Today the state of Washington joined the 9 other states in the United States that have laws against gay conversion therapy. California banned the practice in 2012 and the law prohibits state-licensed mental health counselors from offering therapy to change sexual orientation in minors. The practice is detrimental to the mental health of individuals as it tortures young people in the attempt to change their sexuality in order to conform to heteronormative values. Let's hope for a future where the remaining 40 states create legislation that bans this destructive practice! 

March 8th is a day to celebrate the achievements of the amazing women in our lives and in our history. Today we honor women like Marsha P. Johnson, Linda Sarsour, Janet Mock, Comandante Ramona, Rigoberta Menchu, Patsy Takemoto Mink, and more. We also honor all the women in our lives that have shown us their strength and resiliency. We have an amazing group of women who are a part of this coalition, they are making their marks in our lives and in the lives of our clients with their tremendous hard work. 

Here's to all the women, and their allies, that are changing the world!

After last week's horrific events in Florida, our nation's youth has risen in order to hold adults in power accountable.  Adults who are making the decisions about legislation that has put them and other people in danger. The survivors from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have been speaking out and inspiring people across the nation. It's inspiring to see these young people take their pain and turn it into motivation to mobilize. They are the future and they are a force to be reckoned with as they are soon going to be able to vote. As adults and as service providers, we need to support them in any way that we can! 

It's important to nurture these activists and to provide them with the resources for the long fight that awaits them. But we must also remember to not overshadow their voices because there are many who are attempting to silence them by discrediting their experiences. There are adults who are trying to silence them because they refuse to see their message without focusing on their age. We must stand with our youth and follow their lead so that we can create change. It's not just gun legislation that needs to be changed, there are other issues going on that affect them and the rest of the nation. So, let us celebrate our young activists and support their vision for the future!

​#neveragain

2017 was a whirlwind year for marginalized communities and allies. It was chaos due to the new administration and it's continuous attacks against the most vulnerable in our nation. We ended the year with the passing of the detrimental Tax Plan that will have a negative impact on low income communities. The CDC was given a list of banned words that included, "evidence-based", "fetus", "transgender" and "vulnerable".  Also with the dismissal of the remaining members of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, this administration has proven that it is not interested in the recommendations that experts in the field have. We'll see in the coming months who he fills those positions with and whether they are going to continue the work that the previous PACHA members were doing.

Though the year was filled with trauma for the communities that we may be a part of and/or work with, it was also a year where we truly saw the resiliency and resistance.  Communities have come together to fight back and have each other's backs. For 2018, the hope should be that the resistance continues to grow and that communities continue to come together. Let's not forget that 2018 is the midterm election year, we have to encourage those around us to go out and vote in order for our congress to have a positive impact. Though we should continue to resist,  let's make sure that we are also taking care of ourselves along the way. Don't forget to practice some self-care in the midst of all that is happening.

​Let's make the goal for 2018 to create change and promote healing for our communities so that in years to come we can look back and inspire younger generations to also take action.

Wishing everyone a healthy and productive New Year!  

December 1st is World AIDS Day, a day where we can show support to those affected by HIV, honor those who we have lost, and reaffirm our dedication to fighting against HIV. Show your solidarity by wearing your red ribbon and attending one of the many events that will be happening throughout Los Angeles to commemorate World AIDS Day. 

The Key Actor Award Nominations are officially open. Its time to recognize members of the coalition who have played one of the 10 roles that have helped our coalition be successful this year. You can vote by completing our Key Actor Award Survey. Your votes will be completely anonymous and you can vote as many times as you'd like. 

We also are conducting our Co-Chair Elections! Please vote on who you would like to be the leadership for our subcommittees and main co-chairs. You can vote by completing our Co-Chair Survey.  Once again, your votes will be completely anonymous! 

You have until November 30th to submit your nominations, we will announce our winners and our new co-chairs the day of the retreat on Friday, December 8th at our Annual C2PLA Holiday Retreat.