The Center’s Community Coalition Breakfast held Dec. 17, focused on ethnic diversity and inclusion issues within the GLBT community. The panel this month included City Commissioner Nicole Murray-Ramirez; The Center’s Latino Services Center coordinator Carolina Ramos; co-chair of the Ebony Pride board of directors Ken Riley; chancellor of the San Diego Community College District Constance Carroll; and Julia Legaspi, who serves on San Diego’s Citizens’ Equal Opportunity Commission.

Carroll discussed the diverse student population within the San Diego Community College District including, San Diego City College, San Diego Mesa College and San Diego Miramar College. Over 50 percent of all students in the district are of color, and among those include GLBT students, Carroll explained. She emphasized the importance of diversity and how each college offers specific services designed for the GLBT community including courses, domestic partnership benefits for university employees, as well as student organizations such as the Pride Coalition Club at Mesa College and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Straight Union (LGBTSU).

“I wanted to emphasize that the LGBT community is very important to us as you are part of our diversity. We share pride in your endeavors and we try to offer programs in addition to our supportive environment,” said Carroll.

Murray-Ramirez reminded us of how conservative groups were able to influence many minority votes in this year’s presidential election.

“For the first time the radical right-wing religious movement had and are making big inroads to the people of colored communities and gay marriage and GLBT issues are the reasons,” said Murray-Ramirez.

In order to make progress as a community, increased coalition building and outreach to minority groups outside and within the GLBT community is crucial right now, Murray Ramirez emphasized.

“We must not just talk the talk but walk the walk when it comes to supporting and being involved in the struggles and equality of all Americans,” said Murray-Ramirez. “We must come out to our families and get more involved in our mainstream people of color organizations.”

Latino and Asian Pacific Islander populations are the fastest growing in the nation, Murray-Ramirez stated, and solidarity with those minority groups and all others is vital. “Did we just wake up or is this because our future, our survival indeed, and our fight for equality depends on it,” questioned Murray-Ramirez.

Attendees of the breakfast were each given a distinct flower, branch or vine when they arrived. As an exercise during her presentation, Ramos requested each person place their item into a vase passed around the room. The array of color within the vase represented the diversity within the GLBT community and Ramos compared it to the six-color rainbow diversity flag, a symbol of pride.

“That flag was adopted by our community and without the colors it would be incomplete,” said Ramos. “That’s how I see the diversity of our community. Without color, without flavor, without the differences our community is made up of, it would be incomplete,” explained Ramos.

“Inclusivity is the key to a strong community. In order to stop this type of discrimination, we need to learn how to trust each other with all our differences, and that’s what makes us so beautiful.”

Ramos overviewed the services of the recent addition at the Latino Services Center and related it to the rest of the GLBT community at large.

“Our services are designed to be inclusive and embrace our culture, our tradition, our language, our spirituality and our sexual orientation.”

Riley observed the perception of race within the GLBT community and how discrimination between different subgroups does exist and is not going to go away unless we communicate openly with respect toward one another. He recalled a situation where he heard someone use a racial slur against an Asian person.

“These types of terms don’t increase the dialogue. These pull us away from where we need to be,” said Riley.

In an effort to bridge the communication gap, Riley explained one of Ebony Pride’s main objectives “…is to have an ongoing forum for dialogue with each of the different segments of the community.”

The mission of the Community Coalition Breakfast is to bring together fair-minded individuals to network, educate and discuss the diverse issues of concern to GLBT and allied neighbors and citizens of San Diego. Community Coalition Breakfasts are held the third Friday of every month in The Center’s auditorium, from 7:30-9:00 a.m. The cost is $6 per person and includes breakfast, a panel presentation, networking and a question and answer session. Call (619) 692-2077 ext. 212 for more information.