Happy New Year Lambda Alumni! When Devon Dickau and I became board co-chairs in 2016, one of our most important goals was not only to grow the size of the board so that we could sustain our network and the many committees therein, but to increase the diversity of our network’s leadership. I am incredibly proud that our board has doubled in size since then, and is far more representative of the many intersectional identities that make up the LGBTQ+ community (be sure to read our board demographic report below). It has been an honor to serve UCLA in this capacity, and I will always cherish the accomplishments and relationships that have been the result of this incredible opportunity.
It is with great excitement that I announce the new 2021 board co-chairs of UCLA Lambda Alumni Association, Jade Elyssa Rivera '20 and Fabian Primera '19! I am thrilled that the board has elected such passionate and experienced leaders, and I look forward to where they will steer the organization in the years to come.
Jade Elyssa Rivera is an arts and education advocate. As a product of California’s Title I schools, community college system and a public research university, their early exposure to class inequities inspires them to advocate for equitable access and anti-racist policies.
As newly elected board co-chair, they have been rethinking how to cultivate a sense of community based on impact-driven principles and ideals. Social justice is infused into Lambda’s origins, foundational documents, policies and volunteer leadership culture; while the previous leadership has laid the groundwork for robust social impact programming, Rivera looks forward to renewing Lambda's commitment to being a trans-inclusive, anti-racist space. In their leadership, they commit to fostering a safe, collaborative learning environment where everyone, in their different stages of learning, is empowered to be in community. They hope Lambda can be a sustainable place where UCLA alumni address societal needs and continue their legacy of innovation.
Fabian Primera is a nonprofit professional specializing in higher education and medical fundraising. As a student, he majored in history and was an active member of Engima, the UCLA Science Fiction and Fantasy club.
As a first-generation, non-traditional transfer student, he is keenly aware of the opportunities and challenges faced by students and this has infused him with a passion for programs that support student experiences.
In addition to his full-time career, Primera is currently working toward a masters degree in nonprofit management and leadership at the University of Southern California.
Diversity is of utmost importance to Lambda, and that starts with our own board! Under the direction of Lambda’s Engagement Chair, MJ Ibale '16, Lambda has completed our premiere board demographic report. We look forward to using this data to inform our future policies, programming and goals.
UCLA Alumni LGBTQ+ Career Launchpad — To Be or Not to Be OUT at Work”
Tuesday, Feb. 2 7 – 8 p.m. (PST)
The final session of our series will feature a panel of LGBTQ+ alumni and professionals sharing information and advice on if, when and how to come out at work and important considerations for how to authentically show up in the workplace.
Dinners for 12 Strangers is a 53-year UCLA tradition that has become a global phenomenon. Every year, on one of three nights, alumni, faculty and students come together to enjoy good food and great conversation. Due to the pandemic, D12 dinners will be hosted online this year.
Sign-ups begin Feb. 1 and all dinners take place on Feb. 20, 21 and 27.
Saturday, Feb. 20 – Host Steven Llanusa '85 – Dinner for LGBTQ+ students (we respectfully request that alumni do not register for this event)
Saturday, Feb. 20– Angela Sanchez '13, M.Ed. '15 and Host Fabian Primera '19 – OrgullOSO: LGBTQ+ Latinx (we respectfully request that only alumni who identify as Latinx register)
Sunday, Feb. 21 – Host Aurora Garcia '14 –
Dinner for LGBTQ+ Womyn (This event is a safe and inclusive space for all LGBTQ+ womyn. We respectfully request that men do not register for this event.)
Saturday, Feb. 27 –Host Harold Sarmiento, M.S.N. '16, D.N.P. Exp. '22 – Dinner for LGBTQ+ alumni (all alumni, including allies, are welcome to attend this event)
UCLA Lambda Alumni will host our leadership retreat on Jan. 31 from noon to 2 p.m. Anyone who is interested in learning more about board leadership is welcome to attend a portion of the retreat. Please email lambda@alumni.ucla.edu if you are interested.
Scholar Highlight: Syd Peterson, M.S.W. Exp. '21
Syd Peterson is a second-year M.S.W. student at the Luskin School of Public Affairs, where he is training to be a psychotherapist. This year, he is interning at the Department of Outpatient Psychiatry at Kaiser Permanente, where he sees patients for individual therapy and co-facilitates a support group for transgender and nonbinary people. Last year, he co-wrote two chapters on sexual minority men with Luskin Professor Ian Holloway for a book called “Handbook on Social Work and Sexualities,” to be published by Routledge Press. In addition to being recognized by the Lambda Alumni Association with its Graduate Student Scholarship, Peterson was also awarded the Fertig Social Justice Fellowship by the Department of Social Welfare.
Peterson has spent the past 23 years deeply involved in LGBTQ+ activism and advocacy in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, New York City and Los Angeles. The nature of his movement work has been broad, including legal services, public relations & communications, political organizing, advocacy journalism, project management, qualitative data analysis, and organization development.
Peterson’s social justice work has not been limited to LGBTQ+ advocacy. He has also volunteered at two community mental health nonprofits; served as the sole communications staffer at a Los Angeles Country organization working to address homelessness; and received a fellowship to take a six-month class on political organizing taught by renowned organizer and Harvard Kennedy School Professor Marshall Ganz. As an MBA student at the Drucker School of Management, he produced a highly attended forum on the Occupy Movement and significantly increased the number of speakers of color and women speakers at TEDxClaremontColleges.
When Peterson graduates from UCLA in June, he will pursue positions in the mental health field that will help him gain clinical experience and earn the 3,000 hours necessary to qualify for an LCSW. Whether his long-term career involves private practice, working inside a larger mental health organization or both, Peterson will use the lessons he has learned from multiple social justice movements to help people help themselves.
Event Recap
5th Annual Legendary Drag Bingo Fundraiser
Everybody’s favorite holiday fundraiser went virtual this year, and even though we couldn’t throw confetti or eat snacks together, it was still a hilarious and heartwarming event. We were able to raise $600 to support LGBTQ+ Bruins. Thank you!
Special thanks to our Drag Bingo host, Tommi Rose, and everyone who donated prizes!
All Black LGBTQ+ Lives Matter Panel
UCLA Lambda Alumni Association was proud to partner with UCLA Black Alumni Association for a panel discussion on the experiences of Black LGBTQ+ lives as part of their Social Justice Virtual Summit. Thank you to our esteemed panelists, Tim McNeal '83, Jenn Wells '07 and Tracie Jada O’Brien, and our moderator, Lambda board member Jonathan Wilson, MBA '08.
A Tour of Queer LA - UCLA LGBTQ Campus Resource Center’s 25th Anniversary
The celebration of the UCLA LGBTQ Campus Resource Center’s 25th anniversary continued with A Tour of Queer L.A., featuring various sites of LGBTQ+ history and life in Los Angeles! You can “take the tour” for yourself by visiting this link.
About the UCLA Lambda Alumni Association
UCLA Lambda Alumni Association was founded in 1989 by Doug Walters '90 and Corrine Lightweaver '85 and is one of the oldest and more well-established LGBTQ+ alumni organizations in the country. Led by a dedicated group of LGBTQ+ alumni volunteers, Lambda sustains a network of LGBTQ+ alumni and friends to support one another, UCLA students and the greater LGBTQ+ community.
You are receiving this email because you have attended or expressed interest in the events and programs of UCLA Lambda Alumni Association or have self-identified as a Lavender Graduation participant.
How Can You Support
Lambda's success depends on the generous philanthropic support of alumni and friends like you. Please click
here to learn more about our scholarship programs and how your contribution to Lambda makes an impact. Visit our giving site at giving.ucla.edu/lambda
.
Visit the LGBT Center
You are always welcome to visit the UCLA LGBT Resource Center to see our 4,000+ volume Rae Lee Siporin LGBT Library, our David Cohnett Cyber Center and the 1,600 square foot home to our LGBTQ+ students at UCLA.
