Safe Spaces, Bold Voices

Community safety

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit)

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

LGBTQ+ individuals face disproportionate rates of hate crimes and harassment. In California, anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes increased 47.8% in 2021, with transgender people victimized four times more than cisgender individuals. Smaller Pride events and community gatherings in parks lack security resources, creating vulnerable spaces where hate incidents can occur. Many LGBTQ+ community members, particularly immigrants and refugees, lack access to culturally appropriate safety resources and don't know their rights when facing harassment. This creates barriers to full participation in public spaces and community events that should be welcoming to all Angelenos.

Safe Spaces, Bold Voices will address anti-LGBTQ+ safety concerns through three key initiatives:
Subsidizing the cost of private security for small Pride events and LGBTQ+ park gatherings annually that cannot afford protection, ensuring safe spaces for community building and youth outreach.
Distribute our existing educational materials at pride and LGBTQ+ community events across LA. These materials include Know Your Rights information as well as tips for bystander intervention in the face of discrimination and harassment.
Enhance our Stop the Hate website with updated prevention tools and a resource directory for LGBTQ+ people.

Equality California Institute will work with local partners to identify high-need community events where we can provide security and distribute materials to attendees. This comprehensive approach addresses immediate safety needs while building long-term community resilience through education and prevention.

We envision an LA County with safer, more accessible public spaces where LGBTQ+ individuals can gather without fear. Smaller Pride events can become more family-friendly community hubs that build neighborhood connections, increasing LGBTQ+ visibility. Expansion of multilingual resources will empower LGBTQ+ immigrant and refugee community members to understand their rights and create a community of care and support. Training bystanders to support community members in the face of hate will create a network of safety advocates. Looking forward, this LA County based model potentially can be scaled to other California counties, establishing a framework for community-driven LGBTQ+ safety initiatives to transform public spaces into inclusive and welcoming places for all residents.