The Courage of Becoming

By Sydney Loyola

Sydney Loyola, accomplished trangender choreographer. Photo by Wilfred Galila/Kularts

Let me begin by saying how happy I am to be a woman, to be alive, and to experience all that life has to offer. The last year has been a struggle for all of us, but the pandemic has made me appreciate the value of life even more. Life is something we must protect and celebrate. Now, more than ever, we must relish every moment, every second, every day. 

Self-expression is how we interact with the world that we are born into. I found mine in dance and for my entire life, it has been both my pillar and my shelter, providing me a place where I could be my truest self without having to worry about labels, judgement, and boundaries.

Through dance, I embrace my vulnerability. When I’m in this sacred place, my perception of who I am is simply in terms of my humanness. No labels of achievement, pain, gender, or milestone. My truth is rooted in dance. Through the process of choreography and movement, I became the storyteller of life through the lens of my experience. What keeps bringing me back is the wholeness that dance makes me feel - the feeling of shifted weight and the control and surrender of muscles; the vibe of connected energy with other performers and the audience; the awareness of my relationship to the earth, to breath, and to the powerful divine. Through movement, I am one with the earth. The universe is alight in me. 

Dance has allowed me a world of opportunities and that has given me the gift of friendship with colleagues who share the same passion. I am the co-founder of The Haraya Dance Project, a dance organization whose mission is to encourage initiative and participation among the Filipino-American trans, non-binary, and genderqueer community.

Sydney Loyola, co-founder of The Haraya Dance Project. Photo by Wilfred Galila/Kularts

My journey as a transgender woman was not easy. But like all worthy endeavors, I had to take the leap and follow my truth. For a long time, I felt lost, seeking refuge and escape in things that never quite filled the void. Now, I celebrate the freedom and the peace that embracing my true self has brought me. Find your truth. Share your truth to inspire others.

This quote from George Bernard Shaw has been my life’s mantra, and I share this with you now, “People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them -- Make them!”

In 1909, the first National Women’s Day was celebrated in the U.S. More than a century later, women are now claiming positions and opportunities that were once only given to men. Indeed, we have moved forward, but there is much work to be done in terms of inclusion, education, and acceptance. And as we continue to celebrate and support all women and their journeys, we are reminded to take the time to ask ourselves - who are we and what is our purpose? And throughout our journeys, how much love and compassion can we give ourselves and others?

One of the questions I am often asked is did I have to let go of the old me to make room for Sydney? The answer has always been - we have both shared this human body for all our lives. I honor the wisdom and accomplishments of my past, while honoring the bravery and self-love of my present. 

Today and always, I encourage all women to love themselves and live the life that they’re meant to live. We are blessed with only one life, one shot to the finish line. How will you spend your time - in fear and misalignment or in honesty and freedom? Whatever that means to you, please take care of your life, nurture it, and embrace your truth. It took me over four decades to walk my journey and I can say that I am free at last, free at last.

My experience has taught me many things, the most important being, the value of life and the gift of self-acceptance. For many, the road to self-acceptance can be a life-long journey, but the decision to make the first step is the most important thing. The bravest choice we can ever make is to become. It requires courage to unbind your wings and align purpose with body, mind with heart, human with divine.

In the Filipino culture, there is a ritual of the indigenous Tagbanua tribe - the oldest inhabitants of the Philippines in the province of Palawan, where I was raised. In this ritual on a hammock, a male babaylan or shaman assumes the persona of a woman to achieve a balanced spirit - only when this balance is attained is the babaylan able to communicate with the deities. This dance that I choreographed and performed often in my lifetime became a metaphor for my own self-love. Two genders in one body in perfect pas de deux. The perfect balance of masculine and feminine power. The perfect harmony of human and divine. When people ask me who I am, I say - I am Sydney. And this is my story.

Let’s remember to be thankful, to be kind, and most, especially to LIVE.

California Nurses Call for Reform in a Money-Motivated Health Care System

by Ashley Bulayo

Photo of Zenei Triunfo-Cortez. RN National Nurses United president and California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee president

As we approach almost a full year of the COVID-19 pandemic, life, business, and mindset have shifted, for the most part. What was previously deemed essential to many has changed in its meaning. On a much larger and even global scale, what we know is that the role of essential workers and front liners has become a pillar to existence and survival. One of those roles includes our nurses. In a conversation with the California Nurses Association, it was brought to the surface that our nurses need our help to champion and advocate for their rights and their continuous fight for ours. While they've showcased resilience, bravery, and the ultimate strength in the throes of the ongoing pandemic, here’s the harrowing perspective that has rarely hit mainstream media.

National Nurses United President and California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee President, Zenei Triunfo-Cortez, RN, shared that, "The Covid-19 pandemic has been a complete and unnecessary tragedy for registered nurses, both in terms of losing patients and also contracting the virus themselves, spreading it to family members. Sometimes they have even died from it or lost colleagues to COVID. Nurses knew long before the pandemic that the corporate health care industry prioritizes profits over patients, but COVID exacerbated the deadliness of this money motive – with disproportionate numbers of Black, Brown, and Indigenous people of color as well as nurses of color suffering from and dying of this virus." 

Nurses fight for human rights

California Nurses Association (CNA) sees firsthand the racial, gender, and social inequalities in the California health care system. Many studies have shown that at-risk, low-income Californians, specifically Black and Latino, are dying at higher rates than higher-income individuals.

Social distancing, wearing masks, and staying at home are still critical to preventing the spread of COVID-19. However, low-income residents don't always have the luxury to implement these measures. Low-income Californians are likely to play the roles of essential workers with low-wage jobs that require frequent contact with others. Working remote and distancing amongst members of a household are still privileges that are not afforded to our state’s most vulnerable.

Cars line up for a cause at the CalCare Caravan in Sacramento, CA. Photo from National Nurses United.

The CNA has seen these disparities and is fighting back. Health care is a human right. "Your job, health, income, and immigration status should not dictate what care you receive, and the profit motive has no business in the provision of health care," shares Triunfo-Cortez. "For decades, CNA nurses have been organizing to win a single-payer system for the entire country as well as the state of California. We are pleased to be the primary sponsor of AB 1400, the Guaranteed Health Care for All Act, or CalCare, during this current legislative session. CalCare would cover every person in California under an improved, expanded Medicare for All-type system."

Nurses fight for protection

Often, nurses are the first point of contact on the frontlines, play a critical role working in the system. According to an article in NCBI, some of the nurses’ primary responsibilities include:

• Ensuring patients receive high-quality service 

• Maintaining effective supply and usage of sanitation materials

• Offering screening information, confinement guidelines, and triage protocols based on the latest guidance 

Nurses fight back. Photo from California Nurse Association.

Beyond the physical danger of risking their own health, nurses have been bearing heavy emotional burdens of watching patients and their families suffer at the hands of this virus. Compounded, the detrimental toll these can take on a person are unimaginable. Yet, day after day, they continue to show up and support patients who need them. 

Triunfo-Cortez notes that nurses have been lobbying health care employers and government officials to enforce proper workplace measures. Proper infection control measures need to be implemented and enforced within nurses’ workplaces to protect the public health workers who battle the challenge of potentially contracting the virus. Union nurses are asking communities to amplify their message. 

Take action today

Are there nurses you know and want to help protect? NationalNursesUnited.org provides email updates and opportunities to participate. By joining the Nurse Advocacy Network texting team, communities can support some of their most pressing campaigns and projects. 

Co-Working Over Coffee at Cuppa Tahoe

By Sydney Williams 

Owner of Cuppa Tahoe Sandra Santané and her knowledgeable and capable staff. In 2020 owner Sandra was hospitalized after contracting COVID-19 and spent more than 2 months away from the business while in recovery. The culture of feeling that Sandra sought to create with her store continued to come to fruition in her absence as her staff stepped up to the challenge of keeping the Cuppa Tahoe doors open with their fearless leader still in recovery. Upon her return, Sandra was delighted to see the top tier customer service her staff brought to their work at Cuppa Tahoe.

The California side of South Lake Tahoe is plump with local businesses and a close knit community network behind them. As a year-round major tourist destination, South Lake Tahoe has new businesses opening their expectant doors as often as the snow falls during the winter. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen countless businesses fall under the economic avalanche brought on by statewide stay-at-home orders. However, owner Sandra Santané opened Cuppa Tahoe 10 months ago, and from the looks of it, is here to stay.

Cuppa Tahoe “Read Me” section. The store has socially distanced seating for individuals and small groups. 

Cuppa Tahoe is a bookstore, casual co-working space, and conference room with a coffee and tea bar that serves delicious locally-made snacks and desserts for sit-in and take-out. When you walk through the front door of Cuppa Tahoe, you can see, hear, smell, and feel its welcoming charm. With socially-distanced sitting areas, this homey bookstore is a place for people to connect with books and with one another. Whether it be a kid and their mother reading a new storybook in the hidden hangout between the bookshelves, or a bookworm diving into the “Read Me” section, sipping an Earl Grey tea on the vintage green couch as the fire flickers beside them, there is a cozy place for different tastes in Cuppa Tahoe’s inspired free seating sections.

Casual Co-Working space at Cuppa Tahoe. Features a living wall, open-seating, and private call boxes for just $3 per hour. 

Not only is Cuppa Tahoe a destination for great reads and delightful refreshments, but their casual co-working space is certainly something to write home about. Sandra was inspired to create this co-working atmosphere because, “I saw people that work from home, they get cabin fever, and if they have a very important conference call, they will do it at home in their perfect home set up. But at some point, they want to be among other people. They would usually go to a cafe, which doesn't quite meet up to their needs...and where the people running the shop are usually not very happy about someone sitting there with one coffee for 3 hours.” What Cuppa Tahoe has that other cafés and work spaces do not, is a mix of most everything someone could need to get their work done away from home. With a living wall, conference tables, and private call boxes, Cuppa Tahoe is the perfect work-day get away. Although their co-working space is temporarily closed due to COVID-19 purple level county closures, it is waiting at the ready to re-open as soon as permitted. With so many people working from home during the pandemic, South Lake Tahoe residents are eager to return to this bright and refreshing workspace for a change of scenery. 

Cuppa Tahoe wholesomely embraces its role in the tight-knit South Lake Tahoe community and has been working to support its local women-owned businesses since its opening in May 2020. Within the first six months of opening her store, Sandra teamed up with her fellow South Lake Tahoe female entrepreneurs to host a retail bingo. This event was planned to celebrate National Women’s Small Business Month, while highlighting women-owned businesses in the community. The retail bingo was a month-long event where shoppers could pick up a bingo card at any of the participating businesses and receive a stamp from each of the stores after making a purchase of $25 or more. The goal was to visit, shop at, and receive a stamp from every participating business in the event. The first contestant to fill their entire bingo card received a $50 gift card from each participating business and second place won $25 gift cards from each. 

With an intriguing collection of literature and fun knick-knacks for children and adults of all ages, Tahoe locals and passers-by had no trouble finding more than their fair share of irresistible gadgets of all kinds at Cuppa Tahoe during the retail bingo event. To keep up with rising demand, they have opened an online store for select products. If you’ve ever wanted to visit South Lake Tahoe, now is the time to place an order and come explore the beautiful scenery of Lake Tahoe while you pick up your Cuppa Tahoe souvenirs (shipping is not yet available). Here are some of their best-selling products.

Featured Products 

• A Paper Time Capsule - $14.95

  LETTERS TO MY BABY. Write Now. Read Later. Treasure Forever.

• análú Peppermint Therapy Dough - $14.95

  análú is made with organic and natural ingredients.

• Green Zaurus - $14.95

  These colorful and cute dino characters have tongues that lap up water and feed the precious plants on their backs. Each comes with peat pack, seeds, tray, and instructions.

• Funny Greeting Card - $4.95

  Love is like a fart. If you have to force it, it is probably shit.

• Books and Tea Pin - $10

  The pin is soft enamel (meaning the metal parts are raised a bit above the enamel). The metal is a rose gold color, and the enamel is white. Rubber clasp. 

• Modern Script Fountain Pens - $14.95

  Write elegant prose, creative ideas, or simply the day’s events in fine style with this fountain pen writing set. 

• Slim Velvet Journal - $23.95

  Sumptuous and luxurious, this slim, mid-sized journal features an abstract pattern, complete with metallic foil. 

• Prickly Pals Cactus Erasers - $4.95

  These Prickly Pal Cactus Erasers will get you out of any sticky writing situation! Rid your work of mistakenly-made pencil marks on the spot with this amazing set of three potted cacti.

• Lovin Tahoe Bookmark - $4.00

  A classic South Lake Tahoe souvenir
  
  Prices subject to change.

Michaela Mendelsohn, the Jill of All Trades

By Tumay Aslay & Sydney Williams

One can’t help but be impressed by Michaela Ivri Mendelsohn. She is a transgender activist, public speaker and CEO of one of the largest franchisees for El Pollo Loco restaurant in the Western Region of the United States, Pollo West Corp. Additionally, she was a consultant to Jenji Kohan in the development of Laverne Cox's character, Sophia Burset, on the Netflix series Orange is the New Black. While Michaela is heavily involved as a successful business woman and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, her legacy’s shining star is founding TransCanWork. This nonprofit organization helps promote transgender employment opportunities in California and aims to grow to a national and international level in the future. Michaela Mendelsohn is certainly a Jill of all trades.  

Michaela Mendelsohn. Trangender equal rights advocate, CEO Pollo West Corp, and Founder of TransCan Work.

Mendelsohn was born in New York City and moved to Southern California as a child. While studying at Cal State Northridge and on track to becoming an attorney, she decided to drop out of school to start her first business. After 30 years of marriage and with three grown children, Michaela transformed. Since then, she's vowed to continue to use her voice to help transgender women find employment, social acceptance, and a path to raise families of their own.

She shares some insights about life, LGBTQ+ activism, and what it takes to shine through as a successful transwoman in America. 

How did you first become involved with LGBTQ plus activism?

My real experience with it was public speaking at an organization called GLIDE (Gays and Lesbians Initiating the Dialogue for Equality). I spoke for this organization for about four years, probably close to 250 to 300 times in that time period, mostly at schools and institutions near the city of Torrance, California. 

I have to say that was probably my most enjoyable experience as an activist. The reaction that I got from the youth was so tangible. It made me realize I could have a real influence on people.

Moving forward, I made the decision to hire transgender employees in my restaurants. Hearing the story of Christie, our first transgender employee, and the horrible injustices that she had to suffer through in her former job made me realize the positive impact that I could make by hiring from the LGBQT+ community. So, I went on to hire over 50 more transgender employees in my restaurants over next few years. Giving some of those employees the chance to work at a workplace in their true identities for the first time felt just right and you know, it was the cultural shift that needed to happen. That’s when I started TransCanWork with the initial mission of creating a culture that could support and better understand the transgender community. This evolved into an organization that trained and placed them in the workforce.

How has your activism shaped your career?

It has completely changed my career as a businesswoman. I was working 60 hours a week for the first three years of my nonprofit career. It opened my eyes to the inequities. I saw and felt the pain that the LGBTQ+ community suffers at the hands of our society. I had an understanding of what change needed to happen from some of my personal experiences – how my own privilege also caused me to be part of that broken system my whole life.

I became successful while appearing to the world as a white privileged male presenting myself in a masculine role, which is why I can't fully take credit for being the successful businesswoman that I am today. It would be unfair for me to pretend that I understand what it's been like for women who had to make it in a “man's business world.”

After my transition, I realized my voice wasn't being heard the same way in board meetings as it was when I was a man. I would present an idea or make a comment in a meeting, with mostly men, and it would be glanced over and forgotten. Then when the same idea would be presented by a male colleague, it was profound. That’s when I realized what male privilege meant, as it knocked me off balance for a little while. I now feel like I can speak from a place of true confidence. If you don’t like it, I don’t give a damn.

Trans Can Work team: Sydney Rogers, West Hollywood Coordinator & Employment Navigator | Jovan Wolf ,Workforce Development Manager | Drïan Juarez, VP of Programs | Diego Bravo, Employment Navigator | JD Brown, Chief Operating Officer | Bowie Starr, Special Projects Manager 

Tell us about your experience being a consultant in the character development of Sophia Burset (Laverne Cox) in Orange is the New Black.

I was contacted by the creator of the show, Jenji Kohan, and had the opportunity to share my personal experiences as a transgender woman to help them understand and create Sophia Burset’s character. For decades, cis people have been cast in trans roles. I advised them to cast a transgender actor to give our community the chance to tell our own unapologetic stories. At the end, Sophia Burset turned out to be one of the most iconic characters of the show, and I hope my contribution inspired part of this character’s success.

What’s next for Michaela Mendelsohn?

With three grown children and two little ones at home, a big part of my life is about my family which creates a big desire to step down from the chairpersonship of the board from TransCanWork at some point. That's why I am working on putting the pieces together for a succession plan. I'd still want to stay involved as the Founder, but create more time to spend with my family and focus on personal growth.

~ A message from Michaela ~

I just welcome people to reach out and learn more about TransCanWork. Our website is transcanwork.org. Please visit and find out more about us and how you can support us and the transgender community wherever you can. The more support we get, the more we can help. And that is what we are here to do. Thank you everyone!

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Daveed Diggs and Thao Nguyen Headline the YBCA 100

By Polina Smith

Hosted by Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, the YBCA 100 is the recognition of 100 multidisciplinary creators, artists, political activists, and organizers and celebrates the collective impact of these public figures on community building efforts with a focus on equity, innovation, and longevity. First started in 2014, the YBCA 100 has been highlighting the crucial work of thought leaders across the country.

On Saturday, April 3, 2021, the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts hosts the YBCA 100 Summit. The event will be held on OhYay, a brand-new virtual platform with immersive capabilities, ideal for replicating the intimacy and communal spirit of live performance. 

This year, for the first time, the YBCA 100 put the selection of its nominees up to a public vote. This democratization of the selection process has created a list that spans various disciplines, communities, and backgrounds with a true representation of diversity in the voting body and the greater Bay Area community.

The April 3rd summit will commence with a performance of a new song by Meklit Hadero, a San Francisco-based singer-songwriter whose style is shaped by her musical background in jazz, folk, soul, and East African music traditions. The event will also feature a conversation between Bay Area local and Tony and Grammy Award-winning actor Daveed Diggs and YBCA CEO Deborah Cullinan. This conversation will revolve around the role of and the need for artists to lead our country out of this national crisis and toward localized, community-building practices. As the event continues, YBCA honorees, which includes Ijeoma Oluo, SOMA Pilipinas, and Youth versus Apocalypse will be presented through the interactive, immersive format of the OhYay application. This audience-led design will allow viewers the agency to explore different “rooms” on the platform at their own pace, thereby creating a “choose your own adventure” experience. This innovation attempts to bring the spirit and spontaneity of live performance to the night’s proceedings, with a format that encourages maximum audience engagement throughout the program. This will also allow audiences to familiarize themselves with honorees from the YBCA 100 list.

Meet three of this year’s YBCA 100 honorees.

Nikole Hannah-Jones, Courtesy YBCA

Nikole Hannah-Jones. A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who became a household name for her reporting on the 1619 Project, Hannah-Jones emerged as a leading voice of the racial justice movement throughout the George Floyd protests in the summer of 2020. She is a MacArthur Genius Grant recipient, a Peabody Award winner, and the founder of the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting, the mission of which is to provide young journalists of color with mentorship opportunities. 

Deanna Van Buren, Courtesy YBCA

Deanna Van Buren. Executive Director and Co-Founder of Designing Justice + Designing Spaces. Her work in architecture has been at the forefront of the cultural discourse surrounding racial equality in restorative justice. 

My-Lihn Le, Courtesy YBCA

My-Lihn Le. Director, choreographer, and dancer. She is known for creating long-form works addressing themes of environmental destruction, racial justice, and the cross-currents of colonialism and capitalism on modern life.

Founded in 1993, the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts has been providing San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Gardens community with access to high-quality arts and live entertainment, from interactive visual arts exhibits to theatre, music, and dance performances. Though the COVID-19 pandemic has cut short and greatly limited the variety and scope of the programming offered by the Yerba Buena Center, this event promises to shine a spotlight on the important work that has still been created and facilitated by the honorees of this year’s YBCA 100 list. Though the performances have been virtual, and the impact has been diluted through computer screens and Zoom backgrounds across the country, the critical output of these honorees has been no less consequential, and the YBCA 100 Summit will seek to uphold and affirm that output through a lively and interactive celebration of all of the noble, heroic efforts to bring communities together throughout a year and amidst a pandemic that kept us so far apart.

Sign up for the YBCA 100 Summit on April 3 for a unique, once-in-a-lifetime event highlighting the vital work of artists, creators, and organizers serving communities of the Bay Area and beyond.