🌈 SaMo PRIDE: Get to Know Drew, Marcus and Isabel

I identify as Queer and Transgender.

2) What’s your experience in Santa Monica, and how has it changed since you arrived?

Definitely not the same as Minnesota, weather-wise! In my time living here, I have only felt welcomed and appreciated. The vibe here is laid-back, casual, free-spirited. The one thing that has been a visible concern for me is the stark contrast between the supremely wealthy and the supremely impoverished. There seems to be a “live and let live,” mentality, which can be helpful. And, it can also be read as complacency.

3) What are some of the ways LGBTQ people connect or feel a sense of community in Santa Monica?

Queerness spans all races, colors, and abilities. Add your preferred pronouns to your email signatures and begin meetings by asking everyone to share their pronouns. It’ll be awkward at first, but making the table bigger can feel like that sometimes. Own your ignorance - if you don’t know something, say that. Don’t pretend you know something. Ask us questions - just don’t be a jerk about it. Respect our “no” if we don’t feel like answering your questions. And above all, know that love is love.

Usually, I will answer to any pronoun politely spoken in my direction.

I’m one of the many founding artists of the 18th Street Arts Center. Jan Williamson, the current Executive Director of 18th Street calls us the “First Fivers” (those of us that were here for the first 5 years). I’m currently an Artist in Residence there once again. I have a work in progress called MACHO STEREO that opens June 1 at 18th Street that I’ve been developing in collaboration with SMPL and the Brentwood Art Center funded by the City of Santa Monica Cultural Affairs Division.

After almost three years attending Santa Monica College and being actively involved on campus, I can say that Santa Monica and its people have exceeded my expectations. I have not only found a community in which I finally feel confident and proud to show my true colors, but I have also become a servant leader. The high levels of civic engagement of the Santa Monica community have inspired and motivated me to hold leadership positions, in which I have grown and become a more conscious and responsible citizen. I am forever thankful to this community for welcoming me with open arms, for helping me become proud of who I am, and for pushing me to always become a better version of myself!