Strengthening unity among all diverse people, educating and inspiring future generations.
BY VICTOR MELAMED
The idea to begin The Lavender Effect, an LGBTQ Heritage Organization, came to me in 2009,” reveals its founder Andy Sacher, in an interview with THE FIGHT.
“I was mentoring a group of millennials who shared my desire to create an exhibit about LA’s rich LGBTQ history. Proposition Eight woke many people up and I was fortunate to work with Tom De Simone and his Roots of Equality gang. That intergenerational collaboration changed my life forever, as it revealed the queer lineage that defines our diverse community.”
Sacher, an Experience Design Consultant and Freelance Interactive Media Producer, states that the organization’s main goals include:
Advancing society’s understanding and appreciation of LGBTQ people.
Promoting Los Angeles as a world center for LGBTQ equality and culture.
Advancing the global campaign for full LGBTQ equality.
Demystifying human sexuality and sexual identity.
Strengthening unity among all diverse people.
Educating and inspiring future generations.
Upcoming events include the Pioneers of Pride Parade Contingent on June 12th. “It is more important than ever to acknowledge and celebrate people like Jewel Thais-Williams, Eugene La Pietra, Nancy Valverde, Richard Zaldivar, and other inspiring luminaries that have been in services for all of us.”
The Lavender Effect is also hosting a book reading and discussion with the talented Author/Historian Jim Downs on June 16th at the West Hollywood Library. His new book STAND BY ME The Forgotten History of Gay Liberation takes us back to a pre-AIDS era that is often overlooked. Go to http://standbymebookreading.bpt.me for more info and to make reservations.
For more info on The Lavender Effect visit www.thelavendereffect.org.
