Local
Breaking: California Democratic Party Chair Eric Bauman resigns
Despite midterm victory, internal firing squad aims at gay political operative


Eric Bauman at the California Democratic Party Convention Feb. 2018. (Photo by Karen Ocamb)
Breaking: Eric Bauman, the first openly LGBT Chair of the California Democratic Party, announced his resignation Thursday following a story in the Los Angeles Times in which 10 staffers and political activists allege sexual harassment and misconduct by the longtime Democratic activist.
“I have made the realization that in order for those to whom I may have caused pain and who need to heal, for my own health, and in the best interest of the Party that I love and to which I have dedicated myself for more than 25 years, it is in everyone’s best interest for me to resign my position as chair of the California Democratic Party,” Bauman said in a statement to The Times after Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, state Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, Controller Betty Yee and others, including Equality California Executive Director Rick Zbur, called on him to step down.
The Times did not indicate whether the investigation would continue or now be halted or what process might occur to replace Bauman.
The following is the cover story for the Los Angeles Blade filed Thursday morning before Bauman’s announcement:
In addition to the historic flipping of rock red Republican congressional seats and electing California’s first openly gay statewide official, Democrats virtually decimated the state GOP during the midterm elections. “It’s been decades since California Democrats had this much power at the Capitol,” blared a Nov. 26 Sacramento Bee headline.
Democrats, The Bee wrote, “are on pace to control three-fourths of the Assembly — 60 out of 80 seats — a feat has not been accomplished in 135 years, in 1883. In the Senate, Democrats are likely to grab 29 seats out of 40, which would be the party’s largest advantage since 1962 (except for a brief period in 2012).”
But Democrats seem to have a penchant for complicating victories, forming a circular firing squad to kill off or maim someone perceived to have too much power. A rump group of House rebels—considered by some to be the Democratic equivalent of the Republican Freedom Caucus—is challenging establishment Leader Nancy Pelosi in her historic campaign to re-take the gavel as Speaker next year, despite Pelosi’s winning midterm messaging.
And in California, a handful of Democratic Party staffers and associates—some of whom were aligned with Kimberly Ellis, Bauman’s 2017 Berniecratic opponent for party chair—have alleged sexual harassment and sexual assault charges against Bauman, forcing him to take a leave of absence while Debra Henshaw Vierra from the outside law firm of Churchwell White investigates the allegations.
But given the publicity, the rush to judgment and societal interpretations of gay male gestures and flirtations by today’s #MeToo standards, it is very possible that no matter what the determination of the official investigation, Bauman—one of the key architects of the California midterm success—may not be able to shake the scarlet letter of misconduct.
So what happened? Is Bauman the political Kevin Spacey or California’s Al Franken or an old-fashion gay guy who talks sincerely about sexual harassment but hasn’t applied it to his own gay culture flirtations?
The story that may bring down a “kingmaker” burst into the open the weekend of Nov. 23-25 during the CDP Executive Board meeting. But it originated before the Nov. 6 elections, according to news accounts. Bauman was leading a statewide get-out-the-vote bus tour when “two young women on the bus reported alcohol was consumed and inappropriate sex talk occurred on Nov. 1,” out David Campos, chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party, told the Associated Press.
They were headed for a Nov. 2 event in San Francisco with Leader Pelosi but when “her campaign team and Campos learned of the incidents aboard the bus,” they told state party officials “that Bauman and the bus should stay away,” Campos told AP. The wire service added that “it appeared Bauman engaged in the misbehavior and did not intervene to stop others from acting inappropriately,” citing Campos as the source.
“We felt, and I felt, it was important for us, given we had serious credible allegations, not to have Chair Bauman attend this get-out-the-vote event in San Francisco,” said Campos, who first revealed the details to the Bay Area Reporter.
On Nov. 28, the Los Angeles Times published interviews with the two young women. Grace Leekley, 21, identified as a temporary worker in the party’s communications department, who said she did not want to ride on the bus because of Bauman. But she met up with the tour Nov. 1 in Chico and joined the staff for lunch. She sat next to Kate Earley, 21, identified as having started about six weeks earlier as the party’s digital director.
“Leekley and Earley said that during the lunch, Bauman shushed the staffers at the table and then asked the women, within earshot of their colleagues, if the two were having an affair. When both women said no, Bauman pressed the issue, they said, telling them he would not mind if they were involved in a sexual relationship so long as it did not affect the workplace,” The Times reported.
Described another way—Bauman teasingly asked the two young women if they were a couple—it was OK if they were, just not at work. And herein lies a problem: Bauman may have thought he was warmly joking around but it was apparently perceived by the two new young staffers as sexual harassment and they felt intimidated.

CDP Chair Eric Bauman with Michael Andraychak, his husband of more than 30 years. (Photo by Karen Ocamb)
“I felt really embarrassed, almost ashamed, and uncomfortable,” Leekley told The Times. “I’m basically bottom-of-the-barrel staff — and he’s the most powerful man in the party. I didn’t feel comfortable saying anything.”
“A party staffer told The Times that he heard Bauman make the comments and said the two women told him afterward they felt deeply uncomfortable. Earley filed a complaint to her supervisor within 30 minutes of the incident and spoke with the human resources department later that day, she said. Her attorney said the complaint remains unresolved,” The Times reported Nov. 28. “As of the time he took a leave of absence on Monday, Bauman had not seen a formal complaint, according to a source close to the chairman.” As of Nov. 29, CDP spokeperson Mike Roth has not replied to inquires from the Los Angeles Blade about if and when any complaints have been officially filed and by whom.
It is not yet known what Earley’s supervisor or the human resources department did with her complaint. But here’s where things get murky.
The bus tour incident occurred on Nov. 1 but apparently nothing more was said or done until Nov. 23, the Black Friday after Thanksgiving, when party Vice-Chair Daraka Larimore-Hall suddenly circulated a “Statement of Charges” to members via email and on social media alleging sexual harassment and sexual assault and a call for Bauman to resign. But he apparently did not confront Bauman directly during the Executive Board meeting.
“This past weekend, I learned of multiple serious and credible allegations that Chairman Bauman sexually harassed, and in some cases sexually assaulted, individuals during party functions, and of at least one incident of Chairman Bauman tampering with witnesses. I have spoken directly with two victims, who confirm the allegations, and I spoke to the potential witness whom Chairman Bauman intimidated. I understand there are additional victims as well,” Larimore-Hall wrote. “ I believe the victims. Their stories illustrate a clear and escalating pattern of Chairman Bauman’s horrific and dehumanizing behavior.”
Larimore-Hall is not specific about the charges, doesn’t identify the victims and asks for respect for the victims’ privacy rights. In a second letter, he explains that he was approached “by a number of Party staff who confided in me their stories of sexual harassment and assault” by Bauman. He calls them “survivors,” and “young political professionals, many of whom are at the very beginning of their careers.” Obviously, he says, “it is completely unacceptable for Chairman Bauman to remain in office given these credible, corroborated and utterly heart-breaking allegations.”
The first note sounds like Leekley and Earley and the party staffer who overheard Bauman talk to the young women at lunch. But when and how did the two turn into a “number of Party Staff” who came forward to share their experiences? This is before Rep. Ro Khanna (D-San Jose) broke the allegations wide open with a tweet on Friday, Nov. 23.
“The allegations of sexual assault that @DarakaKenric is filing against @EricBauman are shocking. CalDems should replace him with @mldauber who is one of the nation’s foremost scholars on sexual harassment & led the Persky recall campaign. We need a bold feminist to lead for 2020.”
When Stanford law professor Michele Dauber said thanks but no thanks, others suggested that “a more fitting successor for Bauman would be Kimberly Ellis, who lost the election for party chair by just 62 votes after a contentious race in 2017. Dauber and Khanna agreed that Ellis—who represented the more progressive wing of the Democratic Party—would be well qualified for the role, if she still wants it. Ellis did not immediately respond to a request for comment,” sanjoseinside.com reported Saturday.
Were the Party staffers Ellis supporters who Bauman hired to try to create unity after the infamously contentious race for Party chair? Or were they staffers from former chair John Burton’s regime, when Bauman served as party vice-chair? If the latter, why did none of them come forward during that 2009-2017 time period when Burton was more intimidating than Bauman? And while there were rumors about Bauman being “handsy” at parties, as one gay person told the Los Angeles Blades, there were no official or registered complaints or leaked stories about Bauman during the 17 years he served as Chair of the LA County Democratic Party.
Bauman, a registered nurse, started his political career at Stonewall Democratic Club where he grew the club into a political powerhouse helping elect local, state and national candidates. His behind-the-scenes strategic political acumen resulted in senior-level positions in state government, including serving as Senior Advisor and LA Director of office services for Speakers John A. Perez, Toni Atkins and Anthony Rendon; Senior Advisor to Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez; Senior Advisor to Lt. Gov. John Garamendi and when Garamendi served as Insurance Commissioner; Special Assistant to Gov. Gray Davis and Director of Davis’ LA Office. While some politicos complained about his gruff Bronx/Jewish style, he also served as a generous mentor to many and no credible complaint was leaked to the press or filed from a staffer or party-goer during this time.

Eric Bauman (on right) at event where Gov. Gray Davis (seated) signed domestic partnership bill. (Photo by Karen Ocamb)
However, during Bauman’s unexpectedly heated race to become the first openly LGBT CDP chair in May 2017, a number of inaccurate accusations from the Ellis camp emerged. The worst was that he had engaged in “inappropriate behavior with 14- and 16-year-old boys,” an old but painful and effective trope used against LGBT people. “What they’re accusing me of is being a child predator! And I lost it. I started crying uncontrollably,” Bauman told the Los Angeles Blade (May 15, 2017). Then Bauman thought: “how many people are accused of things or are victims of abuse and they hide in shame and so it continues?”
He fumed in an email. “This is despicable! This is not the Democratic Party! These are Trumpian tactics and it has to stop! I’m a pretty tough guy and I can take the attacks, lies, distortions, and mud that has been slung at me pretty well,” Bauman wrote. “But to accuse me of child abuse, especially of this nature, is beyond the pale and 100% unacceptable.”
The Machiavellian rumor was apparently started by a gay Ellis supporter. Ellis denounced the tactic but references to the rumor have shown up in social media responses to the current allegations. It’s hard to un-ring a bell.
Bauman seemed too politically savvy to cross lines of propriety. In Dec. 2011, in an unflattering LA Weekly story calling him the “L.A. Democratic Party Kingmaker,” the author describes Bauman’s arm-twisting as “machine politics at its finest.” To which Bauman replied: “I don’t make promises or ask people to do things in a quid pro quo format. That would be against the law. I’m way too high-profile, way too visible a guy to do that.”
The Los Angeles Blade spoke with numerous gay and straight politicos familiar with Bauman and his decades-long leadership in the Democratic Party. They requested anonymity for fear of being dragged into a controversy that might sully their own name or out of respect for the due-process investigation or not wanting to appear to attack the alleged victims.
Two gay men independently said that years ago Bauman said hello with a lingering pat or quick grab of the butt at an event—but neither man considered the touch sexual harassment. They said Bauman never followed up with anything physical or with sexually explicit comments. Several people said they saw him drink but never saw him drunk. Others said he was often flirtatious, would give an unexpected shoulder rub and sometimes made lewd jokes and risqué gestures that made some people uncomfortable—but never to the degree that he should be reported for sexual harassment. No one ever experienced or witnessed him commit the crime of sexual assault such as grabbing or groping.
But there were notes of hesitation, too. “I don’t believe any of it,” one politico told the Los Angeles Blade. “Except Larimore-Hall is too smart to use the term ‘sexual assault’ unless he had something behind it.”
“I take seriously any allegation brought forward by anyone who believes they have been caused pain,” Bauman said in a statement that did not include an abject denial. He announced the independent investigation “ensuring these individuals making the charges are treated with respect and free from any concerns of retaliation.” He added that he looks “forward to putting these allegations behind us and moving forward as unified Democrats.” Alex Gallardo-Rooker, another party vice chair, is serving as acting chairwoman during the investigation.
The story grabbed national headlines but seemed to disappear as other splashier news moved center stage. And then came the Nov. 28 bombshell, with The Times interviews of 10 party staffers and political activists who claimed Bauman “made crude sexual comments and engaged in unwanted touching or physical intimidation in professional settings.”
“People just didn’t know how to speak up about it,” Allan Acevedo, an activist with California Young Democrats told The Times. “There was a sense of loyalty. Not just to him, but to any advancement that any LGBT person makes in terms of us having representation at the table.”
“Eight current party staffers said that, while he was serving as chairman, Bauman would regularly make sexually explicit comments in the workplace to men and women, including remarks about sexual acts, his and other staffers’ genitalia, and being sexually attracted to staff members,” The Times reported, citing some accusers by name. “The eight staff members each said they also experienced or witnessed Bauman engaging in unwanted touching, particularly directed toward male staffers.”
The California Democratic Party’s handbook defines prohibited behavior, including sexual harassment and assault, and prohibits the use of alcohol while at work. On Nov. 28, Bauman, 59, said he’s going to rehab.
”I deeply regret if my behavior has caused pain to any of the outstanding individuals with whom I’ve had the privilege to work. I appreciate the courage it took for these individuals to come forward to tell their stories,” Bauman said in a statement. “In the interest of allowing the CDP’s independent investigation to move forward, I do not wish to respond to any of the specific allegations. However, I will use the time I am on leave to immediately seek medical intervention to address serious, ongoing health issues and to begin treatment for what I now realize is an issue with alcohol.”
What will the investigation determine? Was this a behind-the-scenes political coup by progressive purists who want to rid the CDP of the old guard? Are the allegations asserted by a new generation with internalized homophobia? Or might Bauman have been blind to his own bad behavior? In any event, there has been a coup—an overthrowing of the old gay cultural attitudes of physical and verbal coziness, which is unacceptable in today’s professional environment.
“Leading the California Democratic Party to historic victories has been the honor of a lifetime, and I look forward to continuing this important work upon the conclusion of the investigation and when my health allows,” Bauman said in his statement.
Events
Q Con 2025 to take place in West Hollywood, free admission
Reserve your free tickets at the Q Con website!

Q Con, SoCal’s only LGBTQ+ comic convention, is set to return Saturday, May 3, bringing in dozens of LGBTQ+ speakers, vendors, artists and community voices to their lineup.
“LGBTQIA+ people of all ages and backgrounds need to see themselves and their stories represented in the arts – to know they are okay, they are accepted and they are powerful. Q Con gives us the opportunity to do this – to raise queer voices in comic books and graphic novels, bring the community together and have a lot of fun at the same time,” said Ted Abenheim, president of Prism Comics.
Mark your calendars and start scheming up your queer cosplay outfits for a costume contest that celebrates the LGBTQ+ representation and visibility in one of the most queer-coded industries in media ahead of Pride month.
Prism Comics, the nonprofit organization championing LGBTQ+ representation and diversity in comic books, graphic novels and pop media, announced their 4th annual Q Con, happening in West Hollywood’s Plummer Park. The convention will take place in West Hollywood from 11AM to 6PM at Fiesta Hall.
The nonprofit established in 2003, is deemed the “LGBTQ+ Comics Central,” at San Diego Comic Con, WonderCon Anaheim, Los Angeles Comic Con and other conventions. Prism prides itself on providing a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community to unite over mutual passion, interest and love for comics, novels and more. This is the space where comic creators, readers, librarians, educators and families can come together and celebrate, discuss and enjoy the representation the community needs and deserves.
Find free tickets and more information regarding guest speakers, panels and vendors here.
Q Con is also currently seeking LGBTQ+ comic creators and businesses who are interested in setting up a table at the event. If interested in tabling or volunteering, email Ted Abenheim, President of Prism Comics at [email protected].
California
Running, racing, dodging: Janelle Kellman on her bid to be California’s next Lieutenant Governor
Kellman says that she wants to use the position to tie together responsible growth and addressing the affordability crisis

Janelle Kellman is used to running marathons, which comes in handy as she campaigns to be
California’s next Lieutenant Governor – a campaign she began in 2023 for an election
that won’t happen until November 2026.
“The secret to being a true runner is consistency and discipline,” she says. “Nobody will
outwork me. I am not career politician. I am somebody who is gonna roll up my sleeves
and do all of the hard work.”
If she wins, the environmental lawyer and former mayor of Sausalito will make history
as the highest-ranking LGBTQ person elected to statewide office in California. But Kellman says she’s no climber. She’s putting a large stock of her campaign on the fact that she’s not a Sacramento insider and she’s not planning to use the job as a springboard to some other, more high-profile job.
“Many people run for this position because they want to be something else. I’m not
trying to be something else. Actually, I really want to do this job,” Kellman says.
The Lieutenant Governor sits on the boards of all of California’s higher education
institutions and has a significant role in natural resources and economic planning
through membership on the State Lands Commission, Coastal Commission, and
Commission for Economic Development.
Kellman says that she wants to use the position to tie together responsible growth and
addressing the affordability crisis that has seen hundreds of thousands of people leave
the state.
“There’s three things we really need to be focusing on to address affordability crisis.
Number one more housing of all types. Number two, proper public safety policies and
keeping our families safe. And number three, better mental health programs, both to keep people off the streets and address the homelessness problem and to support our
children,” she says.
Meeting these challenges will require someone who can ensure that many different
parts of California’s government – from the education system, the housing approvals
process, to the legal system, the heath care system and more – are laser focused on
bringing down the cost of living, Kellman says.
“I’m a lifelong team sport athlete and I’ve always been the captain of all the sports, and I
see [being Lieutenant-Governor] very much as a unifying collaboration type role, right?
This is a role I specifically want because I like that dynamic. I am really drawn to the opportunity to bring experts together.”
Kellman is aware of the symbolism her serving as Lieutenant Governor as a queer
woman would have in 2025.
“Our rights are under attack nationwide, and I see it as more important than ever that
California continue to be a stronghold of equity and inclusion,” she says. “To have
somebody who represents a minority community at the helm of our government really
gives visibility to our issues and reinforces that Californian is a place that values equality
and inclusion.”
Still, on one of the thornier issues of queer inclusion, Kellman is noticeably aversive.
She was quick to scold the Gov. Gavin Newsom when asked to comment on his recent podcast where he mused that trans women competing in women’s sports was “deeply unfair.”
“I hope that he would aim to represent all members of the State of California. So, I
hope he continues to govern and not just have a podcast for the next couple of years,”
she says. “But it’s also an opportunity to remind voters and remind everybody, it’s much more than that. It’s about inclusion. It’s about education. It’s about mental health and wellness.
There are so many issues that affect people Nationwide and Statewide. We’ve got to
stay focused on the big picture.”
But does that mean that she would advocate for trans women athletes being able to
compete in women’s sports, particularly as the lieutenant governor has a role in higher
education, where this issue has been in focus?
“I think the role of the Lieutenant Governor as an individual who sits on many of these
boards is to ensure that all students are treated fairly, and all our young people feel safe,
whoever they are on college campuses. I think that is the number one. No matter your background, no matter your orientation. So I would apply that across the board to anybody on college campuses,” she says.
Given one more chance to clarify her position, Kellman dodges again.
“I think that we have bigger issues to be talking about in the United States and
California,” she says.
But Kellman is critical of the Democratic political establishment that has entrenched
itself in Sacramento, which she characterizes as impeding progress on California’s most
critical issues.
“We’ve become an obstructionist party, and we need to be a party that gets things
done,” she says. “I’ve been able to get a lot done even as a small town mayor, and I see
my fellow mayors be able to get things done at the local level, I want to raise that up so
that it happens statewide.
“Let’s be the party that gets things done. And let’s focus on this high cost of living first
and foremost,” she says.
Without invoking the specter of the word “efficiency” in today’s political climate, Kellman
is also eager to hold the establishment to account for solving the state’s problems.
“Where’s the accountability? Where’s the transparency? What is happening in real
time? Let’s take homelessness, right? We know that as a state from 2017-18 to now, we
spent 22 billion dollars on homelessness. And during that same time period, the number
of unhoused in California went up by a third. Now, what if we were actually demanding
accountability and transparency along the way?”
And she’s eager to hold herself to account in office, too.
“If this was the private sector, I’d get hired. Because we would say you know how to do
the job, you’re going to be held accountable. We need more of that.”
California
Two anti-trans bills fail to advance in California
AB 89 and AB 844 were aimed at banning trans women and girls from competing in women’s sports

The two bills introduced by Republican lawmakers aimed at banning trans athletes from female sports, did not pass during yesterday’s committee meeting.
Assembly Bill 89 and Assembly Bill 844, have failed to advance in the Arts, Entertainment, Sports and Tourism Committee on Tuesday by a 2-6 vote on each bill. AB 89, introduced by Assemblymember Kate Sanchez (R-Rancho Santa Margarita) and AB 844, introduced by Assemblymember Bill Essayli (R-Riverside), were both rejected by California lawmakers.
“If these members and their counterparts were truly committed to addressing the inequities and safety concerns women and girls face—in sports and everyday life—they would be joining the frontlines in the fight for equal pay, stronger protections against domestic violence and sexual assault, and expanded healthcare resources,” said Tony Hoang, executive director at Equality California.
AB 89 and AB 844 are part of the nationwide coordinated effort led by extremists in Washington D.C. to sow fear and misinformation about transgender people—in particular youth—and attempt to erase them from virtually all areas of public life.
“Instead of tackling the real problems in our state like high inflation and rising healthcare costs, Assemblymembers Sanchez and Essayli continue to waste time and taxpayer money using transgender youth as political pawns in a shameful display of divisive politics and a thirst for attention.,” said Hoang.
AB 89 would have established a ban on athletes whose sex was assigned male at birth, from competing on a girls’ interscholastic sports team.
AB 844 would have reversed California’s law which currently allows trans athletes to participate in girls and women’s sports teams across all age levels, up to college level.
Tuesday’s hearing marked the first public debate on the issue in California since Newsom’s public comments about trans women in sports being “deeply unfair.”
On Friday, Gov. Newsom’s office confirmed it received a letter from U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon, stating that California could lose federal funds if it continued to allow trans athletes to compete in women’s and girls’ sports.
“As Secretary of Education, I am officially asking you to inform this Department whether you will remind schools in California to comply with federal law by protecting sex-separated spaces and activities. I am also officially asking you to publicly assure parents that California teachers will not facilitate the fantasy of ‘gender transitions’ for their children,” she wrote in the letter.
Equality California continues their partnership with the Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus and other legislative partners in an effort to combat the passage of bills like AB 89 and AB 844.
“We are pleased these bills have failed and are thankful to those lawmakers who opposed this dangerous legislation in committee, particularly to the committee chair, Assemblymember Chris Ward, for his leadership,” said Hoang.
California
GLAAD’s Latine Honors celebrates culture and identity with packed house

GLAAD’s Spanish-Language & Latine Media created and produced the first Latine Honors, nearly blowing the roof off of Grandmaster Recorders in Hollywood, with a more-than-packed house full of stars.
The Latine Honors were created to celebrate the best in queer, Latine visibility and representation in entertainment media, advocacy and journalism. This event happened back-to-back-to-back with the GLAAD Black and Brown Honors and the 36th GLAAD Media Awards.
The Latine Honors were hosted by the hilarious stand-up comedian Roz Hernandez, who continues to make waves in the Los Angeles comedy scene and beyond.
“Every single time [GLAAD] calls, I answer,” said Hernandez on the carpet.
Hernandez says she is very lucky to be acknowledged by GLAAD and to join forces with them in the work they do for the LGBTQ+ community.
The Spanish-Language Special Recognition Awards were presented on stage by Harvey Guillén to “The Q Agenda,” a TV series on Latin Nation and “La Verdrag,” a news show on Canal Once, for their incomparable contributions to queer, Latine representation in media.
LA Blade had the chance to interview some of the Latine stars that graced the carpet to offer their two cents on issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community, including Harvey Guillén, Vico Ortíz, David Archuleta and members of “The Q Agenda.”
“I think now more than ever, it’s important for us to remember that we can’t be numb to the things happening around us,” said Guillén. “People are becoming less empathetic toward our community and other communities being attacked, so we have to remember to not lose focus. Do not lose focus and do not lose empathy.”
We also had a chance to catch up with Ortíz on the carpet. They are currently hosting a daily LGBTQ+ news podcast with Nay Bever, where together, they tactfully deliver the news that is relevant to our communities.
“I am co-hosting a daily news podcast called ‘Today in Gay,’ where we wake up everyday, we read the news and then report them to our queer community,” said Ortíz. “It’s quite a responsibility, but I’m also really honored to deliver [the news] with care and tenderness and tact.”
Ortíz was an honoree at the Latine Honors for their outstanding contributions to the media and entertainment industries as a Puerto Rican, non-binary, multi-hyphenated artist.
Archuleta spoke to us about his latest single Créme Bruleé, which incorporates a Latin flare to a pop tune.
“I’m so excited because I just released a new song, Creme Bruleé” said Archuleta. “I was really inspired by the pop girlies – Chapelle, Sabrina, Charlie [XCX], Billie [Eilish], and I just thought I wanted to channel that and I want to feel that confidence and that sexiness that I feel when I listen to their music, but I wanted to add a Latin flare to it.”
Keynote remarks were delivered by GLAAD President and CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis; welcome remarks were shared by Monica Tresandes, Senior Director of Spanish Language & Latine Media and Representation; and Gabe Gonzalez, host of GLAAD’s original ¡DÍMELO!, shared remarks about the attendees representing the Latine creators and media from across the industry.
Arts & Entertainment
2025 Best of LGBTQ LA Readers’ Choice Award Nominations

It’s time to celebrate the vibrant and diverse LGBTQ+ community of Los Angeles! Nominations for the Best of LGBTQ LA Awards are open from March 31st to April 6th, giving you the chance to highlight your favorite local legends, hotspots, performers, and change-makers. Then, from April 14th to April 27th, cast your vote for the finalists and help decide who truly represents the best of LGBTQ LA.
Use the form below or click the link HERE to nominate!
Local
‘Think of those who have not been seen,’ Cynthia Erivo’s powerful message at GLAAD Awards
Erivo and Doechii delivered powerful acceptance speeches at the 36th GLAAD Media Awards

GLAAD celebrated its 40th anniversary with a star-studded gala in Beverly Hills, honoring achievements in LGBTQ+ media and entertainment, while pushing back at efforts nationwide to turn back civil rights protections, restrict and erase transgender identities.
Doechii accepted a GLAAD Media Award for outstanding music artist, Harper Steele won for outstanding documentary for Will & Harper and Nava Mau was honored with the outstanding series – limited anthology award for Baby Reindeer.
Those in attendance rose for a long and enthusiastic standing ovation as the prestigious Stephen F. Kolzak Award was presented to Cynthia Erivo.
“It isn’t easy. None of it is, waking up and choosing to be yourself, proclaiming a space belongs to you when you don’t feel welcomed,” said Erivo.
The 38-year-old queer Oscar nominee and Emmy, Tony and Grammy winner delivered a moving acceptance speech, in which she thanked GLAAD but also called on the audience to do more to help those in the community who have not yet come out. Video of her remarks has gone viral on Instagram.
“Here in this room, we have all been the recipients of the gift that is the opportunity to be more. I doubt that it has come easy to any of us, but more, for some, the road has not been one paved with yellow bricks, but instead paved with bumps and potholes. Whichever road you have traveled, how beautiful it is that you’ve had a road to travel on at all. There are the invisible ones who have had no road at all. For those who have not
yet even begun to find the road, be encouraged and be patient with yourself, it will show itself,” Erivo said. Then she paused from reading the speech that was in the teleprompter, and ad libbed a poetic, closing message.
“We use the phrase ‘out and proud,’ and though you might not have the strength or capacity to do that now, know that I am proud of your quiet and solitary want to be just that,” she said, and then addressed the community ahead of Transgender Day of Visibility. “We are all visible. We can be seen. We see each other. I see you, you see me. But think of those who have not been seen, think of those who sit in the dark and wait their turn, hoping and waiting for a light to light their path. I ask every single one of you in this room, with the spaces that you’re in, and the lights that you hold, to point it in the direction of someone who just needs a little guidance.”
Broadway legend Patti LuPone offered guidance from queer icons, past and present, when she took the stage to recite inspiring quotes that brought the house down.
“I can no longer accept the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept,” LuPone quoted lesbian, feminist, activist Angela Davis. “Coming out is the most political thing you can do,” she said, quoting Harvey Milk.
Then LuPone cited some of the stars of Drag Race, including Valentina, Kennedy Davenport, Alyssa Edwards, Trixie Mattel, Plane Jane, and Latrice Royale. But it was the words of OG Drag Race alumna Bianca Del Rio that got the crowd on its feet: “Not today, Satan. Not today!”
“Right now, LGBTQ+ rights are under attack, but what they take from us, they take from you too,” said Brian Michael Smith, upon winning the award for outstanding drama series for 911: Lone Star. “These aren’t isolated rollbacks; they’re attacks on all of our civil rights. This kind of representation is more than visibility, it’s resistance.”
When Doechii accepted the trophy for outstanding music artist at the ceremony, the “Denial Is a River” rapper commented on this politically charged moment for the LGBTQ community, as she praised GLAAD for its principles of “acceptance, inclusiveness and empowerment.”
“Those are the same things I strongly believe in and advocate for and that continue to propel me forward, especially now that hard-won cultural change and rights for transgender people and the LGBTQ community have been threatened,” said Doechii. “And I am disgusted. Disgusted. But I want to say that we are here and we are not going anywhere.”
“These kinds of events help me to feel support, to feel like we’re a team working together to make ourselves feel more seen, make others feel more seen, and there’s so much still to celebrate,” said singer songwriter David Archuleta, the American Idol alum who made headlines in 2021 when he came out and quit the Mormon Church. On the red carpet before the gala, he shared with the Los Angeles Blade his advice to fans who want to find joy amid the gloom: “I love to go dance. Dance is so therapeutic. It’s a place where you can just shake it off, feel hot, go out, and that’s a therapeutic way.”
“This is where I find joy,” Michaela Jaé Rodriguez told the Blade. “But the best times where I find even more joy is learning what state we’re in. Learning how I can fire myself, put a fire behind me, and stay as vigilant as possible and be in the forefront and never disappear. And I want to encourage that to a lot of my young individuals out there. Don’t disappear. Stand out, be proud, and don’t be scared. I’m not scared!”
“It feels amazing, being surrounded by basically my own people is always like a big warm hug, so I love it,” Harper Steele told the Blade.
The writer, who took home a GLAAD trophy for her award-winning documentary with her friend and fellow SNL alum Will Ferrell, noted that despite the joy of the evening, she was “very sad” about political moves targeting the transgender community in Washington, D.C. as well where she grew up in Iowa.
“My own home state, who gave me trans protections and rights, just took them away,” Steele told the Blade. “We’re the first group that’s ever had those rights taken away from us, so we’re in a weird time. I’m going to keep doing the best I can to convince people that they’re wrong. Not only are they wrong, but they’re being stupid.”
The Washington Blade was nominated for its coverage of the 2024 Summer Olympics Games, ”Paris Olympics: More queer athletes, more medals, more Pride, less Grindr,” in the category of outstanding print article. The winner was “‘Changing The Narrative’: Advocates Fight HIV Stigma in Dallas’ Latino Community” by Abraham Nudelstejer of The Dallas Morning News. The Advocate won for outstanding magazine overall coverage, and Jo Yurcaba of NBC Out won for “Friends Remember Nex Benedict, Oklahoma Student Who Died After School Fight, as ‘Fiery Kid.’”
The Blade also spoke to GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis on the red carpet.
Ellis and the organization survived a difficult challenge in 2024 when Ellis herself came under fire from The New York Times for what it called “lavish” spending. It should be noted that in a one-on-one conversation with Variety in October, Ellis pointed out that The Times report omitted mention of GLAAD’s multi-year campaign that called attention to the newspaper’s unbalanced coverage of issues related to transgender Americans and gender-affirming care, and that any spending issues raised by the report — seen by many as a hit piece in retaliation for GLAAD’s campaign — had already been addressed “two years ago.”
Ellis told the Blade she remains focused on GLAAD’s mission to advance acceptance of the LGBTQ community in media.
“I think tonight for me is about getting everybody together to talk about our stories, how important they are, and make sure that we are plastering the airwaves with our stories. And I think it’s about moving forward and having a plan. We have a plan at GLAAD. We understand what’s happened to this media ecosystem and we’re forging forward.”
Ellis spoke passionately about the challenge the nonprofit faces in 2025 and beyond.
“I think the media ecosystem has changed so dramatically and tectonically in a short period of time, “ she said. “We’re seeing that right-wing media gets about 100 million people a week. Progressive media reaches 30 million people a week. So, we have a 70 million person gap, and that gap is why we’re losing presidential campaigns, why we’re losing the narrative, why our community is under siege. We have to close that gap.”
Read the full list of nominees and winners of this year’s GLAAD Media Awards here.
California
Equality California to release 2024 Legislative Scorecard and rally at State Capitol
The rally will unite LGBTQ+ community members and political leaders

Equality California will hold a rally at the State Capitol’s West Steps in response to rising anti-LGBTQ+ political attacks on Wednesday, March 26 at 11:00 AM PT.
This rally will also serve as an opportunity to discuss the release of the 2024 Legislative Scorecard, which is a report of politicians and sponsored legislation that further and cement the protections of LGBTQ+ rights. The scorecard also analyzes voting methods and results, gathering an overall score that reflects legislators’ votes on EQCA-sponsored legislation.
Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide civil rights organization working towards bringing justice to LGBTQ+ issues by rallying against legislative issues that attack LGBTQ+ rights.
This call to action will serve as part of the organization’s annual LGBTQ+ Advocacy Day, held each year to bring together constituents with lawmakers in support of pro-LGBTQ+ legislation.
EQCA has a line-up of featured political speakers to include Assembly Democratic Caucus Chair Rick Chavez Zbur, Legislative LGBTQ Caucus Chair and Assemblymember Chris Ward, Legislative LGBTQ Caucus Vice Chair and Senator Caroline Menjivar, among others.
This event is meant to bring attention to the rise in political attacks, unite in community and mobilize efforts toward preserving LGBTQ+ rights for the state of California and beyond.
Breaking News
Family of Linda Becerra Moran, trans woman killed by LAPD after calling 911, files lawsuit
Moran was pronounced dead after three weeks on life-support

On Feb. 7, Linda Becerra Moran contacted the Los Angeles Police Department in a phone call where she reported that she was being held against her will in a San Fernando Motel.
At around 9:40AM, Moran called the Foothill Division of the LAPD, and was recorded stating that she was not only being held at the motel against her will, but that she was being forced to bring men into her motel room. In the audio call recording, she is heard crying as she answers the questions regarding her safety.
When the officers found her in the hotel room they stated that she didn’t remember how she got there, while speaking in Spanish to the officers.
The statement released regarding the officer-involved shooting says that ‘when officers arrived, they entered the motel room and met with Moran. During their investigation, Moran became agitated, armed herself with a knife and held it to her neck.’
The officers responded by drawing their guns, further agitating her. The attorney representing the family of Moran says the released video proves that the shooting was unlawful and unjust.
Now, the TransLatin@ Coalition is looking for justice for Moran and her family, especially considering that she was someone who received services directly from them. They hosted the first vigil for her on Friday, March 14, in front of the LAPD headquarters.
“Linda Becerra Moran, a trans immigrant who received services from our organization, was brutally shot and murdered by the Los Angeles Police Department. We held a vigil and we invited the community to join us in solidarity as we demand justice and honor Linda’s life,” said the TransLatin@ Coalition in a statement.
The police officer who shot and killed Moran was Jacob Sanchez, 24, who was hired in 2021.
Moran was pronounced dead after three weeks on life support in late February.
Somos Familia Valle, is hosting a poster-making event today from 2PM to 8PM where they will be preparing for a call to action. The call to action is scheduled for Saturday, March 22 at the Foothill Division Police Department, at 1PM. The organization posted a list of demands, along with their statement on Moran’s death.
“At a time where our trans siblings are being attacked politically and socially, now more than ever is the time for us to be loud and seek accountability,” reads the statement. “The murder of Linda Becerra Moran by the Los Angeles Foothill Division Police Department was unwarranted and speaks to the disregard for trans lives, but also the lack of de-escalation tactics.”
Local
LA’s Queer professionals will gather to host free community event
Open Space Therapy Collective Hosts Community Building Experience with Queerly Connected

The Open Space Therapy Collective will be hosting a community building experience featuring dozens of LA-based professionals from across different industries. This community-building event was planned in response to the sweeping political attacks against the queer, trans and BIPOC communities. The event hosted by Queerly Connected is fittingly titled We Got Us, and it will be free and open to the public.
Wellness providers will be there to provide art therapy, movement therapy, grief counseling, sound baths, yoga and other creative and healing arts.
“As political pressure on our communities intensifies, it’s increasingly more important for us to come together and create a space where our healing and joy can intersect,” said Renea Johnson, founder of Open Space Therapy Collective and host of Queerly Connected. “Historically, in times like these, it’s important for us to expand our community and nurture collaboration. That’s why I’m so grateful for everyone who steps out to build community with us at Queerly Connected.
Another aim of the event is to learn and experience the modalities of the queer, trans and BIPOC communities. Attendees can deepen their understanding and learn more about a queer-informed approach.
Some of the experiential workshops and other offerings will include grief counseling by Studio DDLA, sound baths by TSage and DG Sound Healing, full-spectrum support from The Gender Doula, artist collaborations by Secret Spot, nails by Little Brother Nails and more.
The event will take place at Studio DDLA. This event is meant to encourage people to come as they are, with a rolling entry from 4PM until 7PM on Sunday, March 16.
To learn more about the event or the collaborators, visit their website.
Local
WeHo Gives Back program launched to support small businesses
This initiative will raise funds for local businesses impacted by the recent wild fires

The West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce (WHCC) announced the launch of WeHo Gives Back, a new initiative that is committed to supporting small businesses in West Hollywood that have been impacted by the Los Angeles fires.
“The small businesses of West Hollywood are resilient, but they need our community’s support
now more than ever,” said Genevieve Morrill, WHCC president and CEO. “WeHo Gives Back is
our way of ensuring these establishments receive the support they need to recover and thrive.”
West Hollywood is home to a diverse number of locally owned businesses. From the nightlife and restaurant industries to service providers like dry cleaners and salons, there’s a business for every one of the community’s needs. According to the WeHo Chamber of Commerce, businesses have been experiencing revenue declines between 25 percent to 50 percent with retail, hotels, restaurants, and bars being hit the hardest. In some cases, businesses have reported over 70 percent in loss of revenue, leading to a reduction in staff and operating hours.
About 26 percent of West Hollywood’s workforce is made up of hospitality workers, primarily employed by small businesses. These businesses, including the hotel industry, contribute to an estimated 70 percent of the city’s revenue. Tax revenue is used to support social services, community safety, and infrastructure improvements.
WHCC is calling on the community to support through WeHo Gives Back with a goal to restore the loss in foot traffic and to raise much needed funds. The public is encouraged to venture out to West Hollywood to shop, dine, and play.
The initiative kicked off on March 1st and West Hollywood go-ers will start to see QR codes on signs, napkins and websites in order to contribute to the recovery fund.
For more information about WeHo Gives Back or where to donate, visit wehochamber.com/wehogivesback.
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