I feel like the Center is my second home, my second family. I have volunteered at hundreds of events over the years, including most shows, plays, and musical events at the Renberg Theatre and the Davidson/Valentini Theatre (both at the Center’s Village at Ed Gould Plaza). This has enriched my life in so many ways and allowed me to gain insight into a variety of things that occur behind the scenes when putting on a major event or show. I love talking to people, meeting people. I’m really interested in them and I’m a good listener. It’s important to be…
Author: Kelly Freter
When Karim Abay was contemplating whether to join the Center as a new board member, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti helped seal the deal. “I met the mayor at a fundraiser for the first time and mentioned that I was thinking about joining the board,” recalled Abay (pronounced uh-BY). “Mayor Garcetti said, ‘There’s nothing to think about. You need to join the Center.’” Now, as a new board member, Abay is already leaving an indelible impression. “When Center staff members and clients meet me for the first time, their eyes light up because they know I’ve got their backs—and that…
“Over the years many of my friends have benefited from the services the Center offers. They are able to have full and healthy lives today because of the assistance they received,” said Chambers, a Texas native. “I’ve literally seen the Center save lives, and we want to be part of that and support the future endeavors of the Center.” As part of their family trust, the couple included the Center in their estate plan last year. The new Circle of Life members also regularly volunteer at the annual Models of Pride youth conference, attend signature Center events like Simply diVine…
I’ve experienced many unexpected moments and rewards. I volunteer a lot at Center events: the Anniversary Gala Vanguard Awards, Circle of Life luncheons, AIDS/LifeCycle, and special events for LGBT youth and seniors. I’m usually at the check-in table because I love working with the public and getting to know them. I’ve met guests from different stages and walks of life at Center events. I’ve had so many unexpected moments and rewards, which is inspiring and humbling. One time, after I was done with check-in at an event, I was talking with two of the Center’s youth clients who were kicked…
By Greg Hernandez “Don’t act like you know what it is!” teased one man as his friend picked up dandelion greens from one of the tables in the courtyard of the Center’s Village at Ed Gould Plaza. Both dissolve in laughter as they began filling up their shopping bags. Dandelion greens were just one of the many fresh produce items available for LGBT seniors thanks to a new partnership between the Center and food rescue organization Food Finders. Starting last fall, on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month, produce from a local farmers’ market is available at The…
When I was growing up on a farm in rural Arizona, my parents gave me and my siblings lots of rein. In the summers, we left the house in the morning never to be seen or heard from until we returned for dinner that night. They were understanding of the kinds of pranks and petty larceny that farm kids get away with—like hypnotizing an unsuspecting neighbor’s chickens and raiding the nearby watermelon patch. But there were two cardinal sins in my family that my parents would not countenance: selfishness and lying. They also believed that it was important to stand…
Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson thinks limited-edition bow ties and scarves make excellent gifts forthe holidays—especially when a big chunk of the proceeds go to the Los Angeles LGBT Center along with other LGBTQ organizations. Tie The Knot, a nonprofit company founded by Ferguson and husband Justin Mikita, has raised more than $1 million in the past six years. A recent $10,000 donation to the Center made it possible for LGBT youth to attend the Center’s 49th Anniversary Gala Vanguard Awards. “The Center is amazing,” Ferguson says. “I was able to tour the space with Justin a few years…
By Greg Hernandez Although they are long-time Center friends, Well-Strung’s concert on December 8 will mark the first time the singing string quartet has performed a holiday show at the Center’s Renberg Theatre. “We have some holiday classics that we’ll be doing, but we’ve also picked some fun, off-the-beaten-path holiday music that you probably wouldn’t find in other Christmas shows,” explains Chris Marchant, who plays 2nd violin. Songs performed during A Well-Strung Christmas will range from standards, such as Silent Night to more contemporary favorites, such as Hard Candy Christmas. Trevor Wadleigh (viola) uses his dry sense of humor to…
By Greg Hernandez Today, Arisce Wanzer proudly describes herself as a transgender supermodel to her approximately 30,000 Instagram followers. Growing up in West Virginia, she felt like she couldn’t even say the word transgender out loud and didn’t see anyone like her represented in the media. “Jerry Springer and Maury Povich’s TV shows had the only trans people we saw, and it was all negative,” Wanzer said during From Influence to OUTfluence, the inaugural installment of the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s 50 Years of Queer Big Queer Convo series. The series will explore the history and impact of LGBT people…