CENTER VOICES
ANALYSIS & INSIGHT The Center joined other organizations for the national Queer the Census campaign to encourage LGBTQ people to make sure they were counted in the decennial population count. Data makes LGBTQ people more visible, as reported in Boyle Heights Beat:
The Center launched a patient portal three years ago, yet the COVID-19 crisis triggered Health Services to offer more client services via telehealth—a decision that will likely remain in place after the pandemic subsides, as reported in mHealthIntelligence:
Excerpt: “Legislators want to hear our stories, and we all have very powerful stories about why we matter, but we also get the question, ‘What are your numbers? What are the specifics?’ We have powerful stories, but if we can second that with good numbers and data collection, that could help us pass bills and change legislation that will change our lives and advance our rights.”
Excerpt: “It gives [clients] a lot of flexibility to engage with us. They can access services when and where they want, in privacy. We’re finding that it’s sometimes easier to connect. It’s a safe haven for them.”
GABRIEL LOPEZ Health Information Systems Director Health Services
bit.ly/queercensus
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bit.ly/LGBTtelehealth
The Trump administration’s immigration hold during the COVID-19 pandemic endangered LGBTQ immigrants, who were forced to wait in crowded detention centers or camps which were already dangerous places for many LGBTQ immigrants, as reported in Edge Media Network:
Organizations like the Center have pivoted to new methods and programs to be able to continue serving older adults amid social distancing mandates. The Center’s Hello Club, in which staff and volunteers make phone calls to senior clients to check on their well-being, has become a lifeline, as published in The Eisner Journal:
Excerpt: “Especially LGBTQ asylum seekers and folks who, for example, are living with HIV, or people who are living with AIDS. We know that our trans community is rarely housed in the correct place or given medical care that they need related to health conditions or medical needs related to their identity. In the last year, we've had multiple deaths of trans women asylum seekers, well before this pandemic, from not having proper medical care.”
Excerpt: “The simple outreach from a fellow LGBT-identified individual or ally makes all the difference in the world. From the top of the conversation, our seniors know they’re hearing from someone who understands and appreciates how they move through the world. The Hello Club has opened our eyes to the extent to which we can rely on our community to uplift one another in RANI DEMESME-ANDERS very practical ways.” Membership Manager
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bit.ly/COVIDimmigrants
TESS FELDMAN Staff Attorney & Immigration Law Project Manager Legal Services
Development
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VANGUARD | PRIDE
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MARIA MELO Policy and Operations Manager Public Policy & Community Building
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