For California’s LGBTQ community, two recent controversies in the state give them a good reason to be disheartened.
First, was the anti-trans gathering at a San Francisco restaurant, American Bites, where events were unveiled by Chronicle columnist Soleil Ho. Their column described members of the San Francisco Republican Party and other organizations making derogatory comments about young trans people and having a discussion on the benefits of conversion therapy and denying gender-affirming care. The column created a backlash, and a North Beach restaurant apologized for hosting the event.
Then, there was the Los Angeles Dodgers LGBTQ+ Pride Night debacle. The team disinvited the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence — a charity, protest and street performance organization that uses drag and religious imagery to call attention to sexual intolerance — from participating in the annual event. Subsequently, LA Pride pulled its participation, and the Dodgers eventually reversed course, tweeted an apology and reinvited the Sisters.
California prides itself on being one of the most progressive states in America. Yet these events happened in two of the state’s most progressive cities. The takeaway: Progress is not linear, and the fight for trans rights requires continuous vigilance and action.
That goes for businesses and institutions, too.
In the case of American Bites, the restaurant should have been aware as anyone of the Republican Party’s anti-LGBTQ stances and other hateful rhetoric. At the very least, the restaurant could have done more research before booking the group; the San Francisco GOP publicly said that trans issues would be the theme of the evening — an immediate red flag.
As for the Dodgers, in their apology statement, they credited discussions within their organization and with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence for their about-face. One would think these conversations would take place before a decision is made with such predictable consequences. If anything, the incident makes clear that the Dodgers need to make stronger connections with the LGBTQ community to prevent themselves from making additional moves to police representation.
Both controversies are indicative of a broader transphobia that is still present, even in liberal areas. The fact that bigotry still has a home in cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles shows just how pervasive and persevering it is.
But there is a silver lining.
First, both entities did eventually apologize for their mistakes. Mike Saremy, a partner at American Bites restaurant who booked the event, told The Chronicle that he thought the restaurant was hosting a fundraiser for the GOP’s San Francisco chapter and that there was “no mention of anything about trans people or any type of hate speech involved in the event.” The restaurant apologized on social media and denounced the rhetoric used at the event.
The Dodgers said in their statement that they wanted to offer an apology to members of the LGBTQ+ community and their friends and families. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence will receive the Community Hero Award in a ceremony before the team’s home game against the San Francisco Giants. Some saw the Sisters’ initial disinvitation as being a response to an open letter from Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who criticized the Major League Baseball for including the group. Regardless, even if that was the true catalyst, reinviting the Sisters shows the Dodgers ultimately stood up to a high-profile member of the GOP.
Finally, consider the backlash. The restaurant and the team were broadly criticized by their respective communities for their decisions. As a gay man from the Midwest, I can tell you that not every place in America would have reacted with such support for the LGBTQ community. The public outcry against both businesses can’t be taken for granted.
It is not fair that we as a community have to go through these debacles in the first place. But, as I’ve written before, this state is exceptional. Sometimes we may have to fight to keep it that way, and businesses play an important role in that fight. When Target recently decided to remove certain LGBTQ+ merchandise in some of its stores ahead of Pride, after threats were made against its workers, the decision sent a message: People who oppose the community’s rights still have real power.
It may feel defeatist that we still have to fight these kinds of battles in California, but it’s worth remembering that these fights are not the same that LGBTQ people face in other states. For instance, Nebraska just signed a bill restricting transgender health care, joining 19 other states that have made similar moves. The nature of California’s battles shows the comparatively high bar set by its overall progress in LGBTQ rights.
The anti-trans bills being passed across the country directly harm LGBTQ people. Despite the recent displays of transphobia in California, I’m glad I live in a state where residents won’t let one restaurant event go uncriticized or one organization miss a Pride event.
Justin Ray is a Los Angeles-based journalist who has written for the Los Angeles Times and Columbia Journalism Review.
