Fresno LGBTQ+ community gets a top priority: A liaison in the mayor’s office

When the Fresno City Council approved a record $1.87 billion budget last week for the 2024 fiscal year, it included $200,000 in funds for LGBTQ+ support and an LGBTQ+ liaison in the mayor’s Office of Community Affairs.

First-term Councilmember Annalisa Perea, the first openly LGBTQ+ member of the council, pushed for that funding when the council had to figure out which 140 individual budget motions would survive the final cut.

Perea said “community advocacy” spurred Mayor Jerry Dyer and councilmembers to include the LGBTQ+ friendly provisions.

The liaison position, she said, is crucial for a community that “historically has always gone underrepresented.”

“So having a seat at the table to make sure that their voices are being heard or being represented at the policy-making level, having the mayor’s ear is something extremely important to the community,” said Perea.

The liaison post was a priority for the LGBTQ+ community, said Perea.

That position could be filled as early as September, she said.

The budget also allocates $100,000 for the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission LGBTQ+ Resource Center, and another $100,000 in grants for organizations that provide services to that community.

“While the LGBTQ+ Resource Center is the biggest resource for our community, it’s not the only resource,” said Perea about the need to help other groups.

“It’s important that the city step up and take a more proactive approach in terms of helping all the other nonprofits within our community as well,” said Perea.

The details on the grant program will be finalized soon, she said.

June is national LGBTQ+ Pride Month.