Fresno’s first LGBTQ+ liaison builds trust, provides ‘strong voice’ one year after hire
It’s been one year since Fresno hired its first-ever LBGTQ+ liaison, and city leaders and local advocates say the new role has given a vital voice to marginalized communities inside the city’s halls of power.
Robin McGehee, a college professor and a local activist in lesbian, gay and transgender community, was hired in September 2023 as the city’s first LGBTQ+ liaison. McGehee works in the in the mayor’s Office of Community Affairs.
“Still in shock that the city of Fresno even has an LGBT liaison, and it makes me prouder as a citizen of Fresno just to know that marginalized, underrepresented, often discriminated, community has a voice within city hall, but also has an advocate that is trying to interweave all of the rainbow of the organization together,” McGehee said.
Over the past year, McGehee has held four community meetings as well as a town hall meeting with more than 50 community-based nonprofits and organizations for people to learn about the organizations and the services they provide, as well as how to get involved, she said.
McGehee recalled connecting a homeless youth who was rejected by their family for being queer with LGBTQ+ resources that led to housing. The episode, she said, demonstrated the need for an LGBTQ+ liaison to provide pathways for marginalized communities to flourish.
“Having an LGBTQ+ liaison working closely with the mayor to address not only how our community can stay safe, but also how it can thrive, shows LGBTQ+ community members that they are welcomed and valued in Fresno,” said Adam Ryan Chang, executive director of Oasis Legal Services.
Oasis Legal Services, an organization that provides services to LGBTQ+ immigrants in the Central Valley and the Bay Area, supported the creation of the LGBTQ+ liaison role in the mayor’s office.
McGehee “is deeply involved in community events and initiatives, serving as a bridge between the LGBTQ+ community and city government,” Mayor Jerry Dyer said in an email.
Dyer said he has received “overwhelmingly positive feedback from the community,” adding that McGehee is someone who takes a proactive and hands-on approach.
Fresno City Council president Annalisa Perea, the first openly LGBTQ+ member of the council, lobbied for the LGBTQ+ liaison position. She said the creation of the new role “has been a tremendous win for the community.”
“It’s a strong voice that is advocating on their behalf every single day to make sure their voice is heard,” Perea said.
Perea said she is happy with how the position has developed over time and hopes that it will continue to grow to better serve the community.
“I’m going to do everything I can to advocate for continued funding for this position,” Perea said. “This is the first time we have had this position at the city, and it’s important that we continue to fund this specific liaison position so that our voices will not go unheard.”
Building trust
McGehee said there are more than 70 community-based organizations that serve the LGBTQ+ community in Fresno.
Trans-E-Motion, a trans-led, community-based non-profit organization serving the Central Valley, was one of the several organizations that advocated for the creation of the LGBTQ+ liaison position, as well as more financial and institutional resources for the greater LGBTQ+ community.
“We appreciate her inroads in building trust between our wider LGBTQ+ community and our city government — a trust that still needs to grow, but she has taken the first steps,” the Trans-E-Motion board said in an email.
The Trans-E-Motion’s board praised McGehee’s “dedication, patience and passion” in outreach with various community organizations and collectives.
Many of the clients Oasis Legal Services serve are LGBTQ+ immigrants who have fled persecution in their countries of origin due to their sexuality, gender, and/or HIV status and made the Fresno area their home.
“They are survivors, contributing members to their community, and deserve to have their voices and experiences accounted for,” Chang said. “Having an LGBTQ+ liaison in Fresno is a step towards healing and reconciliation, and bolsters efforts to ensure diversity and equity are prioritized by the city.”
Perea said McGehee not only is well-known in the community, but she is “well-respected and people trust her, and it’s important that the community trust those who work at City Hall.”
“Robin ensures that the concerns of our LGBTQ+ residents are heard and addressed effectively,” Dyer said. “Her work has strengthened relationships and fostered a more inclusive and supportive environment for all.”
Funding for LGBTQ+ organizations
McGehee said many of the community-based organizations that serve Fresno’s LGBTQ+ community lack infrastructure and rely on grants to support their work.
In June 2023, the Fresno City Council allocated $200,000 for LGBTQ+ support in the city’s 2023-24 budget — committing half of the funds for the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission LGBTQ+ Resource Center. The city budget earmarked the other $100,000 in grants for nonprofit organizations that directly provide services to LGBTQ+ individuals in Fresno.
At its Aug. 29 meeting, the Fresno City council approved $80,000 of the $100,000 to seven organizations, with the remaining $20,000 funds set aside for the next round of grants, as requested by Councilmember Miguel Arias.
Trans-E-Motion and Oasis Legal Services were among the LGBTQ+ organizations in Fresno that received the initial round of grant funds from the city.
McGehee said the city will award an additional $75,000 in grants next year to community-based organizations.
Chang said McGehee has worked closely with Perea to uphold “our community’s understanding that LGBTQ+ funding isn’t a special exception.”
“Rather, in a city budget of $2 billion, LGBTQ+ community members deserve to be prioritized,” Chang said.
This year, grants went to Trans-E-Motion for transgender outreach and support ($10,000); BlaQueer Fresno for an informational series on disparities within the LGBTQ+ community ($20,000); Casita Feliz for Latinx LGBTQ+ cultural events ($13,500); Dulce Upfront Labs for its Strengthening BIPOC & LGBTQ+ Connections event ($13,600); South Tower Land Trust for the 2nd Annual Queer Housing Summit ($5,000), LGBTQ Fresno for Empower Youth initiatives (12,740); and Oasis Legal Services to aid LGBTQ+ immigrant/asylum Seekers ($5,160).
“We see communities flourish when you provide the resources,” McGehee said.
This story was originally published October 24, 2024 at 10:12 AM.
