By Angelica C. Gualpa
The Los Angeles County LGBTQ+ Commission submitted its first annual report to the County Board of Supervisors this week. The report covers the commission’s work from June 2024 to June 2025 and provides an in-depth analysis of key accomplishments, obstacles faced, and ongoing long-term projects.
“Especially at this time, when we are seeing such a steep rise in anti-LGBTQ legislation, it is critical that the County of Los Angeles be a safe haven for our LGBTQ+ community,” said the Commission Executive Director Sunitha Menon (she/they). “The commissioners have worked hard to provide advice and recommendations to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ people here in the County. We are grateful for the continued support and collaboration with the Supervisors and their offices and have built a solid foundation to ensure our work is as effective as possible in the upcoming year.”
The highlighted achievements of the report include:
Adopting the Commission’s first Strategic Plan, which articulates its vision, mission, core values, priority areas, and priority populations.
Engaging with over 55 LGBTQ+ community-based organizations to establish long-term partnerships for collaboration and advocacy.
Providing advice and recommendations in more than 100 meetings with County departments on LGBTQ+ issues.
Co-hosting a Wildfire Townhall in Altadena in May 2025 with the Wiliams Institute, which focused on helping LGBTQ+ people who were impacted by the January 2025 wildfires.
In the upcoming year, the Commission has decided to prioritize helping individuals impacted by the federal administration’s changes.
Specifically, the Commission aims to ensure access to gender-affirming care for Transgender and Queer people, support individuals of varied immigration statuses, and provide recommendations to help keep all communities safe during interactions with law enforcement.
In addition, the Commission aims to remain committed to advancing its work through its five core areas – the County workforce, youth, health and mental health, safety, and housing and homelessness.
“Trans and Queer (LGBTQIA2S+) people hold grounding roots and thriving futures in Los Angeles County,” said LGBTQ+ Commission Chair Héctor Plascencia (they/them). “May this report solidify our presence and connected direction towards a just and humane County home. We will not be erased.”
The LGBTQ+ Commission was created in June 2023 to provide advice and recommendations to the Board of Supervisors and County Departments about how to better support LGBTQ+ people.
The 15-member board utilizes engagement activities to ensure that its advice and recommendations are inclusive of the broad and varied needs of the diverse LGBTQ+ population in the County.
For more information about the LGBTQ+ Commission, visit lgbtq.lacounty.gov.
