On Wednesday, October 23, at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Village at Ed Gould Plaza, a panel of tenured professionals from across a variety of industries will discuss the realities faced by lesbian, bisexual, and queer women in the workplace. Entitled Women’s Work: Perspectives on the Highs, Lows, and Where’d We Go?, the panel is co-sponsored by the Center and PwC and is part of a year-long celebration of the Center’s 50th Anniversary—one in a series of Big Queer Convo devoted to documenting the impact of LGBT people in various industries over the last half-century. The panelists include Leslie O’Harrow, Tax Partner, PwC; Marquita Thomas,…
Author: Ari Desano
Held for the first time at Los Angeles City College, more than 1,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth (LGBTQ) and their allies from 200 cities and more than 250 schools nationwide are expected to attend the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s 27th annual Models of Pride conference on Saturday, October 19. This year’s theme is “Celebrating Me, Celebrating Us.” As the world’s largest free conference of its kind, Models of Pride offers a full day of life-enriching programming designed to help young people build confidence and self-esteem and develop valuable life skills. Organized through the Center’s youth development program, the day…
By Greg Hernandez It was a night worthy of gold. More than 5,000 people gathered at the Greek Theatre on September 21 to celebrate a half-century of LGBT struggles and historic victories through music, comedy, and personal stories. Pop icon Sia opened the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s star-studded Heart of Gold 50th anniversary concert and multimedia show with two of her hits The Greatest and Titanium accompanied by her troupe of dancers, among them her muse Maddy Ziegler from Lifetime’s reality show Dance Moms. Country music star Ty Herndon had some in the crowd confused when he launched into his…
The Los Angeles LGBT Center has been awarded a $300,000 grant spanning two years from The Eisner Foundation to support the Center’s innovative Culinary Arts program, an intergenerational training program for LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness and low-income LGBT seniors. Taught at the Center’s commercial kitchen in the Anita May Rosenstein Campus, the 300-hour program engages youth, ages 18–24, to learn basic culinary skills alongside students from the Center’s Senior Services programs. The program participants then assist with the preparation of up to 450 meals a day for the Center’s youth and senior clients experiencing food insecurity. Participants finish the program…
The Center’s Trans* Lounge Program Creates a Safe Space for Neurodiversity. By Greg Hernandez A part of Trans* Lounge—the Center’s innovative education and enrichment program for the trans, gender non-conforming, and non-binary community—the new discussion group is specially designed for Neurodiverse members of the community. On the first Tuesday of each month, a room at the Center’s Village at Ed Gould Plaza transforms for Trans* Spectrum, a groundbreaking discussion group for Neurodiverse members of the trans, gender non-conforming, and non-binary community. Gym mats are brought in and pillows are scattered on top of them. Cushions are placed on plastic chairs;…
The Center’s Clients, Staff, Supporters, and Community Bring the New Anita May Rosenstein Campus to Life. By Greg Hernandez THERE’S NOT A SINGLE OPEN SEAT INSIDE the dining room of the Center’s Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Senior Center where lunch is about to be served on a hot August day at the Anita May Rosenstein Campus. “If you build it, they will come,” remarked Steven Abeyta, a senior who now eats at the Campus at least three times a week and has begun taking classes there. “You can’t miss this new Campus. It’s just calling out my name, and I’m…
Since I began at the Center on January 4, 1993, I’ve always loved coming to work. I feel extraordinarily fortunate to be employed by an organization that is making an amazing difference in so many lives. For the last few months, however, I’ve felt especially grateful and proud as I arrive at our beautiful new Anita May Rosenstein Campus. This Campus is a testament to the thousands of people who have worked at and supported the Center over the last half century—a product of their dedication and a shared belief that, by helping people, we can change the world. As…
Louis Mangual and his husband, Kenneth Paul Hahn, decided to include the Center in their estate plan before Hahn’s death early last year. “Kenneth and I witnessed the growth and the amazing work of the Center throughout the decades,” Mangual explained. “Before he passed away, we agreed that a great portion of our trust must be given to the Center. We felt that it is extremely import- and that the Center’s work continues to grow.” The couple had been together for 40 years when they married in 2015. Nowadays, Mangual finds himself becoming more involved at the Center during difficult…
Innovative Host Homes Program Invites You to Help End Homelessness for LGBTQ Youth Your spare bedroom can make all the difference in the life of an LGBTQ youth on the verge of independence. Through the Center’s new Host Homes program, an LGBTQ youth is housed in a local, private home for up to six months, providing a true community solution that helps bridge the gap between homelessness and permanent thinking of new, innovative, creative ways to address this problem,” said Kevin McCloskey, the Center’s associate director of Children, Youth & Family Services. “We want to replicate a chosen community and…
In a big city where it can be challenging to meet people, volunteering at the Center makes me feel welcomed. It gives me the opportunity to be around people who make me feel happy and social. I feel valued. I’ll never forget volunteering at Models of Pride, the world’s largest free conference for LGBTQ youth and allies. It was moving to hear youth speak eloquently about how hard they strived to overcome their challenges and become role models for their peers. I was lucky to have the opportunity to learn from these strong, young people. Whether it’s volunteering at events,…