County of Santa Clara
Fifth Annual LGBTQ+ Summit – All Work Is Work
For the past four years, the Office of LGBTQ Affairs has brought together County employees, community members, and allies from all walks of life to celebrate diversity, inclusivity, and the power of shared experiences at the LGBTQ+ Summit. On October 27, the Office of LGBTQ Affairs hosted its fifth annual summit at the San Jose Holiday Inn and featured a rich lineup of modules aimed at fostering a stronger sense of community, showcasing the strength of lived experiences, and bringing awareness to the LGBTQ+ experience in entrepreneurship. Here are some of the highlights from the various modules that made the summit an inspiring and memorable event.
Opening Remarks
District 1 County Supervisor Sylvia Arenas and Former County Supervisor Ken Yeager
The event commenced with District 1 County Supervisor Sylvia Arenas sharing her experiences with changing the narrative and language around sex work during her time with the City of San Jose as an example of positive change towards equity. She emphasized on the importance of showing up, that “all work is work and showing up today is part of that work.” Former County Supervisor Ken Yeager, who became the County’s first openly gay elected official, also shared some heartfelt remarks. He shared some of his proudest moments as County Supervisor, one of which was supporting the Office of LGBTQ Affairs’ work to empower the community through the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Module One
Subject Matter Expertise in Action
This session was facilitated by Language Access Unit Program Manager III Ricardo Romero-Morales and featured a panel of experts from the County and community partners. Panelists answered questions about how their lived experiences has impacted their work in intersectionality, what strategies and programs are utilized to empower the community, and how allies and leaders can better support subject matter experts and those with lived experiences in a more intentional and effective way. They shared personal stories and unique perspectives to inspire attendees to embrace the strengths of their own lived experiences.
Panelists: Amber Siddle-Manas, Daniel Lanzo, Isabella (Isa) Garcia, Rodrigo Garcia-Reyes
Module Two
Sex Worker Health and Harm Reduction 101
The summit welcomed Robyn Learned, manager of the Drug User Health team of NASTAD, to guide participants in how to better support sex workers in our community. She provided valuable insight to the different narratives around sex work and how words to describe sex work used today is damaging for those in the space. Learned shared a video to help emphasize the message that sex workers need “rights not rescue.” She defined harm reduction and shared how one can confront harmful narratives by connecting to the sex worker community, expanding media consumption, and being self-reflective.
Presenter: Robyn Learned from the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Director (NASTAD)
Much Kneaded
A Fireside Chat with Chef Carlos Pineda Facilitated by Program Manager III Maribel Martinez
Chef Carlos Pineda, Director of Hospitality and Culinary Services at Rebekah’s Children Services, shared his work overseeing the Kneaded Culinary Academy and Kneaded Bakery & Catering as a Gilroy native advocating for the LGBTQ+ community. Chef Pineda highlighted how the academy provides a safe space for community members to learn and build their own community from within the program. He proudly shared that the program has had 2,300 graduated youths over the last 15 years, with graduates working in award-winning institutions all over the nation. He also hosts the #YESCHEFCARLOS Podcast, a platform dedicated to promoting social and emotional well-being that has reached about 33 countries.
Module Three
In Our Own Words - Lessons from Diverse Work Experiences
Facilitated by Stanford Assistant Director for University Human Resources Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Bianca Zamora, this session welcomed a diverse set of panelists who shared how they have navigated through their professional spaces with the lens of intersectionality. Zamora shared how “stories of one highlight the conditions of many, although every story is different to each individual.” The panel answered questions about how their experiences as LGBTQ+ professionals shaped their approach to leadership and mentorship in their workspaces, their process of coming out and the role of allies in their workplace experience, and shared advice for LGBTQ+ individuals who are starting their careers or are currently facing challenges.
Panelists: Andrea Horne, Kaila Schwartz, Lyseria Kursave, Ms. Gail Spencer
Module Four
Creating Space - Inspiring LGBTQ+ Excellence in Entrepreneurship
In the last module of the event, Professional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Coach Kai Stowers facilitated a conversation with panelists who shared their inspiration that helped them start their journey to entrepreneurship, how they embraced their LGBTQ+ identity and how that supported them in their entrepreneurial journey, the challenges they’ve faced starting new businesses, and how the intersection of DEI contributes to innovation and uncovering market opportunities.
Panelists: Dana TherActivist Johnson, Helixir Jynder Byntwell, Kelly The Barber Hensley
2023 LGBTQ+ Summit
Workshop Materials
Opening Remarks
Module One: Subject Matter Expertise in Action
- County of Santa Clara Language Access Unit
- The Q Corner – Resource Linktree
- County of Santa Clara Office of Diversity, Equity, and Belonging
- Public Health Sexual Health and Harm Reduction
Module Two: Sex Worker Health and Harm Reduction 101
- Sex Worker Health & Harm Reduction 101: Worksheet
- Sex Worker Health & Harm Reduction 101: Main Take-Aways
- Sex Worker Health & Hard Reduction 101: Presentation Deck
