Vanguard Quarterly Winter 2018 by Los Angeles LGBT Center

About the Cover To help celebrate the Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 50th anniversary, we are showcasing a small portion of our historical Vanguard covers.

Notes from the Design Desk The array of past covers that form the number 50 showcase the many stories and events that have helped shape the Center over the past 50 years. These stories are highlighted with spotlights under an evening sky and a Los Angeles backdrop that represents the strength in our community as we look beyond the stars and towards our future. John Du Art Director

Marketing & Communications Staff Jaguar Busuego

Production Designer

Ari DeSano Platform and Systems Manager

Gil Diaz

Media and Public Relations Director

John Du

Art Director

Kelly Freter Director

Greg Hernandez Writer/Editor

Melantha Hodge

Strategic Partnership Manager

Jeremy Kinser Managing Editor

Megan Phelps

Operations Manager

Kurt Thomas

Creative Services Manager

Chase Torrence Content Manager

19 21

Contributors Molly Adams

Sam McGuire

Photographer

Ryan Capiro

Callie Rodgers

Lorri L. Jean

Faye Sadou

Kaleb Khu

Dominick Wendel

Photographer

CEO, Los Angeles LGBT Center Photographer

WINTER 2018

Photographer

Betsy Martinez

CEO Letter

The Buzz

Absolutely Fab-ulous

Photographer

Board of Directors Karim Abay

Ian Harvie

Tess Ayers Secretary David J. Bailey Board Co-Chair

Marki J. Knox, M.D. Board Co-Chair Michael Lombardo

LuAnn Boylan Tad Brown Tyler Cassity Treasurer Kin W. Cheng

Carlos Medina Mike Mueller Loren S. Ostrow Peter Paige Frank Pond

Susan Feniger

Eric M. Shore

Alfred Fraijo, Jr.

Bruce Vilanch

Annie Goto

Amy Gordon Yanow

Do You Remember?

Hear Me Now

JOIN OUR CONVERSATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA

FROM THE VANGUARD COVER ARCHIVES: CATCHING UP WITH FABIAN QUEZADAMALKIN

Jayzen Patria

Carolyn A. Dye

Dean Hansell

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE RAINBOW WAVE

THE CENTER’S YEAR IN REVIEW

SENIORS TAKE THE MIC

Take Five WITH VOLUNTEER CHARNISE CHAPPLE AND HEALTH SERVICES’ KHOA BUI

On Tap

A Talent for Giving

Center Notes

Center Voices

Photo Finish

Why I Give

HOLLYWOOD AGENT LEAVES A LEGACY GIFT TO THE CENTER

BY JENIFER LEWIS

AMY GORDON YANOW JOINS THE CENTER’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Subscriptions Vanguard is published quarterly by the Los Angeles LGBT Center, a nonprofit corporation. 1625 N. Schrader Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028, Voice 323-993-7400 • TDD 323-993-7698. Copyright 2018, Vanguard. All rights reserved. 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? Please email mediarelations@lalgbtcenter.org.

Winter 2018

CEO

LETTER

RIDING THE RAINBOW WAVE

Resist. Persist. Repeat. F CEO Lorri L. Jean @LorriLJean

or two years, those who care deeply about LGBT rights (not to mention many other issues of equity and freedom) have been looking to the 2018 midterm elections as an opportunity for change. The months leading up to November’s election were filled with political commentators speculating about a “blue wave.” At the same time, our President doubled-down on his divisive, fear-mongering, and often prevaricating tactics. As I write this, the dust is still settling on some of the races, but it appears to me that both sides have victories to tout and lessons to learn. First the good news. One of our most important victories was the resounding defeat in Massachusetts of efforts to rescind protections for transgender people. By an impressive margin of 68 percent to 32 percent, voters affirmed their desire to prohibit discrimination in public places based on gender identity. This represents extraordinary progress. While the extent to which a blue wave occurred is being debated, there was certainly a “rainbow wave.” In fact, this was the first time in history that at least one openly LGBT candidate was running in every state. The winners (all Democrats) made a lot of history. Just a few examples include: • In Colorado Jared Polis became the nation’s first openly gay man elected governor (Kate Brown, elected the nation’s first openly bisexual governor in a 2016 Oregon special election, was reelected). • Openly LGBT candidates picked up

Winter 2018

three new seats in the U.S. House, pioneering “firsts” for their states: lesbian Angie Craig in Minnesota, gay man Chris Pappas in New Hampshire (which also sent two transgender women to the state’s House), and Native American lesbian Sharice Davids in Kansas. The four incumbent LGBT U.S. Representatives running for reelection all won: David Cicilline in Rhode Island, Sean Maloney in New York, Mark Pocan in Wisconsin, and Mark Takano in California. • Right here in California, openly bisexual Katie Hill won her race for the U.S. House, sending the notoriously anti-LGBT Steve Knight packing. And, in a very close race, it appears that openly gay man Ricardo Lara is poised to become the state’s Insurance Commissioner. • We now have TWO lesbian state attorneys general: marriage equality lawyer Dana Nessel in Michigan (the first openly LGBT person to hold statewide office there), who kissed her wife in front of the media as an explicit message to her anti-LGBT detractors, and Maura Healey in Massachusetts (who became the first openly LGBT AG when she was first elected in 2014). • Indiana elected its first openly LGBT person (a gay man) to the state legislature. • In Texas 14 of the 35 openly LGBT candidates who appeared on the ballot won their races. Five out Democrats—all women—were elected or reelected to

the Texas House, more than doubling the size of the state’s LGBT delegation, which will be the largest in history when the legislature convenes in January. • Jennifer Webb secured a seat in the Florida House, becoming the first lesbian elected to higher office in state history. • The first two openly LGBT members, Brandon Woodard and Susan Ruiz, were elected to the Kansas House. • Three new lesbian mayors were elected in Key West; Flemington, N.J.; and Lambertville, N.J. • Guam elected its first openly gay Lieutenant Governor. • While neither won, the Democratic candidates running for governor in Texas and Vermont were, respectively, a Latina lesbian (yes, in Texas!) and a transgender woman. • One ally especially worth mentioning… remember that teenage son of two lesbians who, in 2011, gave a remarkable speech in front of an Iowa legislative committee against a proposed constitutional amendment that would have banned marriage equality? His video went viral, amassing almost two million views in two weeks. Well, at the ripe old age of 26, he was just elected to the Iowa Senate. • I certainly breathed a huge sigh of relief when out lesbian Senator Tammy Baldwin soundly rebuffed efforts by the Koch brothers and others on the right to unseat her. (In January such forces had already spent seven times more money in the race against Baldwin than was spent against all other incumbent senate Democrats combined.) • Out bisexual Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona will join Baldwin as the second LGBT member of the U.S. Senate. • Finally, a record number of women will serve in Congress, with several making history due to their race, religion, or sexual orientation. Some 95 women have won—or at press time were projected to win—their House races, which is up from the current 84 women in the House. In addition, at least 14 women

won Senate seats. That's on top of the 10 female senators who were not up for reelection this year. What about the LGBT Republicans? This was the first election since 2010 that the number of openly LGBT Republican congressional nominees did not increase. In 2012 there was one. In 2014, two. In 2016, three. But this year there were none who emerged victorious in the primaries.

As long as any president or cabinet member, or any political party, believes that they should—or can— implement programs and policies that discriminate against us, we must continue the fight. In fact, the GOP has yet to elect an openly LGBT federal lawmaker (the handful of openly LGBT Republicans who have served in Congress have either been outed or have come out sometime after they were first elected). There is a rising number of openly LGBT Republicans in state legislative races, but I could not find any reports of an openly LGBT Republican in such a race being elected on November 6. Even Republican allies had a tough time of it at the federal level. Of the four Congressional candidates (non-incumbents) endorsed by the national Log Cabin Republicans, three of whom were in California, none prevailed. Out of 35 Senate and 435 House races, the Log Cabin Republicans endorsed only 14 incumbents (one of whom was a senator, Nevada’s Dean Heller, who was defeated). That definitely says something about the LGBT-unfriendly nature of congressional candidates currently being fielded by the Republican party. The bad news, of course, is that many anti-LGBT candidates got elected. And in this environment where moderate Republicans holding congressional office have almost become extinct, the greater margin of Republican control of the Senate means

trouble for LGBT people and our allies. In my judgment the greatest danger is posed by the continued appointment of anti-LGBT federal judges. Democratic control of the House cannot impact such appointments, and their damaging effect could persist for many decades. Pundits will spend volumes interpreting the results of the elections and what they mean for both parties going forward, particularly for the 2020 presidential election. I believe that several lessons for LGBT people and our allies are clear: • Openly LGBT people can clearly be elected to any office in the land. If we can be U.S. senators and representatives, governors, attorneys general, and state office holders in predominantly red states, the time is soon coming (if it’s not already here) when no political offices are beyond our reach. • The polarization of our nation did not improve in this election, and polarization hurts us. When not a single LGBT Republican makes it past the primaries, that’s a bad sign. We need openly LGBT Republicans running in far greater numbers. The same applies to pro-LGBT Republican allies. Imagine the different dialogue if a majority of all Republicans running were pro-LGBT! That would likely put an end to horrific Republican platforms like the one in 2016, which took anti-LGBT positions on everything from the freedom to marry and transgender restroom rights to adoption and conversion therapy. And the most important lesson of all is that when it comes to our freedom and other issues of particular importance to LGBT people and our allies: our work is far from done. As long as any president or cabinet member, or any political party, believes that they should—or can—implement programs and policies that discriminate against us, we must continue the fight. We must not rest until we have achieved full and complete equality.

Winter 2018

SAVE THE DATE

SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2019 Please note *NEW* April date!

THE PREMIER FOOD AND WINE EVENT FOR LGBT PEOPLE AND THEIR ALLIES

simplydivinela.org

BUZZ WORTHY

Thousands of LGBTQ youth and allies at Cal State LA gathered for Models of Pride, which included more than 130 workshops and college, job, and resource fairs. JUSTINE CROSS @Justineplays

Tony winner Sarah Jones 3 brought down Hundreds of volunteers (and sold out) joined the Center’s the house at Leadership LAB the Center’s canvassing to help Renberg Theatre get out the vote in for the run of Southern California her one-woman for November’s extravaganza. midterm elections.

ROSANNA Slayed my ARQUETTE #BDSM101 talk at @RoArquette @LALGBTCenter’s #ModelsofPride event yesterday! @LALGBTCenter We had such Sarah is a masterpiece a wonderful and engaging discussion together. Thank you! #queerdominatrix #femme

ROB BELUSHI @RobBelushi

Come canvass #CA48 w me every volunteer and every vote will matter. @LALGBTCenter needs you to help fight for decency this last weekend. CMON!!

Music to our Ears 4

Super ally and Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds’ response to our shout out was music to our ears.

Singing superstars returned the love during our 49th Anniversary Gala Vanguard Awards.

RICKY MARTIN @RickyMartin

2 1

NICOLE SCHERZINGER @NicoleScherzy

SIMON CURTIS @SimonCurtis

I met the sweetest, most incredible kids today at #ModelsofPride with @ItGetsBetter and I’ve been riding high on hopefulness and gratitude all day. Young queer kids are truly owning themselves and will most assuredly be taking over the world soon.

LIZ GOLDWYN @Goldilockslg

@yesimsarahjones was blown away by your show #sellbuydate @LALGBTCenter LOS ANGELES! Go see this incredible performance

SIOBHAN THOMPSON @vornietom

Today is horrible and scary and I’m glad to be spending it talking to voters today instead of staring hopelessly at my phone. The org that I’m with today is the @LALGBTCenter leadership lab. They always need more volunteers if you want to go be more active. They are lovely!

Thank you @LALGBTCenter for such a special night. Your work is so important + shows young LGBT people that they‘re not alone. Together we can build a strong community where we celebrate our differences and show that compassion and love is all that matters!

Yesss! With my Vanguard award in hand!!! Thank you so much @lalgbtcenter for a beautiful gala. Mad respect for all you do. Let’s keep working together for a better future.

DAN REYNOLDS @DanReynolds

Thank YOU for all the important work you do. Can’t wait to come by and visit sometime xoxoxo

JOIN the CONVO

For even more Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram interactions like these, plus all the latest LGBT community news, local highlights, and original content, find us on social media at:

We’d love to hear from you.

Winter 2018

Quezada-Malkin poses in front of a projection of his January 2014 Vanguard cover

eated in the top row of the empty, brightly lit Davidson/Valentini Theatre at the Los Angeles LGBT Center on a recent fall afternoon, Fabian Quezada– Malkin settles against the back wall and begins to slowly unfold a tale as dramatic as any that has been depicted on the stage here. Raised in an impoverished section of Guadalajara, Mexico, Quezada–Malkin realized, as so many LGBT children do at a very young age, that he was different from the other boys around him. He soon became a victim of homophobia and ceaseless bullying. “It wasn’t an easy life,” the 34-year-old recalls, his widening eyes emphasizing the understatement. He notes that it was also a time dearth of positive role models for LGBT people. “I

Winter 2018

didn’t have anyone to look up to, and the only gay person I knew at all was RuPaul. So you might say he was my role model at the time,” Quezada–Malkin shares with a laugh. By the beginning of his teen years, he learned of a gay neighborhood in his city and decided to explore it to hang out with its habitués. His family was so destitute that Quezada– Malkin began to secretly prostitute himself just to afford basic essentials, such as shoes. When his deeply religious Catholic mother learned her son was gay, she didn’t react well. “It was very emotionally manipulating —the way she handled it,” he says. Struggling intensely with acceptance of his sexual orientation, Quezada–Malkin made a decision to enter the seminary, having already served as an altar boy for three years. In the church he began to enjoy a camaraderie

with other young men for the first time. This relatively happy period would prove to be short–lived as he was expelled for having been seen in a gay bar. Ironically, it was a closeted priest who’d caught sight of him and notified Quezada–Malkin’s mother and other church officials while never revealing his own culpability. Exhausted by the shame he felt and threatened with conversion therapy, the young man fled to the U.S. instead. He decided to head to Long Beach, Calif., to reconnect with an American man he’d met and became romantically involved with in Guadalajara. The journey into the States was challenging. On his first attempt to migrate, he was apprehended by immigration and sent to Tijuana. The second time he walked through a rough forest—shoeless—to reach the U.S. border. His then-boyfriend paid a coyote (a

Quezada-Malkin (left) with his principal at elementary school graduation and (right) as part of AIDS/LifeCycle

smuggler of immigrants) to get him safely into San Diego. Once he made it to Long Beach, Quezada– Malkin tried to continue his education. But within a short period of time, his relationship ended, he tested HIV-positive, dropped out of school, and soon ended up without a home. He began to use meth and drinking excessively to numb the guilt and pain. Feeling broken by life on the mean streets and his addictions, he joined a 12-Step program where a friend informed him of the Transitional Living Program (TLP) at what was then the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center. There he found not only a safe place to sleep and three meals a day but also counseling and employment workshops that helped him find a stable job.

the Center’s TLP. The first-person essay was published six years after he left the program and culminated with news that he had found steady employment as a stylist at a hair salon and become seriously involved with entertainment journalist Marc Malkin. And, de-

January 2014 Vanguard cover

For longtime Vanguard readers, much of Quezada–Malkin’s story may seem familiar, since he was the focus of the January 2014 cover sharing some of the success stories from

A lot of my friends know me, but they don’t know my whole story. The Center gave me my base and taught me how to live..

spite being unable to travel to Mexico, he’d already begun to repair his relationship with his estranged mother, who’d made an effort to be more accepting of her son.

Today, four years later, he’s eager to discuss the paramount ways his life has improved in the interim. He’s still employed as a stylist at the chic Joseph Martin Salon in Beverly Hills, whose clients include Hillary Clinton and Patricia Arquette. Chief among the new developments, Quezada–Malkin was finally, after years of trying, granted a spousal green card following his marriage to Malkin this past January. He is now able to visit his family in Guadalajara without fear of getting detained at the border. To celebrate this pivotal moment, the two men decided to sponsor a clothing drive for the Center’s youth program. “Instead of bringing gifts or flowers or whatever, people who came to the party brought clothes for the youth so I could give it all to the program that helped me.” It was important for him to ask his friends to donate to the Center so they knew where he came from, according to Quezada–Malkin. “A lot of my friends know me, but they

Winter 2018

(Above) The couple at the airport for their first trip back to visit Quezada-Malkin’s family in Mexico. (Left) Quezada-Malkin with his husband Marc at Cow Palace during Registration Day before starting their first AIDS/LifeCycle together.

don’t know my whole story,” he explains. “I have friends who actually looked up the Center online after the party to learn what it does for the community.” Quezada–Malkin has returned to his mother country three times since April, after an absence of 14 years. He describes it as an out-of-body experience. “It still feels like a dream,” he says. “I was driving next to my baby sister, whom I was so close to before I left. There was a time I never thought that would—or could—happen. Now that I have the green card, I want to be there as much as I can with her and my family.” With anti-immigration legislation and incendiary headlines about a U.S.-bound caravan of asylum-seeking immigrants dominating the political landscape lately, Quezada–Malkin says immigration still weighs heavily on his mind. “It just reminds me where we all come from,” he admits. “Asylum is a huge thing because you’re basically running for your life. It’s hard to not be able to do anything. I understand what they’re going through and the struggle that they want to just leave because they’re afraid for their lives. It’s 12

Winter 2018

very painful to see.” Although he met with immigration attorneys at the Center, Quezada–Malkin decided against seeking asylum because he realized he wouldn’t be able to return to Los Angeles if he visited his family in Mexico. “I believe it still works that way because, basically, you’re asking for asylum from a country that doesn’t want you,” he states. “You’re basically deporting yourself so you definitely wouldn’t be able to come back. It would have been much harder for me to come back, even being married to Marc.” Quezada–Malkin’s eyes begin to twinkle at the mention of his husband. It’s obvious the event that he considers perhaps the most profound in his life since his tenure at the Center is his marriage. Rarely seen without his signature bow tie, Malkin is a well-regarded and popular figure at red carpet functions and possesses a knack for getting A-list celebrities to speak candidly on camera. The couple met 14 years ago at a party and were instantly attracted to one another, but Malkin, then in his mid-30s, thought the younger man

was not ready for a serious relationship. A few years, later they reconnected at a party and have been inseparable ever since. Married in January, the couple now reside in Sherman Oaks with their two dogs. Significantly, both men have also come out publicly as living with HIV and, in doing so, have become ambassadors of the HIV-positive community, recently appearing on the cover of Plus magazine. Quezada–Malkin says he’s proud of his high-profile husband’s decision and reveals that he’s received many messages from social media followers, thanking him for inspiring them to come out as people living with HIV. “It took a lot of work in therapy and a lot of work on myself to not feel shame and guilt around my HIV status and realize that visibility is important,” Malkin shares. “I want to reinforce this message because you never know who you’re going to touch with it. The next generation that comes along needs role models coming out and making it okay to be HIV-positive, demonstrating that you can continue to live a healthy life.” One activity that helps the two men

(Above) The couple at Camp Roberts in central California along the AIDS/LifeCycle route. (Left) Quezada-Malkin had his husband’s back during Malkin’s first AIDS/LifeCycle.

give back to the Center and maintain a healthy lifestyle is their dual participation on AIDS/LifeCycle. Next year Quezada– Malkin will embark on his ninth ride; the second ride for Malkin. Finding a way to repay the Center was crucial for Quezada–Malkin. “As soon as I could afford a bike, I decided to register for the ride,” he remembers. “It was one way I could give back since I took advantage of many of the Center’s services, including housing, health services, and just moral support. People like me traveled a far distance to get help and find some peace.” The two found a way to avoid testing their relationship during the challenging seven-day, 545-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles, which raises funds for San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the HIV/AIDS-related services of the Center. “The first two days, we didn’t ride together because I’m much faster than Marc is,” he says with a smile. “But, I wanted to experience his first ride with him so I stayed with him for the next five days. It was the most fulfilling experience I could have had—just riding along with someone

who is, at times, having difficulty with it— and I could cheer him up and give him the energy he needed.”

“Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s story affected an entire world,” he remarks. “She was my inspiration to share my story. Again, for me it was about being an open book now. You never know who you can help with your experience. That was my hope.”

Quezada-Malkin notes that his husband is excited to ride again in 2019. “Marc actually pressured me to sign up again, even though I was going In every to do it anyway,” he says. “He was really area of touched by the exmy life, perience and hearing the Center people’s stories along the ride. That’s what helped me I mean about being to become visible: you never who I am know who you’re going to inspire.” today. Helping raise visibility about social issues doesn’t stop with the Center for Quezada–Malkin. Following the recent senate judiciary hearings for controversial U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Quezada–Malkin posted a message on his social media platforms that detailed in remarkably frank terms his own sexual abuse that began in childhood.

Quezad a-Ma l k in insists that he isn’t embarrassed about being candid and is no longer afraid to talk to anyone about hot-button issues that he’s experienced himself, whether it’s sexual abuse or struggles with immigration. He wants others to realize that, regardless of how dire their current situations might be, they should never give up hope.

“In every area of my life, the Center helped me to become who I am today,” he says, with genuine gratefulness. “It gave me my base to keep working on myself in every area of my life—taught me how to live.” Winter 2018

THANK YOU FOR ANOTHER YEAR OF HELPING TO BUILD A WORLD WHERE LGBT PEOPLE THRIVE AS HEALTHY, EQUAL, AND COMPLETE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY! SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT AT LALGBTCENTER.ORG

Thousands of volunteers join the fight for LGBT equality, participating in phonebanks, protests, letter-writing, legislative visits, and voter canvassing with the Center’s Resistance Squad, Senior MOB Squad, and Leadership LAB.

The Village at Ed Gould Plaza celebrates 20 years as a community hub of arts, culture, and education.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) campaign launches urging those most at-risk—including young gay and bisexual men of color—to be ‘PrEP’d AF’ against HIV.

HEALTHY

20 18

MILESTONES

FOR WOMEN. BY WOMEN. Community celebration for LBTQ women and their allies includes resource fair, live performances, fashion show, and interactive, LBTQ-centric activities.

For the first time ever, 2,300 cyclists, supported by 650 volunteer “roadies,” cross the line in downtown Los Angeles after their 545-mile journey, raising a record-breaking $16.6M for the Center’s HIV/AIDSrelated services and San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

“This case is not about buying a wedding cake any more than the sit-ins at lunch counters during the Civil Rights movement were about getting a hamburger and a Coke.” – response to SCOTUS Masterpiece Cakeshop decision

A BEAM OF A TIME Ceremony marks historic moment in construction on the Center’s revolutionary Anita May Rosenstein Campus as final steel beam is hoisted into place.

Luces, Cámara, Acción! 5th annual festival showcases the stories of the queer Latinx community through film and visual art.

RECLAIMING OUR POWER Second annual Black History Month community celebration features workshops, live performances, art exhibit, resource fair, panel discussion with black LGBT elders, and assembly by the Center’s Youth Ambassadors Coalition.

GET OUT! Thousands join us OUT Under the Stars for summer outdoor film series at iconic Hollywood Forever featuring Best in Show and Selena.

A STAR-STUDDED EVENING

Held for the first time at Cal State LA, thousands of LGBTQ youth and their allies from 150 cities and more than 200 schools nationwide take part in Models of Pride, the largest free conference of its kind.

UNIDOS NO DIVIDIOS. IMMIGRACION ES UN TEMA LGBT.

49th Anniversary Gala Vanguard Awards honor Ricky Martin, Greg Berlanti & Robbie Rogers, and Ariadne Getty with help from hosts Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos as well as presenters Max Greenfield, Nick Robinson, and Nats and August Getty.

LET ME SHOW YOU SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL Special guest Minneapolis City Councilmember Andrea Jenkins joins capacity crowd at 20th annual Trans Pride L.A. festival featuring Let Me Show You Something Beautiful art exhibit, workshops, and VarieTy show.

BY THE COMMUNITY. FOR THE COMMUNITY. Thousands enjoy premier food and wine event for LGBT people and their allies at its new home at historic Hollywood Forever.

In recognition of providing life-enriching productions and performances spanning two decades to LGBT people and their allies, the Center’s Lily Tomlin/ Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center receives Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence from Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle.

Strategic partnership project launches connecting social media, new media, and entertainment “outfluencers” to Center programs.

AB2119

First-of-its-kind Trans Wellness Center opens, providing comprehensive resources and services for transgender and non-binary people under one roof.

Gov. Brown signs new law supported by the Center to provide access to gender-affirming care for youth in the state’s foster care system.

COMPLETE

Hear Me Out Center’s LGBT Seniors Share Their Coming Out Journeys

t’s 1977. John Glenn Harding is 13 and has just locked himself in the bathroom at his house. He’s finally alone with the newly-delivered Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalog, which is now open to the page advertising men’s underwear. Recounting his coming out story more than 40 years later, Harding still remembers all 24 of the thumb-sized photos of men in their underwear. “Looking feels taboo. I have no one to share what I’m feeling,” he said. “Shame and fear are knocking outside this room…a room the size of a closet.” Harding shared his story as part of the Center’s Senior Services Hear Me Out storytelling competition, a four-week program patterned after National Public Radio’s The Moth Radio Hour of true stories told live as remembered by the storyteller. Hear Me Out included four rounds of

Winter 2018

five-minute stories on a different topic part of themselves,” said Center Director of Senior Services Kiera Pollock, MSW. each week: Love, Money, Family, and Coming Out. Three judges rated each “This workshop has really allowed them to share those life experiences in a place that’s storyteller, and the two contestants with the highest combined scores from the first valued and feels validating to them.” Judges over the weeks of the compethree weeks advanced to the final held on National Coming Out Day on October 11. tition included long-distance swimmer “It’s been a great one-month journey Diana Nyad, actor Jim J. Bullock, and radio personalities Frank DeCaro and Doria and a real privilege for me,” said Anne Biddle, among others. Stockwell, organizer and emcee of the “Every story was heartfelt, meaningful, competition. “These are some very spemoving, and funny,” Bullock said. ”These cial people who have discovered a lot about themselves and their voices. They were really great stories, and some were make me so proud of the road in which very, very relatable. I know all about the all of us have traveled as part of the LGBT Sears catalog—my mother found the Sears catalog!” community.” DeCaro attended the show during an “LGBT seniors experience an enormous earlier round as an audience member then amount of discrimination. Their stories and life experiences are often not valued was asked to be a judge during the finals. “These are voices we should be listening by society as a whole, and they feel very isolated in not being able to share that to,” he said. “I was pleasantly surprised at

This joy sweeps over me without warning, no planning. I say out loud for the first time, ‘I’m gay!’’’

the diversity of stories we heard. Everyone who was in the audience and the judges were moved by the experience.” Biddle agreed, adding: “With that five-minute limit, they had to pack so much in. They were sweeping sagas in five minutes—that is very hard to do.” “The judges were so warm and supportive, and the audience was over the moon,” said storytelling contestant Russ Ford. “The kind of validation that we felt was magnificent.” A partnership with local radio station KPFK means the seniors’ stories will reach an even wider audience. “We are endeavoring to be the people who record the voices of our tribe, to tell our stories, and record our history,” said Wenzel Jones, co-host of KPFK’s IMRU Radio. As part of her story, Cassandra

Christenson shared how she came out to herself in middle age while she was working a 12-hour, in-home nursing shift caring for a man living with AIDS. “I’m at a white stucco, 1920s-style house just north of San Vicente Boulevard,” she recalled. “His partner says as I come into the living room, ‘Don’t bother Will. Respect his closed door.’” Her work temporarily on hold, Christenson remembers a notebook she brought with her to work. Serenaded by a rotation of Mozart, jazz, and opera performances from the couple’s extensive record collection, she settles into a couch by a bay window and begins to write. “Page after page I pack in the words,” she recalled. “Later I discover they are all poems, breaking through my boundaries.

I had never written even 23 words about sex before—but now I had 23 pages. My life shatters. Oh my God, I’m gay.” Stockwell hopes Hear Me Out will become an annual event. In addition to founding the Well Again organization, which helps survivors take back their lives after battling cancer, she led a workshop earlier this year at the Center for seniors whose lives have been affected by cancer, HIV, or other health challenges. “I’m really grateful to have a space like the Center that gives us the opportunity to create such special events for seniors and has such great resources to make them wonderful,” Stockwell adds. “So many people have had extraordinary, creative lives…lives they are still creating. This is the most amazing population.” Winter 2018

of LGBT seniors don’t have enough food to eat each month.

Donate to the Center’s food pantries to help end LGBT hunger.

Some of our most needed items:

• Canned tuna, chicken • Ensure – vanilla and chocolate • Canned soups • Peanut butter • Rice and instant rice • Condiments • Cereal

• Dried and canned beans

• Coffee

• Canned chili

• Can openers

• Canned fruit • Pasta • Tomato sauce • Honey

• Non-dairy creamer • Razors • Wash cloths • Laundry detergent • Dish soap

Learn more and get the complete list of the most needed items at lalgbtcenter.org/pantry

JUNE 2-8, 2019 REGISTER TODAY! AIDSLIFECYCLE.ORG

SF TO LA • END AIDS • 545 MILES

The Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tremendous volunteers help provide programs and services for more LGBT people than any other organization in the world. Thank you! Join our community of more than 1,800 active monthly volunteers at lalgbtcenter.org/volunteer.

Take 5 Minutes KHOA BUI

TAKE FIVE

Staff ››

GET TO KNOW CENTER STAFF MEMBERS & VOLUNTEERS

HOMETOWN Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam YEAR STARTED AT THE CENTER 2005 STAFF POSITION Health Services Clinical Systems Analyst

HERE, INCLUSIVITY AND ACCEPTANCE ARE THE NORM After 15 years in a corporate environment, I wanted to work for a nonprofit that was part of the LGBT community. It’s wonderful to work in an environment where inclusivity and acceptance are the norm. Everyone can just be who they are—there’s something really beautiful about being accepted and being embraced. It should be that way for all organizations. I also have gained a great deal of experience in the complexities of nonprofits and the complexities of the health care industry. It opens up your eyes to how much the Center has been doing for the community overall. It’s amazing. READY TO JOIN THE CENTER’S TEAM? VISIT LALGBTCENTER.ORG/CAREERS

KHOA BUI

Volunteer ››

CHARNISE CHAPPLE HOMETOWN Garden Grove, CA YEAR STARTED AT THE CENTER 2017 VOLUNTEER POSITION Senior Services, Special Events

SPENDING TIME WITH SENIORS AT THE CENTER IS AN HONOR As a teenager just coming out, I looked at the Center as a safe haven. I have a lot of respect and gratitude for the Center and all the help and support it provides. Volunteering has been one of the most rewarding things I have done in my life. I really feel like I’m making a difference and having fun while doing it. I think the most memorable thing since I started volunteering has been the connections that I have made with the seniors. When they share their experiences and the way they have felt at different points in their lives with me, I realize that, not only did they pave the way for people like me, but one day that will be me. Being able to spend time with them and learn from them is an honor and absolute joy.

CHARNISE CHAPPLE READY TO JOIN THE CENTER’S COMMUNITY OF VOLUNTEERS? VISIT LALGBTCENTER.ORG/VOLUNTEER

Winter 2018

CAMPUS UPDATE

ANITA MAY ROSENSTEIN CAMPUS DONORS $7,270,000

$100,000 - $249,999

Anita May Rosenstein Foundation, Wilbur D. May Foundation and Arnold & Anita Rosenstein Family Foundation

John August & Michael August Lorri L. Jean & Gina M. Calvelli The Estate of Robert Barron Brenda Potter Darrel Cummings & Tim Dang The Estate of Arthur Flores The Estate of Alex Wexler The May Sisters in Honor of Anita May Rosenstein Arthur Macbeth Leon Alexander Tess Ayers & Jane Anderson Gary Booher LuAnn Boylan Denis Cagna & Carlos Medina Gary A. Carnow & Barry I. Soroka Andi Corrigan & Tigerlily Rosen Alexandra Glickman & Gayle Whittemore Dean Hansell & Eric Kugler Steve Kloves & Kathy Kloves Barton H. Kogan The Ernest Lieblich Foundation The Morris Foundation Stanley Newman & Brian Rosenthal Brad Ong & Brian McGowan Scott Poland & Eddie Nestlebush The Barbara & Brian Rosenstein Family Elliott Sernel & Larry Falconio Axel Shalson Thomas R. Voeller David L. Williamson

$2,000,000 - $6,999,999 Eugene Kapaloski & Daniel H. Renberg The Estate of Lubelle Boice The Ariadne Getty Foundation Michaeljohn Horne & Thomas Eugene Jones Barry McCabe

$1,000,000 - $1,999,999 William Shopoff & Cindy Shopoff The David Bohnett Foundation David Bailey & Ron Shalowitz The Estate of Emily Gochis David Mizener & Arturo Carrillo John Cambouris, Cass Brink & Zachary Cambouris Mike Mueller & Nick Bode Loren Ostrow & Brian Newkirk Pamela Schmider, Ernest Schmider & Omar Rodriguez The Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation

$500,000 - $999,999 The Estate of Joseph A. Levy The Estate of Michael Peter Colefax The Estate of Robert Ward Anonymous The Estate of Ron Morrison Tyler Cassity / Hollywood Forever Cemetery The Eisner Foundation Van Fletcher & Skip Paul Michael Lombardo & Charles Ward Frank Pond Rob Saltzman & Ed Pierce The Fran & Ray Stark Foundation Wells Fargo

$250,000 - $499,999 Reid T. Rasmussen, M.D., Calvin Cottam, M.D., & The Los Angeles Prime Timers, Inc. Neil Beecher In Memory of Vern Richards Suzie Brown & Marki J. Knox Emser Tile (In-Kind) W.M. Keck Foundation Thomas Kraemer & J. Adam Miller Thomas Safran & Associates John Sealy, M.D. & Ron Hills Eric Shore & Fred Paul Thomas J. Swan III Office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky

$100,000 - $249,999 The Estate of William Randall Dawson The Estate of Duncan Donovan The Estate of Daniel Moeller Karim Abay & Todd Harvey

(Cont.)

$50,000 - $99,999 The Estate of Marshall Kendzy Thomas Herrera Susan Feniger & Liz Lachman Karen Griffith Michael Koch & Andrew Kohler Barry Kummer Mark Lisagor & Terri Lisagor Stephen Seiferheld May & Edward B. Casson Tracy L. Neff Jayzen Patria & Joe Keenan Kevin Ripley & John Wacker Mariette Sawchuk & Alexander Sawchuk Dennis Strum & Gerald Tecson The Estate of George Walker Marley Yanow

$25,000 - $49,999 Tad Brown & Jonathan Daillak Michael Mooney & Mitchell Hollander Charlotte Stone Bruce Vilanch Alan Acosta & Thomas Gratz Fred Arens & Jason Duguay (“Frason”) Stephen Burn & Stephen Burton Roger Coggan Gregory Davis The Ronald D. Frazier Trust (Floyd Frazier & Donald Thomas) G. Scott Halloran & Peter J. Rusch

$25,000 - $49,999

(Cont.)

Nicolas Hamatake & Kenneth Mariash Diane Marie Hansen Jack Haynie Alan Hergott & Curt Shepard Mike Holtzman Lee Horwin Kenneth Jamison Steven J. Kay Kathy Ketchum & Gay Linvill Eric Kranzler William McDermott The McPherson Family Charitable Trust John W. Miles Anil Mohin, M.D. & John Scholz Kenneth Navran NBC Universal George Pao & George Schulman Wallace Sellers, Jr. Benjamin Squire & John Latimer Bob Stiefel & Ed Imparato Len Wechsler Richard Allen West & Eric J. Fischer Amy Yanow

$10,000 - $24,999 Connie Armijo Caron Barrett Jon Charles Chambers Carolyn Dye & Hope Faust Carl Kawaja & Gwendolyn Holcombe James D. Key Cynthia Robertson Lionel Levin Joseph Becci & Mark Denton Christopher Brown Sharon Brown Kin Cheng-Lepand & Hervé Cheng-Lepand Ron Comer & Daryll Ingram Bruce N. Davidson & Quang B. Nguyen Kristin M. Flickinger David Garcia Cherl Groves & Kathleen O’Kane Robert W. Hanna Brad Lamm & Scott Sanders Paul D. Lerner & Stephen Reis Robert Loving in Honor of Angelyn Gates, Esq. James McGruder Joseph Miller & Craig Larson Kari Pacheco-Ilan & Shelby Pacheco-Ilan Peter Paige James Rayton Arlene Sanford & Devra Lieb Steve Schleier Jeffrey Soref & Paul Lombardi Kara M. Steffen & Rachel E. Dax Benjamin Teller, M.D. & Benjamin Britt Ed Traynor *DONOR LIST AS OF NOVEMBER 12, 2018

We have set our sights on a bold new milestone by the time the ribbon is cut on the new campus in 2019: raising $1 million for every year the Center will have served our community. To learn more about what you can do to help us reach this goal, visit lalgbtcenter.org/campus or call Bill McDermott at 323-993-7679.

Winter 2018

BOARD PROFILE

BREWING LOVE FOR THE CENTER A TOAST TO NEW CENTER BOARD MEMBER AMY GORDON YANOW

hen the Center launched its bold F*ck W/out Fear campaign in 2017 to raise awareness for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as a safe and effective tool to prevent HIV infection, it caught many people’s attention, including new Center board member Amy Gordon Yanow. “I spent some time in HIV clinics in South Africa in 2010 and became more passionate about educating people about destigmatizing the disease—that’s why I was very intrigued by the Center’s PrEP campaign,” said Yanow, co-founder of Beer and Food Management, whose craft beer and food affiliations included Mohawk Bend in Echo Park, Tony’s Darts Away in Burbank, and Golden Road Brewing. “I then started to pay more attention to the many wonderful things the Center does for Los Angeles.” The idea of becoming a board member was spurred by casual conversations over several years with her neighbor Tad Brown, who was already serving on the Center’s

Board of Directors. She took a tour of the Adam Schiff. During that time, she began Center with Tad and was blown away by seeking new ways and places to invest the array of life-saving programs and ser- her time and continue giving back to vices provided here. communities. She made a contribution to “We had many discussions regarding the the organization’s landmark Capital Camchanging legal landscape paign to help build the that’s impacting the revolutionary Anita May LGBT community and Rosenstein Campus. the many issues pertain“It was around that ing to seniors and youth,” time that I took Tad’s said Yanow, a Los Feliz encouragement more resident and mother of seriously to get more inseven-year-old twins. volved with the Center Charitable giving is because I’ve always had built into every level of a passion for community. Yanow’s business strateTwenty years ago, my gies. For example, with cousin was the victim of Mohawk Bend, she parta hate crime because of nered with 30 local nonbigotry about his sexuprofits to fundraise and al orientation—and he make nearby residents nearly died,” said Yanow. aware that community-based initiatives “Today, I am so proud to be part of an existed in their backyards. organization that continues to be on the In 2017 Yanow received a Woman of growing edge of LGBT issues and fighting the Year accolade from U.S. Congressman discrimination and social inequity.”

Today, I am so proud to be part of an organization that continues to be on the growing edge of LGBT issues and fighting discrimination and social inequity.

Winter 2018

THANK YOU

The Los Angeles LGBT Center is extremely grateful for the support of the following new Sustaining Donors and Circle of Life members.

DIAMOND CIRCLE

SILVER CIRCLE (CONT.)

$35,000-$49,999

$1,800-$2,399

Anonymous Tess Ayers & Jane Anderson* Loren Ostrow & Brian Newkirk*

Edward Courtney* Dignity LA Leah Fredkin Bo Loving* George Pao & George Schulman* Pauley Perrette Danny Sullivan & Lorna Harris* Michael Strand* Project Rainbow Amy Gordon Yanow

DIAMOND CIRCLE $18,000-$34,999 Arturo Carillo & David Mizener*

GOLD CIRCLE $6,000-$11,999

SILVER CIRCLE

Paul Attanasio & Amanda Attanasio* Robert Floe* Luigi Major & David Reeth Cesar Palana, M.D. & Timothy Horth George J. Sealey* Gregory Stanton* Park Wayne Wagers*

$1,500-$1,799 Troy Erickson Melinda & Randy Hage Henrique Martins Eilidh McKemmie Paul McMahon Jose Solache Matty & Andrew Wilder

STERLING CIRCLE $3,600-$5,999

For information about Planned Giving or becoming a Sustaining Donor, please contact: Jennifer Dawson

Jilda Castaldo & Lyzette Villalvazo* Viviana Franco & Rupal Patel Kelly Freter* Michael Gapinski and Kevin Hamilton* Nanatchka Khan & Julia Bicknell* Rachel D. Kurstin & Gregory Kurstin Sheila L. Sparks* Mike Wallace, M.D.

CIRCLE OF LIFE

Alan Fisher, M.D. Louis Mangual Frank M. Johnson Conrad Webb & Gilles Wheeler

CIRCLE OF LIFE IN MEMORIAM

Patrick K. Doyle Lionel Levin

SILVER CIRCLE $2,400-$3,599

Director of Major Gifts jdawson@lalgbtcenter.org 323-993-8932

Michael Granata & Luis Pineda Ashly Perez Cory & Ryan Ritchie Seth Santoro*

Scott Comer

SILVER CIRCLE

Major Gifts Officer scomer@lalgbtcenter.org 323-993-7667

William C. Bergens Paul E. Brooks Andrew Cohen

$1,800-$2,399

DONOR LIST AS OF AUGUST 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; OCTOBER 31, 2018

*Indicates an increase in membership level. ^Indicates a multi-year pledge.

Kenneth Jones Major Gifts Associate kjones@lalgbtcenter.org 323-993-8939

Frank Stasio Senior Director of Planned Giving fstasio@lalgbtcenter.org 323-993-7690

REALIZE THE POWER OF A GIFT. Making the Center part of your legacy in your will is the most important contribution you can make to the organization. Ways to give include wills and living trusts; beneficiary designations; charitable gift annuities, remainder trusts, and lead trusts; memorials and tribute gifts; and real estate. By including the Center in your estate plan or making another type of planned gift, you help ensure a strong and vibrant future for the Center as we build a world where LGBT people thrive as healthy, equal, and complete members of society.

LEARN MORE AT LALGBTCENTER.ORG/LEGACY. 24

Winter 2018

DONOR PROFILE

An Ally for Life

TALENT AGENT MAKES CENTER PART OF HER LEGACY

orn in Nebraska and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Susan A. Simons became an LGBT ally and activist early on. “I know so many people who, when they first came to Los Angeles, the Center was their savior,” said Simons, who has worked as a talent agent for the past two decades. “My life could be very different if it hadn’t been for the gay men in my life. I’ve had the best life because of them.” Simons became particularly connected to the community in the early days of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, when little was known about the virus that was killing so many young gay men. “I was going to a funeral every other month,” she recalled. “It’s the loss that I feel so personally with so many friends who passed.” Simons, who began as a production assistant and worked her way up to become

• Susan A. Simons

a network television executive, used her homes by their families and seniors who influence as chairwoman of the Daytime need affordable housing,” she said. “I’m Emmy Awards in 1983 to beyond thrilled with the encourage celebrities to plans for the Campus wear red AIDS-awareness It is heartbreaking because it will help those ribbons on the awards who need services the to me what is show for the first time. most.” She became co-chair going on with kids She believes so strongof the Ribbon Project, ly about the work of the which saw that the rib- being kicked out Center that she has inbons were distributed at of their homes cluded it in her estate plan all major award shows on as a Circle of Life member. the West Coast including by their families “One of the things I the Oscars, Grammys, and seniors who learned early on is that Golden Globes, and the money goes to where Primetime Emmy Awards need affordable the money is supposed to well into the 1990s. go and to the people who housing. These days, Simons is need it,” she said. “I doparticularly enthusiastic about the Anita nate to the causes I feel the most passionate May Rosenstein Campus. about, and I want the Center to be part of “It is heartbreaking to me what is go- my legacy.” ing on with kids being kicked out of their Winter 2018

Center Classes

Join one of our Social Network Groups.

Bi-osphere • Men’s Speakeasy • ¡Hablemos! • Transgender Perceptions HerStories • Coming Out Workshops (Men/Women)

lalgbtcenter.org/supportgroups

Join the Center’s one-of-a-kind education and empowerment program, presented exclusively for the trans* community. More than 1,325 Trans* individuals have joined Trans* Lounge. Why haven’t you? How does Trans*Lounge work?

Trans* Lounge members:

•

• • • • • • • • • •

• • • •

Registration, classes, and events are all FREE! Review and rate our library of workshops, groups, labs, and events. Your feedback determines our schedule. RSVP first for the programs you rated highest. Receive free bus tokens to attend classes and events.

translounge.org

Winter 2018

Participated in 100+ workshops and labs. Learned self-defense. Performed original stand-up at The Comedy Store. Learned belly dancing. Received vocal training. Charted more optimistic career paths. Practiced yoga weekly. Wrote and performed personal monologues. Became more fit and learned how to live healthier lives. Received free binders.

Coming Out

AA Happy Hour

Coming Out Workshops for Women Coming Out Workshops for Men

Tuesdays–Fridays, 6:15–7:15 p.m.

Canceled Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 V

Safe, nurturing workshops for anyone who is facing their own coming out process.

Al-Anon Gay Focus

Thursdays, 7:30–8:30 p.m. V Alcoholics Anonymous: It’s Come to This

Call 877-OUT-4-LIFE for recorded information and instructions for enrollment. More information at comingoutla.org

Mondays, 6:15–7:15 p.m. Canceled Jan. 21, Feb. 18, and April 1 V

Crystal Meth Anonymous

Saturdays, 9:15–10:15 a.m. V

Gay & Lesbian CODA

Tuesdays, 8–9 p.m.

Canceled Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 V

LFK (Leather, Fetish, and Kink) in Sobriety CMA Meeting

Fridays, 8–9 p.m. V

Marijuana Anonymous NA: Heartbeat of Recovery

Mondays, 7:30–8:30 p.m.

Canceled Jan. 21, Feb. 18, and April 1 V

OA Sex & Love Addicts Anonymous

Thursdays, 6:15–7:15 p.m. V

Sexual Compulsives Anonymous

Mondays, 8:45–9:45 p.m. Wednesdays, 7:30–8:30 p.m. Saturdays, 10:30–11:30 a.m. Canceled Jan. 21, Feb. 18, and April 1 V

UA: Artist in Prosperity

Tuesdays, 6:15–7:15 p.m.

Canceled Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 V

30+ Lesbian Chat

Bears L.A.

Canceled Jan. 21 and Feb. 18 V

Bi-osphere*

Explore and discuss the many shades of today’s diverse bisexual community Mondays, 8–9:30 p.m. Canceled Jan. 21, Feb. 18, and April 1

Thursdays, 7:30–8:30 p.m. V

Meet women outside of the bars Every 1st & 3rd Fri., 7:30–9 p.m. Every 3rd Mon., 7–10 p.m.

Wednesdays, 7:30–8:30 p.m. V

Community Groups

Women’s AA

Wednesdays, 8:45–9:45 p.m.

Gay Men’s Prostate Cancer Support Group

Every 1st & 3rd Tues., 7–9 p.m. Sponsored by Cancer Support Community Benjamin Center. Call 310-314-2555 or visit CancerSupportCommunity BenjaminCenter.org Canceled Jan. 1 Mi

Canceled Dec. 25

HerStories*

A gathering place for all LGBT women who want strong community and great conversation Mondays, 8–9:30 p.m. Canceled Jan. 21, Feb. 18, and April 1 V

LGBT Adult Special Needs Support Group

Every 2nd Wed., 6–7:30 p.m.

Men’s Speakeasy*

Get Out & Bowl

Transgender Perceptions*

Conversation & communitybuilding for transgender and gender non-conforming people Fridays, 8–9:30 p.m. V

Village Readers

An LGBT reading and discussion group Every 1st Wed., 7:30–9 p.m. December 5: Disobedience by Naomi Alderman January 2: If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin February 6: The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai March 6: Never Anyone But You by Rupert Thomson April 3: The Sparsholt Affair by Alan Hollinghurst

Senior Groups

Alzheimer’s LGBT Caregiver Support

Art Lab

McDonald/Wright 1625 N. Schrader Blvd.

Highland Annex 1220 N. Highland Ave.

Every 2nd Thurs., 11 a.m.–Noon V

Life Connections 21+ Meets 50+

Call 323-860-5830 for dates and times V

Men’s Drop-In Support Group

Movie Club

Every 2nd Tues., 2 p.m. V

Movies for Everyone

Call 323-860-5830 for dates and times V

Bereavement Support Group

Tuesdays, 1–3 p.m.

Canceled Dec. 25 and Jan. 1

Qi Gong

Stitch N Bitch Club Thursday Hikes

Valley Social and Networking Group Thursdays, Noon–1:30 p.m. Metropolitan Community Church 5730 Cahuenga Blvd., North Hollywood Call 323-860-5830 V

Bingo

1–2:30 p.m. Call 323-860-5830 for dates

Chair Yoga

Offices on Las Palmas 1111 N. Las Palmas Ave.

Juggling Hour

Thursdays, 10–11 a.m.

Beginning Tap Dancing Lessons

Housing Supportive Network

Thursdays, 9:30 a.m. Call 323-860-5830 for details

Wednesdays, 11 a.m.–Noon

The Village 1125 N. McCadden Place

Every 2nd & 4th Wed. 12:30 p.m.

HIV+ 50+

Call 323-860-5830 for details

Fridays, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Men’s Drop-In Support Group Thursdays, 1–3 p.m.

Call 323-860-5830 for dates and times

Every 2nd & 4th Thurs., 10:30 a.m.–Noon

Every 2nd Tues., 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Call 323-860-5830 for details

Wednesdays, 10 a.m.–Noon

For more information about Senior Services classes, please call 323-860-7322 or visit facebook.com/50pluslgbt To RSVP, email seniors@lalgbtcenter.org or call 323-860-5830. V

Country Line Dancing

Call 323-860-5830 for dates and times

Canceled Dec. 25 and Jan. 1

Senior Groups (Cont.) V

Great conversation for gay, bisexual, and trans men Tuesdays, 8–9:30 p.m.

¡Hablemos!

Latino/Latinx discussion group Every 2nd & 4th Tues., 7–8:30 p.m. H

Community Groups (Cont.)

Group Meetings

12-Step Groups

Veteran’s Support Group

Every 1st and last Tues., 1–3 p.m.

Canceled Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 * Groups may not welcome late arrivals.

Mi Centro 553 S. Clarence St.

Empty = Offsite

Winter 2018

CENTER NOTES

News and notes from the Center’s life-changing and life-saving programs and services OUTSPOKEN As the first installment of the 50 Years of Queer Big Queer Convo series exploring the history and impact of LGBT people in the arts and media as part of the Center’s 50th anniversary, From Influence to OUTfluence featured a diverse panel of influencers discussing the inclusion and importance of LGBT visibility in today’s media. “Although all the panelists traveled different paths, they share an over-arching commonality: all of them have been able to successfully navigate the entertainment and media world as out and proud LGBT people,” said Center Strategic Partnership Manager and panel organizer Melantha Hodge. The panelists included musician and content creator Sam Tsui; producer and writer Ashly Perez; model Arisce Wanzer; actor Clark Moore; and Universal Music Group Executive Vice President of Creative Dave Rocco. Social media influencer Andy Lalwani moderated the conversation.

STAND DOWN FOR VETS When “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was repealed in 2011, many servicemembers who were dishonorably discharged due to their sexual orientation became eligible for benefits. To help veterans claim the benefits they earned, the Center’s Senior Services program hosted its biannual Veterans Stand Down event. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti joined the event as the keynote speaker. “We all belong and that’s what this Stand Down is about,” Garcetti said. “Folks who felt like they couldn’t say who they loved while they wore the uniform, you belong.”

More information at lalgbtcenter.org/seniors

Winter 2018

SUPER MODELS

ON HIRE GROUND

Held for the first time at Cal State LA, more than 1,300 LGBTQ youth and their allies attended the 26th annual Models of Pride conference— the world’s largest free conference of its kind. With the theme as “Our Time Is Now” and presented by Toyota Financial Services, the fullday event included more than 130 workshops; resource, college, and career fairs; and entertainment.

Hundreds of job seekers and potential employers converged at the West Hollywood Park Auditorium in November to participate in the Center’s 10th annual Transgender Job and Resources Fair. Generously supported by the City of West Hollywood and Citi Community Development, the fair included a mock interview clinic, a photo booth for professional headshots, and résumé tips and reviews.

California Assemblymember Evan Low gave a welcome speech to the more than 400 parents, educators, social service providers, and other youth-serving professionals who attended the conference’s free Parent & Professional Institute tailored for adults.

More information at lalgbtcenter.org/lifeworks

According to the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, nearly one-third of trans people are living in poverty, compounded by the statistic that they experience an unemployment rate three times higher than the national average.

More information at lalgbtcenter.org/TEEP

PUT THE BYTES ON THEM! The Center celebrated the 20th anniversary and expansion of its CyberCenter, made possible by a $29,000 grant from the David Bohnett Foundation. The CyberCenter, located at The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, now contains 15 new Lenovo ThinkCentre desktop computers for Center clients to use for professional and educational opportunities. When the Center’s CyberCenter opened in 1998, it was the first of its kind in the nation and served as the model for similar facilities around the country. Currently, the David Bohnett Foundation funds 58 CyberCenters nationwide.

More information at lalgbtcenter.org/cybercenter

CENTER VOICES

Analysis and insight from the Center’s staff on current issues and events facing our community When the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy was repealed in 2011, many servicemembers who were dishonorably discharged due to their sexual orientation became eligible for benefits. To help veterans claim the benefits they earned, the Center hosted the biannual Veterans Stand Down event at The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, as reported by KABC-TV:

According to the Human Rights Campaign, half of all Americans know someone close to them who identifies as LGBT. The Center provides safe, nurturing workshops for anyone who is facing their coming out process, as told to Circa in celebration of the 30th annual National Coming Out Day:

CAÍN ANDRADE YELBA CARRILLO, M.ED PSY, MSW Manager of Social Services Senior Services

Excerpt: “We offer everything from assistance with

housing to mental health to employment to medical benefits.

When you put the veteran community and the LGBT community together, you see double the complexities, double the need for support.”

Social Networking Groups Coordinator Cultural Arts

Excerpt: “Start exposing that

true part of yourself. I

know it’s the hardest thing you’re ever going to do to unpack something within yourself that’s been buried for so long. But, if you just take a little bit out, you can’t imagine how much that’s going to grow in something so much bigger than you ever imagined. And it’s going to be a light that shines on you so brightly.”

In light of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report on the alarming rise in sexually transmitted diseases diagnosed over the past year, the Center’s bold, award-winning “F*ck W/out Fear” campaign is an exemplar of destigmatizing STDs, particularly among gay and bisexual men, as reported by Slate:

According to the Williams Institute at the University of California–Los Angeles, there are more than 75,000 DREAMers who identify as LGBT, with nearly half of them actively participating in the upended Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Many LGBT people, however, question why immigration is an LGBT issue, as told to The Out Agenda:

JEFFREY RODRIGUEZ Senior Program Manager Health Services

Excerpt: “It encourages medical providers to educate their clients not only about HIV, but also about STDs. It allowed everyone to discuss all things pertaining to sexual health in a sex-positive manner. We have to

educate and empower gay and bisexual men of all ages to make good

TANYA WITT National Community Center Policy Manager Policy and Community Building

Excerpt: “We’re one of the most open, accepting communities, and it’s shocking to hear people from our own community ask, ‘why are you supporting these immigrants, these illegal aliens?’ They’re human

sexual health decisions based on what’s right for them.”

beings—human beings wanting a chance for a better life—and everyone deserves that."

Watch more at