Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn has officially appointed Ellie Perez, an active Latina LGBTQ+ leader, to sit on the newly established LA County LGBTQ+ Commission. The commission, which was created earlier this year, is designed to give voice to LGBTQ+ residents and provide counsel to the Board of Supervisors on relevant issues. Perez, praised for her advocacy and leadership, steps into her new role while serving as Interim Executive Director of The LGBTQ Center Long Beach.
"Ellie's commitment and leadership within the LGBTQ+ community are informed by her own experiences, and that driving passion is evident throughout her career. What she is going to bring to the Commission as a lesbian woman and mother of a trans child is extremely unique and valuable. I'm grateful that she has accepted this invitation," Hahn said in a statement. Tasked to advise on matters from discrimination to disparities, the commission is seen as a crucial step to more inclusively address the needs and challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in the county.
Perez, along with her wife Angela, co-founded the Safe Spaces Alliance in 2020—an initiative that dedicates itself to identifying and promoting LGBTQ+ safe spaces and businesses. "I am humbled and honored to be appointed to Supervisor Janice Hahn's LGBTQ+ Commission. Having a seat at the table will allow me to collaborate with others who seek to move our LGBTQ+ community closer to equity and equality," Perez told the press.
The urgency of the Commission's work is underscored by the violent trends in hate crimes against LGBTQ+ persons. According to the LA County Commission on Human Relations' 2021 Hate Crime Report, a staggering 89% of the hate crimes towards gay men were of a violent nature, and an alarming 93% of anti-transgender crimes followed suit, marking a terrifying index of violence that surpasses other marginalized groups recorded in the report. This data points to a pressing need for focused, actionable recommendations from entities like the LGBTQ+ Commission to tackle such deeply rooted societal issues head-on.
Hahn has also appointed Eddie Martinez to the Commission, who is currently a Huntington Park city council member and the executive director of Latino Equality Alliance. Their collective experience and insight are expected to significantly influence the county's efforts in fostering a more equitable environment for LGBTQ+ residents. Both appointees now stand to contribute greatly to the pioneering work of Los Angeles County's inaugural LGBTQ+ Commission, offering a beacon of hope and a path towards real, impactful change.
