model of care within the next five years.

“Dr. Wang was moved by the dedication and passion that our staff bring to their work,” Flynn says. “They were willing to spend time teaching him and giving him an experience of the kind of medical care that’s possible.”

Although the lack of resources and finances may delay his goal of revolutionizing China’s HIV care system, Dr. Wang remains undaunted.

“I can do it,” he says. “HIV is my whole life’s work, and I need to help our HIV-positive patients lead better lives.”

2

3

1

5 4

Models of Pride (1-5) More than 1,500 students, adult allies and volunteers attended this year’s event at University of Southern California, which included workshops ranging from LGBT activism to faith and sexuality. (6) Center board member

Jayzen Patria (right) and KNBC-TV reporter Mekahlo Medina (center) with Comcast NBCUniversal LifeWorks Program Scholarship recipients.

6

9 10

7

8

11

12

An Evening Under the Stars

13

Film director Roland Emmerich hosted the October 19 party raising $2.9 million to benefit the Center’s homeless youth services. Guests included: (7) Michael Fossat & Trent Kendrick (with Emmerich, left), (8) Dan Bucatinsky, (9) Camilla Belle & guest, (10) Emmerich & Mark Gordon, (11) Annie Trousseau, (12) Party guests, (13) David Furnish, 14 (14) Russell Simmons & Jane Lynch.

JANUARY 2014

13

Personal Growth RE-INVENT YOURSELF

Create a Career That You Love Are you seeking a career change? This workshop will show you how to network more effectively, how to make technology work for you, and how to master the secrets of career coaching and online job hunting.

Instructor: Bob Dallmeyer Workshop Thurs., Dec. 19, 7 - 9:30 p.m.

Enrollment Fee: $25

(Enrollment closes at 5 p.m. on 12/18)

A CLEAR PATH

Clear the Clutter and Organize Your Life

Creative Arts MOVEMENT & FORM

Principles of Gesture Drawing

An Intensive Playwriting Workshop

This course is the perfect complement to our popular Life Drawing course. Learn how to capture movement and gesture in your drawings of the human nude. Each session features a live nude model.

Learn the craft of playwriting by reading and discussing each student’s work. Learn structure, character, conflict, climax, resolution and much more. All experience levels are welcome.

Instructor: Daniel Ribera

Instructor: Richard Steel

2-Part Course Mon., Dec. 9 & 16, 7 - 9:30 p.m.

6-Part Course Sat., Dec. 7 - Jan. 11, 1 - 4 p.m.

REGISTER by calling 323-860-7300, ext. 3

Enrollment Fee: $39

Enrollment Fee: $99

or

(Enrollment closes at 5 p.m. on 12/8)

14

WRITING FOR THE STAGE

Once the holidays are over, it’ll be time to bring order back into your life. Take charge of the holiday mess in your home and/or office once and for all. Learn how to turn your chaos into an organized and clutter free expression of the person you are inside.

JANUARY 2014

(Enrollment closes at 5 p.m. on 12/6)

Instructor: Regina Lark Workshop Sat., Jan. 11, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Enrollment Fee: $29

(Enrollment closes at 5 p.m. on 1/10)

lagaycenter.org/learningcurve

Technology

Wealth & Security

LEARN ADOBE PHOTOSHOP EXT.

HOLIDAYS IN THE BLACK

Levels I & II

Photoshop is the graphic world’s most powerful tool. Learn how to retouch, create composites, paint, color correct and much more.

Instructor: Dali Sadhana L1 Sat., Jan. 4, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

L2 Sat., Jan. 11, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Enrollment Fee: $89 Each Level Combine Levels I & II Enrollment Fee: $149 (No Additional Discounts) (Enrollment closes at 5 p.m. on 1/3)

Making and Sticking to a Holiday Budget

For so many of us, the holidays are a time when we create burden and debt that can cause us to struggle for the rest of the year.

This course will help you create a budget and establish rules for sticking with it so that you won’t repeat bad spending habits from the past.

Instructor: Rebecca Dreyer

Workshop

Wed., Dec. 4, 7 - 9 p.m.

Enrollment Fee: $25

Performing Arts VOICEOVER TALENT

(Enrollment closes at 5 p.m. on 12/3)

Wellness

Introduction to Voiceover for Beginners Unleash the vocal giant inside of you. This hands-on course will teach you tricks of the trade and how to start your career in voiceover. Held in a professional recording studio, students will get mic time and will receive digital copies of their work.

AWAKENING

Instructor: M.J. Lallo

Instructor: Marc Caldwell

Workshop Tues., Dec. 10, 7 - 10 p.m.

Class

Enrollment Fee: $49 (Enrollment closes at 5 p.m. on 12/9) Course meets off-site

Saturday Morning Meditation Don’t let the rush and tension of the holiday season stress you out. Start your weekends with us by opening your eyes, your heart and your soul while centering your mind and body.

Every Sat., 10 - 11:30 a.m.

Check website for holiday cancellations Free (donations are welcome) Walk-up, no RSVP necessary

JANUARY 2014

15

L.A. GAY & LESBIAN CENTER

McDonald/Wright Building 1625 N. Schrader Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90028

YOU ARE UNIQUE... and YOU make us uniquely successful!

Thanks to your generosity and years of hard work, we have much to celebrate this holiday season.

Happy Holidays from all of us at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center!

Moving, getting duplicate mailings or wish to be removed from the Vanguard mailing list?

Call 323-993-7620 or visit lagaycenter.org/newsletter