By Victoria Ivie

San Gabriel’s City Council on Tuesday, April 16, voted to dissolve the Human Equity, Access, and Relations Commission, after officials said it was no longer needed to advocate for equity and social justice issues in the city, despite heavy public opposition.

The council voted 3 to 2 to dissolve the commission, after hearing from a packed chamber and online audience, where dozens of residents and advocates commented publicly on the issue, most in favor of keeping the commission, known as HEAR.

Mayor John Wu and Councilmember Tony Ding voted not to dissolve HEAR, instead seeking better communication between the council and the commission.

But the council majority opted instead to disband, while also creating an ad hoc commission at a later date that would deal with human relations issues as they come up. Such issues, they said, could include LGTBQ+, homelessness and immigration.

Created in October 2020 in the wake of national protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd, the HEAR Commission was an advisory board to the City Council. Its purpose was to “advance and advocate for equity, access, diversity, social justice, safety, mutual appreciation, increased cultural competency, positive inter-group relations, and respect for all members of the San Gabriel community,” according to the commission’s website.

But tension between the council and the commission, as well as the commission’s focus, prompted questions over its future, and ultimately its end.

Councilmember Denise Menchaca, the city’s vice mayor, alluded to that tension Monday as she stated her position from the dais.

“This commission was never about a single issue,” Menchaca said. “This commission was never about only LGBTQ+ issues. However, commissioners have taken upon themselves to unilaterally find their mission. They embarked on their own campaign of changing narratives, manipulation of facts to deliberate spreading of misinformation, and character attacks on all voice opposing perspectives.”

She closed by saying, “I emphasize again, that I am an ally for the LGBTQ+ community.”

A screengrab of Richard Zaldivar speaking at the City of San Gabriel’s City Council meeting on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Zaldivar is the executive director and founder of The Wall Las Memorias, an L.A. community health and wellness organization that serves Latinx, LGBTQ+ and other underserved communities. (City of San Gabriel Youtube.)

Her stance prompted boos from audience members, who also interrupted Councilmember John Harrington. Harrison supported dissolving HEAR, arguing that such a commission was never needed in the city of San Gabriel’s size.

The comment from the more than 50 audience members who spoke was at times emotional, as they pleaded for the council keep HEAR.

Violet Rose Wang, a San Gabriel resident, called the HEAR Commission “vital” and “an important part of LGBTQ+ support in San Gabriel.” Wang is trans and bisexual.

“Growing up as a scared LGBTQ+ kid in San Gabriel, even a little bit of indicated support made me feel safer,” Wang said. “I remember the first time I walked into a classroom at Jefferson Middle School that showed any support for LGBTQ+ students openly and how safe and welcome I felt in that classroom with that teacher.”

On March 5, Menchaca filed a motion to terminate HEAR, after the commission presented a new voluntary program for businesses to put stickers in their window that say LGBTQ+ members are welcomed in stores, similar to the Safe Spaces Alliance Pledge.

Cities such as Long Beach have been using these stickers or inclusive pride flags outside establishments to increase visibility of and affirm LGBTQ+ community members.

Menchaca foreshadowed her Tuesday vote, saying at an earlier meeting that she was “unsure” if the commission was still needed. She said a subcommittee would likely be more reflective of all San Gabriel residents.

The “All Are Welcome” program began in April 2023 and was approved by the City Council for the 2023-2024 Annual Work Plans. The council first presented the idea on Feb. 20, with a $1,500 budget. The city of Pasadena adapted a similar program last year.

The City Council, and specifically Menchaca, had an issue with there being a bell on the sticker, saying that it represents the Catholic Church, according to Richard Zaldivar, executive director and founder of The Wall Las Memorias, an L.A. community health and wellness organization that serves Latinx, LGBTQ+ and other underserved communities. The bell represents the San Gabriel Mission, the city’s namesake.

The HEAR Commission was advised to revise the design. Before they could, Menchaca filed a motion to terminate the commission.

Mayor John Wu on Tuesday said that the decision to dissolve the commission was not related to the All Are Welcome sticker program, but instead was “driven by the dynamic of interactions and conversations between the commissioners and the City Council.”

“Regardless of the decision being made, it will be based on our commitment to fostering an inclusive and welcoming community,” he said before the vote.

The issue in San Gabriel comes at a time when a record number of anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced across the nation, according to the ACLU.

In that context, there’s a need for creating safe spaces throughout Southern California, Zaldivar said.

The San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ Center and The Los Angeles LGBT Center released a joint statement expressing “deep disappointment and outrage” over the council’s impending vote.

“The LGBTQ+ community will not buckle and be relegated to a closeted existence in the City of San Gabriel,” the statement said. “With hundreds of anti-LGBTQ bills being introduced in state legislatures across the country, many of them being anti-transgender specifically, the fight for LGBTQ+ rights is as critical as ever.”

Around half a million residents in L.A. County identify as LGBTQ+ and more than 100,000 LBTQ+ people live in the San Gabriel Valley, according to the statement.

Zaldivar, San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ Center, the Los Angeles LGBT Center and some public comments all cited recent news of Underdog Bookstore in Monrovia closing in the next few months. Owners decided to close after hate and bigotry received. Advocates cited the closure as a prime example of why committees like HEAR and other safe spaces are needed in the San Gabriel Valley.

“It really hurt me and my partner when we read that a business would have to close because they’re being bullied or not feeling welcome, just because of their sexuality,” Zaldivar said.

L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis, Rep. Judy Chu, D-Pasadena, and many other city leaders wrote or had representatives speak in support of keeping the HEAR Commission.

“The city of San Gabriel is defined by its rich tapestry of cultures, races, religions, sexual orientations, gender identities and histories,” Chu wrote. “As leaders within our community, it is incumbent upon us to ensure that every resident feels not only safe, but truly embraced.