Have you had previous public service experience on a committee, council, commission, or public body? If do, indicate the public agency, title of position, and duties.
As of February 9th of 2020 I have a State Commission as a Public Notary with the State of California. Aside from this commission I have volunteered in my community as an event organizer, performer, and content creator for the OUTreach Center of Lancaster, the Poppy Festival, Online Blogs, and many other events across the Antelope Valley since 1996.
Please list your employment or volunteer history that is relevant to service in the committee:
1997 Performer Antelope Valley Poppy Festival
1998 Performer CityWalk, Los Angeles
2012 Assistant Manager/Promoter BackDoor Nightclub
2013 Representative/Non-profit Booth AV Pride
2014 Representative/Non-profit Booth AV Pride
2015 Representative/Non-profit Booth AV Pride
2016 Organizer/Volunteer AV Pride
2017 Volunteer US Forestry Service
2018-current Blogger/Event Organizer
What is your vision for Palmdale?
My vision for Palmdale is for it to become the premier destination in the High Desert. We are uniquely located so that access to Los Angeles is convenient and expandable. Promoting equality, equity and empowerment should be a focus for our city to thrive. I would love to see people of all backgrounds, regardless of gender, race, creed, ability, or sexual orientation to look to Palmdale as a place where they would feel welcomed. No group should feel ostracized, excluded, or ignored by our city leaders and being part of the Human Rights Advisory Committee would ensure it.
How do you feel you would add value to the Human Rights Advisory Committee? What unique characteristics, qualifications, perceptions, and experiences would you bring to the Committee?
As a 30 year resident of the city, I proudly call Palmdale home. I’ve watched this city grow in size, double in population, and triple in accessibility over the years. Traversing the Latino community and the LGBTQ community, I see people in our city that some would ignore. Speaking a second language is an advantage that many have, but understanding cultural nuances takes more than being able to utter the right conjugations. I’ve seen the LGBTQ community grow in size and diversity and I’ve frequented the many Hispanic and minority owned businesses that dot our city. As an event organizer and Public Servant, I have an obligation to serve all people with respect and to treat them with the utmost humanity. I have a moral obligation to myself and to the State to denounce intolerance and injustice when I see it, as well as coercion & abuse of the disabled/elderly.
Please indicate your reason for wanting to serve.
I want to serve because I have a desire for my city to be the crowning jewel of the the High Desert. I want the rest of Los Angeles County to look to our city as an example of tolerance and diversity. Most of all, I want to give back to a city who has made me strong enough to stand up for myself, and honorable enough to stand up for others.
What are your long term goals as a Human Rights Advisory Committee Member?
I’ve never been one to seek leadership because I prefer anonymity but I’m willing to step up if necessary. Seeking clout, or breaking a “glass ceiling” holds no value to me because my goal is to make my home community a more rounded , inclusive, and diverse city. I want to see parts of my city that I’ve never seen. I want to help groups who I didn’t know lived within it’s boundaries feel included. Their race, their social status, their career and their color is unimportant. What IS important, is their story & their voice. Long term, I want to become a better individual through my work as a Human Rights Advisory Committee Member.
What additional information would you like us to know to better assess your suitability for the Human Rights Advisory Committee?
My life and my lifestyle are public knowledge and many in the Antelope Valley area are familiar with who I am. As with any person, there are bridges that I would rather not cross, but I will gladly meet on the other side if necessity calls. I greet everyone with a smile, and if they want, a warm hug. I have a large repository of first had experiences in the city across many neighborhoods because Palmdale is not, West Side vs. East Side. There are flourishing communities like Sun Village, and Four Points who have the same diversity as Rancho Vista and Ana Verde, I’ve seen it, and I see it every day.
