BIKING ADVOCATE AND DEI CONSULTANT TAMIKA BUTLER JOINS THE CENTER'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ON A ROLL!
VANGUARD | COMMUNIT Y
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the Center’s Legal Services as a counsel for efore launching her own consulting away her bike and never touch it again. “But as soon as I finished the ride, I youth experiencing homelessness. firm specializing in diversity, equity, “I remember thinking what a place like and inclusion (DEI), Tamika Butler missed it!” she confessed. “Suddenly, I was served as executive director of the Los Angeles biking to the store, biking to hang out with the Center would have meant to me growCounty Bicycle Coalition (LACBC), a non- friends. AIDS/LifeCycle literally changed ing up—seeing other LGBTQ people like profit organization whose mission is to make my life and my relationship with my city! me as doctors, lawyers, and managers providing vital services to our commuLos Angeles a healthy, nity,” Butler said. “Everyone I met safe, and fun place to ride at the Center that day was full of a bike. warmth, compassion, and optimism. “When I moved to It was such an amazing feeling—to Los Angeles, I was con- The Center is a fantastic organization doing be seen and valued.” stantly in my car and Her affinity with the Center was no longer the active phenomenal work. What I love about the continued to blossom, and when person I had been in Center is that it's constantly evolving. I’m asked to join its Board of Directors, the Bay Area. My docshe shifted into high gear. tor said I really needed excited about being a support for the Center “I couldn’t say yes fast enough! to take better care of through its leadership transition, and I want The Center is a fantastic organizamyself,” recalled Butler, tion doing phenomenal and critical who identifies as a Black to be a part of continuing to center race, work. What I love about the Center: genderqueer woman. “A it’s constantly evolving,” she said. friend convinced me to equity, diversity, and inclusion in our work. “I’m excited about being a support get a bike and do AIDS/ for the Center through its leaderLifeCycle, despite my ship transition, and I want to be a concerns about being the chubby girl on a bicycle with small wheels.” When I was on my bike, I could see my part of continuing to center race, equity, After completing the seven-day, 545- environment and be close to many different diversity, and inclusion in our work.” Tamika and her wife Kelly reside in Los mile bike trek from San Francisco to Los communities.” A graduate of Stanford Law School, Angeles with their two-year-old son Atei. Angeles benefiting San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the HIV-related services Butler’s first glimpse of the Center occurred The family is expecting a newborn baby in of the Center, Butler swore she would put when she met a colleague who worked for March.
