REACH LA NEWS

SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, July 25, 2009

Categories are posted on myspace.com/ovahness

REACH LA is proud to announce that Francisco (Frank) Armenta, 20, REACH LA’s own Ovahness Leader, has received the 2009 Courage Award by the Colin Higgins Foundation. Frank is one of three national winners who will be honored at the Trevor Project Gala in New York City on June 29, 2009.

Battling homophobia on a daily basis in East Los Angeles, Frank was routinely called a “faggot” throughout high school. After being kicked out of class by a teacher for “gay” artwork on his binder, Frank called a parent-teacher meeting, only to learn that his Mexican-Catholic family would not stand up for him due to their embarrassment that he was gay. This experience fueled him to become an activist, spanning from collaborating with the GSA to design a new web-based campaign, ”Be An Ally”, to support gay youth at his predominantly Latino high school, to becoming the youngest certified HIV Counselor and Tester in LA county. Through his activism to increase youth HIV testing, Frank has been able to provide invaluable recommendations to key policy makers on best practices for treating queer youth of color during the testing process. Currently, Frank works at REACH LA as a Social Enterprise Assistant and Peer Health Counselor, and continues to fuse his passion for graphic art design with his activism by creating all the electronic and print media for the Ovahness program serving queer young men of color. He also helps support other community LGBT youth groups such as Connect to Protect by creating original designs for their marketing materials and media campaigns.

Ana Lopez, REACH LA’s former Outreach Coordinator, also received the Courage Award honor in 2006.

LBGTQ YOUTH VIDEOS @ MEDIA STUDIES SPRING SCREENING

WEDNESDAY MAY 6th at 6:00PM
BROAD PERFORMANCE SPACE
PITZER COLLEGE • 1050 N. MILLS AVE • CLAREMONT • 91711

MEDIA ARTS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE PRESENTS
Student lead media in community projects

The Pretty Boy Empire - Video Letters to ObamaThese video letters were created at the first ever Gay Youth of Color Inaugural Ball in Los Angeles - featuring LGBT Hip Hop artists, including Melange Lavonne, Deadlee, and Last Offense
MASJ student: Rebecca Nachison
Pretty Boy Empire - Project Adviser: Maurice Lopez
(aka the Pretty Boy King of Hollywood)

Unheard Voices of Transgender Youth
A series of short videos by transgender youth of color about issues of self-esteem, spirituality, social stigma and “clocking”. Produced in collaboration with Children’s Hospital Transgender Youth Program.
MASJ Students: Ivana Horvat and Hannah Fox
CHLA Project Adviser: Bamby Salcedo
Participants: The CHLA Transgender Youth Risk Reduction Program.

The REACH for OVAHNESS Talk Show
Two episodes of a new talk show made for and by young black gay men about issues that are important to this community.
MASJ students: Paul Bergman and Jacqueline Legazcue
REACH LA Project Advisers: Tyrone Carter, Greg Wilson, Chris Blades, and Kafi Battersby.
Community Guests/Show Hosts: The Young Men’s Ovahness Leadership Team from REACH LA - Kyle Butler, Stephan Daniels, Devaughn Sherman, and Robert Howell

ALSO AT THIS EVENT - REACH LA’s YOUNG MEN’S OVAHNESS LEADERSHIP TEAM will be selling cool t-shirts and canvas bags designed in-house by the REACH LA Social Enterprise Team to raise money for their youth HIV prevention program.

For more information about this event contact:
Gina Lamb lambgina@yahoo.com

Wednesday, April 8th from 7-9pm: The Ovahness Leadership presents “Crystal, Speeding Out of Control” - a presentation and discussion about crystal meth with Mike Rizzo, Manager of Crystal Meth Recovery Services at LA Gay & Lesbian Center.
Learn about crystal meth, how it effects our bodies and mind. Learn how to identify use of crystal meth and how to talk candidly with family, peers and others about substance use and recovery. Light snacks and beverages served. All are welcome. For more information contact Tyrone at 213-622-1650 x104, or tyrone_reachla@earthlink.net

Tuesday, April 14th - The Legend Returns to Present… The Grundge, Legend Lessons Part 2: Don’t Come For Me!” BQ Vogue Performance sponsored by REACH LA For more information contact Greg at 213-622-1650 x109, or greg_reachla@earthlink.net

Wednesday, April 22, 7pm-9pm - Ovahness Book Club book signing and discussion “Shaming the Devil,” by G. Winston James . Author is scheduled to attend. For more information contact Greg at 213-622-1650 x109 or greg_reachla@earthlink.net

Saturday, April 25, 3:30-6:00pm - Ovahness Academy: Elements of Vogue. Learn how to master the 5 elements of Vogue Fem w/Of the Year’s Enyce Chanel, Stacy Chanel, and Joey Mizrahi. Hollywood Dance Center, 817 Highland Avenue, Hollywood, 90038
For more information contact Chris at 213-622-1650 x108

Maurice Burnett, MSW, Assistant Professor of Counseling at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College came to the joint Ovahness and G2G Leadership meeting on March 18 to discuss pathways to higher education. Mr. Burnett shared his own pathway to higher education and how his Master’s Degree in Social Work helps him with his current job as a counselor. “I think the most valuable piece of the presentation was his encouragement of learning a trade and using that means to support the pursuit of higher education. Our youth need to see other options of how to obtain their goals,” said Executive Director Martha Chono-Helsley, “the pathway to higher education is filled with many potholes - cost to attend, books, bad school experiences can be hard to overcome. Obtaining a certificate in a trade or vocation can lead to new and exciting paths that can ultimately provide the financial and confidence needed to move on to an AA, BA and beyond.”

REACH LA staff, leaders from the Ovahness Team , G2G Leadership and volunteers educated 150 youth at this year’s Oakwood School HIV/AIDS fundraiser, “The Glove Affair.” The REACH LA youth manned HIV/AIDS prevention games like “Tongue Billiards,” “Condom Races,” “Fishing for Answers” and “Sexopoly.” Volunteer Tim Ochoa conducted Fortune Telling all evening while Warren High School volunteers Jair Mayorga, Emily Helsley, Diego Avalos and Alec Foskerino educated attendees about clean needles and tattooing. Many thanks go to the tireless efforts of our Leadership team members Lance, Darrin, Kayla, Desiree, Rosa, Jasmine, Melle, Shannon, Melissa, Vanessa & friend.

The OVAHNESS Fire & Ice Skate Party on Friday, February 20th was a huge success! Two-Hundred youth participated in REACH LA’s HIV risk reduction counseling sessions to gain free entry the event. REACH LA Peer Advocates helped youth obtain free HIV and STD testing while they waited for the doors to open. Free testing was provided by the LA Gay and Lesbian Center’s POW Mobile Testing Unit. DJ Ben rocked the house with a great mix of sounds.
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A REACH LA OVAHNESS EVENT

FIRE & ICE Skate Party
Friday, February 20, 2009

World on Wheels
4645 1/2 Venice Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90019
Event begins at 9:00pm
General Admission $10
First 200 Youth under age 24 are eligible for a FREE admission - Ask at the door
Free HIV Testing provided by LA Gay and Lesbian Center

Justin Early author of Street Child: An Unpaved Passage made a huge impression on the OVAHNESS and G2G Leaders when he made a guest appearance at the first REACH LA Book Club night on 1/28/09. OVAHNESS Leaders Kyle Baker and Robert Howell hosted a lively discussion between Justin Early and the audience. Justin read a powerful chapter as part of the presentation as the audience read along with their own well worn copies. Many of youth admitted that this was the first book that they had read cover to cover since high school.

The Alliance for CA Traditional Arts, in partnership with the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the James Irvine Foundation recently awarded RLA with a grant for $6,500 to launch the OVAHNESS Ball Performance Project, a series of workshops on the history, artistry and cultural traditions of “House/Ball” performance. “One evening REACH LA hosted a movie night featuring the film “How Do I Look,” a 2006 documentary by Wolfgang Busch about the NY House and Ball scene and the office was packed with house kids,” says Executive Director Martha Chono-Helsley, “a woman began to tell her story about how she was the one credited for creating “Stars, Statements & Legends,” - a favorite part at the beginning of every ball by all, and the kids had no connection or respect for this woman for this major contribution to ball culture. That was when we realized that there was a disconnect between the artistry and tradition and the current scene.” The REACH LA produced film “I’m Still Here: Becoming Legendary” whose intense vogue performances caught the attention of the Alliance for California Traditional Arts who after attending the Ovahness 3 Ball, encouraged REACH LA to apply. Staff and Ovahness Leaders developed a unique proposal to intertwine the Westcoast history and tradition of Ball performance with hands-on training and coaching by “Legendary” masters in Old Way/New Way; Vogue Performance; European and American Runway and Performance Commentary. The workshops are schedule to begin in late February. Check back to this site for workshops dates and times. Contact: Chris Blades at 213-622-1650 x108 for more information.