May 01, 2024 Equity and Human Relations Commission

COMMISSIONER GILLETTE.

COMMISSIONER GUTIERREZ.

COMMISSIONER KAHN.

COMMISSIONER LIZETTE FLORES.

COMMISSIONER COLE HERE.

COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY.

OFF, UH, BY SHARING, UM, THE RATIONALE FOR WHY I'M ACTUALLY HERE.

COMMISSIONER SCHULTZ.

PRESENT.

VICE CHAIR COVINGTON HERE.

CHAIR LARA HERE.

WE HAVE A QUORUM.

UH, THANK YOU MADAM CLERK.

UH, SO I WANNA START

[CHAIR REMARKS]

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, THAT EVERYONE KNOWS, AND I WANNA THANK, UH, VICE CHAIR COVINGTON FOR KICKING OFF THIS METHOD THAT WE'RE JUST TRYING OUT, UM, LAST MONTH WHEN, WHEN I COULD NOT MAKE THE MEETING.

AND SO HE SERVED AS CHAIR AND HE ACTUALLY REMINDED ME TODAY THAT IT WAS MY IDEA.

I WAS LIKE, OH, THAT'S RIGHT.

I, I, I, I SHARED THIS MAYBE TWO OR THREE MONTHS AGO AS A POTENTIAL IDEA THAT WE'RE TRYING OUT.

SO, AS MANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH, SOMETIMES WHEN COMMISSIONERS, UH, RUN BEHIND, UM, AND SOMETIMES THIS IS THE LAST SEAT, UH, BUT IT TAKES A, A LITTLE COORDINATING TO DO THAT.

SO I'M THINKING THE POINT PERSON, IN THIS CASE, ME AS A CHAIR, CAN SIT HERE AND ALSO FACILITATE THE COORDINATION OF, OF, OF, OF FOLKS IN THE EVENT THAT TECHNOLOGY ISN'T WORKING.

I CAN VISUALLY SEE FOLKS INSTEAD OF RELYING ON THE TECHNOLOGY.

AND AS I BECAME AWARE WALKING IN, THAT SEEMS TO BE THE CASE TODAY WITH TECHNOLOGY.

SO IT ALLOWS ME TO SEE YOU, UH, AND FAC BETTER FACILITATE THE MEETING, UM, AND HOPEFULLY, UH, CUT DOWN ON SOME OF THE, THOSE TIME CRUNCH AND MISUNDERSTANDING.

'CAUSE, UH, SOMETIMES FOLKS QUEUE FROM DOWN HERE WHEN I WAS UP THERE THINKING THAT I WAS SKIPPING OVER THEM WHEN THAT WAS NOT THE CASE BY ANY MEANS, IT WAS THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WASN'T WORKING.

SO I THINK BY HAVING THIS VISUAL QUEUE, I CAN BE BETTER FACILITATE.

AND I THINK SINCE WE ARE AN EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION MEETING, WHAT BETTER WAY THAN TO HAVE THE PERSON THAT ADMINISTERS THE MEETING THROUGH FACILITATION TO, TO LIVE OUT THAT EQUITY PIECE AND BE THE PERSON DOWN HERE AS, AS WE CARRY OUT THE IMPORTANT WORK OF THIS COMMISSION.

SO, HAVING SAID THAT, I'VE PREPARED SOME REMARKS FOR TODAY'S MEETING THAT ARE ALIGNED WITH, UH, THE, UH, SOME OF THE AGENDA ITEMS. SO I'M GONNA LOOK AT MY REMARKS AND THEN GO A LITTLE BIT OFF CUFF BECAUSE THERE WAS SOME INSPIRATION THAT OCCURRED FOR ME, UH, TODAY.

SO NEXT MONTH IS NATIONAL PRIDE MONTH, BUT HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH FOR QUITE SOME TIME, WE HAVE CELEBRATED PRIDE AND WE KICK IT OFF, UH, IN MAY ONE OF THE FIRST IN THE COUNTRY, UH, TO DO SO.

HOWEVER, DURING THE PANDEMIC YEARS, I KNOW WE REMEMBER THAT, UH, PRIDE FOR US HAVE HAS MOVED, RIGHT? AND NOW IT'S BACK IN MAY.

AND AS WE WERE THINKING ABOUT AGENDA ITEMS, UM, FOR THIS MONTH'S MEETING, IN AN EFFORT TO CONTINUE TO ALIGN THEM TO OUR ROADMAP, WE HAVE PRIORITIZED L-G-B-T-Q ISSUES PER THAT ROADMAP.

AND WE ALSO HAVE AN AD HOC COMMITTEE, UM, UH, ALIGNED WITH, UH, ALSO, UH, UH, BLACK INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF COLOR, UH, COMMUNITIES, WHICH REALLY INTERSECT WITH THE CAREER COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY HERE IN LONG BEACH.

AND SO WE DESIGNED THE AGENDA ITEM AS A NOD, A COMMEMORATION OF ONE OF THE FIRST ACTS WITHIN OUR COMMISSION AND IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH TO REALLY KICK OFF, UH, A CELEBRATION OF MULTIPLE PRIDE EVENTS HERE IN OUR BELOVED CITY.

AND, UM, I WANNA SHARE THE FOLLOWING.

AS WE EMBARK IN CELEBRATING QUEER IDENTITIES AND COMMUNITIES, I SHARE GRATITUDE TO OUR QUEER ELDERS FOR PLANTING THE SEEDS FOR OUR MODERN DAY PRIDE.

THANK YOU TO THE QUEER PATRONS OF THE BLACK CAT IN LA SILVER LAKE IN 1967, WHO PROTESTED UNDERCOVER POLICE RAIDS, BEATINGS, AND ARRESTS FOR DARING TO KISS AND EMBRACE, IN OTHER WORDS, BE HUMAN IN THEIR OWN SPACE.

A ROUND OF APPLAUSE GOES TO TRANSGENDER WOMEN OF COLOR, AN ACTIVIST MARSHA P JOHNSON AND SYLVIA RIVERA, WHO LED THE STONEWALL UPRISING AGAINST POLICE IN NEW YORK.

TWO YEARS LATER IN 1969, SERVING AS A CATALYST FOR THE FIRST PRIDE.

MARCH A YEAR LATER, GUIDED BY GAY LIBERATION AS A CORNERSTONE FOR THE MOVEMENT.

5,000 ACTIVISTS BOLDLY TOOK

[00:05:01]

THE FIRST STEP TO MARCH IN DEFIANCE OF HOMOPHOBIA AND TRANSPHOBIA.

54 YEARS LATER, PRIDE MONTH HAS BECOME WOVEN INTO THE FABRIC OF AMERICAN CULTURE.

HOWEVER, FOR EVERY TWO STEPS FORWARD, THERE'S AN UNFORTUNATE STEP BACK.

AS WE'VE WRITTEN RECENTLY, WITNESSED THE POLITICAL WINDS TURN AGAINST ONE OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITIES, TRANS KIDS AS AN ORGANIZATION, AS AN INSTITUTION, AS A GROUP OF PEOPLE, AS COMMISSIONERS, WE WORK TO PROVIDE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS IN MULTIPLE CONTEXTS, BUT AS PER ROADMAP, IN PARTICULAR L-G-B-T-Q PLUS COMMUNITIES, AND WE DO THAT YEAR ROUND BY HAVING PRESENTATIONS, AS WE'RE GONNA SEE HERE TODAY, HAVE GUIDE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL.

AND, UM, WHEN WE CAN GO OUT INTO COMMUNITY AND, AND, AND SHARE WHAT WE LEARN IN THESE PARTICULAR SPACES.

AND WE DO THIS TO ALSO FLY FIGHT ANTI LGBTQ CLIMATE AND POLICIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY SWEEPING THE COUNTRY.

DOING SO COULD LITERALLY HELP SAVE LIVES FOR LGBTQ PLUS YOUTH AT THE DAY.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, PRIDE FOR ME IS ABOUT ENSURING WE BUILD A FUTURE WHERE ALL LGBTQ PLUS KIDS ARE SAFE, CAN FREELY BE THEIR AUTHENTIC SELVES, AND LET'S ALL BE A PARTNER IN THAT FUTURE.

AND IN TERMS OF MY OFF THE CUFF REMARKS, UH, MANY OF YOU KNOW, AND PERHAPS SOME OF YOU DON'T KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN, AND IT'S INTENTIONAL, VERY ACTIVE, VERY PUBLIC WITH, UH, BEING HIV POSITIVE.

AND FOR SOME OF YOU THAT MIGHT BE NEW NEWS, BUT I'VE BEEN VERY ACTIVE, VERY, I WRITE, WRITE ABOUT IT, PUT IT IN POST.

I'VE BEEN, I'VE, UH, MANY YEARS AGO, MY PARTNER, I DID THE AIDS LIFECYCLE.

IT IS SOMETHING THAT, AGAIN, IT'S VERY INTENTIONAL BECAUSE IT BRINGS VISIBILITY TO THAT COMMUNITY AS WELL.

AND IT ALSO PROVIDES VOICE THROUGH MY LIVED EXPERIENCES AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE OF THAT PARTICULAR LITERATURE.

UM, WHAT MANY OF YOU PROBABLY DON'T KNOW, AND THIS IS WHAT WAS INSPIRED FOR ME TODAY, IS, UM, THERE HAVE BEEN MANY CHALLENGES.

FORTUNATELY, I'M UNDETECTABLE AND FORTUNATELY FOR SOME TIME, AND FORTUNATELY, UM, I'M UN UNTRANSMITTABLE.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR, IT'S THAT YOU, YOU, THAT'S HOW IT'S DESCRIBED IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND, UH, WHAT I'VE WRITTEN ABOUT, BUT I I DON'T THINK MANY PEOPLE KNOW, UH, OUTSIDE OF THE POSTS THAT I SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, IS THAT WHEN I POST AND WHEN I BRING VISIBILITY, UH, THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT COME TO ME BECAUSE OF THAT VISIBILITY AND ASK FOR RESOURCES AND ASK FOR INFORMATION, AND I PARTNER WITH THEM AND I BRING THEM TO MULTIPLE NONPROFITS.

ONE OF WHAT, WHICH IS HERE TO HERE TONIGHT.

UM, UM, AND, AND THAT'S THE POWER OF GIVING VOICE.

NOW, RECENTLY HAD NO IDEA THAT, UM, THAT WHAT I HAD EXPERIENCED IN TERMS OF MY RECENT CHALLENGES, UM, ACTUALLY HAD A SOURCE AS SOMEONE THAT'S UNDETECTABLE AND UNTRANSMITTABLE.

UM, AND, AND I WANNA BRING VISIBILITY TO THAT.

SO YOU NEVER KNOW HOW THESE WORDS ARE, WHO, WHO THESE WORDS ARE GONNA FALL ON AND PERHAPS, UH, UM, UH, BRING VISIBILITY TO THIS ISSUE.

BUT MY MEDICAL CHALLENGE AS OF LATE IS JUST, UH, CHRONIC FATIGUE, CHRONIC FATIGUE, TRY NOT TO SHOW IT.

I PUSHED THE DAY, PUSHED TO THE DAY, AND IT WASN'T UNTIL ABOUT A WEEK OR TWO AGO THAT I ASKED A QUESTION TO A PHARMACIST AT AN HAHV RIGHT CENTER.

SO THEIR SPECIALIST IN HIV SAID, HAVE YOU CONSIDERED THAT YOU MIGHT BE DEFICIENT IN B12? I'M LIKE, WHAT? SO THEN I SPOKE TO MY DOCTOR, RIGHT? TURNS OUT RIGHT THAT THAT IS THE CASE, AND WROTE A PRESCRIPTION, UH, TOOK THE FIRST INJECTION, THIS, THIS, THIS WEEKEND.

BAM.

IT'S LIKE A WHOLE NEW PERSON.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HEAR IT IN MY VOICE.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HEAR IT IN MY ENERGY.

IT WAS LIKE, OH, I'VE BEEN LIKE THIS FOR YEARS, FOR YEARS NOT KNOWING THAT THERE WAS SITUATION IN PUBLIC.

I JUST PRESSED ON, I PUSHED FORWARD, I MOVE AND DO WHAT I CAN.

I WAS LIKE, WHOA.

I HAD FORGOTTEN WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO BE AT A HUNDRED PERCENT, AND IT WAS THAT B12.

SO FOREVER, THESE WORDS LAND ON.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO, UH, BRING VISIBILITY TO SOME OF THESE MEDICAL ISSUES, SOME OF WHICH MAY BE PART OF OUR PRESENTATIONS TODAY.

AND, UH, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO BE SERVING IN THIS ROLE FOR ANOTHER MONTH.

UM, AND EVEN WHEN I RETREAT BACK TO MY, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER DUTY BACK UP ON, ON THE DAIS IN, IN TWO MONTHS, UM, I WILL CONTINUE TO CHAMPION THESE ISSUES AMONGST OTHER ISSUES AS WELL.

SO, SO MY REMARKS WERE INTENTIONALLY LENGTHY TODAY BECAUSE, UH, IT'S IN THE SPIRIT OF HELPING AS MUCH AS I CAN.

AND I GOT THIS NOTE TO ALSO TRANSITION OVER TO A LAND

[00:10:01]

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.

UM, DO WE HAVE A VOLUNTEER BY CHANCE FOR THE MISSION TO READ A LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT? I KNOW SOMETIMES THE VICE CHAIR DOES IT, BUT I WANNA WANNA PUT THEM ON THE SPOT.

OH, AND IF YOU WANT, ONE OF US CAN DO IT AS WELL.

UM, ALANA, OR I CAN READ IT AS WELL.

YES, I CAN DO IT.

UM, SO IN OUR PRACTICE OF DOING OUR LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, UM, WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ANCESTRAL, UH, CARETAKERS OF THIS LAND THAT WE'RE ON, WHICH IS THE GABRIELINO AND TONGVA PEOPLE, UM, THEY ARE STILL HERE WITH US TODAY.

UH, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE GIVE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, UM, TO ALL THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONE AND, UH, TO ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE UNOCCUPIED LAND.

UM, AND SO THINKING ABOUT THAT AS WE GO THROUGH EVERY DAY, UH, AS WE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES HERE, UH, WE WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE LABOR OF BLACK AND BROWN FOLKS WHO BUILT THIS COUNTRY.

UM, AND SO IF WE CAN TAKE A MOMENT OF SILENCE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND GIVE APPRECIATIONS TO OUR COMMUNITIES, WE WOULD APPRECIATE THAT.

ALRIGHT, PASS IT BACK TO YOU CHAIR.

APPRECIATE YOU VICE CHAIR.

UM, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S CONSTANT MOVING PARTS HERE TO ORCHESTRATE A SUCCESSFUL MEETING.

SO I APPRECIATE YOU ON THE SPOT TO, UH, UM, ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, THE LAND THAT WE CURRENTLY, UH, NOT ONLY PRESIDE ON, SIT ON AND DELIBERATE, UH, A COMMISSION BUSINESS, BUT, UH, IN TERMS OF WHO THE, UH, ORIGINAL INHABITANTS OF, OF THIS LAND ARE.

AND I'M GONNA ASK MADAM CLERK TO READ AGENDA ITEM.

SO, UH, NOW THAT WE HAVE GONE THROUGH OUR OPENING, UH, REMARKS HERE, WE'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THE OFFICIAL BUSINESS OF OUR AGENDA.

UH, SO WE'RE GONNA GO TO AGENDA ITEM ONE,

[1. 24-53174 Recommendation to approve the minutes for the Equity and Human Relations Commission meeting of Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]

ITEM NUMBER ONE IS A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION MEETING OF WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3RD, 2024.

I WANNA STATE FOR THE RECORD, I WAS NOT HERE LAST MONTH, SO I'LL BE ABSTAINING FOR, UH, FROM THIS PARTICULAR VOTE.

BUT, SO IF YOU REVIEWED THE MINUTES, YOU ARE WELCOME TO APPROVE THEM.

MM-HMM, .

UM, SO IF YOU DID REVIEW, YOU CAN, UM, VOTE INSTEAD OF ABSTAINING.

SO, ITEM OF CLARIFICATION HERE WAS MY UNDERSTANDING.

I DID REVIEW, BUT I, I WAS UNDER THE UNDERSTANDING THAT I WOULD HAVE TO REVIEW THE ACTUAL MEETING COUPLED WITH THE REVIEW OF THE MINUTES.

UM, IS THAT, UH, INCORRECT? YEAH.

THE VIDEO AND THEN THE MINUTES AS WELL.

SO I REVIEWED THE MINUTES, BUT I DID NOT REVIEW THE VIDEO, SO THAT'S WHY I HAVE TO ABSTAIN.

UM, SO BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN PERSON THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER ONE, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM AT THIS TIME.

AND IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS IN THE ZOOM THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER ONE, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE.

NOW, SEEING NONE, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER ONE.

UM, AND FOR THE RECORD, THIS ITEM WAS MOVED BY COMMISSIONER SCHULTZ AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GILLETTE.

MOTION CARRIES.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MADAM CLERK.

UH, MOVING ALONG TO AGENDA ITEM TWO,

[2. 24-53175 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation from Bill Sive regarding LGBT Elders Day, and if appropriate, recommend the City Council endorse the community forum. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]

MADAM CLERK.

ITEM NUMBER TWO IS A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A PRESENTATION FROM BILL SIV REGARDING LGBT ELDERS DAY.

AND IF APPROPRIATE, RECOMMEND THE CITY COUNCIL ENDORSE THE COMMUNITY FORUM.

CAN I HAVE A COMMISSIONER MOVE THIS ITEM ALONG? WAITING FOR, UH, COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY.

UH, THANK YOU.

SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER DR.

BATZ.

SO THIS MOVES FORWARD.

UH, CAN WE OPEN, UH, FOR COMMENT? UM, COMMENT SHOULD BE AFTER THE PRESENTATION.

SO IF WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PRESENTATION FIRST.

PERFECT.

WAS INCLUDING L-G-B-T-Q, OLDER ADULTS AND PERSONS WITH HIV AND AIDS AS PART OF THE OLDER AMERICANS ACT DURING THE LAST AMENDMENT.

UM, AND THANK YOU, UH, TO, UH, BILL C FOR, FOR THIS PRESENTATION.

SO THE FLOOR IS YOURS.

UH, THANK YOU FOR THE INVITE.

I'M TRULY HONORED TO BE DOING THIS TODAY.

UM, SO JUST A QUICK SUMMARY REALLY QUICK.

UH, LGBT ELDERS DAY ACTUALLY STARTED IN 2015 BY A GENTLEMAN NAMED NATE SWEENEY.

THERE'S A NATIONAL L-G-B-T-Q ORGANIZATION CALLED SAGE, USA, WHO I HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH AND MEET WITH THEM MONTHLY.

UH, WE KIND OF DO LEGISLATION AS IT AFFECTS L-G-B-T-Q PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

SO DEFINITELY AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL.

FOR INSTANCE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HELPED ACCOMPLISH

[00:15:01]

SO THESE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT WE WORK ON, ESPECIALLY IF THERE'S OTHER CHANGES IN OUR FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION, WE'RE QUICK TO EDUCATE AND RESPOND THERE.

UH, SO JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON THAT.

AND PART OF THE SPIRIT BEHIND THAT IS TO REFLECT AND CELEBRATE WHERE ELDERS ARE, WHERE WE COME FROM, AND TO RECOGNIZE OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

SO, UM, FOR NATIONAL L-G-B-T-Q ELDERS DAY, UM, THIS IS REALLY KIND OF, YOU KNOW, I'M GREAT TO DO THIS, THIS ON THIS MONTH ON THE 16TH, UM, THIS IS ACTUALLY A PRESENTATION THAT I'VE BEEN DOING FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AT CAL STATE LONG BEACH.

I DO IT FOR THE GERONTOLOGY PROGRAM ONCE IN THE FALL AND ONCE IN THE SPRING.

SO THIS IS NOT NEW, BUT WE'RE DOING IT IN THE COMMUNITY AS OPPOSED TO DOING IT AT THE ACADEMIC LEVEL.

AND BY DOING THAT, WE'RE ALSO INVITING A NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO ATTEND THIS.

AND THE, THE RESPONSE HAVE BEEN REALLY, REALLY GREAT.

SO LET'S SEE, WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.

LET'S SEE, IS THIS WORKING? CAN SOMEBODY ADVANCE FOR ME? OH, THERE IT GOES.

I DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S KIND OF SKIPPING SLIDES UNLESS I HIT THEM BY ACCIDENT.

SO ANYWAY, UM, PART OF MY BACKGROUND IS DOING L-G-B-T-Q, SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, UM, WITH THE L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITY.

UM, BUT ALSO MY HOME IS WITH THE GAY ELDER CIRCLE.

THE GAY ELDER CIRCLE SERVES AS LIKE MENTORS, LEADERS, SOMEBODY THAT YOU CAN GO TO IF, LIKE MYSELF, YOU WERE KICKED OUT OF YOUR HOME WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER BECAUSE YOU IDENTIFY ON THE L-G-B-T-Q SPECTRUM.

WE'RE NOT REPLACING PARENTS OR NOT REPLACING AUNTS AND UNCLES.

WE'RE THERE TO BE A LISTENING EAR AND TO HELP YOU REFLECT ON WHERE YOUR LIFE AND WHERE YOUR JOURNEY IS.

ON THE L-G-B-T-Q SPECTRUM, WE VALIDATE YOU AND THIS IS WHAT WE DO.

WE KIND OF TAKE THAT TRADITIONAL ROLE OF ELDER AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE COMING FROM.

UM, SO THERE WE GO.

SO FOR LGBT ELDERS DAY, IT'S BEING HOSTED AT GRACE UNITED, UH, METHODIST CHURCH ON THIRD STREET.

THAT'S REVEREND DAN LEWIS.

UM, HE'S A GAY PASTOR.

HE'S MARRIED, UM, HE'S BEEN IN THE COMMUNITY FOR A WHILE.

UM, SO HE, HE'S PROVIDING THE SPACE FOR FREE.

UM, I'M PART OF THE LEADERSHIP TEAM AT GRACE.

AND THEN ALSO OUR KEY SPONSOR, REALLY OUR KEY ENDORSER IS ALEXANDER WILKERSON.

ALEXANDRA IS THE ONE OF THE LECTURERS FOR THE GERONTOLOGY PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY.

AND IT'S ACTUALLY HER PARTICULAR CLASS THAT I'M DOING THESE, UH, FORUMS AT FOR THE STUDENTS.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HEAR FROM THE STUDENTS ALL THE TIME, AND SOMETIMES WHEN WE HAVE FACULTY MEMBERS DROP IN IS LIKE, I'VE NEVER HEARD THIS BEFORE.

I DIDN'T KNOW THIS.

IT'S NOT IN OUR TEXTBOOKS.

AND IT'S REALLY INTERESTING BECAUSE I HAVE THIS KIND OF CONNECTION AFTER I START MY FORUM FOR THE STUDENTS.

AND THEN WE HAVE STUDENTS POPPING UP LIKE, WELL, NOW I UNDERSTAND MY, YOU KNOW, GAY UNCLE OR MY GAY AUNT, OR MY OLDER LESBIAN FRIENDS HERE OR THERE THAT, 'CAUSE I TIE THINGS TOGETHER.

AND I'LL KIND OF SHOW YOU THAT IN A LITTLE BIT, UH, HOW WE DO THAT.

SO IT'S REALLY FORTUNATE THAT IN THIS ENTIRE GEOGRAPHIC REGION, I'M THE ONLY ONE DOING THIS.

AND THAT'S KIND OF SAD BECAUSE I FEEL I SHOULD HAVE A LESBIAN COUNTERPART, A TRANSGENDER COUNTERPART.

THERE ARE MANY STORIES TO BEING AN ELDER IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND BEFORE I MOVE ALONG FURTHER, I WANT TO KIND OF SET YOU FROM THE GAY ELDER CIRCLE PERSPECTIVE.

WHAT IS AN OLDER PERSON AND WHAT IS AN ELDER? SO I KIND OF TOLD YOU WHAT AN ELDER IS, LIKE YOUR TRIBAL LEADER, THAT KIND OF THING.

BUT AN OLDER PERSON IS LIKE SOMEBODY THAT PASSES THE TIME, THEY KIND OF CHECK THEIR OBITUARIES TO SEE WHO DIED AND THEY PASSIVELY STAY AT HOME AND WATCH TV OR DOING STUFF LIKE THAT.

THEY'RE NOT, THEY KIND OF MAYBE SOCIAL SELF ISOLATE.

THOSE ARE OLDER PEOPLE.

JUST BECAUSE YOU ADVANCE IN AGE DOES NOT MAKE YOU AN ELDER.

PART OF BEING AN ELDER MEANS YOU'RE GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, YOU'RE SHARING YOUR KNOWLEDGE, YOU'RE TRANSFERRING YOUR KNOWLEDGE TO THE NEXT GENERATION.

SO IT'S THOSE, THAT'S THE DISTINCTION THAT THE GAY ELDER CIRCLE HAS ALWAYS MADE WHEN IT COMES TO BEING AN ELDER, WHICH KIND OF SETS US DIFFERENT.

SO AFTER I HAD SENT THE EMAIL TO THIS COMMISSION, WE PICKED UP A LOT OF SPONSORS, THE CENTER FOR SUCCESSFUL AGING AT THE UNIVERSITY, THE SCHOOL OF NURSING, UM, MAYOR RICHARDSON.

I'M JUST WAS SO DELIGHTED TO GET THE EMAIL FROM HIM.

VICE MAYOR ELLEN, WHICH IS WHERE THE CHURCH IS LOCATED.

CHRISTINA DUGGAN.

I LIVE IN COUNCIL DISTRICT THREE AND LONG BEACH PRIDE.

UM, THE ORANGE COUNTY, LGBT

[00:20:01]

CENTER, THE LA L-G-B-T-Q CENTER, THE LOGO, UM, THE KIND OF BLACK AND WHITE FACE IN IT IS PROBABLY ONE YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH.

IT'S BLACK AND WHITE MEN TOGETHER, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

THEY'VE ACTUALLY BEEN A MEMBER OF THIS COMMUNITY FOR OVER 20 YEARS.

AND I'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF THEM FOR THAT WHOLE TIME FOR MOST OF THAT TIME.

UH, SO WE PICKED UP A LOT OF SPONSORS, PEOPLE THAT I WORK WITH IN VARIOUS LEVELS.

THE AGENDA FOR THAT DAY IS GONNA KIND OF REVIEW TRAUMA, CULTURAL HUMILITY, NETWORKING, AND EDUCATION AND AWARENESS.

SO I'M JUST KIND OF GONNA GIVE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW.

WE'RE ADDRESSING ALL KIND OF L-G-B-T-Q OLDER ADULTS.

UM, AND I'M IN A UNIQUE POSITION BECAUSE I ATTEND MANY OLDER ADULT FORUMS, WHETHER IN PERSON OR VIRTUAL.

SO I'M CONSTANTLY INFORMATION GATHERING.

SO SOME OF THE INFORMATION I'M REGURGITATING, SOME OF IT I KNOW FIRSTHAND.

SO I'M NOT LIKE BEHOLDEN TO ALL THE INFORMATION.

I'M JUST THE ONE PRESENTING IT TO THE PUBLIC.

SO KINDA LET'S GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE THINGS, SOME OF THE TRAUMA THAT LGBT OLDER ADULTS FACE.

UP HERE ON THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE WE HAVE, UM, ON THE RIGHT, IN THE BLACK AND WHITE PHOTO, ACTUALLY, SENATOR JOE MCCARTHY AND ROY COHN MCCARTHY MCCARTHYISM WAS, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY WERE ROOTING OUT THE RED SCARE COMMUNISM IN OUR COUNTRY IN THE 1950S.

ROY COHN WAS KIND OF THE ARCHITECT.

HE WAS THE HATEMONGER WHO WAS FEEDING HIS EAR.

BUT PRESIDENT TRUMAN ACTUALLY WROTE, KIND OF STARTED, THE ROLE STARTED, WE SEEN THE STRUCTURAL BIASES IN OUR GOVERNMENT AGAINST L-G-B-T-Q PERSONS.

AND THIS IS KIND OF WHERE IT ALL BEGAN.

WHEN WE STARTED SEEING SOME OF THE GREATER THINGS THAT HAPPENED, PRESIDENT EISENHOWER, WHO WAS THE NEXT TERM, WROTE AN EXECUTIVE ORDER BECAUSE AT THIS TIME WE HAVE, NOW THIS IS, MAY YOU NOT KNOW, IS THAT WE HAD THE LAVENDER SCARE.

THE LAVENDER SCARE WAS TO GET L-G-B-T-Q PEOPLE OUT OF FEDERAL JOBS.

AND THE EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT PRESIDENT EISENHOWER WROTE CAUSED THAT.

AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME THAT THAT WAS HAPPENING, THE AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION DECLARED HOMOSEXUALITY A MENTAL DISORDER.

AND THAT HAS TREMENDOUS IMPACT.

IMPACT BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T KNOW THIS PART ABOUT L-G-B-T-Q HISTORY BY DECLARING HOMOSEXUALITY A MENTAL DISORDER, IF, UH, A COUPLE, UH, A, A HETEROSEXUAL APPEARING COUPLE GOT DIVORCED, BUT THEY GOT DIVORCED BECAUSE WHATEVER REASONS THAT PEOPLE GET DIVORCED, BUT YOU FIND OUT THAT THE WOMAN MAY BE A LESBIAN OR THE MAN MAY BE GAY, AND THEY, THOSE OVER THE REASONS FOR DIVORCE IF IT WENT TO COURT DURING THIS TIME, THIS RULING BY THE AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION JUSTIFIED TEARING FAMILIES APART AND MAKING SURE THAT MAYBE IF THE LESBIAN MOM OR THE GAY FATHER, EVEN THOUGH THEY COULD HAVE BEEN THE BETTER PARENT, WERE BARRED FROM SEEING THEIR OWN CHILDREN.

SO WHEN YOU HEAR THAT GAY, GAY, OLDER OR LESBIAN OR TRANSGENDER, OLDER ADULTS DON'T HAVE CHILDREN, THEY'RE LIVING ALONE.

THIS IS KIND OF WHERE THE STRUCTURAL BIASES CAME FROM IN OUR OWN GOVERNMENT.

AND THIS STAYED IN PLACE FOR 20 YEARS.

THE DAMAGE WAS DONE.

IN FACT, AT A TIME WHEN THIS WAS HAPPENING, WE KIND OF CAN LOOK AND COMPARE IT TODAY, OUR CURRENT SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE FOR THE REPUBLICANS ACTUALLY WANTS TO ENACT.

AND THIS IS LIKE A FEW YEARS AGO, JUST A COUPLE YEARS AGO, A NATIONAL DON'T SAY GABRIEL.

AND IT WASN'T ON THE RADAR FOR ANYBODY IN MY NETWORK ON THE WEST COAST THAT HE WAS ACTUALLY PROPOSING THIS.

HE JUST WAS A SMALL PERSON FROM MISS MISSISSIPPI.

BUT YET IT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION RIGHT AWAY.

AND THE REASON IT CAUGHT ATTENTION, MY ATTENTION IS BECAUSE PRIDE WEEKEND HERE IN LONG BEACH, UM, I'LL BE DOING THAT SATURDAY, I'LL BE DOING A FORUM IN ORANGE COUNTY FOR THE L-G-B-T-Q YOUTH CONVENING, COVERING L-G-B-T-Q POLITICS AS THEY STAND TODAY.

UM, SO IT'S REALLY KIND OF INTERESTING.

I KIND OF RELATE THE PAST AND THE PRESENT.

AND SOME OF THE OTHER CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE IS THE MEN.

THE GENTLEMAN ON THE TOP IS CLAY, RIGHT? PRE-MARRIAGE EQUALITY.

HE WAS IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH ANOTHER MAN, AGAIN, NOT MARRIED, PRE-MARRIAGE EQUALITY.

THERE WAS AN ISSUE.

THEY BOTH WENT INTO DIFFERENT HOSPITALS, NURSING HOMES FOR A WHILE.

THE COUNTY CAME IN AND SEPARATED THEM.

THEN THE COUNTY TOOK THEIR HOME, THEIR POSSESSIONS, THEIR ANTIQUES, AND THEY SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO REIMBURSE US FOR THE COST OF TAKING CARE OF YOU.

UH, AND IT'S KIND OF REAL, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF REALLY DIFFICULT TO, YOU KNOW, TO DO THIS AT THEIR LEVEL.

THE OTHER THING, YOU KNOW, TO RECOVER.

AND THEN, UM, THE TWO LADIES IN THE CENTER WERE DENIED IT, UH, TO ESTABLISH RESIDENCY IN A RETIREMENT CENTER WHEN THE RETIREMENT CENTER FOUND OUT THAT THERE WERE LESBIANS.

AND ON THE BOTTOM IS A TRANSGENDER WOMAN, MARIE KNIGHT.

MARIE KNIGHT IS MY HERO.

78-YEAR-OLD TRANS

[00:25:01]

WOMAN FOUGHT THE SYSTEM, WAS DENIED ADMISSION TO A REHAB FACILITY BECAUSE MI MARIE IS A TRANSGENDER WOMAN WHO HAPPENS TO BE IN A WHEELCHAIR AS WELL.

YOU CAN'T SEE IT IN THE PICTURE, BUT SHE FOUGHT THE SYSTEM.

MARIE WON BECAUSE THIS MARIE'S IN MAINE WE'RE IN CALIFORNIA.

BUT MAINE HAS SIMILAR LAWS AND PROTECTION THAT CALIFORNIA HAS AND USE THOSE PROTECTION LAWS TO SUE THE FACILITY AND ACTUALLY ONE AND CAUSE A HUGE CHANGE IN THE DYNAMICS, UH, FOR TRANSGENDER OLDER ADULTS IN THE STATE OF MAINE.

BUT IT'S A SITE, A CASE THAT WE CAN CITE FOR GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN ENACTED FOR US SB 2019 IN 2017 L GB, UH, TRANSGENDER L-G-B-T-Q BILL OF RIGHTS AND LONG-TERM CARE.

BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT OTHER SITUATIONS ON THE TWO GENTLEMEN ON THE LEFT AS KIND OF A REPRESENTATION OF MEN OR OLDER L-G-B-T-Q PERSONS COMING OUT LATER IN LIFE.

AND THE WOMAN ON THE RIGHT KIND OF REPRESENTS SOCIAL ISOLATION AND LONELINESS BECAUSE WE'RE STILL ALONE.

AND WHAT I HEAR FROM SOME OLDER TRANSGENDER PEOPLE WHO COME OUT LATE IN LIFE SAYING LIKE, THEY DON'T KNOW IF I'M A MAN, THEY DON'T KNOW IF I'M A WOMAN.

THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO IDENTIFY.

OR THEY'RE LIVING IN A FACILITY AND IT'S LIKE THEY'RE SCARED TO DEATH THAT THE PEOPLE ON THE FRONT DESK FIND OUT THAT THEY DID A NAME CHANGE FROM SOMETHING LIKE ALICE TO ADAM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

THESE ARE LEGITIMATE SCARES.

THE OTHER THING WHEN IT COMES TO L-G-B-T-Q OLDER ADULTS IS YOU CANNOT, THEY'RE NOT A MONOLITH AND YOU CAN'T FORCE THEM ALL TOGETHER.

'CAUSE EVEN THOUGH IN OCTOBER WE HAVE NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND TOO, SINCE MARRIAGE EQUALITY, THERE'S A LOT OF OLDER PERSONS THAT CAME OUT AT 50 YEARS OLD, 60 YEARS OLD AND OLDER ON THE L-G-B-T-Q SPECTRUM.

AND SO THE OTHER THING IS, WHAT DO WE LOOK LIKE AS WE AGE AS TRANSGENDER PEOPLE? SO THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TRANSGENDER PEOPLE HERE IN OUR CITY, BUT THEY'RE NOT REALLY KIND OF OUT AND VISIBLE AND KIND OF CONTRIBUTING KIND OF IN THE WAY I AM TODAY.

WE NEED THEM TO STEP UP AND DO EDUCATION.

UM, SO THIS IS WHAT L-G-B-T-Q EQUALITY LOOKS LIKE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

SO GREEN STATES, OBVIOUSLY, CALIFORNIA, WASHINGTON, OREGON, NEVADA, AND THE RED STATES, WHICH WE KNOW QUITE A BIT.

BUT WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW IS THIS PARTICULAR MAP.

SO THIS PARTICULAR MAP IS KIND OF CAME ABOUT FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP'S PRESIDENCY AND THESE STATES, THE KIND OF AMBER COLORED ONES, THE ORANGES ONES, AND THE DARK ONES, LIKE ALABAMA, A PHYSICIAN, A MEDICAL PRACTITIONER CAN DENY YOU CARE BASED ON THEIR RELIGIOUS BELIEF.

AND THAT'S REALLY SCARY.

SO IF YOU, YOU KNOW, EVEN HERE IN CALIFORNIA, WE'VE HAD ISSUES WITH THAT.

UM, IN FACT, UH, THERE'S A, A CASE STUDY THAT COULD CITE, BUT I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO IT RIGHT NOW, BUT ALSO AFTER MARRIAGE EQUALITY, YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBERS HERE FROM A GALLUP POLL AND STATISTA THAT AS OF 2020, RIGHT AFTER THE 2020 CENSUS, THAT WE NOW KNOW THAT ONE IN SIX GEN Z IDENTIFY SOMETHING OTHER THAN HETEROSEXUAL, WHICH IS AMAZING.

AND THESE ARE STATISTICS THAT WE KIND OF NEED TO KIND OF KEEP ABREAST ABOUT.

SO WE KNOW THAT THE CENSUS DOESN'T TRACK OLDER ADULTS CONSERVATIVELY.

WE'RE LOOKING AT 3 MILLION, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO DOUBLE BY 2030.

WE KNOW THAT BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF NON-EDUCATION AND HEALTHCARE THAT WE NEED TO KIND OF CLOSE THOSE GAPS.

UH, AND THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS NATIONALLY FOR L-G-B-T-Q, OLDER ADULTS BECAUSE OF BARRIERS THEY FACE, LIKE, UM, BEING FORCED OUT OF THEIR JOBS DURING, YOU KNOW, PRESIDENT TRUMAN, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD BARRIERS TO INCOME DURING THEIR PRIME EARNING YEARS.

UH, SO THERE'S FINANCIAL DISPARITIES, SOCIAL ISOLATION, AND CLIMATE CHANGE BECAUSE MOST L-G-B-T-Q, OLDER, OLDER ADULTS AND POPULATION ARE LIVE IN URBAN AREAS.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ARE NOT ADDRESSED ARE END OF LIFE ISSUES.

SO WHAT'S GOOD HAPPENING HERE? WELL, THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ESTABLISHED IN L-G-B-T-Q COMMISSION LAST YEAR HERE IN LONG BEACH, WE'RE ESTABLISHED IN L-G-B-T-Q CULTURE DISTRICT RIGHT DOWN HERE ON BROADWAY.

AWESOME.

AND YOU FOLKS, AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, YOU FOLKS ARE GREAT BECAUSE YOU, I TREAT YOU GUYS MENTALLY AS MY UNOFFICIAL L-G-B-T-Q COMMISSION.

UM, BUT ALSO FROM CONVERSATIONS FROM HERE IN THIS COMMISSION, WE HAVE RYAN MAGINI, WHO'S THE L-G-B-T-Q-I PLUS HEALTH EQUITY COORDINATOR FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AND IS STARTING A NEEDS ANALYSIS ON LGBTQ POPULATION IN THE CITY.

I HAVE MET WITH RYAN TWICE, AND WE'LL BE MEETING WITH HIM AGAIN LATER THIS MONTH.

I'VE PROVIDED HIM SOME OF MY RESEARCH ON HOW TO KIND OF FORM THAT STUDY AND THINGS THAT I'VE DONE IN THE PAST WHERE I COULD KIND OF GET MY NUMBERS FROM.

AND THEY'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS, ESPECIALLY WHEN I INTRODUCED L-G-B-T-Q ELDERS DATE TO THEM, THEY REALLY PICKED THEIR EARS UP.

AND WE'VE HAD TWO MEETINGS SINCE THEN.

[00:30:01]

SO THE ELDERS DAY EVENT WILL BE THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF OTHER COMMUNITY FORUMS, AND I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

UH, IT'S A FAITH COMMUNITY STEPPING UP, BUT ALSO TRANSGENDER DAY VISIBILITY.

YOU KNOW, MY NATIONAL NETWORK, UH, WAS WRITING LETTERS TO THE VA BECAUSE THE VA, EVEN THOUGH IT'S AFFIRMING, DOES NOT DO AFFIRMING SURGERY FOR OUR TRANSGENDER VETERANS.

WE'RE TRYING TO CHANGE THAT.

AND THEN LASTLY ON THIS SLIDE, TRANSFORM THE VOTE.

SO I'M ACTUALLY PART OF A TEAM THAT IS DOING EDUCATION ON TRANSGENDER INDIVIDUALS AND VOTING BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS MAY HAVE LIKE AN X MARKER ON THEIR ID.

AND WHAT HAPPENS IF, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY AT THE VOTING CENTER DOESN'T APPRECIATE IT, DOESN'T UNDERSTAND IT.

SO WE'RE PROVIDING EDUCATION FOR OUR TRANSGENDER COMMUNITIES.

I'M PART OF THAT.

SO KIND OF SUMMARIZING L-G-B-T-Q, OLDER ADULTS HAVE EXPERIENCED A LOT OF DISPARITIES OVER THEIR LIFETIME.

MISTRUSTING, THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY, FAITH LEADERS, OBVIOUSLY BIG, HUGE ONE.

AND WE HAVE TO KIND OF LOOK AT THIS AS HISTORICAL TRAUMA.

HOW DOES THAT APPLY FROM THE PAST APPLY TODAY? SO WHEN YOU ACTUALLY WORK WITH AN LGBT LGBTQ ADULT, YOU KIND OF HAVE TO KIND OF THINK, AND THAT'S WHY I KIND OF STRESSED EARLIER, YOU KNOW, DID THEY COME OUT, YOU KNOW, DAY ONE I WAS GAY OR LESBIAN OR TRANSGENDER VERSUS I'M GAY OR LESBIAN, TRANSGENDER AT 50, 67 YEARS OLD BECAUSE THERE'S NOT THAT COLLECTIVE HISTORY, SHARED HISTORY LIKE THE AIDS CRISIS OR FROM THE 1950S AND THE 1960S, THOSE SOCIAL BARRIERS ON.

SO YOU NEED KIND OF NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT, ESPECIALLY THAT'S WHERE THE CULTURAL HUMILITY IS COMING FROM.

SO WE'RE TAKING, I'VE TAKEN A BIG STEP IN KIND OF BRINGING THIS TO THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, PERSONALLY, I HAVE EXPERTISE IN ALL THESE OTHER TOPICS AND I DO THESE OTHER TOPICS AND, YOU KNOW, FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, FOR AREA AGENCIES ON AGING, FOR THE LA COUNTY, UH, OLDER ADULT CONSULTATION TEAM, I'VE DONE PRESENTATIONS FOR THE DEPARTMENT, LA COUNTY, DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN, UH, SOCIAL SERVICES, THE LA COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH.

SO IT'S NOT LIKE THIS IS COMING OUT OF THE BLUE, THIS IS NOT NEW.

I'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR A WHILE, BUT NOW WE'RE JUST KIND OF REALLY MAKING IT PUBLIC.

UM, AND THAT'S REALLY IT.

YOU KNOW, THE L-G-B-T-Q, UH, THE GAY, UH, ELDER CIRCLE HAS BEEN A, A GREAT CORNERSTONE IN TEACHING ME WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE AN ELDER.

UH, I CAN WATCH THEM AGE.

AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, UM, AND THIS IS KIND OF A SIDE NOTE, IT'S NOT REALLY PART OF THE PRESENTATION, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, UM, THE GAY ELDER CIRCLE HAS TAUGHT ME WHAT CONSCIOUS AGING LOOKS LIKE.

AND IN JUNE, I'VE COLLABORATED WITH ANOTHER ORGANIZATION WHO HAS AN INTERNATIONAL PLATFORM.

AND WITH THAT OTHER ORGANIZATION, I'LL BE DOING AN ONLINE FORUM ON CONSCIOUS AGING FOR L-G-B-T-Q, OLDER ADULTS.

SO MY PLATFORM IS JUST KEEPS GROWING AND GROWING THE LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR, IT'S JUST MY VISIBILITY IS JUST BLOWING UP, WHICH IS A PHENOMENAL, AND, AND I, SOME OF IT, I THANK ALL OF YOU FOR THAT BECAUSE A COUPLE OF MEETINGS AGO, YOU GUYS REALLY STARTED THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CITY ABOUT THE NEEDS ANALYSIS, AND THAT'S REALLY BLOSSOMED.

AND I'VE REALLY FELT THAT TALKING TO RYAN AND KEVIN HATCHER AT THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES IS REALLY GOING TO STIMULATE SOME THINGS, ESPECIALLY, UH, THE LONG BEACH AGENT SERVICES COLLABORATIVE.

UH, WE'RE HAVING A MEETING AT THE END OF THIS MONTH ON WHAT IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE AND WHERE, WHAT OTHER FUTURE PLACES WHERE WE CAN COLLABORATE.

YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING WHEN YOU GO TO OUR WEBSITE.

ANY QUESTIONS? NOT FIRST OF ALL, GRATITUDE.

THANK YOU, BILL, FOR, FOR, UM, REALLY ILLUMINATING SUCH IMPORTANT ISSUES AND, UH, AS USUAL, UM, SINCE YOU'VE, UH, ATTENDED MANY OF OUR MEETINGS, YOU KNOW THAT WE WILL OPEN UP A MOMENTARILY FOR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FROM FELLOW COMMISSIONERS.

BUT SOMETHING THAT SURFACED FOR ME, IF YOU DON'T MIND SHARING, UM, FROM MY EXPERIENCE, UM, THERE IS A TENDENCY FOR SOME FOLKS TO USE THE WORD QUEER AS AN ALL-ENCOMPASSING UMBRELLA, UH, UH, TERM FOR THE BROADER COMMUNITY.

ALTHOUGH EVEN THAT DEFINITION IS CAN FLUCTUATE FROM PERSON TO PERSON.

AND WHEN IT COMES TO ELDERS OF A CERTAIN GENERATION, THE WORD QUEER HAS CERTAIN CONNOTATIONS, UM, BECAUSE OF GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES.

CAN YOU SPEAK MAYBE A LITTLE BIT FOR THE, FOR THE SAKE OF NOT JUST COMMISSIONERS, BUT JUST TO THE PUBLIC ON, ON THE SENSITIVITY OF THE WORD QUEER, ESPECIALLY FOR SOME OF OUR, SOME OF OUR ELDERS, YOU ARE 100% CORRECT.

UH, THERE ARE SOME L-G-B-T-Q OLDER ADULTS WHO, IF YOU SAY QUEER, THEY'RE GONNA CRINGE BECAUSE WHEN THEY WERE YOUNGER, YOU'RE QUEER, YOU'RE A F****T, YOU'RE A D**E, THAT KIND OF STUFF.

BUT THEN THERE ARE OTHER L-G-B-T-Q OLDER ADULTS THAT SAY, I AM A QUEER AND I'M A QUEER BECAUSE I'M GONNA STEER THE POT.

I'M GONNA WAKE YOU UP A LITTLE BIT AND YOU JUST CANNOT HELP IT.

IF I SAY THAT WORD, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A REACTION TO IT.

AND THAT'S ONE THING I LIKE ABOUT THE GAY ELDER CIRCLE BECAUSE IT ACTUALLY SAYS IN THE NAME, WE ARE GAY ELDERS.

[00:35:01]

YOU'RE GETTING SOMEONE WHO IDENTIFIES AS GAY AND IS OUT INVISIBLE AND OUT INVISIBLE COMMUNITY.

SO IT DEPENDS ON THE INDIVIDUAL, HOW THEY PROCESS THAT WORD.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, BILL.

I'M GONNA OPEN IT UP FOR FELLOW COMMISSIONERS FOR QUESTIONS, COMMENTS.

I'M SORRY, BEFORE WE GO INTO DISCUSSION, CAN WE CALL PUBLIC COMMENT? YES.

AND I THINK THAT'S, UH, WHAT VICE CHAIR WHO'S RUNNING AS WELL.

UM, I GUESS ONE MONTH OFF, KIND OF LOSING SOME OF THAT, THAT MEMORY, MEMORY THERE.

BUT YES, PUBLIC COMMENT, OF COURSE.

OKAY, SO BEFORE WE GO INTO DISCUSSION, IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON ITEM NUMBER TWO, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM IF YOU'RE HERE IN PERSON.

AND IF THERE'S ANY IN THE ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE.

NOW.

SEEING NONE, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT.

FOR WE HAVE ONE.

WE HAVE ONE.

THERE'S NONE IN THE ZOOM.

WE HAVE ONE IN PERSON.

YOUR TIME STARTS NOW.

HELLO, MY NAME IS KAREN RAYSIDE AND I'M PRESIDENT OF THE LONG BEACH GRAY PANTHERS AND BILL SERVES AS OUR VICE PRESIDENT AND WE HAVE SUPPORTED HIS WORK IN EXPLORING THE NEEDS OF THE L-B-G-T-Q COMMUNITY AND THEY ARE SO UNDERREPRESENTED AND IT'S GREAT THAT, UM, THIS IS FINALLY BEING BROUGHT TO LIGHT SO THAT SOMETHING CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT.

WE HAVE SO MANY ELDERS THAT WE WORK WITH THAT, UM, ARE VERY CONFUSED, CONFUSED ABOUT WHO THEY ARE, AND WE WANT THEM TO FEEL COMFORTABLE TO BE WHOEVER THEY DECIDE THEY WANT TO BE.

SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS AND LETTING BILL DO THIS PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU, KAREN.

THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER TWO.

ALRIGHT, AND, UH, I WAS EXCITED TO GET, UH, COMMISSIONERS TO, TO ASK QUESTIONS IN A COMMENT, BUT NOW WE ARE OFFICIALLY HERE, SO, UM, I'M GONNA DEFER TO THE QUEUE TO SEE IF IT WORKS AND IF NOT, I JUST CALL IN HAND.

SO I SEE COMMISSIONER DR.

BETS.

HI, GOOD EVENING.

I WANTED TO SAY THAT, UM, I SIT ON THE AD HOC L-G-B-T-Q AND BIPOC, UM, AD HOC COMMITTEE, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS PRESENTATION.

MY OLDEST BROTHER, HE IDENTIFIES AS GAY AND WHAT I CONSIDER AS AN ELDER IN OUR FAMILY, UM, BECAUSE HE HAS PAVED THE WAY FOR OUR YOUNGER GENERATION OF COUSINS WHO IDENTIFY AS GAY AND TRANS.

AND, UM, HE HAD A ROUGH TIME.

AND IT'S JUST AS IN, UM, OUR CULTURES WITH OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, OUR CAMBODIAN COMMUNITY, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE ELDERS TO PASS ON THE KNOWLEDGE, UM, THAT OUR YOUNGER GENERATIONS, THEY JUST, THEY DON'T KNOW, THEY DON'T MI YOU KNOW, THEY MISS IT.

UM, THEY CANNOT RELATE.

AND EVEN WHEN I SEE MY BROTHER INTERACTING WITH THE YOUNGER GENERATION, THEY HAVE TO EVEN EDUCATE HIM AS AN ELDER ON THE NEW TERMINOLOGY OR WHY THEY SAY CERTAIN THINGS IN A CERTAIN WAY.

SO I, UM, AM VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THIS, UH, PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU FOR SHARING.

AND THANK YOU FOR THE COMMENTS.

UH, COMMISSIONER BACHUS LEARNED SOMETHING NEW ABOUT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

SO THANK YOU, UH, VICE CHAIR COVINGTON.

UM, SO I HAVE A COMMENT.

UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH BILL, FOR PROVIDING THIS PRESENTATION.

UH, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT'S MAY 1ST, UH, AND YOUR PRESENTATION IS KICKING OFF PRIDE MONTH, UH, FOR US.

AND IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL TO HAVE OUR ELDERS, UH, LEAVE AND LEAD IN THAT WAY.

UH, IT'S IMPORTANTLY, UM, IT'S AS IMPORTANTLY CONNECTED TO MY OWN EXPERIENCE, UH, AS A YOUNGER PERSON ON THE COMMISSION.

UH, AND AS AN OPENLY QUEER AND GENDER QUEER PERSON.

UH, THE STATISTICS SAY I SHOULDN'T LIVE PAST 35, UH, IN A LOT OF ASPECTS BECAUSE OF THE SOCIAL IMPACTS.

UM, AND I'M HOPING TO LIVE AS OLD AS I CAN TO BECOME AN ELDER, UM, JUST LIKE YOU ARE CONTRIBUTING TO OUR COMMUNITY.

SO I APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION, I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU DO, AND I'M EXCITED THAT OUR COMMISSION CAN, UH, LEND SUPPORT, UH, SO THAT FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, WHO ARE WATCHING ONLINE OR WILL WATCH THIS LATER, UH, CAN LEARN ABOUT THIS EVENT AND SUPPORT YOU AND YOUR ENDEAVORS.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

VICE CHAIR COVINGTON, YOU MADE IT'S SO, SO INSPIRING, WHICH IS, I JUST WANT, WANTED TO COMMENT ON YOUR COMMENT.

I KNOW THAT'S PROBABLY NOT TRADITIONAL, BUT, BUT, UH, I FEEL YOU, I FEEL YOU WITH YOUR BEAUTIFUL WORDS.

GILLETTE, I JUST WANTED TO ALSO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR THIS WONDERFUL PRESENTATION.

UH, ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS? UH, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH,

[00:40:01]

I LEARNED SO MUCH, UM, JUST IN THE, FROM YOUR SLIDES, FROM YOU SPEAKING YOUR LIVED EXPERIENCE.

SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE FOR ENLIGHTENING US AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO FURTHER PARTNERSHIPS DOWN THE LINE.

WHICH IS SUPPORT GROUP FOR PARENTS WHO HAVE L-G-B-T-Q YOUTH.

THIS IS JUST A TASTE COME TO THE EVENT ON THE 16TH.

ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS AS I, UH, ROUND OUT THIS AGENDA ITEM? UM, UH, NOT SO MUCH AN ADDITIONAL COMMENT, BUT A QUESTION THAT I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T BRING UP WHEN IT COMES TO ELDERS, BUT NOT NECESSARILY CAN HAPPEN LONG BEFORE SOMEONE MAY BE CONSIDERED AN ELDER, BUT IN PARTICULAR THOUGH, WITHIN THAT L-G-B-T-Q INTERSECTIONAL COMMUNITY, SOMETIMES THERE'S A SECOND COMING OUT, RIGHT? WHEN ONE, WHEN THEY'RE YOUNGER COMES OUT AND THINKS IT'S ONE IDENTITY AND LATER ON IN LIFE REALIZES IT'S ANOTHER IDENTITY.

DO YOU MIND SHARING FOR FOLKS MAYBE SOME COMMENTS ON THAT, THAT I THINK MIGHT BE HELPFUL AS WE THINK ABOUT THE LGBTQ PLUS AND BROADER COMMUNITIES AND IDENTITIES? THAT'S ACTUALLY A GOOD QUESTION.

UM, SO WHAT I DIDN'T GET INTO BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO COMPRESS THE TIME IS THAT EARLIER IN THE 1950S, FORTIES, FIFTIES, SIXTIES, L-G-B-T-Q PEOPLE HAD WHAT I CALL FRONT STAGE BEHAVIOR WHEN THEY WERE AT WORK, WHEN THEY WERE OUT SOMEPLACE LIKE THAT, RIGHT? BUT THEY WERE HOME OR WITH THEIR SOCIAL GROUP, THEY CAN LIVE THEIR AUTHENTIC LIVES AS L-G-B-T-Q PERSONS.

THE SAME GOES TRUE WHEN THEY COME OUT LATER IN LIFE, THEY EXPRESS, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCE A COMING OUT.

SO THINK ABOUT IT IN TERMS OF A HERO'S JOURNEY, JOSEPH CAMPBELL.

SO WHO IS THAT? YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE AN AWAKENING, YOU MAY HAVE A TINGLING YOUNGER IN LIFE, BUT AT SOME POINT IN YOUR LIFE YOU HAVE THIS AWAKENING AND YOU REALIZE YOU IDENTIFY AN LGBT LGBTQ SPECTRUM.

AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE THE GAY ELDER CIRCLE COMES IN.

WE KIND OF AT THAT AWAKENING AND WE'RE KIND OF THERE THAT OLDER PERSON TO KIND OF HELP MENTOR YOU.

AND I THINK THE BEST EXAMPLE OF THAT IS THE, UH, MOVIE BLACK PANTHER THAT CAME OUT A FEW YEARS AGO BECAUSE IN THE BLACK PANTHER, THEY REALLY CLEARLY DEMONSTRATE THAT HERO'S JOURNEY PATH IN THERE.

AND ACTUALLY A WORKSHOP THAT I'M ACTUALLY GONNA BRING BACK HASN'T BEEN DONE IN LA COUNTY IN ABOUT 20 YEARS.

AND THAT IS THE GAY HERO'S JOURNEY AND REALLY BRING THAT TO THE L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITY.

SO THAT IS COMING UP.

NOT SURE EXACTLY WHEN THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, IT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS, BUT YES, THERE IS A KIND OF A COMING OUT AND IT COULD BE AT WORK, IT COULD BE AT SCHOOL, VERY PUBLIC.

FOR ME, IT'S REALLY EASY BECAUSE I'M ALREADY WAY OUT THERE.

YOU KNOW, I WAS DOING GATE COMMUNITY CENTERS WHEN I WAS VERY, VERY YOUNG AND PASSING OUT FLYERS.

SO IT WAS NOT DIFFICULT FOR ME TO KIND OF GO OUT AND DO THAT.

BUT EVEN HERE IN LONG BEACH, WE HAVE L-G-B-T-Q OLDER ADULTS THAT GO TO THE SENIOR CENTER DOWN AT LIKE A FOURTH AND ORANGE, AND THEY'RE NOT GAY THERE, THEY'RE JUST THERE DOING WHATEVER THEY'RE DOING.

BUT IF THEY WENT DOWN THE STREET TO THE CENTER IN LONG BEACH, THE L-G-B-T-Q CENTER, THEY'RE MORE RELAXED.

SO EVEN IT DEPENDS ON THEIR AGE, IT DEPENDS ON HOW COMFORTABLE THEY ARE, CAN THEY BE OUT EVERYWHERE? SO IT'S KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE YOU FROM? I'M VERY FORTUNATE THAT I GREW UP IN THIS GEOGRAPHIC AREA.

I'M VERY FORTUNATE THAT I GREW UP LITERALLY A SHORT DRIVE UP TO HOLLYWOOD, WEST HOLLYWOOD.

I'VE HAD ACCESS TO MY ELDERS, WHICH WOULD BE TROY PERRY, THE FOUNDER OF THE METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH, OR THE GAY CHURCH AS SOMEBODY KNOWS.

AND SOME OF THOSE PHILOSOPHICAL MINISTER AND PHILOSOPHICAL LEADERS AT THAT TIME, HARRY HAY, UM, JIM KEMPNER, UM, OTHER ONES LIKE THAT.

STEVE SCHULTE, WHO BECAME A, A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER FOR WEST HOLLYWOOD.

THESE ARE ALL PEOPLE THAT I KIND OF GREW UP WITH ARE PART OF BLIND NETWORK.

THESE WERE KIND OF MY ELDERS AND THEY'RE STILL UP THERE.

SOME OF 'EM ARE STILL WITH US, SOME OF 'EM ARE NOT.

AND IT'S FOR THE NEXT GENERATION TO KIND OF STEP IN AND KIND OF FILL THOSE ROLES.

BUT WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE IN THE AGE OF TECHNOLOGY? SO EVEN IN THE GAY ELDER CIRCLE, THEY'RE SHUNNING AWAY FROM TECHNOLOGY.

AND MYSELF AND THE YOUNGER PERSON, THE YOUNGER, THE YOUNGEST ONES IN THE CIRCLE, LIKE, NO, WE HAVE TO BE ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

WE HAVE TO BE THERE, WE HAVE TO BE IN VIRTUAL SPACES.

WE NEED TO BE WHERE OUR YOUNGER PEOPLE ARE AT.

I'M IN A VERY UNIQUE POSITION BECAUSE HERE IN LONG BEACH, WE HAVE P FLAG,

[00:45:01]

AND WE MEET MONTHLY AT TEMPLE ISRAEL.

SO I'M VERY FORTUNATE THAT I'M TALKING TO CISGENDER HETEROSEXUAL PARENTS AND YOUTH ON A REGULAR BASIS.

SO I HAVE THAT LANGUAGE TO KIND OF GO BACK AND FORTH.

IF YOU WANT TO CALL ME, I'M GONNA CALL YOU.

I CAN TEXT YOU, I CAN CHAT YOU, I CAN BE WITH YOU IN A VIRTUAL SPACE.

I'M IN A VERY UNIQUE POSITION BECAUSE I DO THAT.

I WENT INTO AI TECHNOLOGY WHERE MY PEERS ARE LIKE, I DON'T WANT TO GO THERE.

BUT WE HAVE TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, ADAPT TO IT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE VISIBLE IN ALL SPACES, WHETHER IT'S A PHYSICAL SPACE LIKE THIS OR A VIRTUAL SPACE AND THAT WE'RE, THEY'RE ALL SAFE ENVIRONMENTS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, BILL.

REALLY APPRECIATE YOU.

AND, AND SO DOES THE COMMISSION.

UM, WE ARE NOW GONNA MOVE, UH, TO THE, THE VOTE.

THIS WAS AGAIN FORWARDED ON THE FLOOR BY COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY, SECONDED BY DR.

BATS.

UM, CAN I ASK THE, UH, CLERK TO PLEASE, UH, ADMINISTER THE VOTE HERE? COMMISSIONER FLORES, DO YOU SEE IT ON YOUR SCREEN? OKAY.

AND SO I HAVE A VERBAL FROM FLORES.

A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE PRESENTATIONS FROM THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS, LONG BEACH PRIDE, THE CENTER, ERO UNIDA FROM ESTA CITY OF LONG BEACH LIBRARY SERVICES AND EARTH LODGE REGARDING LGBTQ PLUS SERVICES IN LONG BEACH.

AND THEN COMMISSIONER BUTLER, DO YOU SEE IT ON YOUR SCREEN TO VOTE? WE'RE TAKING A VOTE ON ITEM NUMBER TWO.

I THINK I'M HAVING A COUPLE OF TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES OVER HERE.

NO WORRIES.

I CAN TAKE A VERBAL FOR YOU FOR ITEM NUMBER TWO.

SO WE'RE YOU, YOU'RE NEEDING ME TO VOTE ON THE, THE RECEIVE AND FILE OF THE PRESENTATION FOR ITEM NUMBER TWO BECAUSE I WALKED IN LATE.

UH, THANK YOU MADAM CLERK.

UH, CAN YOU MOVE US ALONG TO AGENDA ITEM THREE? ITEM NUMBER THREE IS

[3. 24-53176 Recommendation to receive and file presentations from the following organizations: Long Beach Pride, The Center, Transgeneros Unidas from Bienestar, City of Long Beach Library Services, and Earthlodge regarding LGBTQ+ Services in Long Beach. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]

UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH AND I REALLY APPRECIATE HEARING THAT THE SPANISH FROM, I APPRECIATE THAT, UH, UH, PRONUNCIATION.

UM, ON A PERSONAL NOTE, UH, JUST, UH, TO GIVE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, UH, AND COMMISSIONERS, UH, UM, UH, AN FYI, UH, BECAUSE LONG BEACH PRIDE IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER, UH, THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT TODAY.

THEY'RE PROBABLY PUTTING FINISHING TOUCHES IN THE MAJOR CELEBRATION THAT WE'RE ALL GONNA EXPERIENCE IT A COUPLE WEEKS FROM NOW.

SO TO KICK US OFF ON THESE PRESENTATIONS IS WE HAVE THE CENTER OF LONG BEACH, UH, COMING UP TO THE FLOOR AND THEY'RE GONNA, UH, UH, PRESENT, UM, UH, ON BEHALF OF THE CENTER WE HAVE MEKO LEY WHO'S DIRECTOR OF LEGAL SERVICES.

AND, UM, I'M LOOKING RIGHT HERE ON THE BOARD AND, UH, UH, PARADO, UM, SORRY IT'S COVERED.

JJ I'M SORRY, MY APOLOGIES HERE.

AND I SHOULD KNOW THIS.

J PARADO, MANAGER OF ANTI-VIOLENCE SERVICES.

AND AGAIN, MY APOLOGIES LIKE, YOU KNOW, BUT PLEASE, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COUNCIL THAT'S HOUSED UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH.

GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.

WE'RE SO HAPPY TO BE HERE AND WE, UH, REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THE SERVICES THAT ARE OFFERED AT THE CENTER.

UH, SO I WILL START OFF, UH, JUST BRIEFLY INTRODUCING MYSELF.

MY NAME IS MIKO.

I USE SHE OR THEY PRONOUNS.

I'M AN ATTORNEY AND I'M DIRECTOR OF LEGAL SERVICES AT THE L-G-B-T-Q CENTER LONG BEACH.

I'M A NATIONAL EXPERT IN L-G-B-T-Q ANTI-VIOLENCE ISSUES.

I'VE BEEN WORKING IN ANTI-VIOLENCE SINCE 2007.

AND SINCE THEN I'VE TRAINED THOUSANDS OF SERVICE PROVIDERS LOCALLY ACROSS THE STATE, NATIONALLY, AND I'VE SERVED THOUSANDS OF L-G-B-T-Q LITIGANTS.

SOME OF MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE INCLUDES A SUPERVISING ATTORNEY AT THE LOS ANGELES LGBT CENTER.

I'VE ALSO DONE WORK WITH THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION ON THE LGBT STUDENT RIGHTS PROJECT, AND WORKED WITH THE CENTER FOR JUVENILE LAW AND POLICY WITH FOLKS WHO ARE WRONGFULLY CONVICTED OR UNFAIRLY SENTENCED.

I'LL PASS THAT OFF TO JAY, WHO'S GONNA INTRODUCE HIMSELF BRIEFLY.

HI EVERYONE.

MY NAME IS JAY BARDO.

I USE HE THEY PRONOUNS AND I AM THE MANAGER OF ANTI-VIOLENCE SERVICES AT THE L-G-B-T-Q CENTER LONG BEACH IN OUR LEGAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

UM, I AM AN EXPERT L-G-B-T-Q SPECIFIC VICTIM LEGAL ADVOCATE.

UM, I, AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS I PROVIDE L-G-B-T-Q SPECIFIC, UM, LEGAL ADVOCACY SUCH AS, UH, CRISIS INTERVENTION, UH, COURT ACCOMPANIMENT, UH, SAFETY PLANNING TO LGBTQ VICTIMS OF CRIME.

UM, ALSO JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT I AM ALSO CO-CHAIR OF THE LGBTQIA PLUS ISSUES COMMITTEE THROUGH THE LOS ANGELES DEPAR, UM, THROUGH THE

[00:50:01]

THANK YOU JAY.

UH, SO WE, UM, WANNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE WORK THAT, UH, WE ARE, UH, CONDUCTING IN LEGAL SPECIFICALLY.

BUT BEFORE THAT, JUST WANNA GIVE A BRIEF INTRODUCTION ABOUT THE CENTER ITSELF.

SO THE L-G-B-T-Q CENTER OF LONG BEACH, AS WE ALL KNOW, IS A COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, WHOSE MISSION IS TO ADVANCE EQUITY AND TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR LGBQ COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGH CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE SERVICES.

UH, TODAY WE SERVE THOUSANDS OF LGBTQIA PLUS COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGH SERVICES THAT FOCUS SPECIFICALLY ON HEALTH SERVICES, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, UH, OLDER ADULT SERVICES, YOUTH SERVICES, LEGAL SERVICES.

WE'VE GOT AN LGTQ SPECIFIC LIBRARY.

I BELIEVE IT'S ONE OF THE LARGEST IN THE COUNTRY.

WE HAVE A FOOD PANTRY.

WE ALSO HOST MORE THAN 20 SOCIAL AND SUPPORT GROUPS.

UH, SO THERE'S A LOT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE WORK THAT, UH, WE ENGAGE IN AT THE CENTER ON OUR WEBSITE.

BUT I DID WANNA JUST, UH, BRIEFLY TALK ABOUT THIS CENTER SERVICES OVERALL.

UH, TODAY WE'RE GONNA FOCUS A BIT MORE ON WHAT WE'RE DOING IN LEGAL.

UM, AND FIRST WE JUST WANNA SAY THAT WE'RE SO, UH, HUMBLED AND APPRECIATIVE OF THE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE.

IT'S ALL OUT OF THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE IN DIFFERENT DIVISIONS.

SO WE'RE FUNDED THROUGH STOP THE HATE, WHICH IS THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, ALLOWING US TO DO HATE CRIMES AND HATE INCIDENT WORK.

IT'S ALSO ALLOWING US TO DO NAME AND GENDER MARKER PETITION ASSISTANCE, WHICH WE KNOW IS A CRITICALLY NEEDED SERVICE FOR THE COMMUNITY.

WE ALSO HAVE FUNDING OUT OF THE CALIFORNIA OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES TO DO WORK WITH SURVIVORS OF VIOLENCE.

AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEPTH ABOUT WHAT THAT WORK IS.

UH, AND WE ALSO ARE FUNDED BY LA VERSUS HATE, WHICH IS OUR LA COUNTY SPECIFIC HATE CRIMES OR HATE INCIDENTS WORK THAT'S, UH, FUNDED THROUGH THE HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION OF LOS ANGELES.

UH, AND YOU KNOW, WE LIKE TO ALWAYS TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FOUNDATION OF OUR WORK AND ALSO THE BROADER SOCIAL CONTEXT WITHIN WHICH WE ARE OFFERING THIS WORK.

UH, BILL ALSO BROUGHT UP THE CONCEPT OF CULTURAL HUMILITY.

THIS IS A LENS THAT WE USE IN OUR SERVICE PROVISION.

IT WAS DEVELOPED BY DOCTORS JAN MARIE GARCIA AND DR.

MELANIE AVON AS A, UH, UH, AN APPROACH TO WORK THAT REALLY PRIORITIZES THE COMMIT TO LIFELONG LEARNING, UH, COMFORT WITH NOT KNOWING EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW AND REALLY RECOGNIZING, UH, THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF OPPRESSION AND PRIVILEGE.

AND SO WE LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE, INCLUDE FOLKS WHO ARE LIVING AT MULTIPLE INTERSECTIONS OF OPPRESSION AND FACE MANY BARRIERS IN ADDITION TO BIAS AND DISCRIMINATION BASED ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY.

UH, AND WE KNOW THE REALITY AND THE TRUTH IS THAT IN THE UNITED STATES, THE DOMINANT CULTURE INCLUDES ENGLISH AS A PRIMARY LANGUAGE, WHITENESS, CHRISTIANITY, PHYSICAL ABILITY BEING MALE, HAVING ECONOMIC RESOURCES, BEING HETEROSEXUAL, CISGENDER AND OTHERS.

AND WE JUST LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE REALITY THAT THE L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITIES INCREDIBLY DIVERSE, AND THE FOLKS THAT WE SERVE ARE AFFECTED BY ALL OF THESE, UH, FORMS OF BIAS AND DISCRIMINATION.

I'M GONNA PASS IT OFF TO JAY, WHO'S GONNA GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTEXT FOR THE WORK THAT WE DO AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGH RATES OF VIOLENCE THAT L-G-B-T-Q PEOPLE FACE.

YEAH, THANK YOU.

UM, I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT, UM, SOME FACTS AND REAL REALITY THAT, UM, COME UP.

SO IN A 2010 STUDY BY THE CDC, IT FOUND THAT THE FOLLOWING LIFETIME PREVALENCE OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE, PHYSICAL, UM, INCLUDING PHYSICAL ASSAULT, RAPE, OR STALKING, UM, AS HIGH AS 61% FOR BISEXUAL WOMEN.

UH, 43% FOR LESBIANS, 37% FOR BISEXUAL MEN, UH, 35% FOR HETEROSEXUAL WOMEN, 29% FOR HETEROSEXUAL MEN, AND 26% FOR GAY MEN.

AND ACCORDING TO THE US TRANSGENDER SURVEY, THERE IS A 54% LIFETIME PREVALENCE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND A 47% LIFETIME PREVALENCE OF SEXUAL ASSAULT FOR TRANSGENDER PEOPLE.

AND JUST SOME ADDITIONAL KEY FINDINGS OF ANTI L-G-B-T-Q HOMICIDES IN 2017.

UM, N-C-A-V-P REPORTED, UH, RECORDS OF, UH, 52 HATE VIOLENCE RELATED HOMICIDES OF L-G-B-T-Q PEOPLE.

UM, THAT WAS THE HIGHEST NUMBER THAT WAS RECORDED BY THE N-C-A-V-P IN A SINGLE REPORT.

AND THIS REPRESENTS AN 86% INCREASE SINCE OF SINGLE INCIDENT REPORTS FROM 2016.

AND JUST TO PUT THAT INTO CONTEXT, THERE WAS AN EQUIVALENT OF ONE HOMICIDE OF AN L-G-B-T-Q PERSON IN THE US EACH WEEK IN 2017.

AND THEN JUST TO, UH, HIGHLIGHT HATE CRIMES IN OTHER FORMS OF VIOLENCE, UH, WE DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT L-G-B-T-Q PEOPLE REMAIN, OR L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITIES REMAIN THE SECOND MOST TARGETED, UH, FOR HATE CRIMES AND HATE INCIDENTS.

UM, IF FOLKS ARE INTERESTED IN MORE INFORMATION, KIND OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, UM, THERE IS, UH, THROUGH THE LA HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION, THEY PROVIDE AN ANNUAL HATE CRIMES REPORT

[00:55:01]

YEARLY, WHICH HAS A LOT OF VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT WE SEE COUNTYWIDE, AND WE ALSO HAPPEN TO REPORT DATA TO THAT REPORT AS WELL.

UM, AND THEN JUST TO ACKNOWLEDGE POLYVICTIMIZATION, UM, L-G-B-T-Q PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE MULTI, UH, VICTIMIZED.

THAT MEANS, YOU KNOW, UH, BEING A VICTIM OF MORE THAN ONE CRIME.

SO WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE RATES ARE HIGHER AND THEREFORE, DESPITE HIGHER RATES, UM, THERE ARE LESS RESOURCES.

UH, ONE OF THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCES IS THAT THERE ARE FEWER RESOURCES FOR INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING L-G-B-T-Q VIOLENCE RELATED ISSUES, AND THERE ARE VERY FEW L-G-B-T-Q ANTI-VIOLENCE LEGAL PROGRAMS IN THE STATE AND COUNTRY.

THAT BEING SAID, WE ARE VERY PROUD TO OPERATE ONE OF ONLY A HANDFUL OF PROGRAMS LIKE OURS IN THE STATE AND COUNTRY, AND WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE TO RUN THAT PROGRAM THAT IS TAILORED BY L-G-B-T-Q PEOPLE FOR L-G-B-T-Q PEOPLE.

THANK YOU, JAY.

UM, ANOTHER, UH, JUST SORT OF PIECE OF INFORMATION FOR FOLKS TO BE AWARE OF.

SINCE WE ARE PART OF THE LA VERSUS HATE NETWORK, WE DO, UH, FUNCTION AS A HATE CRIMES LINE FOR PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HATE VIOLENCE ACROSS PROTECTED CLASSES.

UH, WE'RE, UH, WE ARE THE ONLY LINE, UH, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, UH, WE ARE THE ONLY LINE OF THE, OF ITS KIND.

UH, SO IF PEOPLE DO WANT TO MAKE REPORTS THAT WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE LA COUNTY HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION'S, ANNUAL HATE CRIMES REPORT, THEY SHOULD CALL OUR LINE AND MAKE A REPORT ABOUT WHAT THEY EXPERIENCED.

UH, SO WE ARE ALSO FUNCTIONING AS, UH, A DEPARTMENT THAT SERVES, UH, THE COMMUNITY BROADLY AROUND HATE CRIMES OR HATE INCIDENTS.

UH, SO IN TERMS OF THE SERVICES THAT WE OFFER AT THE CENTER, UH, EVERYTHING IS FREE.

UH, LIKE I SAID, THANKS TO OUR FUNDERS, THANKS TO THE STATE, WE'RE ABLE TO DO ALL OF THIS WORK AND PROVIDE DIRECT LEGAL ASSISTANCE.

THAT'S L-G-B-T-Q AFFIRMING, THAT'S L-G-B-T-Q, INCLUSIVE, THAT'S L-G-B-T-Q, SUPPORTIVE, UH, FREE OF CHARGE TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS MEMBERS.

YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO POP IN AND SAY THAT WE HAVE LANGUAGE ACCESS.

OUR SERVICES ARE ACCESSIBLE THROUGH BILINGUAL AND ALSO, UM, UH, INTERPRETIVE INTERPRETER SERVICES.

UM, OUR STAFF ARE ALSO TRAINED IN ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES SUCH AS, UH, SERVICE PROVISION TO CLIENTS WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY, UH, CLIENTS WHO ARE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING AND OR TO CLIENTS WHO IDENTIFY AS HAVING DISABILITY.

SO WE ALSO RECEIVE ONGOING TRAINING ON THOSE ISSUES AS WELL.

SO WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT DO WE PROVIDE? UH, I LIKE TO THINK ABOUT OUR WORK IN LEGAL SERVICES AS FALLING INTO ABOUT FIVE BUCKETS.

THE FIRST IS L-G-B-T-Q, INCLUSIVE REFERRALS, UH, WHICH MAY NOT SOUND LIKE THAT BIG OF A SERVICE, BUT WE ACTUALLY TAKE OUR TIME AND WE'RE VERY INTENTIONAL IN MAKING THOSE REFERRALS.

UH, PART OF THE SERVICE THAT WE OFFER IS ISSUE SPOTTING.

A LOT OF TIMES FOLKS DON'T KNOW WHAT AREA THEIR ISSUE FALLS INTO OR AREA OF LAW, OR MAYBE THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, DO I HAVE A CASE? SHOULD I HIRE AN ATTORNEY? AND SOMETIMES SOME OF THE BEST WORK THAT WE DO IS TO TELL SOMEONE YOU DON'T HAVE THE STRONGEST CASE SO THAT THEY DON'T GET TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF, UM, AND GET, YOU KNOW, CHARGED VERY HIGH BILLS FOR A CASE THAT IS NOT PARTICULARLY STRONG.

RIGHT? UH, SO, UH, WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THE LANDSCAPE OF SERVICES THAT EXIST WITHIN LA COUNTY AND SURROUNDING AREAS.

UH, AND WE UNDERSTAND WHAT ORGANIZATIONS ARE CULTURALLY INCLUSIVE OR AFFIRMING.

WE HAVE SPECIFIC CONTACTS AT THOSE ORGANIZATIONS.

SO OUR REFERRALS ARE VERY INTENTIONAL AND VERY, UH, DELIBERATE.

UH, WE ALSO, OUR IN-HOUSE WORK IS, UH, FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME OR SURVIVORS OF ANY FORM OF VIOLENCE.

OUR STOP THE HATE IN LA VERSUS HATE FUNDING, LIKE I SAID, ALLOWS US TO DO HATE CRIMES AND HATE INCIDENT WORK.

OUR CAL OES FUNDING, UH, PROVIDES US, UH, THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE DIRECT, COMPREHENSIVE AND HOLISTIC LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO L-G-B-T-Q SURVIVORS.

AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED.

THIS YEAR, FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE'LL BE LAUNCHING THE FIRST PROJECT OF ITS KIND IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, WHICH ALLOWS US TO BRING SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY TO OVERCOME ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES.

SO WE'RE PARTNERED WITH, UH, BELOVED LONG BEACH, UH, IMMIGRANT RIGHTS COALITION, ORLE, AS WELL AS PROJECT PEACEMAKERS, WHICH IS, UH, NON SHELTER BASED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGENCY, WHICH WE LOVE AND HAVE WORKED WITH FOR YEARS, UH, IN SOUTH LA.

SO WE'LL BE BRINGING SERVICES THROUGH CLINICS TO THOSE LOCATIONS TO OVERCOME BARRIERS TO LEGAL.

UH, WE ALSO HAVE A VERY GENEROUS CONTINGENT OF VOLUNTEER ATTORNEYS WHO PRACTICE IN A WIDE RANGE OF AREAS SPANNING FROM CRIMINAL LAW TO EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, UH, GENERAL CIVIL MEDICAL MALPRACTICE, UH, UH, UH, FAMILY LAW, TRUST AND ESTATES.

THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.

AND THESE ATTORNEYS PROVIDE FREE CONSULTATIONS TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

IT'S A HEAVILY UTILIZED SERVICE.

WE LOVE OUR VOLUNTEER ATTORNEYS DON'T KNOW WHAT WE WOULD DO WITHOUT THEM.

UH, OUR NAME AND GENDER CHANGE PETITIONS, WE'LL TALK ABOUT MORE AS WELL AS OUR TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.

UH, IN TERMS OF THE MOST REPORTED CRIMES, THIS IS WHAT WE SEE PREDOMINANTLY STALKING AND HARASSMENT, DOMESTIC OR FAMILY VIOLENCE, PHYSICAL ASSAULT, SEXUAL ASSAULT, HATE CRIMES.

WE TALKED ABOUT THE DISPROPORTIONATE LEVELS TO CONTEXTUALIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR WORK AND WHY IT'S CRITICALLY NEEDED.

JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, UH,

[01:00:01]

WE HAVE ALWAYS FROM THE VERY START, UM, SINCE WE FIRST LAUNCHED THIS PROGRAM, HAVE HAD ANYWHERE BETWEEN, UH, 60 TO 80% OF PEOPLE CALL US WERE SURVIVORS OF VIOLENCE THAT IS STAGGERINGLY HIGH, RIGHT? SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE PROGRAMS LIKE OURS THAT UNDERSTAND, UM, HOW THIS ISSUE IS AFFECTING L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITIES.

WE ALSO SERVE, UH, UH, FOLKS WHO ARE VICTIMS OF OTHER FORMS OF VIOLENCE, INCLUDING HOMICIDES, HUMAN TRAFFICKING, ARSON, UM, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.

UM, AND, UH, IN TERMS OF THE ACTUAL WORK THAT WE DO, UH, FOR SURVIVORS, IT'S RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF THE INDIVIDUAL, RIGHT? SO WE'RE, WE DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO HELP THAT L-G-B-T-Q INDIVIDUAL OVERCOME THE BARRIERS THEY'RE GONNA FACE AS THEY'RE NAVIGATING A VERY DIFFICULT LEGAL, LEGAL SYSTEM.

SO THAT MIGHT INCLUDE COURT ACCOMPANIMENT, THAT MIGHT INCLUDE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS ENFORCEMENT, THAT MIGHT INCLUDE RESTITUTION, ADVOCACY ASSISTANCE IN GETTING RESTRAINING ORDERS, UM, ADVOCACY WITH GOVERNMENT STAKEHOLDERS, EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING LAW, ADVOCACY, SAFETY PLANNING, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.

UH, SO WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY WORKING WITH FOLKS TO HELP OVERCOME BARRIERS TO SYSTEMS. IN TERMS OF OUR VOLUNTEER ATTORNEYS, UH, THEY, UH, PROVIDE FREE CONSULTATIONS, BUT THEY ALSO MAY DO EMERGENCY CONSULTS, PRO BONO REPRESENTATION.

THEY MAY REPRESENT CLIENTS IN COURT OR DO DEFENSE CASES, SECURE SETTLEMENTS, INTERVENE WITH LANDLORDS, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.

I'M GONNA PASS IT OFF TO JAY, WHO'LL TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT OUR NAME AND GENDER CHANGE WORK.

UM, AS MKO HAD MENTIONED EARLIER, WE DO RECEIVE, UH, STOP THE HATE FUNDING THROUGH THE OFFICE OF CALIFORNIA'S DEPARTMENT SOCIAL SERVICES.

UM, THAT HAS ALLOWED US TO EXPAND OUR NAME AND GENDER MARKET CHANGE RESOURCES.

UM, ALSO IN COLLABORATION WITH THAT, UM, A PARTNER LAW FIRM WHO WE HAVE RECENTLY HAVE STRENGTHENED OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH, HAS BEEN SO KIND TO ALSO PROVIDE US CONNECTIONS TO THEIR ATTORNEYS WHO ALSO DONATE THEIR TIME, UM, TO PROVIDE DOCUMENT PREPARATION FOR NAME AND GENDER MARKET PETITIONS.

UM, SO THAT HAS REALLY EXPANDED OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE THOSE, UH, DOCUMENTS.

YEAH, AND WE, WE, YOU KNOW, IN, IN TERMS OF THINKING ABOUT SAFETY FOR, UH, UH, QUEER AND TRANS COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, NAME AND GENDER MARKET PETITION IS MOST CERTAINLY PREVENTION.

WE VIEW IT AS SAFETY PLANNING.

WE VIEW IT AS ESSENTIAL SO THAT FOLKS, UM, CAN WALK THROUGH THE WORLD WITH IDENTITY DOCUMENTS THAT MATCH THEIR AFFIRMING IDENTITY.

UM, AND THEN LAST, UH, WE PROVIDE TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.

UM, I THINK THIS IS MAYBE SOME OF MY FAVORITE PART OF THE WORK, UH, BECAUSE WE KNOW THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH WE CAN DO ON AN INDIVIDUAL LEVEL.

UH, WE ALSO WANT TO REALLY CHANGE THE SYSTEMS THAT OUR CLIENTS CONFRONT.

UH, WE KNOW THAT THESE SYSTEMS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SET IN PLACE TO PROTECT LGBTQI PLUS PEOPLE.

OFTEN THEY WERE NOT DESIGNED WITH L LGBTQ COMMUNITIES IN MIND, AND OFTEN THEY FAIL TO PROTECT, UH, THE PEOPLE THAT THEY WERE INTENDED TO.

AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE COME IN TO TRY TO DO SOME OF THAT SYSTEMIC ADVOCACY.

OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE REALLY, UH, VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT THIS WORK NOW, MORE THAN EVER, GIVEN THE EGREGIOUS ROLLBACKS AND PROTECTIONS THAT WE'VE SEEN ON A FEDERAL AND STATE LEVEL IN TERMS OF LAWS AND BILLS, UH, WHICH, YOU KNOW, MANY FOLKS HAVE POINTED OUT, UNFORTUNATELY, ARE REALLY TARGETING OUR TRANS AND YOUTH COMMUNITIES.

UH, SO WE DO A LOT OF WORK.

I SERVE AS EXPERT TRAINING FACULTY FOR THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATIONS COMMISSION ON DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE, THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JUVENILE AND FAMILY COURT JUDGES.

WE WORK ON THE L-G-B-T-Q LEGAL ACCESS PROJECT, WHICH ALLOWS US TO GO INTO STATES THAT HAVE HOSTILE LEGAL JURISDICTIONS AND TRAIN THEIR COURTS ON HOW TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO THE COURTS FOR L-G-B-T-Q SURVIVORS.

UH, WE ALSO WORK ON THE TRAUMA-INFORMED LAWYERING PROJECT TO HELP LAWYERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UH, PROVIDE INCLUSIVE AND AFFIRMING SERVICES TO L-G-B-T-Q PEOPLE.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, OUR CAL OES AND STOP THE HATE IN LA VERSUS HATE FUNDING ALLOWS US TO TRAIN STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY AND SERVICE PROVIDERS ON HOW TO INCREASE, UH, L-G-B-T-Q INCLUSIVE AND AFFIRMING WORK.

UH, AND SO, UH, WITH, WITH THAT, WE WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT WHAT WE DO, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK, UM, AND SUPPORT OF LGBTQ COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

IT IS, UH, SUCH A CRITICAL TIME, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL SHOWING UP FOR LGBTQIA PLUS PEOPLE, UH, GIVEN THE, UM, JUST EGREGIOUS ATTACKS THAT ARE HAPPENING, UH, AGAINST OUR COMMUNITIES ON A NATIONAL LEVEL.

SO WE THANK YOU AGAIN.

THIS IS OUR CONTACT INFORMATION, AND WE'RE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS SHOULD YOU HAVE THEM.

JAY MIKO.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UM, USUALLY AS YOU SAW FROM THE PRIOR RESIDE, WE ASK THAT WE GO OPEN, UH, TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN COMMISSIONERS.

BUT THE WAY WE WROTE THIS IS INTENTIONAL.

WE'LL HAVE SEVERAL PRESENTATIONS, AND THEN TOWARDS THEN THERE WILL BE, UH, COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS IN THE EVENT.

'CAUSE I WANNA BE VERY SENSITIVE TO THIS, UH, THAT INDIVIDUAL PRESENTERS OR COMMUNITY MEMBERS NEED TO LEAVE EARLY.

WE DO HAVE PROVIDED VALIDATION IN THE BACK TABLE FOR CLARIFICATION.

UH, TONY, IF YOU DON'T MIND, IS IT THIS BACK TABLE OR THE ONE BACK ALL THE WAY BACK THERE? UH, THE ONE BY BY THE ENTRANCE? YEAH.

NEEDS TO LEAVE EARLY, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU PICK UP THE VALIDATION SO WE CAN TAKE CARE OF PARKING FOR YOU'ALL.

YEAH, JUST IN CASE.

'CAUSE I KNOW SOME OF, SOME OF THE FAMILIES AND, AND CHILDREN TAKE CARE, ANYONE

[01:05:01]

UM, SO WITH THAT SAID, I AM NOW GONNA CALL ON ROS UNI FROM FOR OUR NEXT PRESENTATION.

HI EVERYONE.

MY NAME IS BRENDA DE GONZALEZ.

I PROGRAM MANAGER, TRANS STAR.

MY FIRST LANGUAGE IS SPANISH AND TRY TO SPEAK ENGLISH TODAY.

I'M VERY HAPPY, PROVIDES THIS, UH, PROGRAM AND SPECIFIC FOR TRANSGENDER LATINA.

MY VOICE.

MY FACE IS REPRESENTED FOR TRANSGENDER LATINA AND SPEAK SPANISH LOS ANGELES PACIFIC AVENUE IN HOLLYWOOD.

POMONA, LATINO, GBQ LOS ANGELES.

UH, GOOD AFTERNOON.

HUMAN SERVICES IS A LEADING AGENCY FOR THE LATINO COMMUNITY, ESTABLISHED IN 1989, INSPIRED IN PROVIDING SERVICES FOR IMMIGRANTS IN THE AREA OF HEALTH.

AND HIV PREVENTION WHEN I HAVE SIX AGENCIES THROUGHOUT THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY, INCLUDING ONE IN LONG BEACH, INCLUDING SEVERAL SPECIFIC PROGRAMS FOR THE L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITY, AND ESPECIALLY THE ROUNIS PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDES PREVENTION SERVICES TO THE MOST VULNERABLE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO ARE LIVING WITH, WITH HIV.

UM, WE DO GET THE FUNDINGS FROM THERE.

YEAH, GO AHEAD.

GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS CAMILLA VASQUEZ, AND I WORK FOR BS R HUMAN SERVICES HERE IN LONG BEACH.

AND IT'S MY PLEASURE BEING HERE TODAY.

UH, WELL, I'M A PEER NAVIGATOR AND HEALTH EDUCATOR.

SO BASICALLY WE DO HAVE A NAVIGATION PROGRAM.

THOSE SERVICES ARE, UM, WE DO HAVE A MOTEL VOUCHER FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE, TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY.

UH, WE ACTUALLY DO WORK WITH PEOPLE OF COLOR, LATINX, UH, AND WE ALSO, UH, DO A NAVIGATION PROGRAM.

SO THE FIRST STEP, WE DO AN INTAKE FOR THE CLIENTS, AND SECOND STEP, UH, WE DO A CENTRIC, UH, CLIENT SERVICE PLAN TO SEE WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP WE CAN DO FOR THE INDIVIDUAL, UH, FOR THE TRANSGENDER TO HAVE A PLACE WHERE TO STAY.

BASICALLY IN LONG BEACH, WE HAVE A LOT OF HOMELESS, UH, TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY, SUFFERING ON THE STREETS, UH, WITHOUT A PLACE WHERE TO STAY.

AND OUR PROGRAM, UH, TRANSFORMING LIVES, TRANS MANO, VIVA, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN, UH, REALLY GOOD, UM, PROGRAM IN BNS STAR FOR A TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY.

UH, GIVING THESE TYPE OF RESOURCES, UH, FOR THE INDIVIDUALS, UH, THAT THEY NEED ALL THE SUPPORT.

AND THEN AFTER THAT, AFTER WE SET UP THE CLIENT IN A PLACE WHERE TO STAY, WE DO A FOLLOW UP IN 30 DAYS, MAKING SURE THE CLIENT IS STABLE, STABLE, HAS A PLACE WHERE TO STAY.

UH, AND IT'S A STABLE LIVING.

ALSO, UH, DURING THE INTAKE THAT WE DO, UH, WE DO REFERRALS, YOU KNOW, FOR HIV TESTING, THAT'S OUR, UH, MAJOR, UH, THING TO DO, BASICALLY MAKING SURE OUR CLIENTS, INDIVIDUALS, THEY GET TESTED, YOU KNOW, AND IF IN CASE THEY'RE COME, UH, POSITIVE, WE DO REFER THE CLIENT FOR LINKAGE TO CARE, TO PROVIDE THE MEDICATION.

WE ALSO DO LEGAL SERVICES.

UH, LEGAL NAME AND GENDER MARK CHANGE, UH, PREP, UH, PEP MEDICAL SERVICES, MENTAL HEALTH.

UH, MANY OF OUR CLIENTS, THEY DEAL WITH MENTAL HEALTH AS WELL.

SO, UH, THE FUNDINGS THAT WE HAVE ARE FROM THE HSP DIVISION OF HIV AND CDS PROGRAM.

[01:10:01]

AND ACTUALLY, UM, THEY'VE BEEN WORKING WITH US ALONG IN, UH, HELPING AND SUPPORTING TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY.

AND OUR MISSION IS TO COMMIT AND WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY ALL ALONG.

AND BASICALLY, THAT'S WHAT I DO ON MY PART HERE IN LONG BEACH.

AND IT IS A PLEASURE FOR ME BEING A TRANSGENDER, WORKING FOR TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY, UH, TRANS MEN, GENDER NONCONFORMING.

AND THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT I DO.

AND I WILL GO OVER WITH MY, UH, COLLEAGUE JANE .

HELLO, THIS IS MY FIRST, UM, UH, PRESENTATION.

UH, I'M THE NEW, UH, TEAM OF B STAR LONG BEACH.

I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE MYSELF.

MY NAME IS JANE COOK, UM, AND I'M A, I'M A PEER NAVIGATOR, UH, FROM B FOR STAR.

AND IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE WITH ALL, ALL YOU GUYS, AND A LITTLE NERVOUS.

LIKE I SAID, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME DOING MY PRESENTATION.

I'M GONNA DO IT THE BEST I CAN.

I CAN .

UM, WE ALSO PROVIDE SUPPORT GROUPS WITH ACTIVITIES EVERY THURSDAY WITH DIFFERENT TOPICS.

WE HAVE OUR, UH, TRANSGENIC COMMUNITY NINE COMMUNITY NIGHT, OUR NONLEGAL CLINIC, AND ALSO ENDING THE EPIDEMIC EVERY THURSDAY, UH, AND ADDRESS AS SUCCESS EVERY SIX MONTHS.

AND, UH, AS PART, AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE FUNDAMENTAL BASIS OF BEING IN THE HUMAN SERVICES, WE PROVIDE SERVICES WITH MULTIPLE VOUCHERS TO OUR TRANS COMMUNITY THAT IS, UH, IN HOMELESS SITUATION OR IS GOING THROUGH HOUSING CRISIS.

AND ALSO THE REQUIREMENT, UH, TO GET THE VOUCHER IS THE NEEDS TO HAVE AN ID IN, NO MATTER IF IT'S EXPIRED OR NOT, OR IF IT'S FOR OUT THE COUNTRY, IDENTIFY AS A TRANSGENDER WOMAN, NO BINARY.

AND ALSO AFRO-AMERICAN, ASIAN, NOTHING AMERICAN LATINX.

AND ALSO WE PROVIDING SOME BASIC HIDING SUPPLIES, CLOTHES, PRESENTA, UH, UH, PROBATION SUPPLIES, BROCHURES AND CONDOMS IN, IN ORDER TO PROTECT HIMSELF DURING THE SEVENTIES MONTH VOUCHER.

AND ALSO, WE CONTINUE WITH THE FOLLOW UP, UH, DURING THE MONTH, 30 DAYS, 30 DAYS FOLLOW UP.

IT'S HONOR TO BE HERE WITH YOU THERE, EVERYBODY.

THANK YOU, VIVIAN.

HELLO.

GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY.

MY NAME IS VIVIAN GALLO, AND I'M AN IMMIGRANT, UM, TRANSGENDER PERSON LIVING IN LONG BEACH.

AND I, AS, AS YOU CAN TELL, WE NOT READY WHATSOEVER TO DO THIS PRESENTATION.

WE JUST PLAN IT REALLY QUICK.

AND I JUST WANNA TALK ABOUT WHAT, WHAT WE DO.

I'M A HIV TESTER COUNSELOR, AND ALSO I WORK IN, UM, THE LONG BEACH, UH, UH, WORK, UM, WELLNESS WORK, WORK GROUP, UM, LONG BEACH.

I'M A CO-CHAIR THERE.

SO, UM, UM, AS AN HIV TESTER, WE KNOW THE NECESSITY THAT, YOU KNOW, ALL THE STATISTICS OF HIV, THE HIV, IT'S RISING, AND THE, UM, SYPHILIS, STIS IN LONG BEACH.

UH, THERE'S NO MANY AGENCIES IN LONG BEACH TO PROVIDE SERVICES FOR TRANSGENDER PEOPLE.

AND AS MY COLLEAGUES MENTIONED ALREADY, WE DO PROVIDE A HOTEL VOUCHER.

UNFORTUNATELY, THE, THE HOTEL VOUCHER HAS LIMITATIONS.

UH, IT'S ONLY SEVEN DAYS AND SEVEN DAYS.

YOU CANNOT DO, YOU CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH, RIGHT? THERE'S NOT A LOT OF SERVICES, UH, TO PROVIDE FOR, OR FOX.

MANY OF THEM ARE IMMIGRANTS LIKE MYSELF, OR, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE MANY OTHER BARRIERS TO GETTING TO SHELTERS WHERE THERE CAN BE ATTACKED, AND THERE ARE NO SAFE PLACES FOR THEM.

SO, UM, ALSO WANTED TO SAY, UM, THERE'S, WE NEED A SPACE THAT IS SAFE IN LONG BEACH FOR TRANS FOLKS.

UH, WE NEED A LOT OF MORE RESOURCES, A LOT OF MORE HELP, AND THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.

AND WE HAVE ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT NOW HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITY LIKE US, YOU KNOW, THE PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE AND HAVE A VOICE FOR EVERYBODY AND REPRESENT THEM.

UM, A LOT OF THE, A LOT OF THE, UH, WE HAVE A CONVERSATION IN THE MORNING WITH OTHER MEETING, AND A LOT OF THE SERVICES THAT PEOPLE AND THE ORGANIZATIONS WE PROVIDE FOR OR ON UNSERVED PEOPLE ARE, UM, NOT VERY MEANING TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY, UM, LOW INCOME, YOU KNOW? 'CAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE THEN, THEY DON'T HAVE THE ACCESS.

AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT SOMETIMES

[01:15:01]

TO GET THOSE SERVICES.

UM, MANY BARRIERS WE HAVE AS A TRANSGENDER PEOPLE, A LOT OF US, WE DON'T HAVE EDUCATION.

WE DON'T HAVE A DEGREE, WE DON'T HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE COMING FROM THE STREETS, A LOT OF, UH, UH, OUR TRANSGENDER PEOPLE ARE, UH, SEX WORKERS, AND THEY DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET A JOB RIGHT AWAY, UH, AT THE MOMENT, RIGHT? AND EVEN IF THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO ADAPT, TO HAVE A JOB, UH, AND HAVE DISCIPLINE.

IT'S, IT'S A PROCESS.

AND LIKE, UM, SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT ALREADY HAVE THE PRESENTATION, THEY SAY IT IS TRUE.

UM, ME BEING ALMOST 50 YEARS OLD, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE KIDS NOW AND DAYS.

THEY HAVE DIFFERENT IDEA AND DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITY, AND OBVIOUSLY THAT'S THE REASON WE WORK HARD FOR THIS COMMUNITY, FOR THEM TO HAVE THIS PRIVILEGE THAT WE DIDN'T, RIGHT? BUT NOT ALL THE PEOPLE CAN HAVE, UM, THE ACCESS.

AND STILL, WE NEED TO WORK A LOT ON THAT.

AND SO, AND BEING A STARTUP, BEING HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO WORK IN BEING A STAR FOR FIVE YEARS, AND I'M, I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SHARE, YOU KNOW, THE STORY OF FOX AND, AND HELP MY COMMUNITY FACE TO FACE AND, YOU KNOW, HEAR THE STORIES AND IDENTIFY WITH A LOT OF MY OWN, UH, CLIENTS.

UM, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU DO THE, UH, HIV TESTING, I DO MY REFERRALS TO PREP.

AND A LOT OF PEOPLE, THERE'S SO MANY BARRIERS TO GET PREP SERVICES AS WELL, UM, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE CITY AND, UM, HERE IN LONG BEACH, EVEN IF IT'S MULTICULTURAL CITY, AND IT'S VERY WELCOME FOR A LOT OF LGBT FOLKS STILL NEED A LOT OF, UH, REPRESENTATION AND VOICE FOR TRANSGENDER PEOPLE.

UH, AND IF YOU CAN SEE A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT, UM, GO TO THE, LET'S, LET'S SAY, PRIDE EVENTS, IT'S A VERY LACK OF, UH, TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION.

UH, AND THE REASON IS BECAUSE A LOT OF, WE STILL EXIST, A LOT OF DISCRIMINATION, A LOT OF ATTACK WITH AN OWN OWN COMMUNITY.

AND IT'S VERY, UM, IT'S VERY SAD TO SEE THAT PART, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE NEED, WE STILL, EVEN IF IT'S PROGRESS, WE STILL NEED TO WORK A LOT MORE ON THIS.

AND JUST ON BEHALF OF BEING A STAR, I WANNA THANK YOU AND I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THIS SPACE TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT WE DO.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE DO EV OUR WORK EVERY DAY, UH, WITH THE INTENTION OF MAKING ANY CHANGE OF DIFFERENCE IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY.

AND HOPEFULLY THAT MAKES, UH, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITIES FOR OTHER KIDS AND OTHER TRANS PEOPLE TO SEE THAT, THAT IT'S POSSIBLE TO HAVE A CAREER, EVEN IF YOU, YOU KNOW, UNDOCUMENTED, YOU KNOW, AN IMMIGRANT WITHOUT, WITHOUT, UM, A CAREER AND VULNERABLE.

GOODNIGHT.

ANY QUESTIONS? UH, QUESTIONS.

FEEL FREE TO ASK .

FIRST OF ALL, THE GRATITUDE IS ALL OURS.

I KNOW YOU ENDED YOUR SESSION WITH THANKING US, BUT REALLY THE GRATITUDE IS ALL OURS.

AND FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE AGENDA ITEM, WE'LL, WE'LL WORK, WE'LL HAVE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS TO ONCE ALL PRESENTERS SHOW UP.

BUT I'LL TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE SPANISH WAS USED IN SOME OF YOUR, UH, PRESENTATIONS TO JUST TRANSITION, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE TRANSLATORS SAY, WELL, AND I'LL ALSO TRANSLATE, UH, EZ, WHICH ARE, AND IN A NUTSHELL, I BASICALLY WANTED TO COMPLIMENT THEM FOR ALSO USING SPANISH AND REALLY TAPPING INTO THEIR AGENCY.

AND FOR ME, AS SOMEONE WHO IDENTIFIES AS BOTH LATINO AND A NATIVE SPANISH SPEAKER, MY FIRST LANGUAGE, UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO ALSO SHOW THAT IDENTITY, AND THAT'S WHY I SPOKE IN SPANISH.

UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A DIRECT TRANSLATION BROUGHT UP THAT, TO THE OFFICIAL TRANSLATORS TO, TO FIGURE THAT OUT AND NAVIGATE THAT.

UH, BUT THANK YOU.

AND WE'LL RESERVE QUESTIONS, UM, FOR THE END OF THE PRESENTATIONS.

UH, NEXT UP WE HAVE THE, OUR OWN CITY OF LONG BEACH, UH, LIBRARY SERVICES.

AND IN CASE FOLKS ARE WONDERING, THIS WAS, UH, INTENTIONAL WHEN WE SET OUT TO DESIGN THIS AGENDA, WE WANTED TO INVITE GROUPS THAT WE DON'T NECESSARILY TRADITIONALLY SEE AS L-G-B-T-Q, BUT EVERYONE CAN BENEFIT FROM A QUEER LENS.

AND SO THAT, THEREFORE, WE INVITED THE CITY OF LONG BEACH TO, UH, UH, FOR LIBRARY SERVICES TO SHARE WITH US HOW THEY, UH, PROVIDE L-G-B-T-Q SERVICES.

SO PLEASE TAKE IT AWAY.

WANNA INVITE FOLKS TO COME IN AND WE, YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO ALL BE, YOU KNOW, FOCUSED ON DIVERSITY AND INVITE ALL FAMILIES INTO THE LIBRARY BECAUSE THE LIBRARY IS A SAFE SPACE.

I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR INVITING ME HERE TO SPEAK.

MY NAME IS ERIC CARDOZO, AND I AM, UH, I WORK OVER HERE AT THE VILLAGE AND KING MAIN LIBRARY.

UM, I AM A YOUTH SERVICES LIBRARIAN, SO SOME OF WHAT I DO IS, UM, WE HOST OUR ANNUAL SUMMER READING PROGRAM.

I WORK WITH A TEAM OF SEVEN, UH, WONDERFUL LIBRARIANS TO PUT TOGETHER, UH, PROGRAMS FOR SCHOOL AGE ART PROGRAMS, CRAFT TO PROGRAMS FOR SCHOOL AGE.

WE DO STORY TIMES, UM, AND WE JUST

[01:20:01]

AND WE WANT EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY IS WELCOME TO COME INTO THE LIBRARY AND GET THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED.

AND OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE THE RESOURCES FOR EVERYONE THAT WALKS IN OUR, IN OUR DOORS.

UM, AND, AND WHY DO WE CELEBRATE? WELL, JUST A LITTLE, TO PIGGYBACK A LITTLE BIT ON SOME ADDITIONAL SERVICES THAT WE OFFER, UM, AT THE LIBRARY, AS WE DO HAVE FAMILY LEARNING CENTERS THAT PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR, UH, FOLKS WHO NEED ADDITIONAL HELP WITH, UH, HOMEWORK.

UM, WE ALSO HAVE COORDINATORS AND LEARNING GUIDES IN OUR FAMILY LEARNING CENTERS THAT HELP FOLKS WITH, UM, CAREER BUILDING, RESUME BUILDING COVER LETTER, HOW TO WRITE A COVER LETTER, HOW TO BUILD A RESUME, UM, HOW TO LOOK FOR SPECIFIC JOBS THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THEY MAY NOT REALLY KNOW WHERE TO START.

WE ALSO, UM, HAVE A TEAM OF MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATORS WHO COME IN AND WORK WITH OUR UNHOUSED COMMUNITY, UM, AND PROVIDING RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED HOUSING, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY CAN GO IF THEY NEED A SHOWER, FOR EXAMPLE.

UM, AND SO THEY WORK REGULARLY WITH OUR IN-HOUSE POPULATION.

UM, AND THEN, AND THAT'S BEEN WONDERFUL, UM, HAVING THEM THERE.

AND, UM, AND THEN ALSO JUST TO KIND OF ADD TO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE AS LIBRARIANS WANT TO WORK WITH CITY DEPARTMENTS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE RESOURCES FOR SPECIFIC PEOPLE.

UM, YOU KNOW, THE EXPERTS.

WE LEAN ON THE EXPERTS, AGAIN, OUR HEALTH EDUCATORS TO COME IN SO THAT WAY THEY CAN PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT, THEY CAN SHOW THEM WHERE TO GO AND, AND GIVE THEM MORE INFORMATION THAT THEY MIGHT NEED THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IS BEYOND, YOU KNOW, EVEN WHAT RIN CAN HELP WITH.

BUT WE ARE THERE TO HELP BRING IN THOSE FOLKS TO WORK TOGETHER SO THAT WAY EVERYBODY WHO COMES IN HAS THE, THE HELP THAT THEY NEED.

UM, AND THEN ALSO WE WORK WITH VOLUNTEERS, A TEAM OF VOLUNTEERS TO HELP BUILD, UM, THEIR RESUMES AND GET EXPERIENCE.

SO THAT WAY WHEN THEY START LOOKING FOR JOBS, UM, THEY HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE.

BECAUSE SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF FOLKS ASK FOR IS EXPERIENCE.

AND WE WORK WITH A TEAM OF VOLUNTEERS TO HELP BUILD THAT EXPERIENCE FOR THEM.

SO WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING FOR WORK, THEY, THEY ALREADY HAD A START.

AND, UM, AND ALSO RECENTLY WE'VE BEEN PUTTING TOGETHER A CULTURAL CELEBRATION COMMITTEE, UM, AT THE LIBRARY.

AND WE'VE BEEN REALLY, UM, ADDING JUST MORE AND MORE EVERY YEAR, HOW CAN WE CELEBRATE DIVERSITY? HOW CAN WE BRING IN AND, YOU KNOW, OPEN OUR DOORS TO EVERYONE? AND PRIDE IS ONE THAT WE'RE VERY, VERY HAPPY TO JUST CONTINUE EVERY YEAR TO GROW.

UM, AND AGAIN, ONE OF THE MISSIONS OF THE LIBRARY IS TO CELEBRATE ONE'S IDENTITY AND, AND WELCOME A SPACE FOR EVERYBODY.

WE HAVE A SPACE FOR EVERYONE.

SHOW THAT VISIBILITY IS IMPORTANT.

UM, SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER, A SAFE SPACE TO TELL ONE STORY.

AND AGAIN, THROUGH ART, MUSIC, STORYTELLING, AND, UM, AND MORE.

UM, AND SO OUR THEME THIS YEAR IS PROUD VOICES.

AND WE, AGAIN, WANNA INVITE THE COMMUNITY TO COME IN AND, AND BE ABLE TO TELL THEIR STORY AND SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE HOSTING THIS YEAR.

UM, AND NOT JUST PROGRAMS, BUT ALSO JUST DISPLAYS THE, THE VISUALS THAT PEOPLE COME IN, SEEING LABELS ON THE BOOKS THAT IDENTIFY L-G-B-T-Q-I-A GENRE CONTENT SO PEOPLE KNOW, OH, THEY, THESE ARE BOOKS FOR ME, AND THEY KNOW WHERE TO LOOK, ESPECIALLY IF THEY MIGHT NOT KNOW HOW TO ASK FOR THEM.

HAVING THOSE LABELS IS IMPORTANT.

UM, AND WE ARE GOING TO BE WORKING ON WHAT'S CALLED A STONEWALL DISPLAY AT EVERY BRANCH.

WE ARE A 12 BRANCH SYSTEM, SO EACH BRANCH IS GOING TO HAVE ITS OWN STONEWALL DISPLAY WHERE FOLKS CAN COME IN, WRITE, UM, A MESSAGE, UM, ON A BUTTERFLY OR SOME ART, UH, BASICALLY SAYING, USING THEIR VOICE TO SHARE WHAT PRIDE MEANS TO THEM OR WHAT MAKES THEM PROUD.

UM, AND SO WE'RE HOPING BY THE END OF THE MONTH, THAT'LL BE A NICE, BEAUTIFUL DISPLAY.

WE'RE GONNA HAVE A NICE, UM, SORT OF, UH, FLYER THAT GIVES CONTEXT ON WHAT STONEWALL WAS AND WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY BECAUSE OF IT, AND WHY WE CELEBRATE PRIDE AND WHY WE HAVE A PRIDE PARADE.

UM, AND THEN WE ARE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN ANCHOR PROGRAM ON JUNE 1ST, OUR PAW WALK FOR PRIDE.

AND SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE RESOURCES THERE.

WE'RE GONNA HAVE A, A PAW WALK THAT WE'RE GONNA WALK AROUND THE, UH, LINCOLN PARK WITH OUR FAMILIES AND OUR FUR BABIES.

WE'RE INVITING EVERYONE TO JUST COME, HAVE A CONVERSATION, HAVE FUN, ENJOY THAT SORT OF, YOU KNOW, DOGS FOR BABIES THAT UNITES US.

AND THAT, YOU KNOW, MAKES US ALL, IT JUST BRINGS IN A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYBODY THAT COMES IN.

WE'RE ALSO GONNA HAVE, UM, ACTIVITIES, ART ACTIVITIES.

WE'RE GONNA HAVE CITY VENDORS.

WE'RE ACTUALLY PARTNERING WITH THE CENTER CENTER, UH, MENTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL BE THERE, YOUTH SERVICE DEPARTMENT, AND THEIR GENERAL SERVICES WILL BE TABLING AT THE EVENT P FLAG.

UM, AND THEN RAINBOW FAMILIES AS WELL.

SO, AND, AND, AND SO MUCH MORE.

SO WE'RE REALLY, REALLY EXCITED.

WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, SOME AUTHORS COME IN AND DO A READING OF SOME OF THEIR BOOKS, UM, AND ALSO HAVE DISCUSSION WITH THE FAMILIES, UM, AND ADDITIONAL CRAFTS TO FOLLOW.

UM, AND THEN WE CURRENTLY HAVE A PROGRAM CALLED TEEN LIT LEAGUE, WHICH IS RUN BY VOLUNTEERS, AND IT'S A BOOK CLUB, A TEEN BOOK CLUB.

AND SO WE'RE, WE INVITED TWO AUTHORS TO COME IN AND WORK WITH OUR TEENS TO JUST HOST A BOOK CLUB.

UM, SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

AND SOME ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE GONNA HOST IS PRIDE BINGO, UM, AND ALSO TEACHING FOLKS ABOUT THE DIFFERENT PRIDE FLAGS AND WHAT THOSE FLAGS MEAN TO THEM.

AND, UH, STORY TIME FOR CHILDREN, ADDITIONAL STORY TIMES FOR

[01:25:01]

CHILDREN, AND THEN INITIAL PRIDE IN NIGHT AND TALKING TO FOLKS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST WANT A SPACE TO COME IN AND HAVE A CONVERSATION, UM, AND JUST HANG OUT.

AND SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE AND PROVIDE THAT SPACE FOR FOLKS TO COME IN, HANG OUT, HAVE AN OPEN MIC, UH, TELL THEIR STORY IF, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE COMFORTABLE, OR JUST HAVING LIKE A ONE-ON-ONE.

AND THEN WE'RE GONNA OFFER PRIDE PRONOUN PINS FOR PEOPLE TO ALSO, UM, WEAR, UM, AND AGAIN, SO THEY CAN SHARE, YOU KNOW, MORE EXPERIENCES AND TALK ABOUT, ABOUT THAT.

SO WE'RE REALLY, REALLY EXCITED.

UM, AND THEN WE DO HAVE, IN ADDITION TO OUR PROGRAMS, WE ALSO HAVE A DIGITAL RESOURCE.

THE LIBRARY HAS 79 DIGITAL RESOURCES, AND ONE OF WHICH IS THE ARCHIVES OF SEXUALITY AND GENDER.

AND, UM, THIS COLLECTION BRINGS TOGETHER APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILLION PAGES OF PRIMARY SOURCES ON SOCIAL, POLITICAL HEALTH AND LEGAL ISSUES IMPACTING LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITIES AROUND THE WORLD.

UH, FIR FULLY SEARCHABLE CONTENT FROM NEWSLETTERS, GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS, MANUSCRIPTS, PAMPHLETS, AND OTHER TYPES OF PRIMARY SOURCES.

SHEDS LIGHT ON THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT, ACTIVISM, THE HIV AIDS CRISIS AND OTHER ISSUES.

SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THE MILESTONE DIGITAL COLLECTION IS GUIDED BY AN ADVISORY BOARD, UH, CONSISTING OF LEADING SCHOLARS AND LIBRARIANS AND SEXUAL SEXUALITY AND GENDER STUDIES.

UM, SO THERE ARE ALL LOTS OF PHOTOS PEOPLE CAN GO IN AND CHECK OUT IF THEY WANNA DO ADDITIONAL RESEARCH, UM, THEY CAN DO THAT.

WE'RE GONNA ALSO HAVE A QR CODE ON BOOKMARKS THAT WILL LINK THIS, UM, RESOURCE FOR FOLKS, SO THAT WAY IT'S AN EASIER SEARCH.

UM, BUT THIS DIGITAL RESOURCE CAN BE FOUND, UM, ON LBP.ORG UNDER, UM, UNDER, UM, LEARN UNDER LEARN THE LEARN TAB.

UM, AND THEN, UM, SEXUALITY AND GENDER BOOK COLLECTION.

THIS IS A SNAPSHOT OF OUR COLLECTION HQ THAT KIND OF TELLS US WHERE SOME GAPS MIGHT BE MISSING.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE ABOUT, UM, THIS IS RUN OFF 573,000 BOOKS.

UM, AND SO OUR COLLECTION HAS GROWN A LITTLE BIT WITH THE L-G-B-T-Q, UH, PLUS, UM, GENRE.

AND SO WE WE'RE LOOKING TO CONTINUE TO GROW THAT.

AND THE WAY THAT WE CAN DO THAT IS JUST BUY SUGGESTIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY, TALKING TO THE COMMUNITY, ASKING THE QUESTIONS, HAVING THEM COME TO US, ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS FOR SPECIFIC BOOKS.

UM, YOU KNOW, AND HAVING THESE BOOKS IN OUR COLLECTION IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.

AND AGAIN, I KNOW WE'RE TALKING DURING A TIME OF BOOK BANNING, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THESE BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE FOR OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT REALLY JUST SHOWS, UM, YOU KNOW, A CHILD WHO MIGHT BE EXPERIENCING A SIMILAR THING AS LIKE OUR CHILDREN.

AND, UM, AND THEY, THEY FEEL SEEN AND THEY MIGHT NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE FEELING, BUT THEY'RE READING A BOOK AND THEY'RE SEEING AND READING ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES, AND THAT MIGHT HELP GUIDE THEM TO THE NEXT STEP, AND FEELING GOOD ABOUT THEM AND THEIR FEELINGS AND, UM, AND THAT IT'S, IT'S OKAY, YOU KNOW? AND SO WE NEED MORE OF THAT VISIBILITY IN LITERATURE, IN OUR STORIES.

UM, AND ALSO FOR PARENTS WHO WANT TO HAVE, WHO ARE READY TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEIR CHILDREN, AND MAYBE THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW TO HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEIR CHILDREN.

SO THEY CHECK OUT A BOOK, HOW CAN WE TALK ABOUT THIS? LET'S READ THIS STORY HERE AND SEE HOW IT CONNECTS.

UM, AND SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT IN OUR COLLECTION.

AGAIN, HAVING THOSE LABELS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR FOLKS TO SEE THAT WE DO HAVE A COLLECTION, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR TEEN FICTION AND TEEN NONFICTION IS PRETTY HIGH BECAUSE WE HEAR A LOT OF, WE GET A LOT OF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OUR TEEN COLLECTION, AND ESPECIALLY AT THAT AGE WHEN A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, WE ALREADY START TO KNOW AND, AND EXPERIENCE CERTAIN THINGS.

UM, THERE'S A LOT OF WONDERFUL BOOKS IN OUR TEEN COLLECTION THAT, UM, THAT SUPPORT THIS.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GROWING AND WE WANT TO DO THE SAME THING.

AND HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, OUR CHILDREN'S FICTION AND NONFICTION WILL CONTINUE TO GROW AS WELL.

UM, AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON, IS JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THOSE BOOKS.

UM, SO FOR, FOR OUR COMMUNITY, FOR L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITY.

AND, UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S IT.

AND AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK HERE TODAY.

IT'S, IT'S A PLEASURE MEETING EVERYBODY.

UM, AND YEAH, THANK YOU.

AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED FOR PRIDE.

I HAVE A QUESTION, BUT I'M GONNA BE JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.

I'M GONNA ASK IT LATER.

UM, SO I'LL COME BACK.

UH, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH.

UM, AND NEXT UP WE HAVE EARTH LODGE.

DO WE HAVE A MEMBER OF EARTH LODGE HERE? YES.

EARTH LODGE.

GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.

HOW YOU DOING? DOING WELL, THANK YOU FOR THIS INVITATION.

I ACTUALLY WILL LET THE CHILDREN SPEAK A LITTLE BIT.

UM, I'M SO GRATEFUL THAT MY GRANDKIDS WERE ABLE TO COME UP.

MY NAME IS GERALDINA AARON.

I'M BOARD CHAIR, PART OF HEALERS NETWORK AT THE EARTH LODGE CENTER FOR TRANSFORMATION.

BUT BEFORE WE START OUR FORMAL PRESENTATION, AND I SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTEXT, UM, I'D LIKE TO INVITE MADDOX WITH EARTH LODGE KIDS.

WOULD YOU SAY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE EARTH LODGE MEANS TO YOU? YES.

THE EARTH LODGE MEANS A LOT TO ME, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE MY GRANDPARENTS WORKED THERE,

[01:30:01]

ESPECIALLY MY GRANDMA.

EVERY TIME I USED TO GET MAD, SHE USED TO TELL ME STORIES ABOUT HER CHILDHOOD AND ABOUT HOW HER GRANDMA WOULD MAKE HER.

I WOULD SAY HER MOM WOULD MAKE HER GO DIG HOLES IN THE BACKYARD AND SIT IN THEM SO SHE WOULD BE HAPPIER AND BE CONNECTED WITH THE EARTH.

AND IT WOULD MAKE ME KIND OF LESS MAD.

AND I WOULD BE REALLY HAPPY SOMETIMES TO HEAR THE STORIES ABOUT HER MOM.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LETTING ME SPEAK.

THANK YOU, MANIX.

ORRIN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE WHAT, WHAT YOU APPRECIATE AND LOVE ABOUT THE EARTH LODGE? YES.

I LOVE THAT I GET TO DRUM WITH MY LITTLE BROTHERS AND TEACH OTHER KIDS HOW TO DRUM.

THANK YOU BOYS.

YOU CAN EITHER STAY, UM, UP HERE OR YOU CAN TAKE A SEAT.

UM, ARE WE ABLE TO MAYBE SHARE THE, DO I HAVE TO LEAN OVER? NO, I DON'T.

UM, ARE WE ABLE, DO WE HAPPEN TO HAVE THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION THAT WE CAN SHOW? YEAH, JUST USE THE CLIP.

PARTICIPATING IN RESOURCE FAIRS.

ALRIGHT.

SO FIRST OFF, HAPPY MENTAL WELLNESS MENTAL AWARENESS MONTH.

I WANNA START WITH THAT.

WE ALSO KNOW THAT TODAY'S MAYDAY, MANY OF US ARE EMPLOYEES.

WE'RE WORKERS RUNNING SMALL BUSINESSES, SO ELEVATING THE NEED, UM, FOR STABILITY IN THE ECONOMY AS WELL, WHICH IS AT THE HEART AND SOUL OF MANY OF US WHO ARE BIPOC.

MANY OF US WHOSE ANCESTORS WERE PART OF THE GREAT MIGRATION COMING FROM THE SOUTH HERE TO THE WEST COAST, MANY OF US WHO ARE IMMIGRANT.

UM, IT'S A SPECIAL DAY FOR US ECONOMICALLY, AND IT'S A SPECIAL DAY FOR THE ELEVATION OF MENTAL AWARENESS.

UM, LOTS OF STUDIES ARE COMING OUT, UM, AT THIS TIME, BUT THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE EARTH LODGE THAT HAVE BEEN ADDRESSING THE TRAUMA THAT COMES FROM BEING BIPOC, THE TRAUMA THAT COMES FROM BEING L-G-B-T-Q-I-A AND BEING ON THE FRONT LINE AND PROVIDING SAFE SPACE.

AND NOT JUST SAFE SPACE, BUT SACRED SPACE RIGHT HERE IN LONG BEACH.

OUR FOUNDER, I'M ACTUALLY GONNA RETURN TO THIS PICTURE AFTER THIS ONE.

OUR FOUNDERS, QUEEN HOLLANDS, THE BOYS WERE JUST SPEAKING ABOUT THAT.

WHO ARE, WE? WE'RE AN INTERGENERATIONAL SPACE.

WE NEEDED A SPACE FOR FAMILIES.

WE NEEDED A SPACE TO RAISE FAMILIES.

MORE THAN HALF OF US WHO PARTICIPATE IN THE EARTH LODGE ARE LGBTQIA PLUS.

WE NEEDED A PLACE FOR ALL OF OUR INTERSECTIONAL IDENTITIES, COULD FIND A HOME, BEING BLACK, BEING CISGENDER FEMALE, BEING LESBIAN, RAISING A FAMILY, CARING FOR ELDERS, AND HAVING IT ALL COME TOGETHER IN A VILLAGE STYLE EXPERIENCE WHERE WE CAN BE TOGETHER, TRANSFER KNOWLEDGE AS, OR I'M ALREADY SHARING.

UM, ONE OF THE EXPERIENCES IN THE EARTH LODGE IS NOT JUST HAPPENING AT OUR SITE, BUT ALSO IN THE COMMUNITY.

WE'VE BEEN INVITED TO JOB FAIRS 'CAUSE WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BLACK WORKER HUB.

WE'RE PART OF BHAC, THE BLACK HEALTH EQUITY COLLABORATIVE AS WELL.

SO REPRESENTING HEALTH IS OUR PRIMARY MISSION.

STOPPING DROP, UM, RIGHT SON.

DRAMA AND TRAUMA.

STOPPING DRAMA AND TRAUMA IS OUR MISSION MANDATE.

AND WE LIKE TO LET EVERYONE KNOW AS WELL WITH OUR BHC PARTNERS ON THE 18TH.

UM, WE WILL BE HOSTING MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS AT OUR SITE.

SO WE AS BIPOC PEOPLE, WE AS LGBTQIA PLUS PEOPLE ARE COMING TOGETHER TO ELEVATE THE CAUSE FOR HEALING, WELLNESS, AND TRAUMA.

AND WHAT MATTIS WAS SPEAKING ABOUT WAS THE EARTH PIT.

THIS IS A HEALING TECHNOLOGY THAT QUEEN BROUGHT, UM, FROM HER GRANDMOTHER IN MISSISSIPPI, HER GRANDMOTHER IN MISSISSIPPI GROWING UP AT THE END, TELLING THE JIM CROW WASN'T GONNA WHIP HER, WASN'T GONNA PUT ANYTHING THAT RESEMBLED THE LAST OF VESTIGE OF CHATTEL SLAVERY.

BUT WHAT DID WE KNOW? WE KNEW THE EARTH.

WE WERE WORKING THE CROPS.

WE KNEW HOW TO FIND, UM, HEALING POLLS WHEN A WHITE DOCTOR WOULDN'T SEE US.

WE KNEW HOW TO DISAPPEAR INTO THE FOREST AND BRING BACK MEDICINE THAT WOULD HEAL WHAT WAS AILING US DURING THOSE TIMES OF SLAVERY AND ALL THE WAY THROUGH JIM CROW.

AND SO RECLAIMING THAT PART OF OUR LEGACY IS THE PRIMARY MANDATE.

AND WE KNOW THAT RECLAIMING IN THAT WAY IS AN INDIGENOUS TRADITION.

SO WE BECAME SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING EXPANDED THROUGH THAT.

AND WE CLAIM THAT AS WELL AS BLACK, INDIGENOUS, EXCUSE ME, AS BLACK INANITY BASED IN THE SOUTH WITH SOUTHERN ROOTS.

AND SO THE MOTHER EARTH PIT IS A HEALING TECHNOLOGY WHERE WE GO IN A SACRED SPACE TO HEAL AND RELEASE A LOT OF THE TRAUMA, THE PAIN, THE HATE, THE RETALIATION, THE RACISM, THE HOMOPHOBIA, ALL OF THE THINGS THAT OUR INTERSECTIONAL

[01:35:01]

IDENTITIES BRING, AND CREATING A SAFE SPACE FOR OUR KIDS.

ONE THING THAT I LOVE ABOUT LONG BEACH, WHICH MADE ME WANNA SETTLE HERE 14 YEARS AGO AND BEGIN FAMILY, IS BECAUSE I SEE THIS AS A FAMILY CITY.

THE AMOUNT OF BLACK PEOPLE IN LONG BEACH COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES MADE ME FEEL COMFORTABLE.

THE AMOUNT OF QUEER PEOPLE AS COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES MADE ME FEEL COMFORTABLE.

AND THE FAMILY ORIENTATION OF LONG BEACH MADE ME FEEL COMFORTABLE AND WANT TO BRING DOWN ROOTS AND CREATE AND EXPAND SERVICE AS WELL.

SO WHAT DO WE OFFER OR GOT A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT DRUM WELLNESS? WE CENTER OUR CULTURE FOR US, RAISING SELF-ESTEEM, HOPE, AND STOPPING HATE.

YOU HAVE TO BE PROUD OF WHO YOU ARE.

YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO TOUCH THE DRUM.

YOU HAVE TO BE COMFORTABLE TO SAY THAT I'M BLACK.

YOU HAVE TO BE COMFORTABLE TO SAY THAT I'M BIPOC.

YOU HAVE TO BE COMFORTABLE TO SAY THAT I'M L-G-B-T-Q-I-A.

YOU HAVE TO BE COMFORTABLE TO SAY THAT I'M QUESTIONING.

AND I JUST WANT A SAFE AND SACRED SPACE TO JUST BE.

AND YOU HAVE TO FEEL COMFORTABLE TO SAY THAT I'VE BEEN HARMED AND I NEED A SAFE SPACE TO JUST BE AND RELEASE THAT.

AND WE PROVIDE THOSE INTERSECTIONAL, UM, SAFE SPACES.

AND SO WE HAVE SANGHA FOR THOSE OF, UM, WHO MAY BE IN OUR LISTER.

WE DO MEDITATION.

WE HAVE A LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM CALLED OUR GATEKEEPER PROGRAM THAT WE OFFER ONCE A YEAR.

WE'RE HEALING AND WELLNESS PRACTITIONERS FROM OUR COMMUNITY STEP FORWARD AND OFFER.

AND ONE OF THEM IS MELINE, A PROFESSOR AT UCLA WHO DOES SGA TWICE A MONTH HEALING INTO THE HOLIDAYS.

A BIG THANK YOU FOR THE LONG BEACH GIFTS, WHO GAVE US OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF THAT CAMPAIGN.

AND FOR ANY IN THE ROOM WHO GAVE, WE WERE ABLE TO RAISE THE MONEY TO DEAL AND PROVIDE PROGRAMMING DURING WHAT FOR SOME IN OUR COMMUNITY IS A VERY DEPRESSIVE TIME.

THERE WERE OVER 60 PEOPLE WHO LOST LOVED ONES WHO WERE PART OF THE EARTH LAUNCH COMMUNITY DURING COVID.

THE HOLIDAYS FOR EVERYONE IS NOT A HAPPY TIME.

IT'S A TIME OF SADNESS AND LOSS.

AND THAT'S LAYERED HER END.

THAT'S, UM, LAYERED IN FOR SOME OF THE OTHER ISSUES TO WHERE WE MAY FEEL ALIENATED FROM OUR BIRTH FAMILIES.

YOUTH RITES OF PASSAGE LOOKING RIGHT AT YOU, WE WERE ABLE TO SERVICE OVER 30 YOUTH, ACTUALLY 45 YOUTH LAST YEAR.

UM, AND WE STARTED EVEN YOUNGER AGES FIVE, ALL THE WAY UP TO AGE 26.

WE HAD TO HAVE FOUR COHORTS IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO TRANSFER THE KNOWLEDGE IN AN INTERGENERATIONAL CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE SAFE AND SACRED WAY.

MENTAL HEALTH OLYMPIA, THAT'S ACTUALLY JUST HAPPENED LAST WEEK.

HERE'S OUR COMMUNITY GARDEN BECAUSE PART OF OUR FUNDAMENTAL BELIEF SYSTEM IS THAT TOUCHING THE SOIL.

IT'S A MINI FOREST, IT'S A BOTANICAL SPACE RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF WEST LONG BEACH AT INTERSECTIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE SPACE.

BECAUSE HERE WE ARE BUDDING THE FREEWAY.

HERE ARE THE FACTORIES, HERE'S THE EXPANDING PORT, HERE'S THE LA RIVER.

AND HERE WE ARE ERECTING A MINI FOREST TO CLEAR OUT 2000 POUNDS OF CARBON SMUT SO THAT WE CAN BREATHE AND, UM, NOT HAVE TO GO OUT TO OJAI TO ACCESS OUR HEALING AND WELLNESS SERVICES TO MAKE SURE THAT ACCESSIBILITY REMAINS, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR BIPOC COMMUNITIES AND OUR LGBT COMMUNITIES.

WE HAVE SEASONAL CEREMONY.

WE HAVE, I ALREADY MENTIONED OUR GATEKEEPER, HEALTH PROMOTER LEADERSHIP PROGRAM.

WE HAVE WELL AT WORK.

I STARTED OFF SAYING THAT TODAY'S MAYDAY, A LOT OF US AREN'T, ARE EXPERIENCING TRAUMA IN THE WORKPLACE.

RACISM, RETALIATION, HATE, DISCRIMINATION, TRANSPHOBIA, HOMOPHOBIA, WHILE TRYING TO GO OUT AND, AND THRIVE IN LIVE IN THIS ECONOMY.

SO THAT'S OUR WORKPLACE RIGHTS EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP WHERE WE PARTNER WITH THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO BRING THAT KNOWLEDGE.

AND NOT ONLY DO WE DO IT AT THE EARTH LODGE, WE DO THAT IN THE COMMUNITY, AT OUR PRO AT WHEN WE DO PROGRAMMING AND TABLESIDE PROGRAMMING, BRINGING THE DRUM OUT TO RESOURCE AND WELLNESS FAIRS.

WE TALKED ABOUT GARDENING, WE TALKED ABOUT SAMBO HEALING MEDITATION HERE IN THE LOWER RIGHT.

UM, YOU SEE THE MENTAL HEALTH OLYMPIA, WHICH FOCUSES ON THE TRANS COMMUNITY.

A LOT OF THEM SAY, OH, THIS IS A SAFE SPACE WHERE I CAN REVEAL MY BODY IN SAFE AND SACRED SPACE.

THIS IS SPECIFICALLY TRANS FOCUS FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH OLYMPIA LED BY NIGHT SKY, A TRANS MAN IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE SOME OF OUR KEY PARTNERSHIPS.

I MENTIONED THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BLACK WORKER HUB, MAKING SURE THAT BLACK PEOPLE AND BLACK WORKERS UNDERSTAND OUR RIGHTS TO PREVENT THE TRAUMA THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING IN THE WORKPLACE.

WE TALKED ABOUT BHC, BLACK HEALTH EQUITY COLLABORATIVE, WE TALKED ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA WORKERS OUTREACH PROJECT AND THE CITY OF LONG BEACH FOR 20 YEARS, THE EARTH LODGE REMAINED UNFUNDED.

I'M NOT GONNA SIT UP HERE AND SAY THAT WE HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF FUNDING.

A LOT OF OUR FUNDING HAS COME FROM THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.

WE GET NOW SOME MONEY FROM THE STATE AND SOME PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS.

AND A LOT OF THOSE PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS ARE NOT L-G-B-T-Q-I-A FUNDING.

I STILL BAFFLES ME.

SO I WOULD LOVE, IF ANYONE CAN HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH ME, HOW DO WE ACCESS THAT AS A SPACE

[01:40:01]

WHO IS BLACK FOUNDED CENTERING BLACK EXPERIENCE, CENTERING A MULTICULTURAL EXPERIENCE, CENTERING LGBT, SAFE AND SACRED SPACE, BEING RUN BY AN OUT LESBIAN FOR 40 YEARS.

HOW DO WE ACCESS AND DIVERSIFY OUR FUNDING PAST GOVERNMENTAL FUNDING AND, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL FUNDING TO WHERE WE HIT L-G-B-T-Q-I-A FUNDING AS WELL? AND HERE'S A COUPLE OF THE STATS WITH THE FUNDING INVESTMENT FROM SEVERAL PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS DURING COVID AND THEN FOLLOWING UP WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, STEPPING FORWARD SAYING YES TO OUR ORGANIZATION.

JUST LAST YEAR, WE WERE ABLE TO SERVE OVER 3,500 PEOPLE AND MOST OF THAT WAS IN PERSON AT OUR SITE OUT AT RESOURCE FAIRS AND VIRTUALLY ONLINE.

NOT A WHOLE LOT OF THAT WAS DIGITAL.

I STILL COUNT THE ZOOM AS A FACE-TO-FACE 'CAUSE YOU CAN INTERACT NOT, UM, JUST NEWSLETTERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND SO YOU SEE THE DIVERSITY OF THOSE WHO PARTICIPATE ACROSS THE BOARD.

42% BEING BLACK.

WE HAVE ASIAN COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVE, LATINX COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVE, NATIVE AND INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY REPRESENTED, RIGHT? SO WE SEE ACROSS THE BOARD, WE SEE THE AGE DIVERSITY BECAUSE WE HAVE AN INTERGENERATIONAL APPROACH.

WE ALSO HAVE, UH, A WIDE ARRAY OF THOSE WHO STEPPED FORWARD WITH SEXUAL ORIENTATION.

NOW, WHEN WE DO OUR SURVEYING, EVERYONE DOEST OFFER ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

BUT BECAUSE OF WHO WE ARE, AND A LOT OF IT IS NETWORKED, WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE EDUCATED GUESSES AS TO WHO IS SHOWING UP, UM, FOR SERVICES AND FOR GENDER.

40% WOMEN, NON-BINARY MEN, TRANSGENDER TWO SPIRIT, AND 35% AS WELL DID NOT FILL OUT THAT PART OF THE SURVEY.

AND SO I WANNA GIVE A BIG THANK YOU TO, UM, I THINK IT WAS CHRIS.

YEAH, HEY CHRIS.

CHRIS WHO, UM, OFFERED US THE OPPORTUNITY TO STEP FORWARD AND PRESENT BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH WE'VE BEEN IN THE COMMUNITY SERVING SINCE 2004, UM, AND AT THAT TIME RIGHT OUTTA THE POCKET OF THE FUNDER, UM, KNOWING THAT WE NEEDED SAFE AND SACRED SPACE WHERE WE ARE AND FOR WHO WE ARE, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO EXPAND OUR TEAM, OUR STAFFING, OUR PROGRAMMING AS YOU SAW, UM, BASICALLY SINCE 2020 BY TELLING THE STORY OF OUR, HOW OUR, UM, PROGRAMMING HELPS TO STOP TRAUMA, TRAUMA AND PROVIDE SAFE AND SACRED SPACE FOR OUR INTERSECTIONAL, UM, IDENTITIES.

SO A BIG THANK YOU.

I DON'T THINK I PUT MY PHONE NUMBER UP THERE, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE OUR EMAIL.

UM, AND THE LAST THING THAT I'LL SAY IS I WRAP UP.

WHAT'S ALSO VERY IMPORTANT THAT HAPPENS AT THE EARTH LODGE IS WITH THE EXPANSION OF FUNDING.

NOW WE'RE UP TO 18 MEMBERS.

WE'RE ALSO, UM, AN EMPLOYER.

AND SO WE'RE SEEING THE BEAUTY OF THAT OFFERING SERVICES AND ALSO OFFERING EMPLOYMENT TO BLACK PEOPLE.

L-G-B-T-Q-I-A PEOPLE, TWO OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS ARE TRANS.

UM, PROVIDING NOT JUST SAFE AND SACRED SPACE WITH THE LAND, BUT ALSO ON THE TEAM.

SO I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG I'LL BE ABLE TO STAY 'CAUSE I GOTTA GET THESE GUYS SOME DINNER AND GETTING READY FOR SCHOOL TOMORROW.

GOT AN APPOINTMENT AT CESAR CHAVEZ ELEMENTARY, TOMORROW.

BUT, UM, FEEL FREE TO MAYBE EMAIL.

I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN PUT MY PHONE NUMBER UP THERE A LITTLE BIT LATER.

UM, MAYBE SEND IT TO THE COMMISSIONERS.

UM, I'M OPEN FOR ANY KIND OF QUESTIONS AND I'LL HANG BACK FOR MAYBE 15 MINUTES.

UH, TODAY'S SPECIAL MEETING.

UH, I KNOW THAT WE WERE GOING TO, AND WE STILL ARE GONNA MOVE OVER TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND QUESTIONS, BUT I WANNA TAKE, UM, THIS OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, CRYSTALLIZE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WE HAD THIS MEETING WITH A QUEER FOCUS ON THE FIRST DAY OF LONG BEACH'S PRIDE MONTH.

AND WHAT BETTER WAY TO DO THIS.

AND I EVEN DRESSED FOR THE OCCASION.

I GOT MY PRIDE SHIRT.

I GOT YO, I HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN MY RAINBOW, UH, SOCKS THAT I WORE, BUT WORK.

I'M GONNA ASK COMMISSIONERS TO COME TO THE FRONT.

WE'RE GONNA TAKE A PICTURE, BUT WE'RE GONNA DO IT IN THIS VERY SPECIFIC WAY.

WE'RE GONNA PICTURE WITH ALL OF OUR PRESENTERS, INCLUDING THE SECOND AGENDA ITEM, WHICH WAS BILL SIEVE TOGETHER.

AND WE WILL BE SENDING EVERYONE, UM, AFTER THE MEETING, UH, CERTIFICATES AND APPRECIATION FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO AND YOUR PRESENTATIONS.

THERE'S JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE WORK THAT I HAVE TO DO WITH THEM.

I NEED TO QUERY IT UP WITH SOME BEDAZZLE AND SOME GLITTERING .

RIGHT.

UM, AND CLEAR UP THESE CERTIFICATES, BUT THEY WILL BE IN THE MAIL.

BUT FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE PICTURE, MAYBE WE GONNA HAVE ONE, ONE OF THE, UH, OF, OF THE CERTIFICATES, UM, UH, WITH THE PICTURE.

SO I'M GONNA INVITE THOSE PRESENTERS, UH, TO COME ON UP.

AND THEN THE COMMISSIONERS OVER HERE, UM, I AM ALSO GONNA INVITE THE, WE COULDN'T DO THIS WITHOUT THE OFFICE OF EQUITY, SO PLEASE BE IN THE PHOTO AS WELL.

UM, AND, UH, WE'LL TAKE THE PICTURE AND WE'LL, WE'LL SEND THE PICTURE TO THE OFFICE OF EQUITY AND THEN HAVE, AND THE OFFICE OF EQUITY CAN EMAIL THE PHOTO TO COMMISSIONERS.

SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND COMMEMORATE,

[01:45:01]

UH, I'LL GET IT FROM HERE.

OH, WONDERFUL.

I'LL VISIT YOU ON THE, UM, WEBSITE.

OKAY, THANKS.

CAN I COME? YES, ABSOLUTELY.

YOU CAN COME, MASON.

SORRY.

CAN YOU TALK ME A PICTURE? MUCH OFFICIAL CAMERA? UH, I GUESS YOU CAN DO IT ONE BY ONE AND THEN THAT WAY YOU CAN LOOK AT ALL THE CAMERAS.

SO LET THE PRESENTERS IN FRONT AND WE CAN COMMISSION BACK.

WE HAVE TO STEP BACK, I THINK.

AND WE'LL JUST USE ONE CERTIFICATE FOR THE PHOTO.

OH, THIS IS GONNA GET IN THE WAY, I THINK.

WE'RE GONNA TAKE SEVERAL PHOTOS.

WE'LL TAKE SEVERAL.

WE'LL START WITH THIS CAMERA.

1, 2, 1, 2, 3.

OKAY, I'LL TAKE SEVERAL.

1, 2, 3.

ONE, TWO, THREE.

THIS PHONE, THIS PHONE.

AND I KNOW EVERYONE PROMISED LAST COMMENT WHETHER WE PROMISED WE WILL FORWARD THAT PHOTO.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS.

WHAT'S THAT? IT JUST OCCURRED TO ME, WHAT MONTH IS IT GONNA BE NEXT? IT WENT TO, I THINK LAST YEAR WAS JULY, AND THEN IT WENT TO, I HOPE WE NEED IN AUGUST, IF IT HIT AUGUST AND NOW IT'S BACK TO MAY.

I'LL TELL YOU THE THANK YOU.

SO IT'S ALWAYS CHEAP.

THANK.

ALL RIGHT EVERYONE, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

UM, AND YOU KNOW, NOWADAYS, IF IT'S NOT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, RIGHT, IT DIDN'T OCCUR.

SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE PROMOTE THE GOOD WORK OF THIS COMMISSION.

UH, BUT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UH, WE DO HAVE TO MOVE TO, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT IN RESPONSE TO THE PRESENTATION IN THE EVENT THAT ANYONE WANTS TO, UH, SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE PRESENTATION.

SO, MADAM CLERK, IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEM NUMBER THREE IN PERSON, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM AT THIS TIME.

AND IF THERE'S ANY IN THE ZOOM, USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE.

NOW WE HAVE ONE IN PERSON AND NONE IN THE ZOOM.

YOUR TIME STARTS NOW.

UH, ONCE AGAIN, UH, THANK YOU BILL SIVE.

UM, THIS WAS ACTUALLY A VERY GREAT EVENING AND I THINK OUR, HOPEFULLY WE CAN RAISE AWARENESS OF TONIGHT WITH THE REST OF THE CITY.

UM, LOTS OF GREAT PRESENTERS, A LOT OF GREAT INFORMATION.

I'M GONNA KIND OF SNAG ERIC HERE AND DO KIND OF COLLABORATION.

I WAS JUST MENTIONING TO HIM SOMETHING THAT I DID LAST YEAR FOR OLDER ADULTS DURING THE HOLIDAYS, VIRTUAL QUEER STORY HOUR, UH, TO HELP REDUCE SOCIAL ISOLATION AND LONELINESS.

BUT I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST COMMISSION MEETINGS I HAVE EVER ATTENDED.

I'VE BEEN ATTENDING THESE FOR A WHILE.

I MISSED THE INTIMACY OVER AT, YOU KNOW, UH, A OC SEVEN .

UH, THERE'S, THERE'S SPACE UP THERE AT THE PARK.

UM, BUT THANK YOU FOR THIS EVENING.

UM, THIS WAS REALLY GREAT.

AGAIN, OUTSTANDING INFORMATION FROM EVERYBODY.

UH, GIVE YOURSELVES A HAND.

THE QUERIES MEETING THAT I'VE EVER CHAIRED.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

AND I'M PERSONALLY PROUD OF, OF, OF CHAIRING

[01:50:01]

SO TAKE CARE OF IT OUT.

SO CLEARING IT UP HERE.

UM, ALL RIGHT, SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE OVER TO, UH, COMMISSIONER'S COMMENTS.

UM, AND WE'LL DO THIS BY HAND.

UH, COMMISSIONER FLORES, MIKE, PLEASE.

SORRY, I'M FILLED WITH APPRECIATION AND GRATITUDE FOR TODAY.

THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND.

I LEARNED SO MUCH.

THANK YOU FOR BEING OUT THERE PROVIDING EDUCATION AND OUTREACH TO OUR COMMUNITY AND ALL THE EFFORTS THAT GO ALONG WITH THAT.

I KNOW IT'S A BIG JOB.

UM, THANK YOU FOR CREATING MOST, THANKFUL FOR YOU CREATING SACRED AND SAFE SPACES FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

AND REGARDING THE LIBRARY, I'M A BIG FAN.

I HAVE BEEN PRESENT FOR ALL THE CULTURAL BOOKS THAT YOU HAVE, THE CULTURAL CELEBRATIONS.

AND I'M MOST THANKFUL FOR YOU PROVIDING BAND BOOKS MOST, WHICH MOST ARE QUEER BOOKS.

KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK, EVERYBODY.

YOU'RE VERY SPECIAL IN OUR COMMUNITY AND I'M SO GLAD WE HAD THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PARTNER WITH YOU.

COMMISSIONER FLORES, OTHER COMMISSIONERS.

FEEL FREE TO QUEUE UP OR I CAN JUST SEE, UH, COMMISSIONER GILLETTE, THIS HAS BEEN SUCH A BEAUTIFUL EVENING.

UH, SO MANY GREAT PRESENTATIONS.

THAT REMINDS ME AGAIN, WHY I LOVE LIVING HERE IN LONG BEACH.

SO, UM, THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL EVENING FOR ME.

UM, I KNOW THAT WE HAD SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS, UM, UH, THE LONG BEACH CENTER AND BNS STAR.

UH, I HEARD FROM YOUR PRESENTATIONS THAT YOU DO NAME AND GENDER, UM, CHANGE CLINICS.

AND AS AN ATTORNEY WHO CHAIRS THE PRO BONO COMMITTEE OF IN-HOUSE ATTORNEYS THROUGHOUT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WHERE WE DO COMMUNITY SERVICE AND CLINICS, UH, INCLUDING NAME AND GENDER CHANGE.

I'M REALLY HAPPY TO KNOW THAT IT'S RIGHT HERE IN MY OWN CITY WHERE WE HAVE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE, BECAUSE OFTENTIMES WE DO IT IN LA OR ORANGE COUNTY.

ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS? COMMISSIONER BUTLER.

COMMISSIONER GILETTE.

THANK YOU COMMISSIONER BUTLER.

UM, FIRST, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE PRESENTERS.

I THINK TONIGHT WAS VERY EDUCATIONAL, SO THANK YOU FOR SHARING INSIGHT FROM YOUR INDIVIDUAL PERSPECTIVES.

UM, I'M GONNA KEEP IT SHORT AND SWEET.

THAT'S BASICALLY IT.

JUST THANK YOU FOR SHOWING UP, SPEAKING UP AND SPEAKING OUT.

COMMISSIONER DR.

BATS.

I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU.

AND FOR THOSE WHO PRESENTED FOR THE FIRST TIME, YOU DID AN AWESOME JOB, , I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UM, BECAUSE IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO SPEAK IN PUBLIC AND IT CAN BE VERY, UM, FRIGHTENING FOR YOUR FIRST TIME.

SO I JUST WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT YOU DID A VERY WONDERFUL JOB AND I LEARNED SO MUCH AND TOOK LOTS OF NOTES ABOUT EVERY SINGLE GROUP HERE.

UM, BECAUSE AS I MENTIONED, WE DO SIT ON SOME AD HOCS AND I'M SITTING HERE SAYING, WHY DIDN'T WE SEE THEM BEFORE ? WE NEED THIS INFORMATION.

SO, UM, IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD FROM US, JUST KNOW THAT, UH, THERE MAY BE A TIME WHERE ONE OF US WILL BE REACHING OUT JUST FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, UM, ON HOW WE CAN BETTER PARTNER WITH YOUR DIFFERENT GROUPS.

YOUTH REALLY GRAVITATE TOWARDS,

YEAH, AND I CONTINUE JUST TO ECHO ALL OF THE GRATITUDE, BUT, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS COME WITH, WITH QUESTIONS AND WANTING TO LEARN MORE.

AND, UM, AND, AND THERE DOESN'T NEED TO BE A RESPONSE, BUT I WILL OFFER THE QUESTION IN AN EVENT THERE IS A RESPONSE.

BUT IN GENERAL, UH, AND JUST FOR CONTEXT PURPOSES, FOR FOLKS THAT ARE NEW TO THIS PARTICULAR SPACE, WE AS A RECOMMENDING BODY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AND PRIVILEGE REALLY TO WORK TOGETHER TO OFFER RECOMMENDATIONS TO OUR CITY COUNCIL.

SO, UH, ALL OF YOU PROVIDE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK AND SERVICES TO THE LGBT COMMUNITY IN THE LONG, IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AND BEYOND.

UH, WHAT, UH, WHAT, UH, WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO RIGHT AS, AS A CITY TO HELP FURTHER YOUR PARTICULAR PROGRAMMING SERVICES, IF, IF, IF YOU HAVE A RESPONSE FOR THAT.

AND SECONDLY, WITH REGARDS TO THE LIBRARY, UH, PRESENTATION, WHAT WAS VERY HELPFUL FOR ME GROWING UP, UM, IS THE COMIC BOOK SERIES X-MEN, WHICH REALLY SERVED AS A, AS A, AS A METAPHOR FOR EITHER PEOPLE OF COLOR, THE LGBT COMMUNITY, OR BOTH, OR OTHER DISENFRANCHISED COMMUNITIES.

AND SO IN YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU GET DATA FOR ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT GENRES OF BOOK.

CURIOUS TO KNOW, GRAPHIC NOVELS OR COMIC BOOKS HAVE A LOT OF L-L-G-B-T-Q CONTENT AND MORE CURIOUS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT, UM, UM, UM, THAT PARTICULAR AREA, ESPECIALLY FOR YOUTH.

[01:55:01]

UH, UH, GRAPHIC NOVELS OR COMIC BOOKS, RIGHT? YEAH, YEAH.

IT'S DEFINITELY, UM, GROWING AND UM, AND WE DO HAVE LIKE, THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, CHARACTERS LIKE I BELIEVE IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE GREEN, IS IT THE GREEN GOBLIN WHO ALSO LIKE, CAME OUT AS, OR NOT GREEN GOBLIN, IS IT, WHAT, WHAT AM I THINKING OF? WHO ALSO CAME OUT AS GAY? OR, YOU KNOW, THERE THERE'S MORE REPRESENTATION IN THESE STORIES TO PROVIDE A SPACE FOR OUR COMMUNITY NOW.

AND SEEING THAT VISIBILITY AND IT IS GROWING.

AND IN OUR TEEN GRAPHIC NOVELS, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF WONDERFUL, LIKE HEART STOPPERS FOR EXAMPLE, IS A WONDERFUL GRAPHIC NOVEL WHICH FOCUSES ON, YOU KNOW, AN L-G-B-T-Q COUPLE.

AND UM, AND THERE'S A LOT OF COUPLES WITHIN THE STORY TOO.

UM, AND FOLKS OF DIFFERENT, LIKE GENDER AFFIRMING, UM, IDENTIFICATIONS.

AND SO IT'S NICE, IT, AGAIN, THAT VISIBILITY IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT AND IT IS GROWING AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR.

AND WHEN WE'RE ORDERING BOOKS, YOU KNOW, WE USE DIFFERENT SYSTEMS. FOR EXAMPLE, COLLECTION HQ, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, OUR BAKER AND TAYLOR, IT ACTUALLY ALLOWS OUR, HAS A LITTLE, UM, GENRE IDENTIFICATION WITHIN IT SO THAT WAY WE CAN KIND OF SEE AND IDENTIFY THOSE BOOKS.

IT HELPS US IDENTIFY THOSE BOOKS 'CAUSE THERE'S SO MANY BOOKS OUT THERE.

SO, AND UH, AS MUCH AS I LOVE TO READ, THERE'S JUST A LOT OF BOOKS OUT THERE AND THAT'S WHY WE LOVE TO HEAR FROM FOLKS FROM THE COMMUNITY, UM, TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE, UM, SUGGESTIONS, SUPPORT, WE'RE ALWAYS OPEN.

UM, AND YES, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO GRAPHIC NOVELS, THAT IS A, A GROWING COLLECTION IN THE L-G-B-T-Q GENRE.

UM, AND YEAH, THANK YOU.

AND IN THE EVENT, THERE ARE OTHER, UH, PRESENTERS THAT MIGHT WANNA CHIME IN WITH ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE CAN DO AS A COMMISSIONER.

'CAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS WORK WE CAN DO TO RECOMMEND, UH, UM, UH, SUPPORT IN, IN YOUR PARTICULAR AREAS WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US DOWN THE LINE TO, TO THINK ABOUT, UH, SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS.

HI, HOW ARE YOU? THANK YOU, BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE FOR THIS TIME.

THANK YOU TONY FOR ENVIRONMENT AND MY COWORKERS.

BASICALLY, I'M VERY HAPPY AND CONTINUE TO STAND REPRESENTING FOR THE TRANSGENDER LATINA.

MY CONCERN IS WHAT'S GOING ON LONG BEACH PROVIDE AND, AND YOURS AND EVERYBODY TO CONTINUE TO WORKING IN THE BIG BRIDGE AND RELATIONSHIP AND LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORTING TO ME AND MY COMMUNITY FOR HOUSING AND EDUCATION BECAUSE IT'S, UM, THIS IS CONSTRICTION CONSTRUCTION, THIS, UH, MORE OPTION FOR TRANSGENDER LATIN AFRICAN AMERICAN OR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN HIV AND SPECIFIC FOR IMMIGRANTS PEOPLE, NOT ONLY FOR LATINAS, YOU KNOW, FOR THE OTHER, OTHER COUNTRIES BECAUSE IT'S NECESSARY TO CONSTITUTIONAL MORE RELATIONSHIP AND THE OTHER POSITIVE OPTION FOR HOUSING AND EDUCATION AND JOBS AND SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS MY QUESTION.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS TIME.

I JUST WANNA ADD SOMETHING.

SORRY.

IT'S THE GREEN LANTERN ALAN SCOTT FROM THE GREEN LANTERN.

MM-HMM .

THAT'S WHAT IT WAS.

I HAD TO DOUBLE CHECK.

SEE THERE'S SO MANY BOOKS.

I'M LIKE, I'M GETTING THE MIXED UP.

I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU.

IT WAS LIKE THE GR THE GREEN GRINS GAY.

OH MY GOD, I HAVE TO READ THAT ONE.

BUT YEAH, GREEN LANTER, I HAD TO CORRECT MYSELF FOR THE RECORD.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS? UH, I THINK VICE CHAIR COVINGTON.

UH, SO I HAVE A COMMENT AND I APPRECIATE EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT AND, UM, SHARED AND, UH, FOR THE CENTER OF LONG BEACH AND BNA STAR AS A YOUNG PERSON, UH, GROWING UP HERE IN LONG BEACH, I ACTUALLY UTILIZED YOUR, BOTH YOUR SERVICES, UH, AND ALSO AS SOMEONE WHO WAS KICKED OUT OF THE HOME, UH, BECAUSE OF MY IDENTITY, BUT THEN WAS ACCEPTED LATER ON DURING THAT TIME.

IT WAS ROUGH.

UH, AND SO I DEFINITELY LEANED ON THE CENTER OF LONG BEACH AND MY FRIENDS WORKED IN VIENNA STAR AT THE TIME AS A, UH, PEER NAVIGATOR AND LIKE HOOKED ME UP WITH SERVICES.

AND SO, UH, I'M A PRODUCT OF YOUR SERVICES AND, UH, ANYONE WATCHING IT, I GUESS I CAN SHARE.

LIKE, I HOPE, UH, IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING, THESE SERVICES EXIST.

UH, THE DOORS ARE OPEN, UH, SEEK OUT COMMUNITIES SO THAT, UM, YOU CAN GET A, UH, A HELPING HAND, UH, THROUGH YOUR PROCESS.

SO I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.

I'M GLAD THAT YOU, YOUR SERVICES STILL EXIST TODAY.

UH, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO ALL THE IMPACTS THAT, AND THE RIPPLE EFFECTS THAT YOUR, YOUR IMPACTS WILL HAVE.

UH, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO.

I GOTTA DO A VERBAL MINES.

I THINK WE, UH, UNLESS ANYONE ELSE QUEUES UP, I THINK WE'VE, UH, HAVE ALL COMMENTS, UH, DELIVERED OR QUESTIONS.

SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE OVER TO THE, UM, VOTE TO RECEIVE AND FILE THESE INCREDIBLE, BEAUTIFUL QUEER PRESENTATIONS.

UM, SO MADAM CLERK,

[02:00:14]

ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A REPORT FROM CURRENT AD HOC COMMITTEES.

SO, COMMISSIONER BATS? YES.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, MADAM CLERK.

UM, CAN YOU READ US THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM, PLEASE?

[4. 24-53177 Recommendation to receive and file a report from current Ad Hoc Committees; discuss anticipated Ad Hoc Committees for upcoming projects; and, if appropriate, take action to dissolve or create Ad Hoc Committees. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]

DISCUSS ANTICIPATED AD HOC COMMITTEES FOR UPCOMING PROJECTS, AND IF APPROPRIATE, TAKE ACTION TO DISSOLVE OR CREATE AD HOC COMMITTEES.

CAN I HAVE A MOTION HERE? UH, VICE CHAIR CUMMINGTON, UH, RECOMMENDS THE MOTION FLOOR SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER COLE.

UM, SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE OVER NOW TO PUBLIC COMMENT.

IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM IF IN PERSON, AND IF THERE'S ANY IN THE ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE.

NOW, IS THERE ANY REPORTS BEFORE THE PUBLIC COMMENT? I'M SORRY.

UH, THERE IS.

UM, MAYBE WE CAN SAY THE REPORT AND THEN WE CAN CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE DISCUSSION.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.

SO I'M GOING TO ASK THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON BIPOC AND L-G-B-T-Q, UH, ISSUES TO GO FIRST.

SO I, I SEE VICE CHAIR COMING TO NODDING, SO I'M ASSUMING YOU'LL DELIVER THAT.

MM-HMM.

, UH, THANK YOU CHAIR.

UM, SO THE AD HOC FOR L-G-B-T-Q AND BIPOC, UM, PRESERVATION HAS BEEN BUSY.

UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE LONG BEACH HISTORICAL SOCIETY IN IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE CAN OFFER TO CITY COUNCIL.

UM, SOME OF THE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS WE'RE, UM, CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF EXPLORING IN THE FUTURE IS WAYS THAT WE CAN HAVE PERMANENT OR MORE VISIBLE, UM, EXHIBITS AND PRESENTATIONS OF L-G-B-T-Q HISTORY.

UH, THIS, THIS CURRENT CYCLE OF OUR WORK IS FOCUSED ON THE L-G-B-T-Q WORK.

UM, AND SO, UH, AT THIS TIME WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MEET WITH THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, UM, WHICH THEY HAVE SOME REALLY GREAT, UH, DEVELOPMENTS.

UH, A LOT OF THEIR ARCHIVES, UH, THEY JUST ADDED IT TO THE WEBSITE, UM, OF THE ONE ARCHIVES IN OUT OF USC, AND THEY'VE ALSO ADDED IT TO THEIR OWN WEBSITE.

SO A LOT OF OUR UNTOLD STORIES ARE NOW ACCESSIBLE, UH, TO ANYBODY INTERESTED IN LOOKING FOR THAT ONLINE.

UM, AND, UH, WHEN LIBRARY SERVICES SAID THAT ALL OF YOUR BOOKS, UH, AND ARTICLES THAT FOLKS CAN READ ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE, I WAS LIKE, YEAH, WE'RE LIVING IN THE FUTURE NOW.

PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY LEARN ABOUT THEIR HISTORIES AND LEARN ABOUT THE FOLKS IN THE 1920S, UH, WHO WERE LIVING OUT IN PROUD, UH, JUST LIKE WE ARE TODAY.

SO, UM, WE ARE CURRENTLY WAITING ON A COUPLE OF, OF INFORMATION SO THAT WE CAN COME BACK, UH, AT OUR NEXT MEETING WITH A LETTER THAT WE CAN SUBMIT TO CITY COUNCIL.

AND AT THAT POINT WE WILL, UH, DISBAND, UH, THE CURRENT FOCUS OF THE AD HOC AND WE WILL, UM, BE POTENTIALLY MOVING TOWARDS CONCERNS OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.

SO THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT.

THANK YOU, VICE CHAIR COVINGTON.

UM, I ALSO WANT TO TOUCH BASE IN THE EVENT THERE IS INTEREST, BUT FIRST LET ME ASK THE QUESTION REGARDING THE, UH, UM, I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER THE FORMAL NAME OF IT, THE EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT, UH, AD HOC TO SEE IF THERE'S A REPORT.

I KNOW I'M TECHNICALLY PART OF THE COMMITTEE, BUT DUE TO CAPACITY, IT'S BEEN, UH, A CHALLENGE.

BUT I DO KNOW THAT I HAVE MY FELLOW MEMBER, COMMISSIONER COLE HERE TO SEE IF THERE'S AN UPDATE, BUT I EVENTUALLY WANNA SEGUE TO SEE IF THERE'S INTEREST OF OTHER FOLKS.

'CAUSE AS MUCH AS THIS MIGHTY COMMITTEE IS OF TWO, WE COULD DEFINITELY USE SUPPORT.

WE'RE USING THESE TERMS INTERCHANGEABLY.

SO THAT'S MY PRIMARY GOAL, IS TO REQUEST SUPPORT FROM MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS.

AND JUST TO REMIND YOU, WHAT THIS AD HOC COMMITTEE IS DOING IS WE ARE CREATING, UH, THE CITY'S EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT, UH, OR ASSESSMENT.

AND THIS IS THE TOOL THAT CITIES USE TO, UM, HELP LEADERSHIP UNDERSTAND HOW DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES MAY BE IMPACTED BY DECISIONS THEY'RE MAKING INVESTMENTS IN, UH, WHETHER IT'S POLICY OR OTHER TYPES OF INVESTMENTS.

AND AT THIS POINT, UM, THE OFFICE OF EQUITY DID THIS FABULOUS JOB OF PUTTING TOGETHER, UM, JUST A LANDSCAPE DOCUMENT, WHICH SUMMARIZES HOW FAR THE CITY HAS COME AND THE DIFFERENT TOOLS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED SO FAR.

[02:05:01]

UM, AND THEY HAVE PULLED TOGETHER SOME CASE STUDIES.

AT THIS POINT, WE'RE GONNA RE-REVIEW THE CASE STUDIES.

'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF DETAIL IN THERE.

I HAVE ADDITIONAL RESEARCH TO ADD, BUT WE'RE AT, WE HAVE, UM, HAVE OUR ARMS AROUND THE SUBJECT, IF YOU WILL, AND THE PROJECT.

AND WE'RE AT THE POINT WHERE WE'RE GONNA JUST START PUTTING TOGETHER AN OUTLINE OF WHAT, WHO, WHEN, WHAT ARE THE GOALS, WHAT ARE THE ACCOUNT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE ACCOUNTABILITY AND FLUSHING OUT, UM, WHAT WE WOULD WANNA INCLUDE IN OUR RECOMMENDATION TO THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL.

AND AS THE CHAIR SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT BECAU DUE TO CAPACITY, IT'S KIND OF BEEN ME AND THE EQUITY OFFICE.

AND IT'S, UH, WE'VE COME SO FAR, SO IT WON'T BE ONEROUS, BUT IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO STEP UP, I COULD BRING YOU UP TO SPEED.

AND I HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION SUMMARIZED THAT I COULD SHARE WITH YOU TO KEEP THE BALL ROLLING.

SO, UH, SEGUEING THAT QUESTION, I'LL ALSO ELEVATE IT TO SEE, NOT TO PUT ANYONE'S SPOT, BUT IF THERE'S INTEREST, WE WELCOME MORE MEMBERS TO THAT COMMITTEE.

UH, 'CAUSE IT'LL ALLOW US TO ACCELERATE THAT WORK.

UH, AND I WANNA GIVE, UM, SHOUT OUT, CONTINUE TO SHOUT OUT COMMISSIONER, UH, COLE, UM, IN THE OFFICE OF EQUITY STAFF, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT REALLY ASSISTS TREMENDOUSLY WITH THAT PARTICULAR WORK.

UH, BUT WE DEFINITELY USE, UM, ANOTHER COMMISSIONER OR TWO, MAYBE THREE.

RIGHT? ANYONE? OKAY.

I'LL KEEP ASKING.

I KNOW, I THINK MY LA MY NEXT MEETING I'LL PROBABLY ASK AGAIN, UH, BUT I'LL COME BACK TO THAT.

UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER, UM, GUTIERREZ IS IN HERE, HERE TODAY, BUT I THINK COMMISSIONER, THERE'S OTHER COMMISSIONERS ON THE COMMISSIONER, SO I JUST WANNA TOUCH BASE TO SEE IF THERE IS A REPORT, UH, BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANNA IGNORE IT, UH, JUST BECAUSE THE, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER GUTIERREZ IS NOT HERE TODAY.

JUST CHECKING IN.

WE, WE DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO MEET AND WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO REPORT.

UM, ALL RIGHT, SO NOW WE CAN DO, UH, OH, VICE CHAIR COVINGTON.

UM, WE HAVE TWO MORE REPORTS TO SHARE.

WE HAVE THE HOMELESSNESS, UM, AD HOC AS WELL AS THE BUDGET, UH, THE COMMISSION'S BUDGET AD HOC AS WELL.

UM, SO COMMISSIONER SCHULTZ COULD PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE HOMELESSNESS AD HOC.

UM, I'D JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT, I'M, I'M, I'M EXCITED TO SEE, UH, UH, SO MANY OF THESE PROJECTS, UH, COMING UP IN THE FIFTH DISTRICT AND EAST LONG BEACH.

HI EVERYBODY.

UH, UH, JUST BRIEFLY, I'VE REALLY ENJOYED EVERYBODY WHO COME UP AND SPOKE.

I, UH, UH, I TOTALLY IDENTIFY WITH BEING NERVOUS COMING UP TO SPEAK, UH, AND FIRST TIMES, UH, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME, UH, LEADING OR, OR BEING A PART OF AN AD HOC, UM, YOU DID MUCH BETTER THAN I'M ABOUT TO DO , UH, I'M SURE , UM, IN AN AD HOC.

YOU'RE, UH, I LEARNED AT OUR FIRST AD HOC MEETING WITH TONY AND, AND COMMISSIONER DR.

BATS, UH, THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO, UH, HAVE, UH, COME UP WITH A PROBLEM STATEMENT.

AND WE DID NOT COME UP WITH A PROBLEM STATEMENT , SO FAILURE NUMBER ONE.

UH, BUT, UM, UH, WE, WE DO THIS.

I, I'M EXCITED TO, TO HAVE HOMELESSNESS, UH, IN THAT ISSUE, BROUGHT TO, UH, THIS COMMISSION.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE WANTED TO DO FOR A WHILE.

IT'S, UH, I'VE ATTENDED MEETINGS OUTSIDE OF THE COMMISSION.

I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE HERE AND THAT WE CAN INVESTIGATE IT AND COME UP WITH THINGS UNDER OUR, UH, UM, ROADMAP, UH, AS IT RELATES TO OUR ROADMAP AND OUR EQUITABLE LENS.

UM, WE DON'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM STATEMENT YET, UH, BUT, UH, WE'RE PLANNING ON GETTING MORE INFORMATION FROM THE CITY'S, UH, HOMELESS TASK FORCE.

UH, THERE'S A HOMELESS SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE OUT THERE.

WE HAVEN'T TOUCHED BASE WITH THEM YET, BUT, UH, UH, EXCITED TO HEAR FROM THEM.

AND, UH, OBJECTIVELY, UH, WHAT REALLY GOT MY INTEREST WAS WATCHING, UM, UH, MS. CHANDLER AND, UH, ALANA AT, UH, A TEENY HOLMES PRESENTATION AT CALIFORNIA AND SPRING STREET IN JUST THIS UNREMARKABLE, UM, BROKEN PAVEMENT PARKING LOT, UH, NEXT TO A PARK, UH, THAT COULD REALLY BECOME SOMETHING, UH, AMAZING.

UH, AND I HOPE TO LEARN MORE, UH, FROM THE TASK FORCE.

MM-HMM.

AND, UH, UH, OTHER ADVISORY COMMISSIONS ABOUT HOW WE CAN SUPPORT, UM, THE EFFORTS AND, UH, UH, AND HAVE OBJECTIONABLE, UH, UH, UH, OBJECTIVE, UM, RESULTS IN BOTH THE TEENY HOUSE PROJECT AND OTHER, UM, LOW END, UH, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, PROJECTS IN THE CITY.

[02:10:01]

AND, AND THAT IT, THAT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S BEING SPREAD OUT.

I, UM, I KNOW SOME OF MY NEIGHBORS AREN'T HAPPY ABOUT THAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, WE ALL HAVE TO DO OUR PART.

AND, UH, UH, I'M EXCITED, UH, ABOUT MEETING THESE PEOPLE, UH, WORKING WITH DR.

BATZ AND TONY AND BRINGING YOU A, A MORE, UM, UH, PRESENTABLE PRESENTATION, UH, IN THE FUTURE.

SO THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME UPDATE YOU.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SCHULTZ.

UH, EARLIER IN THE AGENDA, YOU HEARD FROM OUR PRESENTERS FROM UNIDOS, AND IT STRIKES ME THAT THIS COULD BE A GOOD, UH, PART OF THE PUZZLE IS, IS, IS CONTINUING THAT CONVERSATIONS WITH NOT ONLY, UH, EZ BUT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WITH AN L-G-B-T-Q FOCUS, BECAUSE QUEER YOUTH IN PARTICULAR, AND QUEER ELDERS, RIGHT? AS WE HEARD FROM, UH, FROM, FROM BILLIE'S PRESENTATION, AND I WAS LISTENING, THEY WERE, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT, YEAH, FOR SURE.

SO, THANK YOU.

UM, THANK YOU.

UM, SO WE'RE GONNA, UM, UH, THE NEXT AD HOC WAS THE BUDGET, UM, AD HOC.

SO IF WE CAN HAVE THE POINT PERSON, I BELIEVE THAT'S VICE CHAIR COVINGTON, CORRECT? YES.

SO I WILL BE SPEAKING ON THE BEHALF OF OUR AD HOC.

UH, THE AD HOC IS COMPRISED OF MYSELF AND COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY, UH, ALSO WORKING WITH TONY.

UH, SO, UH, WE REVISITED, UH, THE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS THAT, UH, EVERYONE PROVIDED TO US, I THINK TWO COMMISSION MEETINGS AGO WHEN WE'RE IN THAT COMMUNITY MEETING BACK THERE, OR THE COMMUNITY SPACE BACK THERE.

AND SO, UM, WE'VE IDENTIFIED SPECIFIC ELEMENTS THAT WE WANT TO, UH, INVEST IN.

UH, AS A REMINDER, OUR BUCKETS ARE BROKEN DOWN INTO BRANDING, UH, WHICH INCLUDE LIKE BUSINESS CARDS, BANNERS, UM, UH, JACKETS, UH, MUCH LIKE, UM, OUR, UM, LIKE POLOS, UH, THERESA THERESA, YOU HAVE A JACKET ON, SO SOMETHING LIKE THAT WITH YOUR LOGO ON IT.

UM, SO WE'RE GOING TO BE INVESTING IN THAT AREA.

WE'RE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT QUOTES, UM, FOR THOSE TO BRING BACK TO THE COMMISSION.

UH, THE SECOND BUCKET OF AREA IS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

AND THE SPECIFIC, UH, OBJECTIVE AROUND THAT IS FOSTERING COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND HAVING DIALOGUES AND CENTERING, UH, THE MOST IMPACTED VOICES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES.

UM, AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE TABLING OPPORTUNITIES, UH, PARADE ENTRIES, UH, SPONSORSHIPS, IF THAT'S EVEN DOABLE.

UH, COMMUNITY FAIRS AND EVENTS THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY HOLD, UM, SO THAT WE CAN HA IN INCREASE, UH, THE VISIBILITY OF THOSE VOICES.

UH, AND THEN THE LAST AREA IN, UH, ALSO IN THAT AREA IS LISTENING SESSIONS AND FIELD TRIPS.

AND THEN THE LAST AREA IS CAPACITY BUILDING AND TRAINING, UH, BOTH NOT ONLY FOR US AS A COMMISSION, BUT ALSO FOR THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.

SO, HOLDING, UH, TRAINEES IN THIS SPACE.

AND I BELIEVE, UH, NEXT MONTH, UH, WE'RE GOING TO BE PILOTING THAT OUT.

UH, SO IF THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO JOIN US HERE AT OUR COMMISSION MEETING, UH, WE'RE GOING TO BE ANNOUNCING WHAT THAT TRAINING WILL BE, UH, WHEN THE AGENDA COMES OUT.

UM, SO THAT IS MY CURRENT, THAT'S OUR CURRENT REPORT.

UH, WE ARE, WE HAVE SOME SPECIFIC AREAS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO INVEST IN, BUT FIRST WE WANNA DO COST ANALYSIS ON EACH OF THE AREAS AND THEN BRING THAT BACK, UH, FOR THE COMMISSION TO DECIDE.

UH, THANK YOU, VICE CHAIR COVINGTON.

AND NOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE OVER TO PUBLIC COMMENT.

IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN PERSON THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM AT THIS TIME.

AND IF THERE ARE ANY IN THE ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE.

NOW.

SEEING NONE, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER FOUR.

ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.

UH, THIS ITEM WAS MOVED BY, UH, VICE CHAIR CUMMINGTON, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER COLE.

WE'RE GONNA MOVE OVER TO THE VOTE.

UH, MADAM CLERK COMMISSIONER BATS? YES.

AND COMMISSIONER FLORES.

FIVE? OUR LAST, UH, ITEM, ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A MONTHLY UPDATE FROM THE OFFICE OF EQUITY I ALL COMMISSIONER SLO AND GOODNIGHT.

MOTION CARRIES.

THANK YOU, MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU MOVE US ALONG TO, UH, ITEM

[5. 24-53178 Recommendation to receive and file a monthly update from the Office of Equity. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]

UM, I HAVE SOME VERY BRIEF UPDATES.

JUST WANNA REMIND YOU ALL THAT.

UM, SOME OF YOU STILL NEED TO COMPLETE THE, UH, THE ANNUAL CODE,

[02:15:01]

UM, OF CONDUCT AND ETHICS TRAINING.

SO PLEASE LOG ON, LEARN, UH, COMPLETE THAT TRAINING.

IF THERE'S ANY ISSUES WITH LOGGING ONTO LEARN, REACH OUT TO ME.

I'M HAPPY TO HELP YOU RESOLVE THOSE ISSUES.

UM, JUST ANOTHER REMINDER THAT THE CITY'S ETHICS COMMISSION IS WORKING ON A FIVE YEAR, UH, FIVE YEAR, UM, ROADMAP AND WANTS TO, AND WANTS INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY.

SO TOMORROW IS THE LAST, UH, MEETING.

I SENT YOU ALL AN EMAIL WITH INFORMATION AND DETAILS ABOUT THAT ZOOM MEETING AT FIVE O'CLOCK TOMORROW.

AND THEN, UM, LASTLY, JUST TO SUPPORT THE AD HOCS AND YOUR PROCESS OF DRAFTING PROBLEM STATEMENTS, UM, THE OFFICE OF EQUITY WILL BE SHARING SOME TOOLS AND RESOURCES THAT WE USE INTERNALLY WHEN WE CREATE OURS WITHIN OUR WORK.

THANK YOU, TONY.

UH, PUBLIC COMMENT, IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON ITEM FIVE IN PERSON, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM AT THIS TIME.

AND IF THERE ARE ANY IN THE ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE.

NOW.

SEEING NONE, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER FIVE.

UH, MOVING ON TO COMMISSIONERS.

ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS REGARDING THE, UH, ANNOUNCEMENTS, VICE CHAIR COVINGTON? UH, THE ONE ONE I WILL MAKE IS, UH, IN REGARDS TO THE, UH, ETHICS TRAINING.

UH, IT'S TITLED AB 1 2 3 4.

UH, THAT IS A REQUIREMENT FOR US TO COMPLETE.

UH, IF I WANT TO REMIND US AS A COMMISSION, UH, AMONGST ALL THE TRAININGS THAT ARE OFFERED TO US, US, THEY'RE IMPORTANT BECAUSE IF WE DON'T COMPLETE THEM, UH, IT ACTUALLY OPENS UP AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO GET KICKED OFF THE COMMISSION, UM, BECAUSE THERE ARE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS FOR US TO COMPLETE ON THOSE SPECIFIC TRAININGS.

SO, UH, PLEASE DO WORK WITH TONY IF YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES, UH, BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO GET AN EMAIL SAYING, HEY, YOU'RE, YOU'RE OUT OF COMPLIANCE, AND NOW WE HAVE TO HAVE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF CONVERSATION.

UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT REMINDER.

THANK YOU, VICE CHAIR.

UNLESS THERE ARE OTHER COMMENTS, WE CAN, UH, RECEIVE A FILE THIS AGENDA ITEM.

MADAM CLERK.

COMMISSIONER BATS? YES.

MOTION CARRIES.

THANK YOU, MADAM CLERK.

UH, NOW THIS, UH, NOW THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ANY MEMBERS, UM, HERE OR ONLINE TO, UH, SHARE ANYTHING THAT IS NOT ON, ON THE AGENDA.

SO I'M GONNA DEFER TO THE CLERK TO MAKE THIS OFFICIAL, AND THEN WE'LL, WE CAN MOVE ON TO THAT PIECE.

UH, MADAM CLERK.

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE NON-AG AGENDA, PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM.

IF THERE ARE ANY

[PUBLIC COMMENT Opportunity to address the Equity and Human Relations Commission on non-agenda items. Each speaker is limited to three minutes to make their comments unless extended by the Chair.]

IF IN PERSON AND IN THE ZOOM, USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE.

NOW, SEEING NONE IN THE ZOOM, WE'LL START WITH IN PERSON.

YOU'RE FIRST PERSON, YOUR TIME STARTS NOW.

TENSION THAT OTHERWISE WOULDN'T EXIST, AT LEAST NOT PUBLICLY.

THANK YOU EVERYONE.

MY NAME IS SONAI KIN FA SIX DISTRICT RESIDENT.

UM, APPRECIATE YOU HAVING ME.

UH, I WAS HOPING TO USE THIS AS AN VEHICLE TO ADDRESS AN ISSUE, UH, IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.

RIGHT NOW, WE'RE HAVING, UH, A LOT OF, UH, GANG GRAFFITI ATTACKING THE UTILITY BOXES IN THE CENTRAL AREA.

WE HAVE OUR 12 UTILITY BOXES THAT HAVE BEEN ATTACKED, UM, WITH GANG GRAFFITI.

UM, TRIED TO USE THE MORE TRADITIONAL, UM, PATHWAYS TO CLEAR, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC WORKS, GO LONG BEACH, ET CETERA.

UM, BUT IT'S JUST NOT REALLY MAKING A DENT IN, UM, THE AMOUNT.

I MEAN, I, I KNOW PERSONALLY ON THE STREET I LIVE ON BURNETT, UH, WE'VE HAD, UH, ONE OF THE UTILITY BOXES HIT OVER EIGHT TIMES.

AND, UM, UH, JUST TO ELEVATE EVEN MORE, UH, IT'S CAUSING A LOT OF ANIMOSITY WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE, UH, ALMOST ALL OF THE UTILITY BOXES SHARE A COMMON IDENTITY, WHICH IS THE DEPICTION OF AN AFRICAN AMERICAN.

AND SO A LOT OF THE GANG GRAFFITI IS, UM, UM, INFLAMING THE RACIAL, UH, ANIMOSITY, UH, WITHIN THE COMMUNITY BETWEEN AFRICAN AMERICANS AND LATINOS.

AND SO I'M JUST TRYING TO USE THIS BODY AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO HIGHLIGHT AND, UH, POSSIBLY CREATE SOME TYPE OF, UH, RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THIS COMMISSION AND PUBLIC WORKS AND OFFICE OF EQUITY IN ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE.

UM, BECAUSE IT'S VERY UNFORTUNATE.

AND, UH, WITH RESPECT TO THE COMMUNITY THAT I LIVE IN, IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF CHILDREN THAT ARE PASSING THESE CORRIDORS THAT THESE PUBLIC UTILITY BOXES ARE, UH, IN FRONT OF.

AND WHEN YOU SEE THINGS THAT, UH, ARE DENIGRATING YOUR CULTURE OR COMMUNITY, IT, IT STOKES, UH,

[02:20:01]

YOU KNOW, I GREW UP GOING TO BURNETT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND WE USED TO HAVE THESE WOODEN, UH, AFRICAN PAINTINGS, UH, THAT, UH, UM, DR. CAMPBELL, WHO'S A LOCAL ARTIST IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, HE HELPED, UH, THE KIDS IN THE COMMUNITY, BOTH BLACK, LATINO, UH, ASIAN, AND OTHERWISE CREATE.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY'VE BEEN SO TAGGED WITH, YOU KNOW, INWARD K AND CK ALL OVER THEM THAT WE, WE NO LONGER CAN ALLOW THESE EXAMPLES OF PUBLIC ART TO BE DISPLAYED IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND I THINK IT'S A TRAVESTY.

I THINK THAT PUBLIC ART, UH, IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CULTURES TO GAIN A, UH, COLLECTIVE OWNERSHIP OF THE VARIETY OF PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND SO I'M JUST ASKING FOR HELP, UH, WITH RESPECT TO, UH, HIGHLIGHTING THIS ISSUE GOING ON.

YEAH, MINE'S AN UNPAID PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT.

I THINK YOU ALL GOT EMAILS FROM THE ETHICS COMMISSION, SOMETHING CALLED TALK ABOUT ETHICS, AND THEY, THEY'RE WORKING WITH AN ETHICS CENTER AND THEY'RE HAVING AN OPEN MEETING TOMORROW, A ZOOM CALL AT MAY 2ND AT 5:00 PM I WAS ON AN EARLIER ONE, THE EARLIER ONE, AND THERE WERE REPRESENTATIVES FROM DIFFERENT COMMISSIONS.

AND IT REALLY IS REALLY OPEN TIME TO ASK QUESTIONS, TIME TO PUT YOUR INPUT.

YOU'D MENTIONED ABOUT NOT JUST THE LEGAL REQUIREMENT TO TAKE THE COURSE, BUT THE IMPORTANCE OF IT.

SO I WOULD REACH OUT TO ALL OF YOU IF YOU HAVE TIME TOMORROW.

UH, I DON'T, THE INFORMATION, I'M ASSUMING SOMEBODY HERE HAS IT TO SEND IT OUT JUST TO SAY IT'S REALLY WELL DONE AND WELL LED AND OPEN FOR DISCUSSION THAT HOPEFULLY ALL OF YOU, OR AT LEAST SOME OF YOU WILL TAKE PART IN IT TOMORROW.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, MADAM CLERK, YOU MAY HAVE REFERENCES EARLIER, BUT JUST CHECKING IN.

IS ANYONE ONLINE? NO.

THAT CONCLUDES NON AGENDA, PUBLIC COMMENT.

UM, SO I, I WILL, UH, JUST IF THERE ARE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM FELLOW COMMISSIONERS, BUT I, I DO HAVE ONE.

UH, THIS LEADS, UH, US TO ANNOUNCEMENTS.

[ANNOUNCEMENTS]

IT'S MORE OF A REMINDER I HAD MENTIONED, UM, SO IT WASN'T LAST MONTH SINCE I WAS HERE, BUT THE MONTH BEFORE THAT, I'LL BE FINISHING MY FIRST, UH, YEAR AS CHAIR COME JUNE.

AND THEN WE HAVE ELECTIONS FOR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR IN JUNE.

AND, UH, JUST A REMINDER, I SHARED THAT I DUE THE CAPACITY WITH, WITH WORK, UM, UM, I WILL NOT BE SEEKING OUT, UH, ANOTHER TERM.

UH, BUT, UH, SO I AM MAKING ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT THERE'S INTEREST IN SERVING AS CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR AND, AND, AND SOME HAVE ALREADY EXPRESSED, UM, UM, INTEREST.

UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT RULING IN CASE ANYONE ELSE IS INTERESTED.

UH, PLEASE SEEK, UH, EITHER ME OR VICE CHAIR CUMMINGTON OR BOTH SO WE CAN SHARE, YOU KNOW, THE ROLE AND WHAT HAVE YOU KNOW, AND WHAT EVERYTHING THAT IS REQUIRED FOR THIS.

SO YOU HAVE A FULL, UH, HANDLE ON THAT, UH, INCLUDING FOR, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING, UH, FOR FACILITATION'S SAKE.

SO, PLEASE REACH OUT TO US AND I'LL ASK VICE CHAIR COVINGTON, IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDED REMARKS FOR, UH, THIS PARTICULAR ANNOUNCEMENT.

NO, NOT THIS TIME.

UM, , UM, IN REGARDS TO THAT, I MEAN, MAYBE THIS IS INFORMAL, BUT I'M INTERESTED IN THE POSITION OF, OF CHAIR.

UM, BUT I THINK, UH, NO COMMENT AT THIS TIME, RIGHT? I'M NOT TOO SURE WHAT THE FORMALITY IS.

THAT'S THE LONGEST, NO COMMENT.

YEAH, AGAIN, I CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO, UH, 'CAUSE I KNOW IT WILL, HOW IT WAS FOR ME IN, IN GETTING, UM, YOU KNOW, A FULL, UH, IDEA OF THE ROLE.

AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, UM, UM, IN ADVANCE OF, OF JUNE.

AND, UH, I'LL SAVE MORE COMMENTS IN JUNE IN TERMS OF, UH, OF WHAT I'VE LEARNED AT THIS PARTICULAR ROLE.

AND I'M VERY EXCITED TO KINDA SHARE MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE, THE ENTIRE COMMISSION AND, AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.

UM, BUT I'LL ALSO, I'LL PRESERVE THAT FOR JUNE.

ANY OTHER, UH, ANNOUNCEMENTS? UH, COMMISSIONER GILLETTE? YES.

HAPPY ASIAN AMERICAN NATIVE HAWAIIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER MONTH.

I WANT TO INVITE EVERYONE TO THE FIFTH ANNUAL LONG BEACH FILIPINO FESTIVAL THAT'S HAPPENING THIS SATURDAY FROM 11:00 AM TO 7:00 PM AT JACKIE ROBINSON ACADEMY, FREE PARKING AVAILABLE AT THE WILLOW STATION PARKING LOT.

ANYONE ELSE? VICE CHAIR COVINGTON.

[02:25:02]

UM, SO IN THE SPIRIT OF TODAY'S MEETING, UH, AS A INTERSECTIONS OF PRIDE, UH, IN LONG BEACH, UH, IT'S PRIDE MONTH, Y'ALL.

UH, SO PRIDE IS HAPPENING, UH, MAY 17TH, 18TH, AND 19TH.

UH, THE 17TH IS SPECIFICALLY FOR TEENS.

UH, IT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN THE AFTERNOON FROM FOUR TO, I BELIEVE, 8:00 PM UH, ON THE, THE GREEN, THE MARINA GREEN FIELD.

UH, AND THEN FOR ALL OF THE COMMUNITY, UH, WE WILL HAVE, UH, THE FESTIVAL TAKING PLACE ON SATURDAY, UH, MAY 18TH, UH, WHICH IS ITS ORIGINAL DATE.

UH, SO WE ARE STARTING PRIDE FOR THE COUNTRY, Y'ALL.

I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

AND THEN SUNDAY, UH, MORNING, UH, WE HAVE THE PRIDE PARADE IN THE MORNING, UH, THAT WILL BE TAKING PLACE ON OCEAN, UH, THAT WILL LEAD EVERYONE TO THE FESTIVAL.

UH, FOR SUNDAY'S EVENT.

UH, WE HAVE SOME REALLY GREAT, UH, I SAY WE, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN LIKE A, A BIG SUPPORTER OF PRIDE THIS YEAR.

UM, BUT WE HAVE SOME REALLY GREAT PERFORMERS, IVY QUEEN, UH, REGGATON, UH, LARGE ARTIST.

SHE'S PERFORMING ON SUNDAY, UH, FOR HIP HOP.

UH, WE HAVE SAUCY SANTANA, UH, INSTAGRAM, UM, MOGUL, UH, ON SATURDAY.

AND, UH, WE HAVE SOME OTHER GREAT, UM, PERFORMERS, UM, LIKE, UH, I FORGET HER NAME, BUT, UH, ONE OF THE ARTISTS ON BEYONCE'S NEW, UH, COWBOY CARTER ALBUM WILL BE PERFORMING AT THE COUNTRY STAGE, UH, WHICH IS REALLY UNIQUE.

SO, UH, PLEASE COME SUPPORT PRIDE IF YOU HAVEN'T GOT YOUR TICKETS YET.

UH, IF YOU'RE CONNECTED, UH, I KNOW THE CENTER OF LONG BEACH WILL BE, UH, MARCHING IN THE PARADE ON SATURDAY.

SO COME OUT, SHOW YOUR SUPPORT, UH, AND THEN, UM, BE OUT AND PROUD.

SO, YEAH, THANK YOU.

AND CLEARLY, VICE CHAIR COVINGTON HAS ALL THE DETAILS.

I'M HANGING OUT WITH HIM ALL WEEKEND .

UH, BUT YOU REMINDED ME, AND I'VE SAID, SHARED THIS BEFORE, BUT I, I, I THINK I'LL TAKE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO SHARE THAT, UH, THE BLACK AND WHITE BALL, THE ANNUAL CENTER GALA, MAJOR FUNDRAISER IS SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 15TH OF THIS YEAR.

AND IF YOU JUST GO TO CENTER LB.ORG, IT WILL HIGHLIGHT MORE INFORMATION, INCLUDING TICKETS AND, AND OR SPONSORING TABLES OR WHAT HAVE YOU.

SO THE MORE VISIBILITY, THE MORE UH, ATTENDEES, THE MORE FUNDRAISING, THE BETTER IT IS, NOT JUST FOR THE CENTER, BUT THE COMMUNITY THAT THE CENTER SERVES.

ALRIGHT, I BELIEVE I SAW A HAND EARLIER AS I WAS SPEAKING, WAS THAT, UH, JUST CHECKING IN.

SOMEONE ELSE HAVE ANOTHER ANNOUNCEMENT? OKAY.

UH, COMMISSIONER BUTLER.

UM, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT WHO MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW ON, UH, MAY THE 11TH, THE WOMEN'S HEALTH EXPO WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE LONG BEACH CONVENTION CENTER.

IT IS OUR, THE PRESENTING SPONSORS, THE BLACK INFANT HEALTH PROGRAM, UM, THE LONG BEACH CHAPTER, AS WELL AS THE FRESNO CHAPTER.

THE EVENT IS FREE TO ATTEND.

I ENCOURAGE EVERY WOMAN, UH, AS WELL AS EVERY MAN TO GO BY AND CHECK IT OUT.

THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION THERE.

UM, I KNOW THEY GIVE AWAY A LOT OF GREAT PRIZES, BUT MORE THAN THAT, THE WORKSHOPS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, ARE WELL WORTH YOUR TIME.

YOU SIMPLY GO TO KJ H RADIO.COM TO REGISTER AND THEN SHOW UP, AND THEY'LL TAKE IT FROM THERE.

I PLAN TO ATTEND.

I WENT LAST YEAR, UM, AND I THINK THE YEAR BEFORE, AND I THINK IT'S TIME WELL SPENT.

SO IF YOU HAVEN'T REGISTERED, IT'S NOT TOO LATE.

MCBRIDE, UH, HIGH SCHOOL PARKING LOT, WHICH IS NEAR CARSON AND LOST COYOTES, THAT WHOLE MESS OF AN INTERSECTION THERE.

AND TONY HAS AN ANNOUNCEMENT.

TONY, YES.

I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM THAT WE ARE, THE OFFICE OF EQUITY IS PARTICIPATING IN THE PRIDE PARADE.

UM, YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM JENNIFER KUMA, UM, INVITING YOU TO SIGN UP TO PARTICIPATE WITH US AS WELL.

SO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THAT, AND THEN I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH MORE EMAILS.

UH, THANK YOU TONY.

UM, AND COMMISSIONER SCHULTZ? YES.

UM, MCBRIDE, UH, HIGH SCHOOL, UH, THOUGH IT IS ON THE EAST SIDE, IT IS, UM, A HUNDRED PERCENT SCHOOL OF CHOICE WITH KIDS FROM EVERY PART OF, UM, LONG BEACH, GETTING OPPORTUNITIES TO AT THREE PATHWAYS, UH, CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND INVESTIGATION, HEALTH AND MEDICAL AND ENGINEERING.

UM, AND WE PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR OUR SENIORS AND OUR MAIN FUNDRAISER, UH, TO THAT END TAKES PLACE THIS SATURDAY.

UH, MAY THE FOURTH, 'CAUSE EVERYBODY'S EVENT IS ON MAY THE FOURTH.

AND, UH, FROM, UH, THE GOOD TIME TO VIEW OUR CAR SHOW IS FROM ABOUT 10:00 AM TO 2:00 PM UH, AT THE

[02:30:01]

AND THEN, UH, UH, BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M A, I'M A SUCKER FOR PUNISHMENT.

UH, I'M LEADING A, UM, FUNDRAISER THAT NIGHT AT PP FORD, UH, USED TO BE CALLED WORTHINGTON FORD.

AND IT'S A CASINO NIGHT AGAIN FOR, UH, MCBRIDE, UH, CRIMINAL JUSTICE INVESTIGATION, UH, PATHWAY, UH, AS WELL AS NEWCOMB ACADEMY FOUNDATION.

UH, SO IF YOU, UH, ALL LIKE A GOOD CASINO NIGHT, TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE@PLAYLB.COM.

UM, AND IT'S, UH, UH, YOU GET, UH, IT'S ROULETTE AND BLACKJACK, UH, POKER AND, UM, CRAPS, UH, MUSIC, FOOD.

UM, AND IT'S JUST GONNA BE REALLY GREAT TIME AGAIN, YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE@PLAYLB.COM.

THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME.