Los Angeles Releases Guide to L.A.’s LGBTQ+ History

LOS ANGELES — To honor LGBTQ+ Heritage Month, L.A. Controller Ron Galperin released a unique online story map celebrating the rich and diverse history of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning/queer community, and the City’s central role in the movement for equality. “LGBTQ+ Pride and Power” offers an interactive tour of 10 historical locations in Los Angeles that helped shape the LGBTQ+ community, provides statistics on how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting LGBTQ+ people of color, and maps 100+ service organizations that provide housing, health resources, education programs, scholarships, legal help, and nutrition assistance to homeless and at-risk LGBTQ+ youth.

“While it comes amidst a global pandemic and a national movement against racial injustice, honoring LGBTQ+ Heritage Month is more important than ever before,” said Controller Galperin. “The LGBTQ+ community has come so far in such a short amount of time – fighting against criminalization, surviving the AIDS pandemic, winning the right to marry and pushing for full equality. We know that change can come if we speak up, unite and show solidarity with all those seeking to build a better world.”

Galperin’s LGBTQ+ story map includes the following:

• Guide to L.A.’s LGBTQ+ history: From the first protest for LGBTQ+ rights at the Black Cat Tavern in Silver Lake to the first lesbian publication in the City housed at RKO Studios, Galperin maps 10 historical locations that show the breadth and diversity of the local LGBTQ community.

• Stats on COVID-19 and LGBTQ+ people of color: Illustrated through photos and facts, “LGBTQ+ Pride and Power” shows the economic impact of COVID-19 on LGBTQ+ people of color. For example, 38 percent of LGBTQ+ people of color have had their work hours cut, compared to 29 percent of their white counterparts and 24 percent of the general population.

• Map for LGBTQ+ homeless youth: The final section of the resource is an interactive map that can be used by anyone in the L.A. area in need of housing and services, but is aimed specifically at aiding LGBTQ+ youth. While people experiencing or at risk of falling into homelessness share similar basic needs, LGBTQ+ youth face additional challenges related to their sexual or gender identity. This map has services in the City and beyond, with descriptions and contact information. Users can click a dot on the map or enter an address to find help near them.

Explore “LGBTQ+ Pride and Power” at lacontroller.org/prideandpower or https://lacontroller.org/data-stories-and-maps/prideandpower/.

Using tech to connect

As L.A. Controller, Galperin seeks to use technology to better connect people with useful public information. He recently released a map showing COVID-19 job losses in LA, a statewide food map of 1,800+ food distribution locations, and a comprehensive COVID-19 Resource Hub for Los Angeles with a dashboard tracking local infection data, and hundreds of federal, state and local resources organized into 16 categories.

View all of Galperin’s maps: lacontroller.org/resourcemaps.