LA County LGBTQ+ Commission Prepares for Inaugural Meeting

In what officials call a history-making debut, the Los Angeles County LGBTQ+ Commission will meet for the first time Tuesday beginning with a ceremony led by Supervisor Hilda Solis.

The ceremony and meeting will culminate an effort that began in June 2023, when Solis and Supervisor Janice Hahn co-authored a motion to create the commission. Its mandate is to make recommendations on policies that impact LGBTQ+ communities.

During Tuesday’s ceremony, Solis will introduce the commission’s executive director, Sunitha Menon, and several commission members before the meeting is gaveled into session.

“Los Angeles County is making history — again — and hopefully setting an example for the rest of the nation to follow,” Solis, who represents the First District, said in a statement.

“Last month the Board of Supervisors made history when we appointed Sunitha Menon to lead the county’s first-ever LGBTQ+ Commission. Today, we are officially convening the county’s first-ever LGBTQ+ Commission. We’ve arrived at this moment because the Board of Supervisors stood in solidarity with our LGBTQ+ family. I applaud my fellow Board of Supervisor members for their courage and integrity and compassion.”

Hahn echoed her colleague’s sentiments, adding that the county is a “safety net” for its 10 million residents.

“We are here to catch people who reach the end of their ropes, physically, mentally, financially,” Hahn said in a statement. “That means we serve some of the most vulnerable populations in L.A. County, and within those groups, LGBTQ people are disproportionally represented.

“That is why the first-ever L.A. County LGBTQ Commission is so important. It means having LGBTQ voices at the table matters when we are shaping foster care policy, health care policy, housing policy and so many other issues the county touches.”

Hahn said the commission will lift LGBTQ voices when “we need to hear them most,” and that she hopes residents will not only attend commission meetings, but get involved as the panel plans events across the county.

Alongside Solis and Hahn, Supervisor Lindsey Horvath will also provide remarks Tuesday, as will L.A. County Assessor Jeffrey Prang.

The commission is expected to discuss its meeting schedule and bylaws.