The Pride LA 4.1.22

the pride

ISSUE NUMBER 77, VOLUME 48 | APRIL 1 – APRIL 30, 2022 04.01.2022 – 04.30.2022

WWW.THEPRIDELA.COM

LOS ANGELES

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THE LOS ANGELES LGBT NEWSPAPER

City of West Hollywood Seeking Community Participation for WeHo Pride 2022 Largest Pride celebration in the nation is two months away

By SuSan Payne West Hollywood, home to one of the largest Pride celebrations in the nation, is presenting its inaugural WeHo Pride, kicking off Pride month festivities across the nation.

From May 22 to June 30, the WeHo Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival (formerly known as the One City One Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival) runs at various locations throughout West Hollywood starting on Harvey Milk Day for 40 days, according to The Los Angeles Blade.

In and around West Hollywood is WeHo Pride weekend from June 3 to June 5 including WeHo Pride Street Fair. Upholding visibility, expression and celebration, Pride weekend represents a diverse array of LGBTQ+ community groups.

That same weekend, OUTLOUD Raising Voices Music Festival will profile and

celebrate Queer artistry, and the WeHo Pride Parade will kick off at noon on June 5 down Santa Monica Boulevard from Crescent Heights Boulevard into the heart of the Rainbow District, the Blade reported.

Coming quickly are application deadlines for community groups to participate in WeHo Pride. The following are the list of opportunities for participation: • At the footprint of the WeHo Pride Street Fair, held in the vicinity of West Hollywood Park and N. San Vicente Boulevard, community organization and groups can apply to designate a space from June 3-5

by March 31 at 5 p.m. Alternatively, groups may request city funding for a separate event, produced entirely by the group, The Blade reported. For more information visit w.eho.city/applywehoproide.

• WeHo Pride Parade welcomes nonprofit organizations, local businesses, college and universities, community partners and national brand allies to join the celebration with floats, bands, drill and dance teams, advocacy group march contingents and other creative entries. Only 100 entries will be accepted no later than April 29 at 5 p.m. Learn more here: form.jotform. com/220595937379169

The 2019 LA Pride in West Hollywood.

Since 1984, the City of West Hollywood has become one of the most influential cities in the national for its outspoken advocacy on LGBTQ issues. No other city of its size has had a greater impact on the national public policy discourse on fairness and inclusiveness for LGBTQ. Three of the five members of the West Hollywood City Council are openly gay.

West Hollywood is home to the Rainbow District along Santa Monica Boulevard,

Photo: City of West Hollywood

featuring a concentration of historic LGBTQ clubs, restaurants and retail shops. The city tops lists of “most LGBTQ friendly cities” in the nation.

For advocacy and support of the transgender community, the City has a Lesbian & Gay Advisory Board and a Transgender Advisory Board.

For more information about WeHo Pride, please contact the City of West Hollywood Events Department at eventsinfo@weho.org.

UCS Medical Center Earns LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader Designation LAC+USC Medical Center scored 100 to receive Human Rights Campaign’s LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader

By SuSan Payne The LAC+USC Medical Center scored 100 on its evaluation to receive the “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” designation for the Human Rights Campaign 15th anniversary edition of the Healthcare Equality Index.

HEI surveys healthcare facilities on policies and practices dedicated to the equitable treatment and inclusion of LGBTQ+ patients, visitors and employees.

This year, the index had a record 906 healthcare facilities who actively participated and 496 earned the LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader designation, according to The Los Angeles Blade.

“We are very pleased to be a recipient of the 2022 LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader designation. Our healthcare professionals take great pride in providing world-class care and helping to advance the level of care equality to our LGBTQ patients and their families,” said Jorge Orozco, chief executive officer of LAC+USC Medical Center.

“LAC+USC Medical Center is proud

Equality Leader, see page 10

LAC+USC Medical Center.

Photo: uscimresidency.com

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IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BIKTARVY®

This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.

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MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY

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 Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY”

provider will test you for HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking BIKTARVY. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months, and may give you HBV medicine.

section.

 Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get

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 Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare

ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults and children who weigh at least 55 pounds. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements.

BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. Do NOT take BIKTARVY if you also take a medicine that contains:  dofetilide  rifampin  any other medicines to treat HIV-1

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 Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

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GET MORE INFORMATION

medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.  BIKTARVY and other medicines may affect each other. Ask your

healthcare provider and pharmacist about medicines that interact with BIKTARVY, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all your other medicines.

 This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY.

Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.

 Go to BIKTARVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5  If you need help paying for your medicine, visit BIKTARVY.com for

program information.

BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, GSI, and KEEP ASPIRING are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. Version date: February 2021 © 2022 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. US-BVYC-0085 02/22

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Volunteers Still Needed at Center’s Pride Pantry Each month, more than 2,000 boxes and bags of food are distributed from the Hollywood pantry location

By Susan Payne Angela Echeverria, the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s associate director of facilities, smiled from ear to ear when volunteer Alex Walker unexpectedly walked up to the Center’s driveway to volunteer for the day.

In recent weeks, Echeverria has seen a dwindling number of volunteers available to help out at the pantry, LGBT News Now reported.

“I love helping my community in any way I can,” Walker told LGBT News Now. “People still need help especially now that food prices are rising. It’s very eye-opening to see the world outside of my own bubble and what’s happening in everybody else’s life. It’s very rewarding and fulfilling.”

Pride Pantry was launched during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic to provide community members struggling with food insecurity with fresh produce and dry goods.

On Thursdays, volunteers and staff fill bags and boxes for distribution on Fridays.

Volunteers bring food to cars that come through the driveway, or clients can pick it up

themselves.

Walker volunteered in special events prepandemic, but now does the pantry due to the pandemic. As the pandemic lightens and workplaces are bringing back in-office workers, volunteer schedules are becoming less flexible, LGBT News Now said.

“We are dependent on our volunteers,” Pervical Pandy told LGBT News Now, the Center’s volunteer resources program manager. “We understand that there is a return to work, but we are still looking for people to carve out time. This is a service we know is necessary and it is vital that we have the helping hands of the community to sustain it.”

Each month, more than 2,000 boxes and bags of food are distributed from the Hollywood pantry location, which supplies two other locations with food to distribute, Mi Centro in Bayle Heights and Center South in south LA near Leimert Park.

Rani DeMesme-Anders, the Center’s director of community engagement, told LGBT News Now that more than one in four LGBTQ adults struggle with food insecurity, and that has only amplified during the pandemic.

“As our volunteers are returning to work, we absolutely want to remind our larger community that hunger is not ceasing,” DeMesme-Anders said. “If you find yourself in the position where you’ve got some time, please know your impact will be immediate.”

In addition to the pantry, the Center’s Hello Club needs volunteers to call senior clients and connect them with case management

for grocery essentials and delivery services, LGBT News Now said.

“Much like our other COVID-specific programs, we have seen a decline in participation and volunteer availability,” says DeMesme-Anders. “We’re hoping to increase the awareness of the opportunities to support these types of programs.”

Hello Club volunteers need access to a computer, internet and phone to complete their duties. A 40-minute virtual training is done before volunteering. Contact information is masked when they make calls to the seniors.

The time commitment is flexible as calls can

be made between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Many times, the volunteers sit and listen to the senior make conversation, LGBT News Now said.

“We still have a large number of senior members who are actively depending on Center community members to help break that isolation,” DeMesme-Anders told LGBT News Now. “Personal touchpoint from a volunteer and LGBT community member to a senior directly really makes all the difference in the world.”

To volunteer for the Pride Pantry or Hello Club, or the Center in general, visit lalgbtcenter.org/volunteer.

Lawmakers Propose Nearly 240 Anti-LGBTQ Bills in Less Than Three Months Since 2018, nearly.

670 anti-LGBTQ bills have been filed

By Susan Payne Lawmakers in the United States have proposed a record 238 anti-LGBTQ bills that would limit the rights of LGBTQ Americans.

As of March 18, about half of the bills specifically target transgender people.

Since 2018, nearly. 670 anti-LGBTQ bills have been filed, according to a news report by NBC News in March. NBC also reported that all of the country’s 50 state legislatures have weighed in on at least one bill.

In less than three months into 2022, antiLGBTQ bills have skyrocketed — 2018 only saw 41 bills total. This year’s historical tally, NBC stated, follows what some advocates label the “worst year in recent history for LGBTQ state legislative attacks.” Last year, the tally reached 191.

Legislation wishes to restrict LGBTQ issues in school curriculums, permit religious exemptions to discriminate against LGBTQ people and limit trans people’s ability to play sports, use bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity and receive genderaffirming health care, according to NBC.

Opponents contend the bills are discriminatory and are about “scoring political points with conservative voters than protecting constituents,” while proponents believe the bills are about “protecting children, parental rights, religious freedoms or a combination of these,” according to the news report.

“It’s important for people to pause and think about what is happening — especially in the health care context — because what we’re seeing is that the state should have the authority to declare a population of people so undesirable that their medical care that they need to survive becomes a crime,” said Chase Strangio, the deputy director for transgender justice at the ACLU LGBT & HIV Project.

“What more terrifying intrusion of the state could there be?”

Although the bills have reached a record level targeting LGBTQ people and/or issues, research shows an increased amount of support for LGBTQ rights and policies prohibiting discrimination against LGBTQ people, the report stated.

Nearly 79% of Americans, or eight in 10, support laws that protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in jobs, housing and public accommodations, according to a Public Religion Research Institute survey released in March. The survey also revealed nearly 70% of Americans support same-sex marriage, up from 54% in 2014.

The uptick in state bills is less about public

The Iowa State Capitol.

sentiment and more about lobbying on behalf of conservation and religious groups, LGBTQ advocates and political experts have said.

In response to a string of progressive wins, activists contend that more groups are pushing legislation. The wins include two landmark Supreme Court rulings legalizing same-se marriage in 2015 and another in 2020 that won LGBTQ people nationwide protection from workplace discrimination. The third

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

progressive win was the election of President Joe Biden in 2020.

Activists also believe the bills are part of a broader political strategy to use transgender people as a “wedge issue” to motivate rightwing voters, according to the news report.

“Conservative politicians, conservative religious leaders, religious organizations,

Anti-LGBTQ, see page 8

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GLAAD, Sony Music Group Announce Partnership to Advance LGBTQ Representation

GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, and Sony Music announced a partnership in March to amplify LGBTQ voices and representation in the music industry.

According to Variety, the partnership includes several initiatives to advance advocacy and inclusion at Sony and within the broader industry. The initiatives include the following: • GLAAD Media Institute will implement consultation and education for Sony Music Group, including LGBTQ-focused education sessions for Sony employees and leadership in an effort to help build greater awareness and competency around LGBTQ issues and people.

• GLAAD will consult Sony on its campaigns and programs that seek to highlight contemporary LGBTQ people

Photo: Flickr (@BrianJii)

and we’re grateful to partner with them to both amplify diverse LGBTQ voices and

establish greater pathways to grow LGBTQ inclusion within the industry at large.”

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THE BIKE SHOP, California

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By Susan Payne

and/or issues.

• Sony will be an official sponsor for the 33rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles on April 2, and New York City on May 6.

• Sony’s artists and songwriters nominated for the Outstand Music Artist award include: Brockhampton, Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine (RCA Records/ Question Everything), Kaytranada, Intimated (RCA Records), Lil Nas X, Montero (Columbia Records, Sony Music Publishing) and Arlo Parks, Collapsed in Sunbeams (Sony Music Publishing).

• GLAAD and Sony will launch “Icons,” a three-part interview series that will bring together LGBTQ musicians, songwriters and producers across generations for discussion about LGBTQ inclusion in music, history of and the future of the industry.

“Over the past several years, many LGBTQ artists have made major strides within the music industry, but there is still significant room to improve LGBTQ inclusion, representation, and awareness at all levels,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD president and CEO. “Sony Music Group continues to be an incredible leader for diversity, equity, and inclusion in music,

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Partnership includes several initiatives to advance advocacy and inclusion at Sony

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Review: LGBTQ-Founded Equator Coffees Makes SoCal Debut in Culver City NorCal coffee shop donates poration of sales to Los Angeles LGBT Center during opening week

By Dolores Quintana Equator Coffees has finally come to Southern California after twenty five years in Northern California and we can rejoice.

Their new Culver City store is at Ivy Station on the ground floor and looks out on the grassy courtyard area. It’s a peaceful place to have some great coffee and pastries. Equator Coffees has always had relationships with chefs and culinary world and as a special treat for the opening of their newest cafe, Equator has partnered with Chefs Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken in three ways. First, you can find their brilliant collaboration in the bakery case with the Socalo Spiced Latte and Guava Empanadas. I have tried this pastry and it is perfect. It has a tender and crispy crust that holds a delicate combination of a spiced latte and guava as a taste sensation. Really, it’s that good. I got the last one in the case and I was so happy I did. I was not able to catch a cup of the Socalo Spiced Latte, “a signature cafe de ollainspired latte with piloncillo, cinnamon, and star anise”, because it had already sold out, but I did try the Habibi Latte which was divine. It is flavored with orange blossom, cardamom, clove, vanilla syrup, two shots of espresso and steamed milk of your choice, almond and oat milk are options naturally. Their coffees are amazingly smooth and flavorful even in their lattes and other mixed coffee drinks. I also tried the Shakerato, eight ounces of pure coffee goodness with two shots espresso, dark brown sugar, two ounces of heavy cream shaken until frothy. Yes, I was going for maximum coffee achievement yesterday and

Anti-LGBTQ, from page 4 and sometimes conservative scholars, often present themselves as defenders of traditional values and traditional institutions in society,” said Gabriele Magni, an assistant professor of political science at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. “LGBTQ rights have become a natural target because they go against one of the most traditional institutions of society, and that is the family.”

Among anti-LGBTQ bills, measures targeting trans Americans have significantly increased in recent years according to NBC News’ analysis of the ACLU and Freedom for All Americans data. In 2019, 22 of the 60 anti-LGBTQ proposed laws were anti-trans, compared to 80% of 2021’s bills. This year, 65% were anti-trans bills.

“The authors of these bills and the dark money groups pushing for them do not want it to be possible to be a trans kid in this country,” said Gillian Branstetter, a longtime trans advocate and the press secretary for women’s advocacy group the National Women’s Law

that drink emphasized the quality of the coffee itself. If you have a need for full flavored coffee and not a lot of time, the Shakerato is a great option for you.

Their regular pastry offerings are from Farmshop Market and they are quality too.

I had the cranberry citrus scone and I can say that they have scones that are well made with flavor. There’s just enough citrus and the cranberries are fresh rather than being fully desiccated . The scone is light and crumbly rather than hard like a hockey puck.

Breads are provided by the artisanal Bub and Grandma’s Bread. Coffee is brewed with “Ground Control ‘Cyclops’ brewers, allowing for Equator’s renowned coffees to shine. This cutting edge coffee brewer creates a layered brew via a multiple extraction, full immersion brewing process. Brewing coffee through the eyes of chemistry is a hallmark of Equator’s philosophy, which is driven home by the Ivy Station cafe’s addition of the La Marzocco KB90 espresso machine.

The shop also has the third collaboration with Chefs Feniger and Milliken in the Las Rosas Colombia single origin coffee beans.

Yes, Equator does sell and brew their own coffees and Las Rosas Columbia has hints of golden raisins, walnuts and cocoa in its flavor profile. Equator is a coffee roasting company started by Helen Russell and Brooke McDonnell and as Helen Russell says, “Making people’s lives better through coffee informs every connection we make, from farmer to roaster to the barista preparing your cup, and to consumers and the communities that our cafes inhabit. We are excited to join the burgeoning community of Culver City, and to have the opportunity to offer families, professionals, and visitors alike, delicious coffees from around the world with distinct flavor profiles that are ethically sourced.” The Culver City cafe will offer “ their seasonal single origin pour over program, a choice between the house Tigerwalk espresso blend

and a rotating seasonal single origin espresso.” as well as whole bean coffee for purchase and merchandise. I did pick up a bag of Mary Sue and Susan’s Las Rosas Columbia beans to brew at home.

The shop itself was designed by Kellie Patry Design to “create a cafe inspired by the California topography and the metro line which runs parallel to the Ivy Station location and seamlessly flows into the building’s adjacent public greenspace. The streamlined interior is imbued with color, futurism, and playfulness, and the design connects the interior and patio with curving white oak benches, offering a subtle homage to metro design. The cafe features details like a tile mural by Thomas Williams mimicking ocean waves, and Louis Poulsen’s pendants wash light over the dining room.” that also features the red color of the company’s mascot owhich is a silhouette of

a Bengal Tiger. Be sure to remember that if a coffee craving strikes you while you are on the Expo Line to Santa Monica or Downtown, Equator Coffee is there to satisfy that craving at the Culver City stop.

The opening on Friday was perfectly timed to coincide with the start of Women’s History Month as a business that is owned and operated by women and LGBTQ+ and, as a celebration of that “10% of the Ivy Station cafe’s opening week sales will be donated to the Los Angeles LGBT Center, which provides health, housing, education and social services to thousands of LGBT individuals and families in Los Angeles and beyond.” Stop by Equator Coffee and you will feel welcomed by their friendly service, excellent coffee drinks and pastries with sustainable coffee from quality fair trade sources. I know I will be going back to try more of their menu.

Center. “They’re responding to trans kids as if they were responding to a contagion.”

Measures that would block trans students from competing in school sports that align with their gender identity have been the most successful of the bills filed. Since January, 11 states have written trans sports bans into law, according to the NBC report of the ACLU and Human Rights Campaign data.

Last year, a survey by the Trevor Project, analyzed nearly 35,000 LGBT youth participants an organization for LGBTQ youth suicide prevention and crisis intervention, saw 42% of them considered suicide, according to NBC News. Trevor Project also found in a survey last fall that two-thirds of LGBTQ youth said anti-trans legislation debates have negatively impacted their mental health.

In addition to impacting trans people, the bills have reshaped the lives of their families.

NBC reported an Arizona mother, Lizette Trujillo, has spent three years and “dropping everything” to fight on behalf of her 14-yearold transgender son, Daniel. Trujillo has been traveling back and forth to the capital to meet with trans advocates.

“It’s exhausting, it’s painful and it’s

something that I have to prepare for every year, and I’m still in shock that I have to advocate for my child,” Trujillo said. “If they care about families in the way that they say they do, or if they care about kids in the way that they say they do, they would leave us alone and allow us the opportunity to take a breath to be the boring PTA parent who organizes a fundraiser and is able to attend after-school activities.”

Although upsetting at times, a few wins have made the fighting worthwhile.

In February, an Arizona Republican state senator blocked legislation that would have banned gender-affirming care for trans youth.

In Utah, Republican Gov. Spencer Cox vowed to veto legislation passed by Legislature that would ban trans student-athletes from competing in girls’ sports. In Idaho, the Republicans in Senate stopped a bill that would have made it a criminal offense for parents to allow minor children to receive gender-affirming care, NBC said.

When lawmakers can’t pass ant-LGBTQ bills through state legislatures, a directive issued by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in February is an example of how they can otherwise target LGBTQ Americans.

In 2020, Texas Legislature didn’t pass a bill that would criminalize gender-affirming care to minors. In place of that bill, Abbott ordered licensed professionals and the general public to reporter parents if it appears their minors are receiving gender-affirming care under a “legal opinion” that transition care for minors is child abuse under state law, NBC reported.

“It’s important to look at the cruelty of the governor’s order in Texas, because these bills act as the on-ramp towards that level of cruelty against trans kids,” Branstetter said. “There is a bottomless hunger for the misery of trans kids.”

Trujillo said this year in legislation has been scarier than last year, but that hasn’t stopped her from fighting back against the policies that have made Arizona the third-highest total of ant-LGBTQ bills, NBC said.

“This takes up a lot of my life, but I do it in the hope that when my kid’s an adult, he won’t have to do it for himself, that he’ll be in a better place,” Trujillo said. “As much as I want to shrink away — to protect my family and my child — I also feel like this is the moment to speak up and say, ‘I will not allow you to erase my child.’”

Photo: Courtesy Equator Coffees

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to provide high quality, patient-centered healthcare to our LGBTQ community, and to be a place of work where our staff thrive as their authentic selves,” said Brad Spellberg, chief medical officer of LAC+USC Medical Center.

“Every person deserves to have access to quality healthcare, be respected and heard by their doctor, and feel safe in the facility where they are receiving care. But LGBTQ+ people are often subject to discrimination in all spaces, including healthcare facilities, which leads to members of the community avoiding care and anticipating our voices will not be respected in an incredibly vulnerable environment,” said Tari Hanneman, director of health and aging at The Human Rights Campaign.

“The Healthcare Equality Index, at its core, strives to ensure LGBTQ+ people are protected and affirmed by their healthcare providers and feel safe seeking services. Our HEI active participants are truly pioneering the healthcare industry by implementing robust, comprehensive LGBTQ+ inclusive policies that hopefully, because of their work, will become standard practice.”

Criteria for the designation is evaluated under four pillars: • Foundational policies and training in LGBTQ+ patient-centered care • LGBTQ+ patient services and support • Employee benefits and policies • Patient and community engagement A little more than half of the participating healthcare centers received the maximum score in each pillar, earning the highest

designation. Another 251 facilities earned the “Top Performer” designation with scores between 80 and 95 points and partial credit in each section, the Blade reported.

Eighty-two percent of facilities scored 80 or more points, indicative of healthcare centers going beyond the basics when it comes to LGBTQ+ care, the Blade reported.

Additional progress in the 2022 HEI includes: • More than 200,000 hours of staff training in LGBTQ+ patient-centered care has been completed by 93% of HEI participants • Eighty-two percent of facilities earned the Leader or Top Performer designations.

• Healthcare centers that include both “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” in their patient nondiscrimination amount to the 99% of the participants.

• Up from 75% in 2019, 81% of participating centers offer transgenderinclusive healthcare benefits to their employees.

HRC found at 1,300 non-participating hospitals that research hospitals were less likely to have LGBTQ+ non-discrimination policies in place, the Blade reporter. Only 70% of the research hospitals that did have non-discrimination policies in place, only 70% include both sexual orientation and gender identity questions.

LAC+USC Medical Center is one of the largest public hospitals in the country with a 600-bed, Level One Trauma Center and an academic teaching hospital run by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services.

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California State Senator Wiener Introduces the Transgender Inclusive Care Act Law would require health providers and staff to undergo TGI cultural competency training

By Sam Catanzaro

California State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) recently introduced Senate Bill 923, the TGI Inclusive Care Act. This legislation would require health providers and staff who interact with transgender, gender non-conforming, and intersex (TGI) people to undergo cultural competency training to help them provide inclusive care. These trainings must be facilitated by TGI-led organizations, and they must include the perspectives of TGI people.

SB 923 also ensures that health plans’ online directories include a search feature to list providers who offer gender-affirming services.

This legislation is intended “create a more inclusive and culturally competent healthcare system for TGI people across California,” according to Wiener.

“It’s simple: transgender, gender noncomforming and intersex people deserve the same quality of healthcare that everyone else receives,” said Senator Wiener. “No one should go to a doctor’s appointment only to be misgendered, harassed, or even refused treatment. While many providers work hard to treat TGI people with respect, too many TGI patients aren’t treated appropriately.

These traumatizing experiences keep people away from the doctor, and prevent them from receiving the care they need. The TGI Inclusive Health Care Act will ensure providers are trained and ready to give quality care to everyone, regardless of their gender

identity.”

Healthcare discrimination and a lack of access to culturally competent care is a major problem that many TGI people regularly face.

The National Center for Transgender Equality reports that one-third of all transgender individuals who saw a healthcare professional in 2014 had at least one negative experience related to being transgender, with even higher rates for people of color and people with disabilities. These negative experiences include being refused treatment, verbally harassed, physically or sexually assaulted, or having to teach the provider about transgender people in order to receive appropriate care.

“Transgender, gender non-conforming and intersex Californians to this day face significantly higher rates of chronic health conditions and other health problems, compared to the general population,” said Pau Crego, Acting Director for the SF Office of Transgender Initiatives. “This happens, in large part, because health care providers lack adequate education on our communities’ unique needs, and on how to respectfully interact with us as patients. This bill will help address this by educating providers on how to provide respectful and affirming care to TGI people, and in turn, will ensure TGI people feel safe accessing a medical establishment that has historically ignored and mistreated us.”

This is especially problematic given that TGI people, compared with the general population, suffer from more chronic health conditions. TGI people experience higher rates of health problems related to HIV/AIDS, substance use, mental illness, and sexual and physical violence, as well as a higher prevalence and earlier onset of disabilities that can also lead to longterm health issues. Sadly, 23% of transgender individuals reported that

Tackling Childcare Costs

Finding affordable, quality childcare is essential for many working parents. The current shortage of care options is helping drive up costs for parents across the nation. If you know you will be needing childcare coverage in the near future, here are some ways to plan for and manage this considerable expense of parenthood.

Know your options. Review available childcare arrangements and common hourly rates in your area.

• Relatives and sitters. Individuals who are not associated with a sitting service generally charge more modest rates for childcare. If you pay for services from a family member, tax rules do apply, though a bit differently if a grandparent provides the care.

• Nannies and au pairs. Hiring a nanny is often the most expensive childcare option. You’re paying for the convenience of a dedicated, inhome provider, but you may also need to fund room and board and make a car available for their use. A nanny-share arrangement can help reduce your cost for this form of care if you can get by with fewer hours of coverage or find someone willing to take on multiple children.

Another option is to host an international au pair. Placed through an agency, this individual typically may provide up to 45 hours per week of in-home childcare in exchange for room and board, a weekly stipend and a modest education allowance.

• Daycare center. Centers tend to be more affordable than in-home help. While your children may not receive as much one-onone time with a caretaker, daycare centers often provide a more social and educational environment.

• Co-ops. You might look into joining or creating a childcare co-op. In these arrangements, parents take turns watching each other’s children. This is a low-or no-cost option for families that have some flexibility in their work schedules or work opposite shifts.

Consider the tax implications. To help parents remain in the workforce, the federal government offers tax relief for a portion of eligible childcare costs.

• For the 2021 tax year, the American Rescue Plan Act allows eligible parents to claim a tax

fear of discrimination caused them to postpone or not receive necessary medical care.

“Many medical students and medical providers who provide specialty care such as podiatry, cardiovascular, gastroenterology, etc. have a predetermined opinion that they will never serve the transgender, gender non-conforming and intersex community due to their specialization,” Dannie Cesena, Transgender Health Equity Manager, CA LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network.

“The assumption that TGI community members will not seek specialty care is dangerous. As human-beings, we deserve comprehensive and affirming medical care for all comorbidities that we may face, and this bill will ensure that all medical providers, regardless of their expertise, are properly trained to provide that access to care.”

SB 923 would require health plans to have an accessible search function that allows patients to easily find providers who offer gender-affirming care. While all health plans are required to cover gender-affirming care, it can be difficult for TGI patients to actually find providers who routinely offer this care.

This is a major impediment to TGI people accessing the care they need.

“Improving Gender Affirming care needs to be prioritized for TGI people. For far too long, the TGI community has been ignored and erased. It’s time we start prioritizing and valuing the most marginalized and disproportionately impacted population in the state of California. According to the Transmasculine Health Justice: LA (TMHJ: LA) report, over 90% of participants delayed care, ‘Many participants said they lacked trust in health care providers, had anxiety related to bad experiences and were concerned about mistreatment due to transphobia…’” said Ezak Perez, Executive Director of Gender

credit for 50% of up to $8,000 in childcare expenses, for up to two children (maximum credit of $8,000). Depending on your income, you may be able to reduce your tax bill or receive a cash refund of the eligible amount.

• If you are paying someone to care for your child in your home, you are considered a “household employer” and have the additional responsibility of paying employment taxes. The IRS usually does not impose this “nanny tax” if the childcare provider offers their services at their own home or place of business.

• Note that parents who pay cash for childcare services without reporting those payments cannot claim the tax exemption mentioned above and risk legal penalties.

Start saving. Any cushion you can provide your family before childcare costs kick in will be helpful. You’ll experience less pain when the time comes if you’re accustomed to accounting for this expense.

Get expert advice. A tax professional can help you realize the maximum tax relief associated with your childcare costs. Also consider meeting with a financial advisor to discuss this necessary expense impacts your short-and long-term savings goals. Together you can explore ways to improve your financial security as you watch

Photo: Wikimedia Commons California State Senator Scott Wiener speaks at a 2018 “Families Belong Together” rally in San Francisco.

Justice LA. Perez continued, “we need to start transforming health care institutions, addressing the multitude of barriers that TGI people face when trying to access quality health care. Requiring health plans, contracted providers and staff to undergo TGI cultural humility training is a basic necessity.

Requiring provider directories to include and make searchable providers who offer gender affirming services would dramatically change health outcomes for the TGI community, followed by further prioritizing and implementing policies and practices to help improve the lives of TGI people, address health disparities and other social determinants.”

“It’s unconscionable that transgender, gender-nonconforming and intersex Californians are being forced to postpone or not seek life-saving medical care because they fear harassment and discrimination in healthcare settings,” said Tami Martin, Legislative Director for Equality California.

“Equality California is proud to co-sponsor this innovative legislation that will prioritize inclusive healthcare by requiring that health plans ensure contracted providers and staff undergo training regarding care for TGI people. It is the right thing to do to ensure access to quality, affirming healthcare for all LGBTQ+ people.” your children grow.

Anthony Perez, MBA, CFP® is a Private Wealth Advisor with Orchard Financial Group, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. in Los Angeles, CA. He specializes in fee-based financial planning and asset management strategies and has been in practice for 19 years. To contact him, call 310.582.3500 | orchardfg.com | 12400 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1210, Los Angeles, CA 90025.

Investment advisory products and services are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, a registered investment adviser.

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Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates do not offer tax or legal advice. Consumers should consult with their tax advisor or attorney regarding their specific situation.

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