\t\t\t\t\tWhat’s at stake:<\/p>\n
Seven LGBTQ+ organizations received community grants from the City of Fresno to strengthen existing programs or develop new resources amid declining federal funding.<\/p>\n
When Diana Oliva returned to Fresno two years ago with the vision of opening Casita Feliz<\/a>, she imagined purchasing a commercial space to launch what would become the region\u2019s only Latine LGBTQ+ community center.\u00a0<\/p>\n But after repeated rejections from property owners, which she suspects were tied either to her being a trans woman or to her intention to open an LGBTQ+ nonprofit, Oliva pivoted. She bought a home in the north Tower District and opened its doors to the community.<\/p>\n From that living room, Casita Feliz held its inaugural D\u00eda de los Muertos gala in November 2023, raising nearly $15,000 and setting the foundation for a series of cultural gatherings, youth and senior support groups, and wellness events that quickly established the organization as a new hub for queer community-building in Fresno.<\/p>\n She said the rapid growth of Casita Feliz has been fueled by a patchwork of state and local grants and a network of donors who have stepped in at critical moments.\u00a0<\/p>\n This includes a recent $10,000 community grant from the City of Fresno written in the budget by Councilmember Annalisa Perea. Casita Feliz is one of seven organizations who received the same grant.\u00a0<\/p>\n Never miss the top stories in Fresno \u2014 sign up for our free, daily newsletter.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m proud to be back in Fresno,\u201d Oliva said. \u201cAnd I\u2019m proud that my city government supports me, my identity, and my culture.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, Oliva says the organization is bracing for an increasingly difficult funding climate under a federal administration intent on eliminating LGBTQ+, DEI, and BIPOC-focused opportunities <\/a>nationwide.<\/p>\n In this shifting landscape, support from the city of Fresno has become increasingly important for LGBTQ+ communities. This year marks the second cycle of the city\u2019s LGBTQ+ community fund, which awarded $70,000 among seven organizations. The inaugural round was supported by federal American Rescue Plan Act<\/a> dollars tied to COVID-19 pandemic recovery, but this year\u2019s grants were covered by the city\u2019s own general fund.<\/p>\n No matter what\u2019s happening in Sacramento or Washington, we will continue to do what we\u2019ve always done: hold our local officials accountable and report the stories that shape daily life in Fresno. <\/p>\n Become a monthly member today during our crucial end-of-year campaign so that we can continue to tell hyperlocal stories you won’t find anywhere else. All donations are matched through December 31.<\/p>\n How did the grants come about?<\/p>\n Perea said she\u2019s led the effort to embed LGBTQ+ support into the city budget.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the biggest needs that we have here locally is funding for our LGBTQ+ nonprofits,\u201d Perea said. \u201cThis has become more of an exacerbated issue, given how cuts at the federal level have trickled down to impact these organizations who historically serve some of our most vulnerable populations.\u201d<\/p>\n The City of Fresno was threatened by President Donald Trump\u2019s administration\u2019s efforts to yank federal funding away<\/a> over demands to ban DEI programs, remove all trans references and certify that it will not use grant funds to promote \u201cgender ideology.<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n Seven local governments and agencies, including Fresno, came together to file a joint lawsuit in August<\/a> and a federal judge\u2019s decision<\/a> a month later blocked the Trump administration\u2019s efforts.<\/p>\n Perea emphasized that amid rising political hostility toward LGBTQ+ people, strong allyship and accessible resources are essential. The city\u2019s grants help nonprofits address major gaps in public health, mental health, and crisis support\u2014areas where LGBTQ+ residents are often underserved.\u00a0<\/p>\n She highlighted Casita Feliz, which supports Latine trans residents, as an example of how small, community-based groups meet urgent needs. Strengthening these organizations, she noted, is especially important now, as LGBTQ+ youth remain among the most vulnerable in Fresno.<\/p>\n Although the grants are relatively \u201cnominal in the grand scheme,\u201d Perea said that they represent a \u201clevel of investment that the city has never made in this part of our population before.\u201d\u00a0 She added that \u201ca city that truly believes in equality cannot simply just say the words \u2014 we have to live them.\u201d<\/p>\n She said the city must continue expanding its support, from grants to visible commitments like the LGBTQ+ liaison position, raising the Pride flag each June<\/a>, and supporting Fresno\u2019s annual Pride parade<\/a>.<\/p>\n Robin McGehee, Fresno\u2019s first LGBTQ+ liaison<\/a>, said the city\u2019s recent grant funding comes at a critical moment for LGBTQ+ residents, who she described as facing heightened anxiety amid a polarized political climate.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI feel it as a lesbian woman who is raising a family and an active participant in this community,\u201d McGehee said. \u201cI\u2019m not only nervous for myself, but for my immigrant neighbors, and for our country\u2019s future in general.\u201d<\/p>\n McGehee emphasized that the grants provide tangible support for the local LGBTQ+ community and signal the city\u2019s commitment to ensuring that local community organizations have the resources to serve those who need them most.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I live in a community that makes me feel like my neighbor, no matter whether or not they identify like me, cares about my well-being and is supporting the organizations that take care of my community, it makes me feel safer,\u201d McGehee said. \u201cIt makes me feel more valued as a citizen of Fresno.\u201d<\/p>\n The grants, McGehee noted, are part of a broader effort to strengthen support networks for LGBTQ+ residents in Fresno, encouraging more local organizations to apply and expand their programs. She added the City of Fresno\u2019s first-ever grant writing workshop<\/a> for LGBTQ+ serving organizations for help with shaping a grant idea or proposal.\u00a0<\/p>\n The workshop will also cover that LGBTQ+ funding does exist at the city level. The workshop is in collaboration with Fresno State\u2019s Department of Women\u2019s, Gender and Sexuality Studies<\/a> on Dec. 1.\u00a0<\/p>\n What will the grants be used for?<\/p>\n Casita Feliz plans to use its $10,000 city grant to launch a six-month community arts project called \u201cNuestra Ra\u00edces,\u201d (\u201cOur Roots\u201d), aimed at archiving decades of Brown queer history in the Central Valley\u2014stories Oliva says have long been overlooked.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to collect old photos for the past 15 to 75 years of brown queer people who are our trailblazers,\u201d Oliva said. \u201cIf it wasn\u2019t for them, we wouldn\u2019t have the liberties as brown queer people we do have today in 2025.\u201d<\/p>\n While Fresno State archives general LGBTQ+ history, Oliva noted there\u2019s little focus on brown queer community members. The grant will fund a social media campaign encouraging residents to share photos from the 1960s to today, building both an archive and a community arts gallery.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes community centers have these stock photos of white gay men, but not necessarily Mesoamerican or Indigenous communities,\u201d Oliva said. \u201cI want Brown queer people to walk in and see their own reflections on the walls, to feel at home.\u201d<\/p>\n The project is expected to debut as part of Fresno\u2019s ArtHop circuit and, if funded further, could expand into a traveling exhibit. For now, Oliva said the grant is a critical start toward preserving stories that have too often been erased.\u00a0<\/p>\n WestCare California<\/a> in Fresno, part of a nationwide network, offers physical and mental health services, housing support, and educational programs. This is the first time the organization has received the city\u2019s LGBTQ+ community grant, which Ashley Morris, education and prevention director, says will help expand vital services for queer and trans residents.<\/p>\n Morris oversees programming at The Living Room<\/a>, the organization\u2019s HIV drop-in center, where WestCare launched an LGBTQ+ support group about three years ago. The weekly group now draws roughly 14 to 15 participants, and Morris said the grant will allow them to grow both attendance and the scope of services.<\/p>\n WestCare also plans to offer HIV, hepatitis C, and syphilis testing to group members, with incentives to encourage ongoing participation. These incentives may include monthly social outings as well as items like Bluetooth speakers or Stanley Cups.<\/p>\n Morris said the organization also plans to put the group facilitator through LGBTQ+ competency training through the National Coalition for LGBTQ Health<\/a>, as well as sexual health education training.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe have lots of resources and we\u2019re hoping to be able to be a resource to our community and link people to additional services if needed,\u201d Morris said.<\/p>\n Oasis Legal Services<\/a>, which provides legal support to LGBTQ+ immigrants in the Central Valley and the Bay Area, received the city grant for the second time this year, following a $25,000 award last year.<\/p>\n In an emailed statement to Fresnoland, Mateo Gael S\u00e1nchez Morales, development & communications manager, said the ongoing partnership helps the organization maintain trusted, community-led legal representation and social services navigation across Fresno and the Central Valley.<\/p>\n \u201cMany parts of the U.S. are not safe for LGBTQ+ immigrants, and this is increasingly the case,\u201d Adam Chang, executive director of Oasis Legal Services said. \u201cWe are committed to working with the City of Fresno and partners across the County to ensure Fresno remains a role model for inclusivity and belonging.\u201d<\/p>\n Oasis Legal Services\u2019 team said in the emailed statement that the grant helps cover the cost of maintaining its Central Valley office, which is \u201cessential for providing consistent local legal services and case management.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The organization said a permanent Fresno presence allows it to support both local residents and LGBTQ+ immigrants across the region, highlighting Fresno as a hub for \u201cresources, safety, and opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n While the grant does not fund new programs, the team said it helps sustain core services that support \u201ccommunity safety and economic well-being.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The statement added that communities are facing intensified threats, including new asylum fees, ICE raids, and fear fueled by changing policies. In response, Oasis Legal Services has expanded deportation defense work, created a Know-Your-Rights guide for LGBTQ+ immigrants, and accompanied clients to ICE check-ins.<\/p>\n The organization said city funding \u201creinforces our role in ensuring legal stability for LGBTQ+ immigrants and further legitimizes our work.\u201d Oasis Legal Services called for continued LGBTQ+ funding to meet growing needs and ensure ongoing safety and opportunity.<\/p>\n Other organizations that received the grant include South Tower Community Land Trust<\/a>, Fresno Inclusive<\/a>, Gender Alchemy<\/a>, and the LGBT Community Network<\/a>.<\/p>\n Fresno\u2019s LGBTQ+ Resource Center uncertainty <\/p>\n The future of the Fresno LGBTQ+ Resource Center<\/a>, also known as \u201cThe Center\u201d in the community, is uncertain, as the Economic Opportunities Commission plans to furlough more than 600 employees indefinitely<\/a> in two months due to the federal shutdown.<\/p>\n