LOS ANGELES LGBT CENTER 2017 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 EXECUTIVE TEAM LIST Lorri L. Jean CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Darrel Cummings LOS ANGELES LGBT CENTER CHIEF OF STAFF 2017 SENIOR EXECUTIVE TEAM Since 1969 the Los Angeles LGBT Center has cared for, championed and Alan Acosta celebrated LGBT individuals and families in Los Angeles and beyond. Today DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES the Center’s nearly 600 employees provide services for more LGBT people Mike Holtzman than any other organization in the world, offering programs, services and CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER global advocacy that span four broad categories: Health, Social Services Kristin Flickinger and Housing, Culture and Education, Leadership and Advocacy. We are DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS an unstoppable force in the fight against bigotry and the struggle to build Jim Key a better world; a world in which LGBT people can be healthy, equal and CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER complete members of society. Learn more at lalgbtcenter.org. Chris Brown DIRECTOR OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES Bill McDermott MISSION STATEMENT CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Dave Garcia DIRECTOR OF POLICY The Los Angeles LGBT Center is building a world where LGBT people thrive AND COMMUNITY BUILDING as healthy, equal and complete members of society. 2017 BOARD OF DIRECTORS We Value: David J. Bailey BOARD CO-CHAIR RESPECT Marki J. Knox, M.D. We provide a workplace and service environment where individuality is seen BOARD CO-CHAIR as strength and all people are treated with fairness and dignity. Tyler Cassity TREASURER EXCELLENCE Annie Goto We dedicate ourselves to the highest quality in all our programs and SECRETARY services, and seek employees and volunteers who have a passion for Tess Ayers LuAnn Boylan helping others. Tad Brown INCLUSIVENESS Kin Cheng Carolyn A. Dye We believe in the need for different perspectives and commit ourselves to Susan Feniger representation from all members of our diverse community. Dean Hansell Ian Harvie INNOVATION Michael Lombardo We vigorously support pioneering programs and advocacy to meet Merryll McElwain community needs. Carlos Medina Mike Mueller INTEGRITY Brad Ong Loren S. Ostrow We work together to advance the Center’s mission, and we honor and Peter Paige apply these values in what we do and say. Jayzen Patria Frank Pond Eric M. Shore Bruce Vilanch DEAR FRIENDS: Two historic events shaped a memorable year for the Los And that was just the beginning of what became a Angeles LGBT Center in 2017. harrowing year for LGBT people: The first came in January, when Donald Trump was • In March, the President revoked Obama’s executive order inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States. As that offered protections for LGBT employees of federal Inauguration Day neared, we remained hopeful that the contractors. incendiary rhetoric of the campaign would be replaced by • In July, with few details, via a series of tweets, President the more judicious temperament demanded by the duties of Trump announced that he was reinstating the military’s ban the office. on service by transgender people. (The order was signed We harbored these hopes not just for millions of lesbian, in March 2018; at press time implementation and possible gay, bisexual and transgender people, but for all people court challenges are pending.) who seek to live honorably and work hard in a country • In September, the President ordered an end to the where you ought to be judged, to paraphrase Dr. King, Obama-era program known as DACA (Deferred Action only by the content of your character. We hoped that the for Childhood Arrivals) that shields young undocumented new president would join the rapidly increasing majority immigrants from deportation. An estimated 40,000 of those of Americans who believe that LGBT people deserve the who benefit from the program are LGBT. full benefits of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness so boldly promised by our founders in the Declaration of • In October, Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a Dept. Independence. of Justice policy directive, under the guise of protecting religious freedom, that would enable systemic, government- It did not take long, however, to see that our hope was wide discrimination against LGBT people and their families. misplaced. As events played out, the Center’s leaders began to fear not just for the impact the new Administration’s These are just a few of the most egregious examples of policies would have on our community, but also for basic the challenges our community has faced since January. principles of justice, equality and human dignity, principles There are many more: the departments of Justice, Health for which we rely on our leaders to cherish and protect. and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Education and Homeland Security—among others—have Just a month after the inauguration, the new Administration issued new guidelines and policies that seek to limit our rescinded Obama-era protections for transgender students. rights while offering protection to those who seek to Affordable Care Act. By the end of March, nearly 500 discriminate against us. volunteers had participated in phone banks to help save the ACA. That proved so successful, the “Squad” became a Nonetheless, we look to the future with hope and part of the Center’s ongoing efforts to defend against other determination. One might justifiably ask, “How is that federal policy actions that would harm LGBT people. possible”? And this is where the second historic event comes into play. Our path in 2017 goes to the very soul of who we are. We have high ambitions, and we make no apologies. We strive From its earliest days, the Center has risen to challenges to be a model for all those who are committed to a humane no less daunting than those we faced in 2017. How fitting, and generous society. We dare to have the audacity to then, that in March—at the very time the Administration dream big dreams. And we will continue to fight ferociously was generating policies to repress and stigmatize our to protect our community and make this world a better community—we broke ground on the Center’s $130-million place. Anita May Rosenstein Campus. The iconic project will not only serve as the site of the Center’s new headquarters, but Sincerely, more than double the housing for homeless youth and low- income seniors and provide expanded services to our entire community. Some people have asked, “Given all the uncertainty, is this Lorri L. Jean Marki J. Knox, MD David Bailey the best time to start such an immense project?” Our answer CEO Board Co-Chair Board Co-Chair is a resounding ”Yes!” In the face of such discrimination, we believe the new campus will serve as a beacon to those who need courage and hope in these disquieting times and a rejoinder to those who would seek to reverse our historic progress. Having said that, a new campus—even a spectacular one— is not enough to sustain a community in times of crisis. To that end, the very same month that we broke ground on the Anita May Rosenstein Center, we started “The Resistance Squad,” which was organized to fight the repeal of the MILESTONES THANK YOU FOR 2 ANOTHER YEAR OF HELPING TO BUILD A The sex-positive campaign launches to raise aware- WORLD WHERE LGBT HEALTHY ness about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as a PEOPLE THRIVE AS safe and effective tool to prevent HIV infection. 0 HEALTHY, EQUAL, AND COMPLETE! SEE MORE AND SHARE 360 DEGREES OF YOUR OWN 2017 HEALTH AND POWER 1 CENTER MEMORY AT Annual health and wellness fair for LBTQ women LALGBTCENTER.ORG/ features informative 2017. workshops and a resource fair focused on self-care 7 and resistance. More than 2,900 AIDS/LifeCycle participants raise $15.1 million to support San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the HIV/AIDS-related services at the Center. Center community joins Month-long effort helps thousands on the streets Community engagement protect Affordable Care Act of Hollywood as part of campaign launches to and evolves into the Cen- #ResistMarch for LA Pride. track, inform, and mobi- ter’s new Resistance Squad, lize around policy threats a group of dedicated volun- to LGBT people during teers, led by Center’s Policy the first 100 days of the and Community Building Trump Administration. team, who work to defend EQUAL against ongoing policy ac- tions that threaten the LGBT community. The Center’s Senior Services clients also organize into a direct-action group named the Mob (for "mobilization") Squad. GROUNDBREAKING YEAR Construction begins on transformational Anita May Rosenstein Campus in Hollywood that will span more than a city block along Santa Monica Boulevard. The 4th annual arts festival showcases the stories of LGBTQ, two-spirit, Latinx, Chicanx, and indigenous identities through film and visual art. LOVING YOUR BLACKNESS Inaugural day-long HOLLYWOOD MEETS THE BELTWAY celebration honoring Black The 48th Anniversary Gala Vanguard Awards History Month includes honors Ariel Emanuel and Valerie Jarrett, with workshops, performances, A record 1,538 LGBTQ youth and their allies help from host Jimmy Kimmel, Shonda Rhimes, a panel discussion, and attend the 25th Annual Models of Pride confer- Mark Bradford, Lawrence O’Donnell, and Jermaine resource fair. ence at the University of Southern California. Fowler, and raises more than $1 million in support. HONORING ORLANDO Center community comes together on the one-year anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, honoring the lives GET OUT! lost with a special forum, WE CAN BE HEROES Hundreds join us OUT Under about the ongoing struggle Special guest Aydian Dowling joins capacity the Stars at the iconic for equality and freedom, crowd at 19th annual Trans Pride L.A.