Author: Kelly Freter

In response to President Trump’s announcement today that he is temporarily banning new immigrants from obtaining permanent status in the United States—also known as green cards—for 60 days amid the COVID-19 outbreak, Center Chief of Staff Darrel Cummings issued the following statement: “This is one more deplorable and senseless attack on immigrants to stoke the President’s base at a time when he should be working on a national plan to massively increase testing for COVID-19 and provide personal protective equipment to frontline medical and emergency response workers. “It’s time to stop scapegoating immigrants and start seriously addressing this epidemic—one that has killed…

The COVID-19 outbreak may be changing the way the Los Angeles LGBT Center offers many of its services and programs, but the Center remains open and committed to serving those in need. “It’s extremely important for those who rely on our services every single day that we stay open, but we knew we were going to have to reinvent how we deliver a lot of our services,” said Center Chief of Staff Darrel Cummings during a recent town hall meeting with the organization’s sustaining donors. Precautions are being taken for clients coming to Center locations for health, senior, and youth…

In response to the passing of iconic LGBTQ activist and journalist Phyllis Lyon, who co-founded the nation’s first lesbian organization Daughters of Bilitis, Center Chief of Staff Darrel Cummings issued the following statement: “There are many who can rightfully claim that they helped build the modern movement for LGBTQ rights. But among those many pioneers, there are few who can claim so central a role as Phyllis Lyon and her wife Del. While the loss of Phyllis makes this a profoundly sad day, I hope we can focus on the groundbreaking impact she and Del had on our community from…

Opening later this year, the Center’s new Liberation Coffee House will be located on the corner of McCadden Place and Santa Monica Boulevard on the Anita May Rosenstein Campus. A welcoming space for the community, this new social enterprise will provide employment opportunities for clients from the Center’s programs and help support the Center and our mission. Guests will enjoy locally roasted coffee, artisan pastries, and hand-crafted menu items. Click through our gallery to see mock-up renderings of the new space and check back soon for updates.

For our Community/Spring 2020 issue of Vanguard magazine and in celebration of the opening of our Center South location earlier this year, we are highlighting some of the Black and Latinx pioneers and activists in the fight against HIV and AIDS. We encourage you to search their names to learn more – enjoy! (Programs and services at Center South focus on HIV and AIDS resources for young and bisexual Black and Latino men and transgender women.  You can read more about Center South here.) 1. Pedro Zamora: One of the first openly gay men with HIV to appear in popular…

Julia Child’s signature dish has quickly become a favorite at the Center’s Culinary Arts program. “Cooking is like love: it should be entered into with abandon or not at all.” – Julia Child Preparing the classic French dish happens during day 11 of the program, which brings together youth ages 18-24 and seniors ages 50 and over for a 12-week, 300-hour course. The recipe comes at a time in the program when cooking methods are more complex, and students need to incorporate time management and multitasking into their work. Bon appétit!  SHOPPING LIST: 1.5 lbs. flat iron or beef…

When James Alva was eight years old, he was riding in a car with his mom and grandmother and saw someone walking down the street wearing a Harvard University sweatshirt. The inquisitive kid asked his mother what Harvard was; she explained it was a college and that he’d need really good grades to go there. Alva, the newest member of the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Board of Directors, never forgot that conversation as he worked his way into being accepted into both Harvard and Stanford universities. He chose Stanford, where he twice served as president of his class and became…

The Center celebrated Black History Month with our 4th Annual The Future is Black event. This year’s theme was Embracing Our Roots and the event featured award presentations, an art exhibit, resource fair, dinner, and live performances.

For the fourth consecutive year in celebration of Black History Month, the Los Angeles LGBT Center will host The Future is Black: Embracing Our Roots on Saturday, February 22, from 2–7 p.m. at The Village at Ed Gould Plaza in Hollywood. The free event will include award presentations, art exhibit, resource fair, dinner, and live performances by Stroll Groove, Alyesha Wise, Luminous, The Singers of Soul, Carlton Ellis, and Brayjonn. Spoken word poet, actress, content creator, educator, and activist Yazmin Monet Watkins is this year’s keynote speaker. Author of Love Without Limits: The Bi-Laws of Love, Watkins’ collection of poems…