By Greg Hernandez In their 45 years together, Gilbert Esquival and Manual Barerra have had all different kinds of Valentine’s Day celebrations together. This year, they spent part of their day in the courtyard of the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Anita May Rosenstein Campus listening to live music and reflecting on a life together that began when they met at Circus Disco one memorable night in 1976. “I approached him and asked him to dance,” recalled Esquival, 72. “I thought, ‘This seems like a nice person.’ We had things in common. I had a good feeling and that was the rest…
Author: Greg Hernandez
I don’t think I realized how freeing it would feel to be in a workplace where being LGBT was not just accepted, but was the norm. Having been the token queer person at previous jobs, or even having been too afraid to come out at work, it’s hard to imagine going back to a place like that. I’ve worked with nonprofits for a while, most recently at a homeless shelter on Skid Row. When it came time to move on to a new career opportunity, I knew I still wanted to work with an organization that was working to alleviate…
By Greg Hernandez It was June 2020 and Gerald Garth was asked to do a video interview with the Los Angeles Times about his role as one of the main organizers of the All Black Lives Matter march that was only days away. For the interview setting, the reporter chose the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Bayard Rustin Plaza, named for the openly gay civil rights activist who was the organizing genius behind the 1963 March on Washington and a top advisor to Martin Luther King. “It’s a moment I’ll never forget,” Garth tells LGBT News Now. In early January, he…
By Greg Hernandez When it comes to cervical cancer screenings, the Los Angeles LGBT Center has worked hard to develop programs in its clinics that are patient-centered and trauma-informed. There are some very important reasons for that: lesbian, bisexual, or queer women and trans, gender non-conforming, and non-binary people often face more challenges than cisgender, heterosexual females in maintaining their cervical health. “Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer globally yet often times access to regular screening can be difficult for our community due to misinformation, discomfort in scheduling appointments, fear of being mistreated or getting refused service, lack…
I left corporate America in 2021 to simply be of service to our community. The entire world is currently short-staffed, and I wanted to give our Center my full attention after spending four years here as a volunteer. Uplifting and pouring into the next generation is very important to me. The main reason why I started volunteering with the Center was my desire to lend my talents and support to the programs provided through Youth Services. My staff job is in Special Events which handles the philanthropic arm of the Center’s events. After spending 20 years working in corporate events, I…
By Greg Hernandez By the time June rolls around, Trans* Lounge Program Manager Gina Bigham hopes to be able to throw an ambitious block party to celebrate Trans Pride in person for the first time since 2019. But Bigham (pictured, above), has learned during the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic to not take anything for granted and to always have a plan B when it comes to keeping the community connected. Those plan Bs have been working out amazingly well for Trans* Lounge, the Los Angeles LGBT Center program that serves to empower and uplift the TGI/ENBY+ (Trans, Gender Non-Conforming,…
Trans* Lounge is virtual right now because of the pandemic but it is still someplace to go. Everyone needs someplace to go that’s not home, somewhere where there are kindred spirits. I felt that immediately. These are my people. I was asked to become a group facilitator shortly after I attended the Friday night Trans Perceptions support and conversation group for the first time. I had past experience in this area and am now one of the facilitators for that group as well as for some others. Being a volunteer facilitator is me contributing and giving back. It really kind…
By Greg Hernandez It is National Blood Donor Month and the nation’s blood supply has dipped to concerning levels. But if you are a gay or bisexual man who has had sex with a man within the last three months, you aren’t allowed to help improve the situation by rolling up your sleeve and giving blood. The Los Angeles LGBT Center is working to change that by helping to recruit gay and bi men between 18 and 39 years old for a pilot study evaluating the current blood donor deferral policy of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Compensation…
The day after Proposition 8 passed in 2008, I heard Los Angeles LGBT Center CEO Lorri L. Jean speak in West Hollywood. After listening to Lorri then see her lead a march around the Mormon Temple in Westwood, I told my friends, “I want to work for that organization!” I took my first steps towards that in 2014 when I became involved in the AIDS/LifeCycle community and was a cyclist for the 2015 and 2016 rides. I officially joined The Center in 2017 as the AIDS/LifeCycle donor services specialist. I work with colleagues on the AIDS/LifeCycle team, Finance, and Development,…
My life has been enriched so much by volunteering at the Trans Wellness Center. I am there at the front desk for three hours every Friday and I know that while I’m there, I’m taking some of the burden off of the staff members so they can get their trainings done, answer their emails and call clients. It’s such an incredible community. Everyone pitches in and it feels very familial. Everyone who works there is so extremely giving and selfless and patient and has made this their life’s work. The people who come in are so special and unique —…