Dear _____,
Happy LGBTQ+ Pride Month!
Each June, as Pride celebrations take place across the country, I tend to reflect on the arc of LGBTQ+ history and civil rights. I’ve seen change and progress that was unimaginable to a closeted kid growing up in a small town in the 1970s and 1980s. But that progress has been uneven and far from universal, and so much of it is at risk of being reversed. For me, that means that this Pride Month is about celebration, but it is also about commitment.
I celebrate that I am out and proud elected official. I celebrate that I am legally married and that my husband and I are raising an amazing young son in a community that accepts and embraces our family. I celebrate that I live in a city and state where I have the full protection of the law against discrimination in housing, credit, public accommodations, labor and/or employment. I celebrate that I am part of a community that is tough, resilient, talented, brilliant, creative and fierce.
But that celebration is hollow unless I’m committed to continuing the fight to change things, for the better, for everyone. LGBTQ+ rights are under attack, and our sisters and brothers in the trans community are being repeatedly targeted with physical, legal, and political abuse. LGBTQ+ youth are at greater risk of suicide, and that 28% of LGBTQ+ youth reported experiencing homelessness or housing instability at some point in their lives. Millions of LGBTQ+ people live in poverty, lack health care, are victims of discrimination, suffer from mental health issues, are victims of police violence.
There are people in politics and the media who are hating on the trans community, who are using ugly, inflammatory talk about “grooming” young people, who are pushing an agenda to restore sodomy laws and bans on gay marriage. They are the same people who are opposing gun control, universal health care, and efforts to combat the climate crisis. They are the same people who are trying to strip women of the right to choose, to kill efforts to raise the minimum wage and to stop immigration reform. They are the same people who are repealing voting rights and trying to undo civil rights legislation.
All of our struggles, all of our fights, are linked. I celebrate Pride Month full of joy for everything we are and everything we have accomplished. And I celebrate Pride Month by committing myself to keep on fighting until everyone is treated with dignity, respect and love.
Warm regards,
Mike Bonin, Councilmember 11th District
Town Hall: Tenants' Rights
Mark your calendar and save the date: on April 14 Mike’s office is hosting a virtual Town Hall event from 6-7 pm about housing and tenant’s rights. Experts from the Los Angeles Housing Department, Coalition for Economic Survival and Eviction Defense Network will be in attendance, fielding questions and educating attendees about renters’ rights and how to exercise them.
Bike Share Now Available in West LA
Metro Bikeshare is officially available in West LA on Sawtelle Boulevard at Mississippi Avenue. With this addition to the neighborhood, you can bike a few minutes to the Expo line, UCLA, and beyond! Stay tuned for additional station locations in the district. Thank you Metro for this excellent partnership in providing more options to getting around on the westside.
Crenshaw Line to Open This Fall
This week, Metro Board CEO Stephanie Wiggins announced that the long-awaited Crenshaw/LAX Line will open this fall. A portion of the line has already been turned over to Metro for train testing while the last segment wraps up its finishing touches. The initial operating plan will run trains from Westchester/Veterans Station north to the Expo/Crenshaw Station. A bus bridge will operate between the Westchester/Veterans Station and the LAX/Aviation Station until the Airport Metro Connector is complete in 2024—realizing the ultimate dream of connecting Metro Rail to LAX.
Relief for High Gas Prices Includes Fareless Transit
This week, Governor Gavin Newsom announced his plan to respond to sky-high gas prices: cash relief for car owners and three months of free transit. Mike, a vocal advocate for fareless transit, is excited for Metro to take advantage of this opportunity and collect more information about the benefits of fareless transit. The relief for car owners comes in the form of $400 payments per registered car, capped at two per household.
Try Your Neighborhood Shuttle
Have you tried one of your local, convenient, low-cost neighborhood shuttles?
As a leader on transportation and environmental issues, Mike has focused on finding ways to help you and your neighbors get around the neighborhood without getting stuck in traffic in a single passenger automobile. A key element of Mike’s effort has been providing neighborhood shuttle service – and Mike has secured three different services for parts of the Westside. These services can take you where you need to go – whether it’s the last mile from your bus or train to your home, or a roundtrip to your grocery store or pharmacist.
In Mar Vista, Del Rey, Venice, Palms, and parts of Playa Vista, the LANow program – developed by Mike in partnership with LADOT – will come pick you up and take you to your destination. Just download the app (click here) and hail a ride for only $1.50. The average wait for a ride is only 6 minutes, and users report a 4.9/5 satisfaction with the service. (Right now, users who refer a friend get four free rides – as do their friends.)
Elsewhere on the Westside, Metro Micro (a similar point-to-point shuttle run by Metro) services Brentwood, West LA, and Westwood, and the recently expanded LAX Metro Micro region provides shuttle service throughout much of Westchester and Inglewood. Download the Metro Micro app here.
You can read more about these and more mobility improvements on the Westside Fast Forward page.
LAX Automated People Mover Update
The automated people mover – an elevated tram – at LAX is starting to take shape. Seen above, progress on a pedestrian bridge that will connect passengers to the terminals from the APM. Once complete, the automated people mover will make getting in and out of LAX significantly easier, and it is just one part of a series of projects that will improve the passenger experience and reduce traffic congestion and pollution.
Lincoln Boulevard Multi-Modal Bridge
Mike is continuing his work to fix one of the most notorious bottlenecks on the Westside.
This week, Mike introduced a motion supporting the Lincoln Boulevard Multimodal Bridge Improvement Project. The project will improve traffic flow on the bridge while providing a safe walking and biking connection between Playa Vista and Marina del Rey.
125 Free Trees Distributed
Earlier this month, Mike’s team worked with Tree People, City Plants LA, and LADWP to give away 125 free trees at the Mar Vista Farmers’ Market! If you want a tree, but didn’t get one, stay tuned for future tree giveaways later this year.