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DA Gascón introduces LGBTQ+ Advisory Board

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[Left: District Attorney George Gascón on Monday, April 25, 2022, swears in the members of the office’s first-ever LGBTQ+ Advisory Board. [Right] Gascón poses with members of the new board. [Images via @ladaoffice Instagram]
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón on Monday, April 25, announced the creation of the office’s first-ever LGBTQ+ Advisory Board, which will advise the DA’s Office on policies, priority issues, and best practices related to LGBTQ+ and the criminal justice system.

“The contributions that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people have made to society make up a rich part of U.S. history. Sadly, LGBTQ+ people have long been subjected to public hostility, discrimination, and violence,” Gascón said in a news release. “This new Advisory Board creates a precedent for this office to truly listen and learn from the LGBTQ+ community and inform my policies.”

The Advisory Board will meet regularly, seek input from the greater community, and provide regular feedback on improvements to better serve LGBTQ+ residents and all those who come into contact with the DA’s office, as well as improve diversity and inclusion within the office itself, Gascón said.

The LGBTQ+ Advisory Board members include Allison Blaylock, president of the OUTreach Center in Lancaster.

Other board members are:

  • Bamby Salcedo, CEO of the TransLatin@ Coalition, which advocates for and addresses the issues of transgender Latinas throughout the United States.
  • Vincent Jones, CEO of The Citizen Jones Companies, a collection of socially minded businesses created with the spirit of doing good, having fun and helping others do the same.
  • Chela Demuir, founder of the “TransGiving Dinner,” a dinner with all the traditional trimmings of a holiday meal that is now celebrated in various states across the country.
  • Ari Gutiérrez Arámbula, producer of the Latino LGBTQ+ Pride Festival and co-founder of the HONOR Political Action Committee and the Latino Equality Alliance.
  • Joey Hernández, director of Policy and Community Building Department at the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
  • Skylar Myers, a victims rights advocate for the Anti-Violence Project at the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
  • Brad Sears, Associate Dean of Public Interest Law at UCLA Law, who has published a number of research studies, primarily on discrimination against LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV.
  • Stella Ursua, board president/chair at the LGBTQ+ Center Long Beach and programs & partnerships manager of GRID Alternatives-Greater Los Angeles. 
[Information via news release from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.]

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3 comments for "DA Gascón introduces LGBTQ+ Advisory Board"

  1. Hes pandering to the very powerful “Gay lobby” in an effort to save his position as DA. It might work.
    I wish he would try to work with all groups within the county. Hes very selective. Very.

  2. George needs an advisory group on how to deal with the deteriorating security situation in LA County.