LBCC held a two-day watch party on April 15–16 at the Social Justice Intercultural Center (SJIC) for California Community Colleges’ (CCC) LGBTQIA+ 2025 Summit, during which street preachers visited LAC and caused a disruption.
On day one the watch party adjourned for a 15-minute break after virtually attending the “What Do We Do Now?” seminar, which offered information to students and faculty regarding recent changes in federal policies due to the new presidential administration, when attendees noticed the street preachers and went out to the second floor balcony.
The preachers remained near the crosswalk but could be heard from the B Building where the summit took place.
LBCC student attendee Ram Johnson described his feelings about the preachers’ presence during the summit.
“I consider it a very ironic coincidence that that’s happening outside while we’re also discussing certain, likely conflicting, topics within this summit. I have knowledge that they’re there, but I’m choosing not to interact with them,” Johnson said.
The summit was meant to take place during Pride Month in June, when campuses see a dip in foot traffic due to summer break, but it was moved up to April while classes were still in session to maximize the impact.
The seminar, “What Do We Do Now?” was presented in three segments, the first discussed general federal policies such as five executive orders, signed in January and February, aimed to dismantle legal recognition and roll back legal protections of transgender and nonbinary people.
Legislative Director of Equality California Craig Pulsipher assured attendees that his organization is working with advocates, legislative allies and community members to ensure that California remains a safe haven for the LGBTQ community.
Pulsipher specified how the executive order “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” signed on Jan. 25, directly hinders access to essential healthcare for transgender and nonbinary people.
Director of California’s LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network Dannie Cesena spoke about patients’ rights and how to file a complaint in case insurance denies or delays coverage or care.
Cesena clarified that insurance companies based outside of California are beholden to their state government, which could align with the president’s executive orders.
“The most important thing I want to tell those at risk is to find out where their insurance is based and plan accordingly,” Cesena said.
Director of DEIA at Irvine Valley College Erin Pollard hosted the last segment, which reassured students and faculty that CCC will uphold DEIA programs.
This seminar ended with the hosts urging watchers to get involved by joining communities on campus, signing up to receive email updates from Equality California or volunteering at LGBTQ Centers.
LBCC’s Student Life Activities Advisor Kim Hamon was proud to have a part in running the watch party and was grateful for the resources presented during the summit.
“It feels wonderful. Seeing the explicit support of trans and intersex students and the many resources that are being shown today, and as staff we’re already talking about how we can implement some of these resources to better support our students here,” Hamon said.