Author: Greg Hernandez

A group of veterans-turned-filmmakers spent four months at the Los Angeles LGBT Center last year pouring their energy into the making of the documentary Our Service, Our Stories. Their 20-minute film explores the lives and unique perspectives of LGBT veterans ages 50 and older before, during, and after their military service. It will be streamed live for free on November 11 in honor of  Veterans Day. “I’ve been in touch with the filmmakers, and they are excited to have the documentary out there in time for Veterans Day,” says award-winning filmmaker Andrew Putschoegl who supervised the team. “When you are…

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When Aaron Braxton cast his ballot in the parking lot of the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Center South location, he couldn’t help but get a little emotional. “It is so important that people of color get out,” the Leimert Park resident said, his voice cracking. “When I cast my vote, I literally welled up. I know the significance of me casting my vote. I stand on the shoulders of those before me. They have tried to suppress communities of color for centuries so I’m honored to be here today.” Braxton was among those who took advantage of a pop-up voting…

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Working at the Center has galvanized my commitment to the LGBTQ community and given me a place to grow and feel at home. It has also reaffirmed my appreciation for the diversity we represent and shown me that we are a social justice organization first and foremost. My desire to work with my community and make a difference is what brought me to the Center. I had been working in for-profit financial services and wanted to pivot my life toward helping LGTBQ people move forward in their lives and get the care they need instead of growing some company’s balance…

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By Greg Hernandez It was the day before Thanksgiving last year, and Joann Cerda wasn’t expecting many folks to turn out for the monthly Familia Afortunadas meeting she moderates at the Los Angeles Center’s Mi Centro location in Boyle Heights. “It was pouring rain outside, and I thought we might have maybe 10 people,” Cerda recalls. “Instead, we had 45 people show up. It ended up being this dynamic pre-Thanksgiving gathering with rotisserie chickens and side dishes. Everyone was choosing to be here. It was unbelievable—and magical.” That magic began five years ago this month when the Center partnered with…

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By Greg Hernandez Five years ago, Jeffrey Rodriguez was walking down Santa Monica Boulevard and noticed a vacancy where the legendary Numbers Bar and Restaurant had existed for many years. He knew instantly that he’d found the ideal place for the Los Angeles LGBT Center to expand its presence in West Hollywood with a clinic to be called Center WeHo. “I thought the location was perfect,” recalls Rodriguez, the Center’s associate director of community health services. “It was above Gym Sportsbar and The Coffee Bean and centrally located in the community. It just made sense.” Sadly, Gym Sportsbar went out…

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By Greg Hernandez Mariana Marroquin knows “hate is real.” “I’m a survivor. Hate has been close to me, telling me: ‘You should not be here, you should not exist,’” Marroquin, program manager of the Trans Wellness Center (TWC), shared during Unidas Against Hate, a critical virtual conversation featuring providers of trans-related services throughout Southern California held on Facebook Live on Friday, Oct. 16. The event was organized in response to the recent anti-trans violence in L.A. The 33 homicides of trans and gender nonconforming people reported in the United States so far in 2020 makes it already the deadliest year on…

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I became a volunteer at the Los Angeles LGBT Center to say ’thank you’ and to give back. During the early AIDS years, the Center was such an important place for me for testing and for reassurance during what was a truly scary time. After the COVID-19 pandemic began, I became part of the Senior Angels team which is a group of volunteers who packs up groceries and delivers them to LGBTQ seniors throughout Los Angeles. I am primarily on the delivery team that picks up the bagged groceries at Triangle Square and delivers them to apartments and homes. I…

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The Center is a place the community can lean on and that lifts people. I wanted to be a part of that. I realized my passion and purpose is to do something that elevates people. Growing up, I didn’t know anyone who identified as LGBTQ much less have any LGBTQ role models. Now, I lead a team who works directly with students, teachers, school administrators, and community members. Normally we would be presenting in schools and having face-to-face meetings, but the COVID-19 pandemic quickly changed the way we do our business. We jumped on the technology train to learn as much…

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Tessa Villegas has made a tradition of watching the LGBTQ cult classic movie But I’m a Cheerleader each year on National Coming Out Day, October 11. She was especially excited about it this year because she got to join more than 250 people on the rooftop of the Hollywood parking structure located at 1400 Ivar Ave. behind the Cinerama Dome and ArcLight Hollywood for a drive-in screening presented by the Los Angeles LGBT Center and Lionsgate. “I grew up in Kuwait so when I got to the United States, one of the things that I learned about gay life was cult movies…

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Learning at-home and online due to COVID-19 safety precautions hasn’t meant that school has become safer for LGBTQ students, including being bullied. “What used to be ‘oh, that’s so gay’ expressed during gym class is now becoming something that’s happening in texts, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok—whatever form of communication they’re using,” said Valentina D’Alessandro, the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Out For Safe Schools Coordinator. “It can be a screenshot of something and posted to the entire school.” October is National Bullying Awareness Month, and schools, communities, and organizations are being encouraged to work together to stop bullying and cyberbullying, which…

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