• Equality
  • Community
    • Health
    • Youth
    • Seniors
  • Voices
    • From the CEO
    • Take Five
    • Why I Give
  • About the Center
  • Galleries
  • Calendar
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending
  • 2nd Annual Sabor de Mi Centro Block Party Boogies in Boyle Heights
  • Senior Prom Celebrates 25th Anniversary
  • “Solidarity Forever”: Montana State Rep. Zooey Zephyr at Trans Town Hall
  • “We Are Immense, and We Are Abundant”: Trans Pride LA Organizer Gina Bigham Looks Back on a Decade-Plus of Highlights and the Biggest Trans Pride Yet
  • Trans Actors, Athletes, and Activists Celebrate Community and Solidarity at First-Ever Trans Town Hall
  • “My Crown Is Paid For”: 12 Center Portraits of Juneteenth
  • House of Avalon, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Join Center Staff and Supporters for LA Pride: “F*ck the Margins. We’re the Center.”
  • This Year’s AIDS/LifeCycle Participants on Why They Ride
Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube
LGBT News Now
Learn about career opportunities at the Center
  • Equality
  • Community
    • Health
    • Youth
    • Seniors
  • Voices
    • From the CEO
    • Take Five
    • Why I Give
  • About the Center
  • Galleries
  • Calendar
LGBT News Now
You are at:Home»Community»L.A. Councilmember Ridley-Thomas Visits Center South and Honors the Center for LGBT Heritage Month

L.A. Councilmember Ridley-Thomas Visits Center South and Honors the Center for LGBT Heritage Month

0
By on May 26, 2021 Community

By Greg Hernandez

On his 40th birthday, Los Angeles City Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas celebrated at a popular jazz supper club called Marla’s Memory Lane, owned for decades by actress Marla Gibbs of The Jeffersons and227 fame.

The councilmember, who represents the 10th district, returned to the building—now known as Center South—to tour the transformed space near Leimert Park, meet with staff members, and present an LGBT Heritage Month proclamation to Center CEO Lorri L. Jean.

“I’m proud to recognize the contributions of an organization that is an unstoppable force in the fight against bigotry and the struggle to build a better world right here in Los Angeles,” said Ridley-Thomas.

He described Center South as “a welcome and much-needed presence” in the heart of the district with its range of resources and services that predominantly serve the LGBT community and people of color living in South Los Angeles who are disproportionately at higher risk of contracting STIs and HIV.

“As a longtime supporter of health education and health advocacy, I’m pleased to see that the Center is here and ready to take off again,” the councilmember said. “I have great hope and great expectation that this will be an asset well beyond what might have been imagined, and I am committed to helping to make it so.”

Located on the northeast corner of W. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and 2nd Avenue, Center South opened in January 2020—barely two months before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The staff has continued providing programs online and has been connecting with the community through Pride Pantry, a program in which bags of fresh produce and dry goods are distributed twice a month.

“It’s really about community building,” said Center South Senior Program Manager David Flores to Ridley-Thomas. “We know that we are very focused on LGBT issues, but we know that, in this area, there are families whom we want to make sure we connect with. They may have a child or an uncle in their family who is LGBT. So, by directly serving them, we are building a rapport.”

Programs and services are provided for free or at low cost to everyone with a focus on serving the needs of young gay and bi men of color ages 12 to 29 and trans women of color. In addition to HIV and STI testings, Center South’s services include access to PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) services; linkage and retention to HIV care; housing and employment navigation; mental health services; legal services; a drop-in space for community meetings and events; and a CyberCenter stocked with new desktop computers, made possible through the David Bohnett Foundation, for community members to use.

The 5,500-square-foot facility recently achieved Federally Qualified Health Center status, resulting in plans to provide health services.

Jean described Center South as “one of the real jewels in the crown of the Center over the last many years. We’ve been embraced by the community.”

In presenting the proclamation to Jean, the councilmember lauded her as “one of the most seasoned and effective leaders in the civil rights struggle around the rights of LGBT people for many years. She’s been a transformative leader of the Center.”

Jean is retiring in 2022.

“She’s worked tirelessly for four decades,” he added. “Lorri, thank you for your countless contributions making our community more equitable and inclusive.”

Follow Center South on Instagram @centersouth_

 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

Related Posts

2nd Annual Sabor de Mi Centro Block Party Boogies in Boyle Heights

“Solidarity Forever”: Montana State Rep. Zooey Zephyr at Trans Town Hall

“We Are Immense, and We Are Abundant”: Trans Pride LA Organizer Gina Bigham Looks Back on a Decade-Plus of Highlights and the Biggest Trans Pride Yet

Comments are closed.

Upcoming Events

  • There are no upcoming events.
About Us

LGBT News Now

LGBT News Now is a publication of the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019, the Center is the largest LGBT organization in the world, dedicated to building a world where LGBT thrive as healthy, equal, and complete members of society. Learn more at lalgbtcenter.org.

Follow Us on Instagram

lalgbtcenter

The Los Angeles LGBT Center is building a world where LGBT people thrive as healthy, equal, and complete members of society.

🚨 #LACounty is ending all HIV prevention contra 🚨 #LACounty is ending all HIV prevention contracts by May 31—putting lives, jobs, and decades of progress at risk. The Center and our community won’t stand by. Silence = Death. We’re fighting back @LACountyBOS #ActUpLA. Take action at the link in bio!
Celebrating the brilliance, vibrancy, and joy acro Celebrating the brilliance, vibrancy, and joy across our AANHPI diaspora—where queerness and ancestry intersect in ways both tender and powerful. 🌈🌺 #AANHPIMonth #QueerJoy
🚨The Department of #HHS released a federal repo 🚨The Department of #HHS released a federal report promoting conversion therapy under a new name—dismissing decades of science-based evidence for lifesaving, gender-affirming care for #TGNBI+ youth. Swipe to learn what’s at stake and visit our Take Action page at the link in bio. #ProtectTransYouth
Happy 70th to the iconic and first ever Center glo Happy 70th to the iconic and first ever Center global ambassador, @donatella_versace! Forever [stuck] in our hearts and thankfully not our elevators!
⚠️TW: A 61-year-old transgender woman in #West ⚠️TW: A 61-year-old transgender woman in #Westlake has been the target of multiple violent hate-motivated attacks. #LAPD is seeking help identifying the suspects and any additional victims. Anyone with possible information is encouraged to contact the Rampart Division detectives at (213) 484-3495 or Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477. Swipe to learn more.
🌅#GoldenHour is back May 17! This all-ages #AAN 🌅#GoldenHour is back May 17! This all-ages #AANHPIMonth night market honors @lararajj of @katseyeworld! Curated by and for queer AANHPI communities—expect karaoke, tea tasting, cultural bites, live performances & more. Presented by @gileadsciences and @mayumi_market 
RSVP: lalgbtcenter.org/GoldenHour
On Saturday night, our Anita May Rosenstein Campus On Saturday night, our Anita May Rosenstein Campus came alive with love, recognizing the resilience of our community at the Center’s #LAForever Celebration. Nearly $800K was raised for our life-saving services, with unforgettable moments from honorees @thesherylleeralph and Dr. Johanna Olson-Kennedy of CHLA, and our vibrant host @bobthedragqueen. Thank you to everyone who showed up, stood up, and reaffirmed that our lives are worth defending. Read more at the link in bio 💜
Lesbians: visible, powerful, and probably funnier Lesbians: visible, powerful, and probably funnier than you. Happy Lesbian Visibility Week! #LV25 #QueerJoy
Celebrating the unforgettable Jiggly Caliente, a f Celebrating the unforgettable Jiggly Caliente, a fierce performer, advocate, and trailblazer whose light touched so many. Her loss leaves a deep ache in our community, and we hold her loved ones close in our hearts during this time.
Follow on Instagram
Stay Connected
Subscribe
Copyright © 2022 Los Angeles LGBT Center
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy
  • Contact Us

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.