With back-to-school season in full swing, families across the country are continuing to feel the sting of high prices.In May and June, before the latest round of the Trump administration’s tariffs, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimated that tariffs on back-to-school items had risen to 18% (up from 5% a year earlier). A new report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that prices of educational books and supplies increased 9.4% from May 2024 to May 2025.As costs pile up, over half of parents are planning to cut back on necessities to pay for school-related shopping, and 44% are planning to take on debt, according to a Credit Karma consumer survey. American families expect to spend an average of $570 per student on back-to-school shopping this year, according to a Deloitte survey released in July, and price pressures are pushing consumers to look for savings wherever possible.Track when (or if) your state has a back-to-school tax holidaySeventeen states have or had sales tax holidays in summer 2025. Each of those states has different policies on which items are included in the tax holiday, and the holidays are spread out, so it’s important to pay close attention to when your state’s holiday is, if it has one.These purchases don’t have to be in-store either — Amazon and other online retailers won’t charge taxes on eligible deliveries to states with these holidays on the books.Get library cards for the whole familyLibraries are a great way to save money not only on physical books, but also e-books, audiobooks and movies. Some public libraries also offer printing services, discounts for local attractions and cost-free tutoring services that can be used year-round.Shop localDeloitte found that over 2 in 3 shoppers will be looking to online retailers to do at least part of their back-to-school shopping.Shopping online can be a convenient and efficient way to directly compare prices between retailers and makes buying items in bulk (which can take your dollar further) easier. But consumers who do most of their back-to-school shopping online actually spent $100 more than families who relied on in-person shopping, Deloitte reported.Finding great local deals in person, may mean going beyond traditional retailers.Tina Marie Barnes, the manager of one of the Chatham PTA Thrift Shops in central North Carolina, said the stores — which raise money for local schools — started stocking up on “any back to school, items, backpacks, lunch boxes, pencils, crayons, notebooks, notebook paper, anything that a child could use” in January. The shops see hundreds of people a day, from families to college students, looking for find deals on clothes and school supplies.Repair instead of replacingA growing number of Americans live in states with “right to repair” laws that make it easier for consumers and independent businesses to repair electronics without having to go through manufacturers.These laws are relatively new – New York, the first state to enact one of these laws for consumer electronics, only did so in 2023, and Texas’s governor signed a right to repair law in June. An advocacy organization that supports these laws estimates that they might save families upwards of $300 a year.Take advantage of tax laws529 plans have traditionally allowed families to save money for college, but recent changes might allow families to increase savings before their kids graduate high school.Included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is a change to 529 plans that allow parents to withdraw money from the accounts to pay for expenses related to K-12 schooling, including books, standardized test prep and other “instructional materials.”While contributions cannot be deducted from federal income taxes, most states allow residents to deduct contributions to these plans from their state income taxes. But importantly, “the earnings are not subject to federal or state tax when they’re used for qualified education expenses,” says Alexander Maged, an employee benefits lawyer at Ivins, Phillips & Barker. Withdrawals for qualified educational expenses are not subject to federal income taxes.When withdrawing money from these 529 plans, it’s important to maintain good records for purchases, balance current spending with future savings goals, and consult with an IRS representative if you’re unsure about what expenses qualify.Make budgeting a teaching lesson for kidsImpulse buying can quickly add up costs, especially when kids want the newest sneakers or an expensive first-day-of-school outfit. Setting a firm budget for back-to-school costs and giving kids a role in the discussion can help save money in the short term and teach kids an invaluable life lesson.”Families that include kids in back-to-school budgeting often find the process less stressful as children are incentivized to work within limits instead of pushing against them,” Julia Perez, a wealth manager at Crux Wealth Advisors, told CNN in an email.Kids are often tempted by immediate gratification, she said, so explaining what’s worth saving for can help “develop critical longer-term perspectives that can re-direct impulses and shape behavior.””Over time those habits compound. By the time they’re managing rent, student loans, or saving for a first home, saving isn’t an afterthought… it’s second nature.”
CNN —
With back-to-school season in full swing, families across the country are continuing to feel the sting of high prices.
In May and June, before the latest round of the Trump administration’s tariffs, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimated that tariffs on back-to-school items had risen to 18% (up from 5% a year earlier). A new report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that prices of educational books and supplies increased 9.4% from May 2024 to May 2025.
As costs pile up, over half of parents are planning to cut back on necessities to pay for school-related shopping, and 44% are planning to take on debt, according to a Credit Karma consumer survey. American families expect to spend an average of $570 per student on back-to-school shopping this year, according to a Deloitte survey released in July, and price pressures are pushing consumers to look for savings wherever possible.
Track when (or if) your state has a back-to-school tax holiday
Seventeen states have or had sales tax holidays in summer 2025. Each of those states has different policies on which items are included in the tax holiday, and the holidays are spread out, so it’s important to pay close attention to when your state’s holiday is, if it has one.
These purchases don’t have to be in-store either — Amazon and other online retailers won’t charge taxes on eligible deliveries to states with these holidays on the books.
Get library cards for the whole family
Libraries are a great way to save money not only on physical books, but also e-books, audiobooks and movies. Some public libraries also offer printing services, discounts for local attractions and cost-free tutoring services that can be used year-round.
Shop local
Deloitte found that over 2 in 3 shoppers will be looking to online retailers to do at least part of their back-to-school shopping.
Shopping online can be a convenient and efficient way to directly compare prices between retailers and makes buying items in bulk (which can take your dollar further) easier. But consumers who do most of their back-to-school shopping online actually spent $100 more than families who relied on in-person shopping, Deloitte reported.
Finding great local deals in person, may mean going beyond traditional retailers.
Tina Marie Barnes, the manager of one of the Chatham PTA Thrift Shops in central North Carolina, said the stores — which raise money for local schools — started stocking up on “any back to school, items, backpacks, lunch boxes, pencils, crayons, notebooks, notebook paper, anything that a child could use” in January. The shops see hundreds of people a day, from families to college students, looking for find deals on clothes and school supplies.
Repair instead of replacing
A growing number of Americans live in states with “right to repair” laws that make it easier for consumers and independent businesses to repair electronics without having to go through manufacturers.
These laws are relatively new – New York, the first state to enact one of these laws for consumer electronics, only did so in 2023, and Texas’s governor signed a right to repair law in June. An advocacy organization that supports these laws estimates that they might save families upwards of $300 a year.
Take advantage of tax laws
529 plans have traditionally allowed families to save money for college, but recent changes might allow families to increase savings before their kids graduate high school.
Included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is a change to 529 plans that allow parents to withdraw money from the accounts to pay for expenses related to K-12 schooling, including books, standardized test prep and other “instructional materials.”
While contributions cannot be deducted from federal income taxes, most states allow residents to deduct contributions to these plans from their state income taxes. But importantly, “the earnings are not subject to federal or state tax when they’re used for qualified education expenses,” says Alexander Maged, an employee benefits lawyer at Ivins, Phillips & Barker. Withdrawals for qualified educational expenses are not subject to federal income taxes.
When withdrawing money from these 529 plans, it’s important to maintain good records for purchases, balance current spending with future savings goals, and consult with an IRS representative if you’re unsure about what expenses qualify.
Make budgeting a teaching lesson for kids
Impulse buying can quickly add up costs, especially when kids want the newest sneakers or an expensive first-day-of-school outfit. Setting a firm budget for back-to-school costs and giving kids a role in the discussion can help save money in the short term and teach kids an invaluable life lesson.
“Families that include kids in back-to-school budgeting often find the process less stressful as children are incentivized to work within limits instead of pushing against them,” Julia Perez, a wealth manager at Crux Wealth Advisors, told CNN in an email.
Kids are often tempted by immediate gratification, she said, so explaining what’s worth saving for can help “develop critical longer-term perspectives that can re-direct impulses and shape behavior.”
“Over time those habits compound. By the time they’re managing rent, student loans, or saving for a first home, saving isn’t an afterthought… it’s second nature.”
Dear Eric: I started a new job a year ago. I took over as a supervisor at a municipal agency and from an individual who was retiring and who is a friend of mine.
The position that I took over for had a number of employees who were retired and had part-time jobs. They were very loyal to him, and he let them do what they wanted as long as it got done. There was no structure at the workplace.
I tried to implement small things while starting out and, each time, I would get the response that that’s not how we have done it before.
I didn’t want to make it like it was my way only, but things needed to change. If I complained to my supervisors, then they would think I was doing the complaining and that I could not get along with anyone. They wouldn’t listen to me at all.
It’s to the point where every time I walk in the door and ask to get something done, the employees do the exact opposite. It’s embarrassing to work there. I have no support on either end. I enjoy the job, but my staff does not respect me.
I am at a loss for what I should do. I don’t know who is in charge there because I don’t feel like I am.
Do you have any suggestions or ideas about what I can do?
— Disrespected Supervisor
Dear Supervisor: It can be very difficult to inherit someone else’s workplace culture. And, when you’re in a supervisory role, a lot of the negotiation becomes about what you need to adjust to and what you need to change. That’s a dance that goes on for a while. Respect from the employees you supervise is important here and I don’t want to dismiss that, but it’s also crucial to think about the expectations that are being placed on you, the expectations that you’re placing on yourself and the expectations you have for the workplace.
To that end, see if you can get clarity from your supervisors about what success looks like for you, how they measure it and what systems are in place to encourage growth. These systems may not exist — many workplaces are imperfect. But this information could help you to modify your expectations of yourself and, in turn, take some of the frustration out of the working relationships you have with the employees you supervise.
You also might want to talk to your friend. He created this imperfect system and, while you clearly don’t want to perpetuate it, he might be able to give insight or cheat codes. Ask him, “how do I deal with these people?”
Shifting a culture is more akin to turning a cruise ship than a speed boat. Smaller steps are going to be necessary and the first should be finding one thing about your job performance that you feel good about and pouring your energy into that.
Dear Eric: My best friend and I, both females and in our 60s, used to do everything together. Last year, she met a nice man and after a brief courtship, they married. I even performed the wedding ceremony.
Now, we barely see each other, and maybe text or call once a week, if that.
I knew and understood that our friendship was going to change once she married and I expected that, but I never thought it would be so drastic. Her husband gets upset if she wants “girl time” with me and even other friends. I feel really hurt and discarded. I’m not sure if I should talk to her about it or leave it be. I don’t want to cause a rift between us or make it awkward.
— Fractured Friendship
Dear Friendship: Talk to her. Her new husband’s behavior is concerning and controlling. Isolation is a form of emotional abuse, and it can escalate and put her in danger. He shouldn’t have a negative emotional response to her spending time with friends, particularly her best friend. She (and you) can find resources at the National Domestic Violence Hotline (TheHotline.org). But help can start with a conversation between you and her that’s rooted in your love for her and your desire to see her healthy and happy.
It may be helpful to enlist other friends, as well. You don’t want to gang up on her, but you can ask them if they’re seeing the same things you’re seeing. If she hears this perspective from multiple people, it may take root more effectively. As you go about this, try to put your hurt to the side for the moment. There will be time to address it, but first you’ll want to make sure she sees the issues in her relationship clearly.
(Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.)
This is part of Reason‘s 2025 summer travel issue. Click here to read the rest of the issue.
Last year I honeymooned in Rome, which was a long day trip from the tiny 2,500-year-old village in the Campania region of Italy that my maternal grandparents left in the 1910s. Of course I had to go—it was surely my only chance to see where that side of my family had come from.
It’s a very American thing to travel to ancestral hometowns, especially if your ancestors were fleeing poverty or political repression. Perhaps more than ever, as America grows less sure of its exceptionalism, we want to be reminded that we are lucky to have grown up in the glittering New World rather than the tarnished old one.
Photo: Sarah Rose Siskind
But the best sort of travel is that which confounds our expectations rather than confirms our prejudices. And that’s what I experienced on a drizzly day in Fragneto Monforte, population 1,700, known for a relic of the 3rd century martyr Saint Faustina, for an ancient and revered tiglio tree in the town square, and, go figure, for a hot air balloon festival that started sometime around the turn of this century.
I had heard only fleeting references to this speck of a town throughout my childhood, and the stories always drove home how backward, stultifying, and impoverished the place was, even for notoriously poor southern Italy. My mother and her siblings rehearsed a particular narrative about why their parents had emigrated; it was persuasive if uncheckable even before my grandparents died in the 1980s. (They didn’t speak English; I didn’t speak Italian.) The story went like this: There was no future in Italy back then, especially for peasants like my ancestors. Everyone who could leave, did.
Incredibly, my wife had tracked down a relative of mine via Facebook groups and Google Translate. Part of me worried that we were being scammed—I’ve seen the second season of White Lotus, where Italian-Americans seeking to connect to their roots in the old country are suckered on multiple levels. We took a surprisingly efficient and well-appointed high-speed train from Rome to nearby Benevento (post-Mussolini, it seems, the trains still run on time) and then a cab to Fragneto Monforte, where Pasqualino, my previously unknown second cousin, met us. He was a tall, strapping 50-something construction engineer. He met us with his wife and daughter, who was training in Rome to become a doctor. With his daughter translating, he explained that he was the grandson of my grandmother’s sister and his own mother was still alive at 93.
They gave us the grand tour, which took less than an hour, showing us the houses where my grandfather and grandmother had grown up. I searched for my grandfather’s initials in the bricks surrounding the tiglio tree. (Family lore had it that he’d scratched them in before he left for America as a teenager.)
I was eager to meet Pasqualino’s mother Anna, a cousin my mother had never known or spoken of before dying in 1999. She was spry for a nonagenarian—and though she spoke no English, her gestures, expressions, and sounds instantly reminded me of my mother and grandmother. She lived in a beautiful house that had been in the family for generations; truth be told, it was far nicer than the house I grew up in, or those of my Italian-American relatives, which occasionally veered into plastic-covered couches, mirrored walls, and gold-foil wallpaper. She brought us drinks and snacks and showed me photos from the ’70s, when my grandparents had visited.
Photo: Sarah Rose Siskind
I told her I was taught that my grandparents (her uncle and aunt) had left for economic reasons and to avoid war. No, said Anna, they were all doing pretty well, even during World War I and World War II and the rebuilding afterward. They and one other were the only family members who left, she said, and it was never clear why.
Did she ever wish her parents had gone to America? No, she answered: This was always a good place to live.
As I hugged this ancient woman with whom I share a real but tenuous connection and whom I will never see again, I felt for a second like I was hugging my own mother one last time. I was also saying goodbye to family stories that may or may not have ever been true.
RYE, New Hampshire — Eli Robinson awoke from a medically induced coma last November, his sister and brother at his hospital bedside.
One week prior, Eli attempted suicide, jumping off the 150-foot-high Piscataqua River Bridge into the swift current below.
Instances of a person surviving a jump from the Interstate 95 span connecting Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to Kittery, Maine, are rare. Eli became one of the few, suffering a collapsed lung and several broken ribs.
Eli, 34, made a vow to his siblings.
“(Eli) said, ‘I will never do that again. I will never do that again,’” Marta, his sister, tearfully recalled in a July 31 interview.
Duncan, their younger brother and a seven-year NBA veteran, told him: “‘You don’t understand. We cannot survive without you,’” Marta added. “And (Eli) goes, ‘I promise I will never do that again.’ It just shows you what an altered state he was in. I think subconsciously he just knew he couldn’t keep going, but he was also just in such an altered mental state.”
Eli heard voices, bad ones that warned of danger for his family. The voices were torturous and overbearing, an endless cycle in his mind. On Oct. 27, 2024, the day Eli stepped onto the bridge to take his own life, the voices had just told him to kill his father.
Marta Day, the eldest Robinson child, is a licensed mental health counselor and founder of Sage Couch Counseling in Rye. Duncan Robinson, one of the NBA’s top 3-point shooters, recently signed with the Detroit Pistons after spending the first stretch of his professional career with the Miami Heat.
“There’s an obvious, and I get it when somebody jumps off a bridge, there’s a misconception that they’re depressed or they don’t want to live anymore. That was not the case with Eli, at all,” Duncan said. “It more is speaking to the altered state, the paranoia he was going through, the torture in his brain of constantly navigating. He couldn’t just sit on the couch. He was constantly negotiating, (wondering), ‘Is my family safe? Am I going to hurt my family?’ These voices, he couldn’t do it anymore. For the record, he did it for a long time.”
Eli survived that long fall into the river, but so did the voices.
Eli’s childhood and teen years
Eli was many things. He was a graduate of Governor’s Academy in Massachusetts and a local Joe’s New York Pizza employee. He had given up drinking and smoking marijuana and was nearly four years sober. He was a doting uncle, the son of a family nurse practitioner and a retired teacher, and was loyal to his family. He loved rap, drank Spindrifts, wore flannel and befriended animals and people from all walks of life. Eli was candid about his mental health struggles after his schizophrenia diagnosis.
“Eli was a journey unto himself,” said his mother, Elisabeth Robinson. “He was very frustrating and very lovable, smart and creative and funny. I’d say, ‘How are you doing today?’ He’d go, ‘Mom, I’m good.’ Big smile. And he’d go, ‘I haven’t had a voice today.’ Then he’d just envelop me in this beautiful, papa (bear), big guy way.”
As a child, Eli made up elaborate games for him and his siblings to play. Elisabeth remembers Eli making forts around their house. They adopted animals he adored, making for a childhood full of dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, hamsters and even a snake. Late to the airport during a family trip to Florida, Eli made the family pull over on the freeway when he noticed a gecko barely hanging onto the windshield of their car.
The family described Eli as loyal and noble from a young age. “Total gangster, total soldier,” his father, Jeffrey Robinson, stated.
In New Castle, the New Hampshire island town where the Robinsons lived, Eli once solely took blame for an egging incident nearby, despite his friends sitting alongside him holding eggs during his confession. He once lied to high school administrators and took the fall when a student cheated off his work, knowing his peer would face harsher repercussions if the truth came out.
“He’d just take it on the chin. I was so opposite,” Duncan said. “I was so concerned with being in good standing with my parents. Forget authority, I was petrified of that. Eli was not.”
Eli wrote his own rap songs and downloaded music onto the family computer using LimeWire.
The Robinsons’ middle child was constantly in-tune with those around him. He mixed and mingled with different groups, gaining confidence by connecting with all types.
“He was very perceptive of people,” Jeffrey said. “He always had a point of view about a person that was right on. He wasn’t judgmental, though.”
“He had an amazing ability to see people for what they were and meet people where they were, as well,” Duncan said. “Nothing was indicative of that more than to see who showed up for him.”
“He was very funny. He was joyful. He was a very happy kid and he made everyone in the room happy. Whenever he wrote a thank you note, he would always add one more line about them where they felt really thanked,” Elisabeth said. “His (emotional quotient) and IQ for who people were was pretty high.”
Eli, a talented young athlete, became Duncan’s biggest fan
Duncan wanted to be exactly like his older brother. That meant listening to Young Jeezy, Eli’s favorite rapper as a teenager, on the school bus, and putting ketchup on noodles, Eli’s favorite food for a time. Duncan disliked the dish but forced it down.
Eli was a multi-sport athlete.
He was a member of the Rye 2003 Little League state championship team, the town’s first to advance to the New England regional in Bristol, Connecticut. On the Berwick Academy basketball team, prior to later transferring to Governor’s Academy, Eli showed a sweet finish around the rim and shot-making ability.
Duncan attended Eli’s games and strove to be a prolific athlete like his big brother. Later, Eli was his brother’s biggest cheerleader as Duncan starred in college and the NBA.
Duncan began his college career at Williams, an NCAA Division III school, before transferring to the University of Michigan. As a Wolverine, he scored 1,000-plus points, won back-to-back Big Ten titles and the conference’s 2018 Sixth Man of the Year award. He captained the 2017-2018 team that reached the NCAA championship game against Villanova University.
After his final collegiate season, Duncan was signed by the Heat as an undrafted free agent, becoming a key contributor on coach Erik Spoelstra’s playoff teams. Duncan, the first NCAA Division III transfer to play in an NBA game, has averaged 11.3 regular season points per game through seven years and boasts a career 39.7% 3-point field goal percentage, good for 18th among all active NBA players. He became the fastest player in league history to make 1,000 3-pointers, hitting the milestone in 344 games.
Detroit acquired Duncan in a July trade, then signed him to a three-year, $48 million contract.
Duncan points to Eli as one of his earliest athletic idols.
“I always viewed him as the unsung hero of the teams he was on,” Duncan said.
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Did past substance use play a role in Eli’s diagnosis?
In 2021, Eli was diagnosed with schizophrenia. He was 31 years old then, older than most males diagnosed with the disorder.
The Robinsons have no family history of schizophrenia. Reflecting on the diagnosis, they ponder if Eli’s prior substance abuse played a factor, as he began drinking and smoking in high school.
A National Institutes of Health-led study in 2023 found young men with cannabis use disorder have a higher chance of developing schizophrenia.
“He was a runaway train with the drinking and the pot early on,” Elisabeth said.
Eli battled substance abuse for a long time, but he eventually got sober, a primary point of pride in his life. His sobriety date was Sept. 12, 2021.
Every member of the Robinson family stocked up on Spindrift sparkling water and soda for Eli to enjoy after he quit drinking. It was not uncommon for Eli to consume 10 Spindrifts daily.
Duncan now proudly wears his brother’s sobriety necklace each day.
“He would tell you within three minutes of meeting you that he was three-and-a-half years sober and that he was struggling with schizophrenia,” Duncan said.
The Robinson family — from left, Jeff, Duncan, Elisabeth and Marta — say they understand how hard Eli tried to battle his mental illness.
Mental health experts on schizophrenia: ‘It’s a hard life’
Auditory hallucinations affect more schizophrenia patients than visual ones. Eli never experienced any visual hallucinations, but voices cycled through his head for years.
Mental health experts say schizophrenia is rare and often is diagnosed in men as early as their late teenage years.
William Torrey, professor and chair of the psychiatry department at Dartmouth College’s Geisel School of Medicine, said less than 1% of the population worldwide experiences schizophrenia.
A patient’s diagnosis tends to have a major impact on their loved ones. In the Robinsons’ case, Elisabeth, Jeff, Marta and Duncan worked with Eli and spoke to mental health providers time and time again in order to help Eli claw his way out of anguish.
Post-diagnosis, the voices in Eli’s head grew loud. They warned him people were after Duncan as he blossomed in Miami, helping the Heat grind its way to two NBA Finals appearances. The voices told Eli he needed to shield his beloved niece — Day’s daughter, Gemma — from harm’s way.
Family protection was a priority for Eli. Calls would come in from him before dawn with vague warnings of unfounded danger, the Robinsons say.
The family first found it challenging to decipher whether Eli was worried about the possibility of real trouble or if he was experiencing hallucinations. Though not without worry, over time it became clear Eli’s voices were growing louder.
Marta believes 95% of her brother’s hallucinations made him believe his family was in harm’s way.
“It was all about protection of the four of us and Gemma. It was always that,” she said.
The hallucinations persisted despite Eli taking different medications.
All Eli wanted was to stop the voices. Jeffrey watched his son dutifully take half a cup of pills he was prescribed.
“If medication is not going to work, they don’t know what to do. Because he didn’t get better, they put him on more medication, not less, because that’s what they do. They medicate you. To me, that was the most disappointing lesson that I got out of that whole experience,” Jeffrey said.
Eli’s October jump from the Piscataqua River Bridge
The New England Patriots were playing the rival New York Jets on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. At Jeff’s home, he and Eli tuned into the game.
The action in Foxborough, Massachusetts, quickly became an afterthought. Eli couldn’t sit still. He paced around the room, struggling to quiet the voices in his head.
He asked his son to tell him what the voices were saying. “I said, ‘Eli, just talk to me about what’s going on,’” Jeffrey said. “And he’s like, ‘The voices are telling me to kill you right now, to kill you.’”
Jeffrey attempted to get Eli to admit himself to the hospital. Eli refused and walked out the door.
“He said, ‘I’m leaving.’ I said, ‘Don’t leave.’ He walked out and he went to the bridge and jumped off,” Jeff said.
Portsmouth Fire Chief Bill McQuillen later reported an unidentified man had been pulled from the river alive by New Hampshire Marine Patrol.
Eli wakes up from medically induced coma
After jumping in October, Eli told his family it was the first time in days he hadn’t heard voices.
Eli said to his siblings that he’d rather kill himself than hurt any member of their family.
“It was all about our safety,” Marta said of her brother’s hallucinations. “I think he knew in a lot of ways that he was tortured and we were tortured. It was awful. It was awful to witness it. He knew how unique it was that he survived jumping the first time. He knew the statistics. I think in a lot of ways he didn’t want to have us continue living the way we were living.”
Eli’s condition worsens
Eli could not sleep, suffering from insomnia. His family noticed signs of bipolar disorder.
Eli had completed 30 rounds of electric convulsive therapy. Sixteen times, he was admitted for psychiatric hospitalizations. Eli was prescribed eight different anti-psychotic medications to help quiet the noise. The voices never stayed away for long.
Heartbroken, the Robinsons stayed by Eli’s side as he battled his intense hallucinations and delusions. The family intervened and spent years seeking top-tier treatment for Eli, eventually helping him receive eight months of care at McLean Hospital in Massachusetts, one of the nation’s most well-known psychiatric institutions. Some of Eli’s patient records weren’t shared between hospitals and clinics, forcing Elisabeth to create a three-page narrative of her son’s medications, hallucinations and prior providers.
Eli gained weight. He felt restless and foggy, but he stayed on course and took his prescriptions.
Elisabeth watched her son shudder from the medications.
“He was working so hard. He was literally shaking,” she said. “At 6 in the morning, he was like, ‘Mom, mom, you don’t understand. I have to go protect Gemma.’ Then he’d drive off and go walk behind the house behind trees.”
“It was really hard to watch your phone ring and to not know which Eli was calling you. Was it Eli that was trying to say, ‘Hey, can I come by and see Gemma?’ Or was it Eli that was like, ‘Lock your house right now. They’re coming to get you,’” Marta said.
For the past two years, Duncan averaged between six and 10 phone calls a day with his brother. During some of Eli’s worst hallucinations, there would be upwards of 25 phone calls in a day.
Duncan usually had the ability to coax Eli into seeking treatment or going to a hospital when necessary. Those calls came after the first family’s three lines of defense — Elisabeth, Jeffrey and Marta — were unsuccessful.
“Duncan was our Eli whisperer,” Marta said.
But on April 30, Duncan heard a different tone in his brother’s voice.
Eli’s final day
Duncan spoke to Eli between 15 to 20 times the day he died.
“I remember I went to dinner,” Duncan said. “Before I went to dinner, I was on the phone with him, and I was like, ‘Eli, you have to go. You have to go.’ Always, at some point, there was some breaking point of him being like, ‘All right, fine.’
“And he didn’t let up,” Duncan added. “I got done with dinner. He didn’t call me the whole dinner. I had this weird feeling driving back. I called everybody asking, ‘Has anyone heard from Eli?’ They hadn’t.”
Recounting his premonition, Duncan held a hand over his heart.
Eli never sought medical help that night.
“Then my dad heard (he jumped), and my mom called me. I always felt like I could make some sort of headway or that he would listen to me in some capacity.”
“It was very indicative of where he was on that day,” Marta added. “He was unreachable.”
New Hampshire State Police reported troopers responded to a report of a car stopped in the northbound breakdown lane on the Piscataqua River Bridge just after 7 p.m. on April 30.
Authorities located a man in the river half an hour later.
“The person was recovered and transported to a local area hospital,” state police wrote in a May 1 news release. “Life-saving measures were taken but were unsuccessful.”
“We understand,” Marta said. “We understand why (he did this). I feel like there’s a lot of acceptance on our end.”
“He just couldn’t keep going,” Jeffrey added.
Eli’s services and the work the Robinson family has planned
The family estimates 600 people attended Eli’s celebration of life in Portsmouth in early May. Attendees included Eli’s friends from childhood, high school and ones he made at halfway homes, former teachers and coaches, and a priest, Marta recalled.
Grief-stricken, Marta and Duncan both eulogized their brother, talking about his impact on those he loved despite the internal despair he endured.
At his funeral, Eli’s coworkers from Joe’s New York Pizza stood in the front row and sobbed.
In the days after Eli’s services, the family laid out photo albums. They cried and they laughed, remembering old family trips, childhood memories and inside jokes. Guests trickled in and out to offer their condolences. Food and flowers were delivered, with about 1,000 sympathy cards and letters mailed to the family.In that time, the Robinsons huddled together to determine how best to honor Eli and bolster mental health services in the Seacoast.
The Robinson family — from left, Jeff, Marta, Duncan and Elisabeth — vow to make an impact and help people following their loss of Eli.
Within two hours of Eli’s jump, a person was found to have leapt from the nearby Sarah Mildred Long Bridge. Two weeks after Eli’s death by suicide, a teenager drove to the Piscataqua River Bridge and died by suicide.
The three deaths by suicide in a two-week span this spring prompted area mental health advocates and public safety leaders to begin discussing the need to push for local bridge barriers. Signs with the 988 national crisis lifeline were posted on the Piscataqua River Bridge and the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge in the wake of the deaths. New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte formally called local and state authorities from New Hampshire and Maine, mental health providers, transportation leaders and elected officials together to begin addressing suicide prevention in June.
The Robinsons are at the forefront of the conversation, calling for bridge barriers to be installed and supporting Seacoast Mental Health Center with over $110,000 raised in Eli’s memory. Separately, the newly founded Robinson Family Foundation will offer a three-tiered approach toward bettering mental, heart and overall physical health and wellness in youth and adults.
“We’re going to take the shame out of mental health,” Elisabeth said. “It’s about the commitment to create a barrier, to not make it so easy.”
“We’re going to use our platform,” Marta said. “That’s one of the things (Eli) did best. He spoke so openly (with) no shame about his journey, to the point where we were like, ‘Really, you’re going to say that?’ And he was like, ‘Yeah, I’m going to say it!’
Duncan said his sister’s career as a therapist, his mother’s work as a family nurse practitioner and their combined industry connections helped equip them for aiding Eli. He knows most families facing a schizophrenia diagnosis don’t have the same resources.
The Robinsons faced challenges in Eli’s treatment and question why the Piscataqua River Bridge wasn’t originally built to block deaths by suicide.
“We would say this sometimes: ‘If we weren’t our family, Eli probably would have been dead or on the street years ago,’” Duncan said. “For me, it’s really disheartening and sad to think that there are so many families that are likely dealing with this that don’t have the resources, the things at our disposal and the expertise that we do have.
“Even then, still, it was never going to be enough. That’s the reality of how ill he was.”
The next story in this series will be published on Wednesday, Aug. 20.
NH Rapid Response Access Point – Call/Text 1-833-710-6477 – If you or someone you care about is experiencing a mental health and/or substance use crisis, you can call and speak to trained and caring clinical staff. You’ll be served by compassionate providers from mental health centers in your community who can help you access vital resources in an emergency.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Call or text 988 for 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals. (Chat option is also available at 988lifeline.org.)
Life as a family is full of surprises. Some of them are wonderful, like welcoming a new baby, buying your dream home, or celebrating milestones together. Others can be more challenging, such as unexpected disputes, complicated paperwork, or legal situations you never imagined you would face.
While we can’t always predict what’s around the corner, we can prepare for it. One of the best ways to do that is by having trusted solicitors you can turn to for guidance. They’re not just there for emergencies, but are essential when protecting your family’s future.
Here are the top five reasons why every family should have a solicitor they can rely on.
1) Help when buying or selling a home
A new home is more than bricks and mortar. It’s where your family will make memories. But behind the excitement of choosing paint colours and arranging furniture, there’s a lot of legal work that needs to be handled.
Conveyancing solicitors take care of all the legal details of property transactions. They make sure the contracts are correct, the searches are completed properly, and there are no hidden issues that could cause problems later. Having the right solicitor can make the difference between a smooth move and a stressful one.
2) Support during family disputes
Family disagreements are never easy, especially when emotions are high. Whether it’s divorce, separation, or deciding on child custody arrangements, the process can be overwhelming without the right support.
A good family solicitor offers clear advice and works to find solutions that protect everyone involved. They will guide you through the legal process with compassion and professionalism, helping you focus on the well-being of your family rather than just the conflict.
3) Guidance on wills and estate planning
Planning for the future might not be the most exciting task, but it’s one of the most important. A solicitor can help you create a will that ensures your assets are passed on exactly as you want.
They can also assist with setting up trusts, appointing guardians for children, and making sure your estate is managed in a tax-efficient way. This kind of planning gives you peace of mind and provides your family with clear direction when it’s needed most.
4) Protecting your rights in difficult situations
Life has a way of throwing unexpected challenges at us. You might have a disagreement with a neighbour, face an unfair claim against you, or encounter problems with a purchase. In these situations, knowing your rights is essential.
Solicitors are there to stand up for you and make sure you are treated fairly. They can handle negotiations, resolve disputes, and, if necessary, represent you in court. Having someone knowledgeable on your side means you are not facing these situations alone.
5) Ongoing legal advice you can trust
The best time to find a solicitor is before you actually need one. Building a relationship with a legal professional means they understand your circumstances and can offer advice that is tailored to you.
This ongoing support can prevent small issues from becoming bigger problems. Whether you’re signing an important contract, making a significant purchase, or simply have a legal question, a solicitor who already knows you and your family can offer quick and reliable guidance.
Find a reliable solicitor for your legal needs
Life’s important moments often come with legal steps that can feel overwhelming, and a reliable solicitor can make these processes easier, protect your interests, and offer clear guidance when it matters most.
If you’re buying your first home, resolving a family matter, or planning for the future, turn to a trusted name like Bell Lamb & Joynson, who can make the process less stressful. They provide expert advice and a wide range of services to help families through every stage of life, giving you the confidence to move forward knowing you have the right help at hand.
YOJUELA, Mexico — Modesta Matías Aquino was working her regular morning shift — 3 a.m. till noon — at the Glass House Farms in Camarillo, caring for rows of marijuana plants.
Among her co-workers on the morning of July 10 were two of her daughters, aged 16 and 19.
“With everything going on, with the raids, there had been rumors that something bad might happen,” Matías recalled.
About 9 a.m., she said, phalanxes of masked agents in tactical vests sealed off the sprawling compound. Matías and her daughters were among more than 300 undocumented immigrants — including at least 10 minors — who, according to U.S. authorities, were detained at a pair of Glass House sites.
The raids, like other such operations across the United States, split many so-called “mixed-status” families, those with both U.S.-born citizens — often children — and undocumented relatives, typically one or both parents.
Matías’ family life is, by any definition, complicated, including seven daughters in all. Her two youngest daughters, aged 2 and 5, are U.S. citizens, born in California. Her 2-year-old grandson —the child of Matías’ 16-year-old daughter — is also a native Californian. So when Matías was held in a federal lockup in downtown Los Angeles, she faced a momentous choice — one that would mark her family for life.
Matías, 43, could accept removal to Mexico. But that might effectively banish her from returning to the United States, where she had toiled as a field worker for most of the past quarter-century — and where she had deep family ties.
Alternately, she could fight expulsion in court. But that would leave her in custody, possibly indefinitely.
“They told me I could be locked up for months, maybe a year, and never see my children,” Matías said, recalling what U.S. agents informed her in Los Angeles. “I just couldn’t endure that.”
Instead, Matías said, she agreed to return voluntarily to Mexico, but with a caveat: She had to be accompanied by her two youngest daughters and her grandson. After some haggling — federal authorities initially balked at sending U.S. citizen minors to Mexico, Matías said — an agreement was reached. (The Department of Homeland Security didn’t respond to inquiries from The Times.)
She and four daughters — the two undocumented teenagers who worked at Glass House and the two U.S. citizen youngsters — were soon in a van en route to Tijuana. The U.S.-born grandson was also with them.
“Go ahead,” an agent told Matías upon letting the family out at the border. “You’re back in your country now.”
Ailed Lorenzo Matías and her son, Liam Yair, in the family home in Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz, have a video chat with the boy’s father, who is in California.
(Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times)
Back to Yojuela
The hamlet of Yojuela is home to some 500 people — all of Indigenous Zapotec origins — who reside deep in the Sierra Madre Oriental, in Mexico’s southern Oaxaca state. The area is known for its clay pottery, fired from distinctive reddish earth, and for something else — dispatching its offspring to work in the fields of California, supporting loved ones left behind in a time-tested rite of passage.
The scripted sequel is the triumphant homecoming of those who moved on but never forsook their roots. These days, however, many return to places like Yojuela broke and embittered, casualties of President Trump’s deportation onslaught.
Matías and her family showed up last month, just 20 days after she was detained. She had last set foot here seven years earlier.
“This is is where I was born and reared,” Matías said with both resignation and pride, ushering visitors onto a verdant patch shimmering in the aftermath of recent rains.
Reaching the ancestral hearth involves a two-hour, uphill drive on a washboard road from the nearest city, and then a short hike — across a stream and up a steep hill, past fields of corn and beans and stands of pine, all to a soundtrack of clucking turkeys and braying donkeys.
Accompanying Matías were two U.S.-born daughters, Arisbeth, 2, and Keilani, a onetime Oxnard preschooler who turned 5 in Tijuana. Also present were Matías’ 16-year-old daughter, Ailed, and Ailed’s U.S.-born son, Liam Yair, 2.
I’d like like to go back to California
— Ailed Lorenzo Matías
It marked the first time that the native Californians met their extended family, including a platoon of curious cousins.
Seasoned to the periodic reunion ritual was Cecilia Aquino, mother of Matías and her five siblings— all of whom had made the trek to California. For decades, her adobe dwelling hosted waves of grandchildren and great-grandchildren as sons and daughters went back and forth, entrusting expanding broods to the matriarch.
Matías and her mother, now 72, embraced, no words needed. Each examined the other closely. Time had taken its melancholic toll.
“All of my children had to go away and leave their kids with me — there’s no work here,” said Aquino, worn down by years of toil, as she prepared coffee on a kindling-fired stove. “Then they come back. Then they leave again. It’s sad. The children never really get to know their parents. I wish the officials on the other side [of the border] would let them be together.”
Leaving home
Matías joined the migrant trail as a teenager, following the harvests — strawberries, celery, broccoli and more — from California to the Pacific Northwest. Through the years, she gave birth to her seven daughters — four in the United States, three in Mexico — as she crisscrossed the border a dozen times.
“I was always a single mother, always battling on my own for my children,” Matías said. “I earned everything through my own sweat and toil. The fathers of my kids never gave me anything.”
Her last journey north, in 2018, was the most difficult, as the once-porous international boundary had become a militarized bulwark. She vowed it would be her last crossing. Four years ago, she said, she secured work at Glass House Farms, a major player in the legalized cannabis boom.
“It was the best job I ever had,” she said.
There was no back-breaking stooping: Trimmers sat on benches. The pounding sun wasn’t an issue in the temperature-controlled facilities.
Matías said she rose to become a crew chief, overseeing 240 workers. She said she earned more than $20 an hour, and, with overtime, regularly grossed in excess of $1,000 a week — a unfathomable haul in Oaxaca, where field hands pocket the equivalent of about $10 a day.
Her plan, she said, was to remain in California until she turned 65, then retire to Yojuela, using savings to open a shop.
“I never wanted to stay forever in Oxnard,” she said.
Then came July 10.
‘Total chaos’
“People were running all over the place,” Matías recalled of the raid. “Some tried to hide inside the greenhouses. Others crawled inside the ventilation shafts. It was total chaos.”
One worker, Jaime Alanis García, 56, died from injuries suffered when he fell from a greenhouse roof, apparently while trying to evade arrest.
Blocking any escape for herself and her two daughters, Matías said, were los militares — heavily armed U.S. agents in martial getup.
That evening, Matías said, she spent a sleepless night in detention in downtown Los Angeles. The next day, she accepted a “voluntary return” to Mexico.
For almost a week, the family stayed in a shelter in Tijuana, awaiting the arrival of her male partner and the boyfriend of her 19-year-old-daughter. Both were also among the of Glass House detainees. The three-day bus ride south included a frenzied, crosstown change of terminals in Mexico City at midnight to catch the last coach for Oaxaca.
With her remaining savings, Matías purchased an unfinished, cinder-block house on the outskirts of Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz, a historic but drab city that hosts a federal prison. It’s about a two-hour drive on a rough track from Yojuela, but offers baseline schooling and job prospects.
The expulsion to Mexico shattered a family that had attained a modicum — perhaps an illusion — of stability in California.
Keilani Lorenzo Matías, 5, a U.S.-born daughter of Modesta Matías Aquino, at the family’s new home in Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz.
(Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times)
Like her mother, Ailed Lorenzo Matías, 16, succumbed to the siren call of the border. She was 14 when she and her boyfriend crossed into California. She struggled to climb the fence and descend on the U.S. side, worrying about her baby. She was five months pregnant.
The other day, Ailed sat in a stairwell of the new home in Miahuatlán, cuddling her son. They were sharing a video call to Oxnard with the boy’s father, who also worked at Glass House. But, in a twist of fate, he was off duty on July 10.
“I’d like like to go back to California,” the soft-spoken Ailed said. “My son was born there. And that’s where his papá is.”
Unlike Ailed, her sister, Natalia Lorenzo Matías, 19, has no intention of returning.
“No, I don’t want to go back,” Natalia said. “You don’t have a real life there. You spend your time working and locked in your house, always afraid that you will be arrested.”
Her mother is deeply tormented but endeavors to conceal her despair. “I have to be strong for the kids,” Matías said. “When I’m alone, I begin to cry.”
She says she understands Trump’s point: He wants to deport criminals. But, she asks, why target hardworking immigrants?
“In all my years in the north,” she said, “I never saw an American working in the fields.”
Her plan, she says, is to stabilize the family, enroll her 5-year-old in school, find some work — and, then, perhaps in a year or two, set off once more.
For now, though, Matías says she is concentrated on helping her family adjust to a new way of life — albeit, she hopes, a transitory one, until they get back on the road to California.
Special correspondents Cecilia Sánchez Vidal and Liliana Nieto del Río contributed.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Erik Menendez was denied parole Thursday after serving decades in prison for murdering his parents with his older brother in 1989.
A panel of California commissioners denied Menendez parole for three years, after which he will be eligible again, in a case that continues to fascinate the public. A parole hearing for his brother Lyle Menendez, who is being held at the same prison in San Diego, is scheduled for Friday morning.
The two commissioners determined that Menendez should not be freed after an all-day hearing during which they questioned him about why he committed the crime and violated prison rules.
The brothers became eligible for parole after a judge reduced their sentences in May from life without parole to 50 years to life.
The parole hearings marked the closest they’ve been to winning freedom from prison since their convictions almost 30 years ago for murdering their parents.
The brothers were sentenced to life in prison in 1996 for fatally shooting their father, Jose Menendez, and mother, Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989. While defense attorneys argued that the brothers acted out of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father, prosecutors said the brothers sought a multimillion-dollar inheritance.
A judge reduced their sentences in May, and they became immediately eligible for parole.
Erik Menendez made his case to two parole commissioners, offering his most detailed account in years of how he was raised, why he made the choices he did, and how he transformed in prison. He noted the hearing fell almost exactly 36 years after he killed his parents — on Aug. 20, 1989.
“Today is August 21st. Today is the day that all of my victims learned my parents were dead. So today is the anniversary of their trauma journey,” he said, referring to his family members.
The state corrections department chose a single reporter to watch the videoconference and share details with the rest of the press.
Erik Menendez’s prison record Menendez, gray-haired and spectacled, sat in front of a computer screen wearing a blue T-shirt over a white long-sleeve shirt in a photo shared by officials.
The panel of commissioners scrutinized every rules violation and fight on his lengthy prison record, including allegations that he worked with a prison gang, bought drugs, used cellphones and helped with a tax scam.
He told commissioners that since he had no hope of ever getting out then, he prioritized protecting himself over following the rules. Then last fall, LA prosecutors asked a judge to resentence him and his brother — opening the door to parole.
“In November of 2024, now the consequences mattered,” Menendez said. “Now the consequences meant I was destroying my life.”
A particular sticking point for the commissioners was his use of cellphones.
“What I got in terms of the phone and my connection with the outside world was far greater than the consequences of me getting caught with the phone,” Menendez said.
The board also brought up his earliest encounters with the law, when he committed two burglaries in high school.
“I was not raised with a moral foundation,” he said. “I was raised to lie, to cheat, to steal in the sense, an abstract way.”
The panel asked about details like why he used a fake ID to purchase the guns he and Lyle Menendez used to kill their parents, who acted first and why they killed their mother if their father was the main abuser.
Commissioner Robert Barton asked: “You do see that there were other choices at that point?”
“When I look back at the person I was then and what I believed about the world and my parents, running away was inconceivable,” Menendez said. “Running away meant death.”
His transformation behind bars Erik Menendez’s parole attorney, Heidi Rummel, emphasized 2013 as the turning point for her client.
“He found his faith. He became accountable to his higher power. He found sobriety and made a promise to his mother on her birthday,” Rummel said. “Has he been perfect since 2013? No. But he has been remarkable.”
Commissioner Rachel Stern also applauded him for starting a group to take care of older and disabled inmates.
Since the brothers reunited, they have been “serious accountability partners” for each other. At the same time, he said he’s become better at setting boundaries with Lyle Menendez, and they tend to do different programming.
More than a dozen of their relatives, who have advocated for the brothers’ release for months, delivered emotional statements at Thursday’s hearing via videoconference.
“Seeing my crimes through my family’s eyes has been a huge part of my evolution and my growth,” Menendez said. “Just seeing the pain and the suffering. Understanding the magnitude of what I’ve done, the generational impact.”
His aunt Teresita Menendez-Baralt, who is Jose Menendez’s sister, said she has fully forgiven him. She noted that she is dying from Stage 4 cancer and wishes to welcome him into her home.
“Erik carries himself with kindness, integrity and strength that comes from patience and grace,” she said.
One relative promised to the parole board that she would house him in Colorado, where he can spend time with his family and enjoying nature.
The board brushed off prosecutor’s questions LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said ahead of the parole hearings that he opposes parole for the brothers because of their lack of insight, comparing them to Sirhan Sirhan, who assassinated presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy in 1968. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom denied him parole in January 2022 because of his “deficient insight.”
During the hearing, LA prosecutor Habib Balian asked Menendez about his and his brothers’ attempts to ask witnesses to lie in court on their behalf, and if the brothers staged the killings as a mafia hit. Commissioners largely dismissed the questions, saying they were not retrying the case.
In closing statements, Balian questioned whether Menendez was “truly reformed” or saying what commissioners wanted to hear.
“When one continues to diminish their responsibility for a crime and continues to make the same false excuses that they’ve made for 30-plus years, one is still that same dangerous person that they were when they shotgunned their parents,” Balian said.
What happens next Lyle Menendez is set to appear over videoconference Friday for his parole hearing from the same prison in San Diego.
The case has captured the attention of true crime enthusiasts for decades and spawned documentaries, television specials and dramatizations. The Netflix drama “ Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story ” and a documentary released in 2024 have been credited for bringing new attention to the brothers.
Greater recognition of the brothers as victims of sexual abuse has also helped mobilize support for their release. Some supporters have flown to Los Angeles to hold rallies and attend court hearings.
If the Trump administration succeeds in barring undocumented immigrants from federally funded “public benefit” programs, vulnerable children and families across California would suffer greatly, losing access to emergency shelters, vital healthcare, early education and life-saving nutritional support, according to state and local officials who filed their opposition to the changes in federal court.
The new restrictions would harm undocumented immigrants but also U.S. citizens — including the U.S.-born children of immigrants and people suffering from mental illness and homelessness who lack documentation — and put intense stress on the state’s emergency healthcare system, the officials said.
Head Start, which provides tens of thousands of children in the state with early education, healthcare and nutritional support, may have to shutter some of its programs if the new rules barring immigrants withstand a lawsuit filed by California and other liberal-led states, officials said.
In a declaration filed as part of that litigation, Maria Guadalupe Jaime-Milehan, deputy director of the child care and developmental division of the California Department of Social Services, wrote that the restrictions would have an immediate “chilling effect” on immigrant and mixed-status families seeking support, but also cause broader “ripple effects” — especially in rural California communities that rely on such programs as “a critical safety net” for vulnerable residents, but also as major employers.
“Children would lose educational, nutritional, and healthcare services. Parents or guardians may be forced to cut spending on other critical needs to fill the gaps, and some may even be forced out of work so they can care for their children,” Jaime-Milehan said.
Rural communities would see programs shutter, and family providers lose their jobs, she wrote.
Tony Thurmond, California’s superintendent of public instruction, warned in a declaration that the “chilling effect” from such rules could potentially drive away talented educators who disagree with such policies and decide to “seek other employment that does not discriminate against children and families.”
Thurmond and Jaime-Milehan were among dozens of officials in 20 states and the District of Columbia who submitted declarations in support of those states’ lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s new rules. Six other officials from California also submitted declarations.
The lawsuit followed announcements last month from various federal agencies — including Health and Human Services, Labor, Education and Agriculture — that funding recipients would be required to begin screening out undocumented immigrants.
The announcements followed an executive order issued by President Trump in which he said his administration would “uphold the rule of law, defend against the waste of hard-earned taxpayer resources, and protect benefits for American citizens in need, including individuals with disabilities and veterans.”
Trump’s order cited the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, commonly known as welfare reform, as barring noncitizens from participating in federally funded benefits programs, and criticized past administrations for providing exemptions to that law for certain “life or safety” programs — including those now being targeted for new restrictions.
The order mandated that federal agencies restrict access to benefits programs for undocumented immigrants, in part to “prevent taxpayer resources from acting as a magnet and fueling illegal immigration to the United States.”
California and the other states sued July 21, alleging the new restrictions target working mothers and their children in violation of federal law.
“We’re not talking about waste, fraud, and abuse, we’re talking about programs that deliver essential childcare, healthcare, nutrition, and education assistance, programs that have for decades been open to all,” California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta said.
In addition to programs like Head Start, Bonta said the new restrictions threatened access to short-term shelters for homeless people, survivors of domestic violence and at-risk youth; emergency shelters for people during extreme weather; soup kitchens, community food banks and food support services for the elderly; and healthcare for people with mental illness and substance abuse issues.
The declarations are part of a motion asking the federal judge overseeing the case to issue a preliminary injunction barring the changes from taking effect while the litigation plays out.
Beth Neary, assistant director of HIV health services at the San Francisco Department of Public Health, wrote in her declaration that the new restrictions would impede healthcare services for an array of San Francisco residents experiencing homelessness — including undocumented immigrants and U.S. citizens.
“Individuals experiencing homelessness periodically lack identity and other documents that would be needed to verify their citizenship or immigration status due to frequent moves and greater risk of theft of their belongings,” she wrote.
Colleen Chawla, chief of San Mateo County Health, wrote that her organization — the county’s “safety-net” care provider — has worked for years to build up trust in immigrant communities.
“But if our clients worry that they will not be able to qualify for the care they need, or that they or members of their family face a risk of detention or deportation if they seek care, they will stop coming,” Chawla wrote. “This will exacerbate their health conditions.”
Greta S. Hansen, chief operating officer of Santa Clara County, wrote that more than 40% of her county’s residents are foreign-born and more than 60% of the county’s children have at least one foreign-born parent — among the highest rates anywhere in the country.
The administration’s changes would threaten all of them, but also everyone else in the county, she wrote.
“The cumulative effect of patients not receiving preventive care and necessary medications would likely be a strain on Santa Clara’s emergency services, which would result in increased costs to Santa Clara and could also lead to decreased capacity for emergency care across the community,” Hansen wrote.
The Trump administration has defended the new rules, including in court.
In response to the states’ motion for preliminary injunction, attorneys for the administration argued that the rule changes are squarely in line with the 1996 welfare reform law and the rights of federal agencies to enforce it.
They wrote that the notices announcing the new rules that were sent out by federal agencies “merely recognize that the breadth of benefits available to unqualified aliens is narrower than the agencies previously interpreted,” and “restore compliance with federal law and ensure that taxpayer-funded programs intended for the American people are not diverted to subsidize unqualified aliens.”
The judge presiding over the case has yet to rule on the preliminary injunction.
Almost since the first suburbs were built in Los Angeles, there have been worries that adding density would “Manhattanize” L.A., rendering it so crowded with new vertical development as to be unrecognizable to longtime residents. In the 1980s, as battles over growth heated up, one local slow-growth group dubbed itself Not Yet New York.
But Los Angeles has always been a city with a knack for reshaping itself by looking to its own architectural past. In particular, medium-density designs such as bungalow courts and dingbat apartments have welcomed waves of newcomers for more than a century while becoming architectural emblems of upward mobility and a particularly Southern Californian design sensibility — informal and optimistic.
We have never needed a return to that kind of development more than now, in the wake of the Eaton and Palisades fires, even as public discussion has focused mostly on rebuilding exactly what was lost. With affordability pressures as intense as ever, now is the time not to Manhattanize but, once again, to Los Angelize L.A.
As longtime advocates for design excellence and policies to boost housing production, we believe there is nothing more Angeleno than the reinvention of the so-called R1 neighborhood, the single-family zone that first emerged in L.A. with the Residential District Ordinance of 1908. R1 zoning shifted into overdrive in 1941 when tract houses emerged to replace the bean fields of Westchester, near what is now Los Angeles International Airport.
It wasn’t until 2016, with the appearance of a new state law allowing accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, that the R1 neighborhood evolved in any meaningful way. Even the most ardent champions of ADUs — aka granny flats or casitas — couldn’t have foreseen how widely popular they’d become. Today, about one-fifth of new housing permits in California and a whopping one-third in the city of L.A. are ADUs.
Still, the granny flat is no silver bullet. The housing affordability crisis in Los Angeles demands a more ambitious approach than adding new residential development one small unit at a time. State laws allowing as many as 10 apartments on a single-family lot have been on the books for several years now. But homeowners and developers have been slow to take advantage of them, and many California cities have dragged their feet in making them truly usable.
The result has been a stalemate, with Los Angeles among the cities struggling to take the important step past the ADU to begin producing additional missing-middle housing in real volume, even as rents and home prices continue to climb. The city‘s Low-Rise LA design challenge was organized in 2020 to help break this logjam. Many of the winners incorporated design lessons clarified by the COVID-19 pandemic, when we learned that second, third and fourth units in R1 zones might offer not just rental income or an extra bedroom but the flexibility to quarantine or work from home while building stronger ties with extended family and neighbors.
A new initiative — Small Lots, Big Impacts — organized by cityLAB-UCLA, the Los Angeles Housing Department and the office of Mayor Karen Bass builds on Low-Rise LA with a focus on developing small, often overlooked vacant lots, of which there are more than 25,000 across the city, according to cityLAB’s research. The goal is straightforward: to demonstrate a range of ways that Los Angeles can grow not by aping the urbanism of other cities but by producing more of itself.
Different views of the “Mini Towers Collective” and the “Shared Steps” proposals. Both favor shared outdoor space balanced with individual architectural identity.(courtesy of cityLAB UCLA)
Winners of this design competition, announced at the end of May, placed six or more housing units on a single site, sometimes dividing it into separate lots. One proposal created rowhouses, slightly cracked apart to identify individual homes and entrances as they cascade along an irregular site. A communal yard opens to the street in another project, with roof gardens between separated, two-story homes atop ADUs that can be rented or joined back to each of several main houses on the site. Other designs show that vertical architecture, in the form of handsome new residential towers from three to seven stories, can comfortably coexist with L.A.’s low-rise housing stock when the design is thoughtful enough.
A key goal of the competition was to produce new models for homeownership. When land costs are subdivided and parcels built out with a collection of compact homes, including units that can produce rental income or be sold off as condos, a different approach to housing affordability comes into focus. Those who have been shut out of the housing market can begin to build wealth and contribute to neighborhood stability.
The traditional R1 paradigm, in addition to limiting housing volume, suffers from a rigid, gate-keeping sort of logic: If you can’t afford to buy or rent an entire single-family home in an R-1 L.A. neighborhood, that part of town is inaccessible to you. Many of the winning designs, by contrast, create compounds flexible enough to accommodate a range of phases in a resident’s life. In one development, there may be units perfect for single occupants (a junior ADU), young families (a ground-level unit with a private yard), and empty-nesters (a home with a rooftop garden). As with the granny flat model, construction can proceed in phases, with units added over time as circumstances dictate.
Having served on the Small Lots, Big Impacts jury, we see signs of hope in its rendering of L.A.’s future. The real proof lies in the initiative’s second phase, set for later this year, when the city’s Housing Department will issue an open call, based on the design competition, to developer-architect teams who will build housing on a dozen small, city-owned vacant parcels, with tens of thousands of privately owned infill lots ready to follow suit. If the winning schemes are built, Los Angeles will once again demonstrate the appeal and resiliency of its architectural DNA. Manhattan: Eat your heart out.
Dana Cuff is a professor of architecture, director of cityLAB-UCLA and co-author of the 2016 California law that launched ADU construction. Christopher Hawthorne, former architecture critic for The Times, is senior critic at the Yale School of Architecture. He served under Mayor Eric Garcetti as the first chief design officer for Los Angeles.
Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and while mom might say she loves her “world’s greatest mom” mug, she’d secretly prefer something a tad more useful, indulgent, or fun. So, here are a few Mother’s Day gifts mom will actually love.
A book she can read with her littles. Nothing is more special than spending time curled up with a great story. Consider the new title Mama’s Shoes, a heartwarming story from bestselling illustrator Vanessa Brantley-Newton and award-winning author Caron Levis. It’s a celebration of hard-working moms everywhere, and the children who love them.
Mom will love curling up in this organic Turkish cotton robe from Crate & Barrel. It’s unbelievably plush and incredibly soft, and has sophisticated Herringbone detailing for a touch of chic.
Give mom a good reason for some self care with this Hair Care Bundle from Hello Joyous. It has everything she’ll need to nourish her scalp and strands with cold-pressed organic botanicals and clean, effective essentials designed to revitalize, strengthen, and refresh.
Skip the sad bouquet and get mom what she really wants for Mother’s Day: cookware that comes with a lifetime warranty. No wilt, no guilt because mom deserves better. The HexClad Hybrid Deep Saute Pan can do it all – she’ll want to keep this one-pot meal workhorse on the closest burner for searing, braising, frying and simmering, and its high sides will help keep the kitchen spatter-free. And their Hybrid Wok is ideal for when she’s cooking for a crowd or wants to make sure there are leftovers – she can prepare a whole meal in one pan: stir-fries, pasta dishes, soups, and more.
What’s better than a yummy breakfast in bed? From shakes to smoothie bowls (and even frozen cocktails – cue Jimmy Buffett’s “It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere”), Hamilton Beach’s 10 Speed Blender serves up perfectly smooth results every time. Packed with power, the blender’s blades can turn anything into a healthy, tasty treat. Surprise Mom or Dad with this Pineapple Mango Smoothie Bowl this Mother’s Day/Father’s Day!
Busy moms appreciate (and look forward to) a great cup of coffee. Nespresso Canada has several new spring launches that mom would love to add to her coffee arsenal. From the Vertuo line, Vivida integrates taste and wellness with a coffee enriched with Vitamin B12. Also, the new Active+ is part of the Nespresso Coffee+ range, a coffee blend with added Vitamin B6, a vitamin that reduces tiredness and fatigue when consumed daily. From the Original line, Vienna is a balanced blend of smooth and silky South American Arabicas, while the Vienna Linizio Lungo Decaffeinato recreates this balanced and pleasant Viennese taste by pairing sweet Brazilian and Colombian Arabicas, lightly roasted by their experts. And the Arpeggio & Decaf Arpeggio are new dense and creamy coffees with a bold roast and notes of cocoa. Its creamy, velvety texture is irresistible. It’s also a great capsule for Nespresso Martinis!
Two weeks ago, Brittanie Bibby, husband Kenneth and their 15-month-old baby moved from Arizona to Camarillo to live in the home she inherited from her father, maxing out their credit cards to turn the dilapidated property into a safe place to live.
On Wednesday, that safe place burned to the ground, leaving the family with no home, no savings and no clue what comes next.
The next day, the shellshocked parents struggled to come to grips with the financial toll of the incident and the catastrophic sentimental loss.
“We lost everything,” said Brittanie. “All of our family memories, all of our possessions, Social Security cards, death certificates, birth certificates, my husband’s father’s ashes, my father’s ashes and my mother’s ashes.”
Brittanie Bibby holds her baby, Ken. Brittanie and her husband lost their Camarillo house to the Mountain fire two weeks after moving in.
(Brittanie Bibby)
Their property was among the 132 structures destroyed by the fast-moving Mountain fire, which ignited Wednesday morning and scorched more than 20,000 acres in the mountains of Ventura County by Thursday evening.
The family started to collect donations on GoFundMe on Thursday and was able to get diapers and fresh clothes for baby Ken. Brittanie planned to sleep in the evacuation shelter Thursday night and take a fresh stab at her mountain of tasks Friday morning.
“Being a mom, I don’t really have a choice to panic or to not think through the steps, because I have a tiny human that is 100% dependent on me,” she said. “So while I feel a whole bunch of things, I have to try to keep a clear mind so that I’m giving him the best care.”
At the top of her priority list is trying to find a pediatrician; Ken suffers from asthma and his health is put at risk by the thick wildfire smoke.
“We have been doing everything in our power to keep him in filtered air and clean air so he doesn’t get triggered by the ash,” she said, “because all of his medication and inhaler burned up.”
When Brittanie received the evacuation alert around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, she ran to the nursery to try to pack up the baby’s essentials, such as clothing and medicine. But, glancing out a window, she was met with a terrifying sight — giant flames leaping from structures just one street away as the wind swept smoke up the hill and toward her house.
There was no time to pack; the priority now was getting everyone out alive.
The Mountain fire destroyed homes on both sides of Old Coach Drive in Camarillo.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
She grabbed her baby and helped her mother-in law, Denise Bibby, her grandmother-in-law, Huguette Doucette, and her two elderly dogs get out of the house.
As she sped away, flames from burning brush leaped up and lapped over the car. A dark thought went through her head — “I’m not going to survive.”
The Bibbys made it safely to a friend’s house. About three hours later, Brittanie felt herself going into shock.
“I went from being somewhat comfortable to absolutely freezing,” she said. “Even though the house was like 75 degrees, my fingers turned blue and I had to be covered in blankets and sweaters.”
Baby Ken has also been affected and is having difficulties sleeping in his confusing new surroundings.
“We’re very sleep-deprived, because he spends a lot of the night crying,” she said.
His parents are also on edge as they face an uncertain future.
They are still awaiting information from their trust attorney on whether the home was insured and are researching relief grants they may be eligible for.
On Sunday, Kenneth is planning on returning to work as a crew member at Trader Joe’s. On Monday, Brittanie is scheduled to start a full-time customer service job at Walmart.
After feeling so happy to finally be settled into their new home, it’s hard for the couple to adjust to this post-fire reality.
“It’s a big system shock, almost like you’re in a bad dream,” said Brittanie. “You just want to wake up.”
In the ongoing investigation into One Direction singer Liam Payne’s death, three suspects have been charged for their alleged involvement in the pop star’s sudden demise last month.
The National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office of Argentina announced Thursday in a statement shared in Spanish that it has found evidence of “illicit conduct” by three people — including an employee of the hotel where Payne fell to his death. Charges included abandonment of a person followed by death, and supply and facilitation of narcotics. The suspects, who were not identified, were charged last Friday in a 180-page indictment delivered to judge Laura Graciela Bruniard, the statement said.
Payne, an “X Factor” alum who also pursued a solo musical career after his One Direction days, died Oct. 16 after falling from a third-floor balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires. He was 31.
In a preliminary autopsy shared a day after the singer’s death, Argentine officials said authorities found substances in the singer’s room that appeared to be drugs in addition to evidence of consumption of alcohol and narcotics.
Officials carried out nine raids and heard “several dozen” testimonies from people including hotel staff, Payne’s family and friends, medical professionals and other experts, Thursday’s announcement said. Police analysts also reviewed more than 800 hours’ worth of surveillance footage from in and around the hotel, combed through the contents of Payne’s phone (including calls and messages across various messaging and social media apps) and assessed the registry of guests and the singer’s orders from the hotel’s bar and restaurant to understand his drinking and eating habits.
Officers from the Cybercrime unit also extracted information from the cellphones of hotel reception and volunteer witnesses to corroborate statements.
Prosecutors allege that one of the defendants accompanied Payne on a daily basis during his stay in Buenos Aires. Payne died two weeks after he arrived in Argentina, where he attended an Oct. 2 concert by former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan. This defendant was charged with abandonment of a person followed by death, and supply and facilitation of narcotics, the statement said. The remaining two defendants were charged with supplying narcotics.
One defendant is a hotel employee who allegedly provided Payne with cocaine during his stay. The other is a suspected narcotics supplier who had already been accused of dealing drugs in separate incidents, Thursday’s statement said.
The investigation into Payne’s death is ongoing and the prosecution said it was considering ruling out the possibility of suicide, because “in the state [Payne] was going through, he did not know what he was doing nor could he understand it.”
In October, officials determined Payne died from multiple traumas and internal and external bleeding caused by the fall. He “did not adopt a reflexive posture to protect himself and … he may have fallen in a state of semi- or total unconsciousness,” officials said last month.
Payne had traces of alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant in his system in the moments before his death, Thursday’s statement said. Prosecutors confirmed that Payne’s body had been delivered to his father, Geoff Payne.
Payne’s remains reportedly will be flown back to his native London, one of the cities where One Direction fans gathered last month to celebrate the singer’s life and music.
Payne’s track “Do No Wrong” was set for a posthumous release last week, but plans were swiftly put on hold after fans pushed back.
“Today I’m deciding to hold ‘Do No Wrong’ and leave those liberties up to all family members,” Payne’s collaborator Sam Pounds said last week in a since-deleted tweet. “I want all proceeds [to] go to a charity of their choosing (or however they desire).”
Pounds added: “We are all still mourning the passing of Liam and I want the family to [mourn] in peace and in prayer. We will all wait.”
Times staff writer Nardine Saad contributed to this report.
Virtual worlds and online gaming have become a new source of meaning, purpose, and belonging in today’s world, especially for those who struggle with loneliness, social anxiety, or physical disabilities. The new documentary The Remarkable Life of Ibelin shares the inspiring story of Mats Steen, a young Norwegian man with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, who built a meaningful life through the popular game World of Warcraft.
The digital world is sometimes criticized for being a “shallow escape” from real life. However, for many it can be a reliable source of meaning, connection, and purpose—especially for those who may find it difficult to fulfill certain needs and values in their regular daily lives.
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
The 2024 documentary The Remarkable Life of Ibelin is an insightful and heartfelt story on how people find real meaning, connection, and purpose through online gaming and virtual worlds.
Mats Steen, a young Norwegian man living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, found freedom and fulfillment through his digital persona, Ibelin, in the popular video game World of Warcraft. Mats’ physical limitations were significant, but in Azeroth, he experienced life without barriers.
His parents only discovered the extent of his online relationships after his death, realizing that the world they thought was isolating had actually given Mats purpose and belonging. For eight years, Mats was an active member of the Starlight community, a guild within World of Warcraft that became like a family to him. Every evening, Mats would log in to talk, roleplay, and have fun with dozens of online friends. Throughout those years, he dedicated over 20,000 hours to the game and participated in conversations that filled more than 42,000 pages of chat logs.
The documentary used these chat logs to recreate Ibelin’s life within the game, including sentimental and meaningful moments with his online friends Rumour and Reike. Viewers get to witness, through these virtual interactions, how Mats / Ibelin found a place where he was valued not for his physical abilities, but for his personality, humor, and kindness.
Through this digital world, Mats was able to find a sense of purpose and belonging. As he says in the documentary, “Games are my sanctuary. I am safe here, feel valued and respected.”
Finding Love and Romantic Fulfillment in Virtual Space
Due to his physical condition, Mats struggled to find love and romance at school or among real life friends. However, through his virtual avatar Ibelin in the game, Mats was able to experience rare moments of romantic connection that he never thought possible. For once, he was able to connect with people just based on who they are on the inside; as Mats observed, “Everyone looks good in this world, so looks don’t matter, it’s about personality.”
In World of Warcraft, Mats formed a romantic bond with a player known as Rumour. Their connection began with playful moments, like when Rumour stole his hat “just to see what happens,” and gradually grew into a deeper and more significant connection over time. One of the most memorable moments was their virtual kiss, which Mats described as, “The closest thing I’ve ever been to a crush my entire life.” Mats would give her digital gifts and flowers, and she reciprocated by drawing a real-life picture of their characters embracing—a gift Mats would hang in his room.
Real-World Emotional Bonds
These digital connections often spilled over into real lives and deep emotional bonds.
One day, Rumour mysteriously disappeared from the game and stopped playing. Mats only later found out that her parents had taken her computer away due to her poor grades. This sudden disconnect deeply affected Rumour, whose real name was Lisette, and she began struggling with depression because she could no longer connect with her online friends. Mats, finding out about her pain, wrote a heartfelt letter to her parents, pleading with them to return her computer and emphasizing the value of the relationships she had formed in the digital world. His support helped Lisette during one of the most challenging periods she faced, showing how genuine and meaningful digital bonds can be, even outside of virtual spaces.
Another one of his gaming friends, Xenia, known as Reike in the game, struggled to connect with her autistic son. Mats encouraged her to try gaming as a way to bridge the gap, and through World of Warcraft, Xenia was able to find new ways to communicate and bond with her son, including giving each other “virtual hugs,” which was a big deal because her son struggled with human touch in the real world. Xenia also said that her son could now share things with her that he normally couldn’t in person or face-to-face, improving their overall ability to communicate and connect through the shared experience of video games.
These are just a couple examples of how Mats’ digital relationships had significant, positive effects on the real lives of those around him, illustrating the powerful potential of online communities to bring about meaningful change.
Opening Up About His Condition
Mats took a long time to open up about his physical condition to the other members of Starlight. Feeling completely protected behind his virtual persona, Mats could ignore his material reality and didn’t have to worry about people showing him superficial pity or sympathy because of his illness.
This hesitation to open up and be vulnerable unfortunately led to some missed opportunities, including missed phone calls and video chats with his online friends. And during a real-life meetup and party for all the members of Starlight, Mats ended up being one of the few to not attend.
Despite his fears of vulnerability, Mats eventually found the courage to open up as his illness progressed. He shared his fears of dying without meaning anything to anyone with Reike/Xenia, who reminded him of the profound impact he had made on her life and her son’s life. She then listed all the other people he had positively influenced, proving just how meaningful his presence had been over the years.
Ibelin’s Funeral and Legacy
After Mats’ death, the emotional weight of his digital connections became evident. When his parents announced his death on his blog, there was an outpouring of emails filled with love, sympathy, and support for Mats / Ibelin and his family. One email read, “What mattered to Mats was being able to spread joy in our lives. And stuff I learned from his example has changed the way I think about life. I hope that wherever he is, he knows that he’s remembered and treasured, and smiling right now.” Five of his online friends from multiple different countries attended his funeral, showing how deeply these connections extended outside of the virtual world. The Starlight community also organized their own virtual funeral for Ibelin, which has now become an annual tradition to honor his memory.
Studies Supporting the Value of Online Gaming
A well-known study (PDF) by Nick Yee (2006) identified three primary motivations for playing MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games), such as World of Warcraft. Each of these motivations can be seen in Mats’ experience as Ibelin:
Achievement: The drive to accomplish goals, gain recognition, and feel a sense of success. Mats fulfilled important roles within the game, like his ‘investigator job,’ which gave him a sense of duty and made him feel valued and respected as a member of the Starlight team.
Social Interaction: The desire to connect, build relationships, and be part of a community. Mats was an active member of the Starlight community, where he built meaningful friendships both online and offline, including his connections with Reike (Xenia) and Rumour (Lisette).
Immersion: The desire to lose oneself in a fantasy world and experience life through a completely new perspective. Mats immersed himself in his avatar Ibelin and the virtual world of Azeroth, finding freedom from his chronic illness and experiencing life in a way that was uniquely empowering and uplifting.
In another related study published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, researchers found that players often experience deep social connections within their gaming communities which can help alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation, especially for those who struggle with social anxiety or shyness. And a study in Computers in Human Behavior indicated that the collaborative nature of online games encourages many pro-social attributes such as improved communication, trust, and shared purpose.
All of these elements are evident in Mats’ story, where his participation in the Starlight community gave him a valued role within a group and elevated his sense of identity and self-worth – all of which are important pillars in building a meaningful life. For individuals facing challenges like physical disabilities or social anxiety, online games can provide an accessible way to fulfill essential psychological needs that may be harder to meet in the physical world.
Feeling Like You Made a Difference Somewhere
One of the most meaningful aspects of Mats’ journey as Ibelin was his desire to make a difference in the lives of others. Despite his fears of dying without leaving a mark, Mats’ impact was undeniable. Through his friendships with Rumour, Reike, and others, he provided emotional support, created lasting memories, and changed lives for the better. His story reminds us that feeling like we have made a difference — whether in the physical or digital world —is a fundamental human need that gives life purpose.
The annual virtual memorials held by the Starlight community, the heartfelt emails his parents received, and the international attendance at his funeral are all powerful symbols of the difference Mats made. His story shows that creating a positive impact on others isn’t just about physical presence, but ultimately the energy you give to others.
Conclusion
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin invites us to reconsider how we view digital spaces and the potential they hold for providing meaning, connection, and purpose. The emotional weight of Mats’ story moved me deeply—I’ll admit that by the end of the documentary I was tearing up a little bit, but that shows how powerful “just digital” relationships can be and how inseparable they are from our broader reality. For Mats Steen, World of Warcraft was more than just a game—it was a lifeline, a place where he could be a stronger and more confident version of himself, find love and romantic connection, and support his friends in a real and tangible way. His story is a powerful reminder that behind every avatar is a real person, and that the connections we form online can be just as enriching and life-changing as those we form in the physical world.
If you’re looking for more insightful documentaries, check out my recommended list of documentaries here.
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Want to make your advice and feedback more digestible? Learn how to make a “Compliment Sandwich” to deliver constructive criticism in a more positive and motivating way.
Have you ever struggled to share your thoughts with a colleague or friend without sounding too harsh? Being able to offer advice, feedback, and constructive input is an essential skill in both personal and professional environments. However, striking the right balance between positive reinforcement and helpful critique can be tricky.
The “Compliment Sandwich” is one effective technique for delivering constructive criticism. It works by balancing both positive and negative comments, making it easier for the recipient to agree and act upon your suggestion. Here’s how it looks in action.
What Is the Compliment Sandwich?
The main goal of the “Compliment Sandwich” is to deliver criticism while maintaining a positive tone throughout the conversation.
It involves three key parts:
Positive Opening (First Slice of Bread): Start with a genuine compliment or acknowledgment of something the person is doing well. This sets a positive tone and makes the recipient feel valued right away.
Constructive Critique (The Filling): Present the main feedback or critique in a clear, supportive way. This is the heart of the feedback where you address what needs improvement or adjustment.
Positive Closing (Second Slice of Bread): End with another positive or encouraging statement to reinforce your support and motivate the recipient. This leaves them feeling confident and balanced.
Practical Applications and Examples
Here are some hypothetical examples to show how the Compliment Sandwich works in practice. Remember, these aren’t scripts to follow word-for-word, just guidelines to inspire your own approach.
1. Workplace Feedback
Scenario: Addressing an employee’s inconsistent communication with the team.
Positive Opening: “I really appreciate the effort you put into your work and the unique insights you bring to our projects.”
Constructive Critique: “Lately, I’ve noticed some delays in team updates, which can make it harder for everyone to stay aligned and avoid miscommunication. Improving this will help the team function more smoothly.”
Positive Closing: “I look forward to seeing what you contribute to the team’s future success.”
2. Teacher and Student
Scenario: A teacher providing feedback on an essay.
Positive Opening: “Your thesis is engaging, and it’s clear you put a lot of thought into your argument.”
Constructive Critique: “To strengthen your essay, consider adding recent studies or relevant examples to support your ideas.”
Positive Closing: “You’re on the right track, I’m excited to see how this will evolve with the added research—I have no doubt it will be excellent!”
3. Personal Relationships
Scenario: Talking to a friend who tends to dominate conversations.
Positive Opening: “I always enjoy talking with you because you have so many great stories.”
Constructive Critique: “Sometimes I don’t get a chance to share my thoughts as much. It would mean a lot to me if we could balance our conversations a bit more.”
Positive Closing: “I love our chats and look forward to many more. Your energy makes them lively!”
4. Coaching in Sports
Scenario: A coach providing feedback on a player’s performance.
Positive Opening: “I love the energy and determination you bring to every game.”
Constructive Critique: “Your defensive positioning needs some improvement, I can help you work on that during practice this weekend.”
Positive Closing: “Keep up the hard work, and I know with some adjustments, you’ll be a better player all around.”
Tips for Effectiveness
Be Genuine: Sincere compliments are essential to avoid feedback feeling manipulative. Always be truthful.
Learn to Find the Good: Practice recognizing positive traits in others. This makes it easier to offer genuine compliments and feedback.
Remember the Positivity Ratio: Aim for a 3:1 ratio of positive to critical feedback to maintain motivation and foster growth.
Share Good News: Inject positivity by sharing good news, which can have a “bless the messenger” effect, where people feel more positive towards a person delivering uplifting information.
Adjust for Context: Tailor your feedback based on the recipient and situation. Some prefer gentle handling, while others want direct feedback.
Limitations of the Compliment Sandwich
The Compliment Sandwich has been widely used as a feedback tool, originating from management and communication training programs, typically in a corporate or organizational setting. Despite its popularity, it has drawbacks. One major criticism is that it can feel formulaic if used too often. When feedback follows the same pattern every time, it risks sounding insincere, reducing its effectiveness. The best feedback is organic and authentic. Use the Compliment Sandwich as a flexible guideline, not a rigid formula. Adapt your specific feedback based on the situation and the individual. Keep your communication fresh and spontaneous.
Psychological Foundations: Priming and the Recency Effect
The effectiveness of the Compliment Sandwich can be better understood through psychological principles like priming and the recency effect.
Priming is about how an initial stimulus can influence how someone perceives a subsequent one. In this context, the initial positive statement can make someone more open to subsequent feedback. Starting with praise sets a receptive tone, reducing defensiveness when delivering constructive critique.
The recency effect means people remember the last part of an experience most clearly. Ending feedback with a positive comment leverages this effect, leaving the recipient with a favorable impression and motivating them to act on the critique.
The main takeaway? Start and end on a good note. It’s a simple yet powerful and scientifically-backed way to boost the effectiveness of your communication while maintaining truth and honesty.
Conclusion
The Compliment Sandwich can be an effective way to deliver balanced and constructive feedback when used thoughtfully. The key is to avoid being scripted and to ensure that your feedback is sincere and unrehearsed. Try using the Compliment Sandwich the next time you give feedback and see if it changes the way people respond to your feedback and suggestions.
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A 9th Circuit Court of Appeals panel revived a lawsuit this week filed by Orthodox Jewish families that sued California education officials over the state’s policy of refusing to fund special education programs at religious schools.
Two religious schools and three Orthodox Jewish parents whose children have autism filed the lawsuit against the California Department of Education and the Los Angeles Unified School District last year. The parents sought to send their children to Orthodox Jewish schools and argued that the state’s policy of barring funding for religious institutions was discriminatory.
Other states allow certain religious private schools to receive special education funding. For decades in California, those dollars have only been permitted to go to schools that are nonsectarian.
Judge Kim Wardlaw, writing for the panel, ruled that California’s requirement burdens the families’ free exercise of religion. The panel’s decision sends the case back for reconsideration to a federal court that had previously rejected it.
Attorney Eric Rassbach, who represents the families in the lawsuit, called the court’s decision a “massive win for Jewish families in California.”
“It was always wrong to cut Jewish kids off from getting disability benefits solely because they want to follow their faith. The court did the right thing by ruling against California’s bald-faced discrimination,” he said in a statement.
The California Department of Education argued in legal filings that by not certifying religious schools to educate children with disabilities, which would be required for them to receive federal funds, it was upholding the “principle that the government must be neutral toward and among religions.”
The California Department of Education declined to comment, citing pending litigation.
Funding for special education can be directed to a private school if a local school board determines, on an individual basis, that it would be the best way for a particular student with disabilities to receive an education, the department wrote in court papers.
Attorneys for the California Department of Education wrote in court papers that the nonsectarian requirement was necessary because without it, local district officials would wield significant power to direct students to their favored religious institutions.
“This is the opposite of the government neutrality toward religion that the Constitution requires…” the department’s attorneys wrote.
However, Wardlaw wrote in her ruling that the state failed to show that its nonsectarian requirement is “narrowly tailored to serve” the interest of religious neutrality.
Wardlaw added that it puts parents in the position of being forced to choose between an education for their disabled children and religion.
“Parent Plaintiffs are required to choose between the special education benefits made available through public school enrollment (and subsequent referral to a private nonsectarian nonpublic school placements) and education in an Orthodox Jewish setting,” she wrote.
A U.S. district judge last year dismissed the case and denied a request for a preliminary injunction to block the state from enforcing the rule.
Wardlaw affirmed the lower court’s decision to dismiss claims from Shalhevet High School and Samuel A. Fryer Yavneh Hebrew Academy because neither school could satisfy the requirements necessary to be certified to educate students with special needs, according to the decision.
Teach Coalition, a group that helps secure government funding for Jewish day schools, lauded the ruling as a major victory for religious liberty.
“This is a game changing moment for our community and for religious families of children with disabilities — not only requiring change in the state of California but holding nationwide implications,” Teach Coalition chief executive and founder Maury Litwack said in a statement.
Dear Eric: My mother has been a widow for quite a few years now. Her days consist of watching TV. We took her on vacation with us once, but she wanted to just stay in the hotel and watch TV. She rarely sees friends or goes out. My siblings and I live about an hour away, have full-time jobs, spouses and children so going over to see her a few times a month is all we can take on at this time.
We have suggested she might be depressed or lonely, but she scoffs, saying she likes spending time alone. We have suggested activities with a senior center, her church, etc., and she declines, stating she doesn’t want to hang around old people. The last time we mentioned it she got really angry so we said we wouldn’t speak of it again. But I’m worried about her mental health. Her world has gotten so incredibly small.
Maybe I want to feel off the hook somehow because I do feel guilty that I can’t entertain her more. At some point, do I have to accept that this is the life she has chosen for herself?
— Unchanged Channel
Dear Channel: Accept that this is what she wants to do at this point in her life but keep an eye on her without pressure. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, older adults are at greater risk for depression, which can show up as loss of interest in pleasurable hobbies. Be on the lookout for other symptoms of depression. But honor your commitment to not bugging her. Maybe TV is her hobby and that’s just fine.
Our worlds change as we change. If your mother isn’t expressing discontentment, you have to take her at her word. The last thing you want to do is undermine her autonomy by telling her how she feels. Your guilt may be more about the life that you want her to have, rather than the life she wants to have. Keep the lines of communication open and listen to what she’s telling you.
Dear Eric: I have two nephews who were recently married. My adult children were invited to the events, but my husband and I were not, nor did we receive a formal announcement. I have not sent a card or gift to my nephews. I am interested in accepted protocol for acknowledging an event when the couples don’t send even an announcement or explanation for invitation restrictions. I know I can do what I want but what do others do?
— Uninvited Dilemma
Dear Uninvited Dilemma: About a decade ago, Miss Manners wrote “a wedding invitation is not an invoice.” That’s fabulous guidance for both guests and celebrants to remember. It stands to reason, then, that the absence of an invitation is also not an invoice. You don’t have an obligation here.
It all depends on the relationship you have with your nephews. If you feel compelled to share your well-wishes, despite not getting an invite, I’m sure that would be welcome and could even help build a stronger relationship. However, it seems that you’re rightfully perplexed about why you didn’t make the cut. If you’re looking for an explanation, a gift is less likely to prompt one than a direct ask. You can do that. But I would just send a card and let it go.
Dear Eric: “Paul,” my brother-in-law, will be having major surgery in the next month or so. My husband and I plan to fly out to see him while he’s recovering. While I don’t mind visiting Paul in the hospital, I get extremely anxious whenever I’m invited to stay as a guest in another person’s home. I just know he’s going to be disappointed when he learns that we intend to stay at a nearby resort instead.
Paul also has indoor pets and I’ve never been comfortable around animals. If the subject of us staying with him should come up, how do I explain myself without seeming heartless? My husband and I think very highly of Paul and don’t want to hurt his feelings.
— Distressed Guest
Dear Guest: While Paul welcomes houseguests, hosting after major surgery is likely less than an ideal situation. So, unless you’re helping to provide post-op care, you can use that as an excuse. Even if you are providing care, it’s fine to say, “We don’t want to be under foot, we want to give you your privacy, and it will help us to have a space to recharge so we can be fully present.”
It’s also completely fine to say to someone “Your home is lovely; I feel very welcome. But I just feel more comfortable in a place with no animals.” It’s not heartless. It’s healthy communication about your needs. Good hosting is also about good listening.
(Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.)
Dear Eric: A couple of years ago I reconnected with an old friend, and I invited her and her husband to my cottage where she and I had spent some good times together over 20 years ago.
Back then I often had a few too many drinks and also smoked. I don’t anymore. But she still does.
Over the two days at my cottage, her drinking was to the point where she was unable to carry on a conversation and I had to help her to walk.
When she is sober and not smoking, she’s smart, fun and engaging.
I invited them up again last year hoping that I could be more tolerant, but it was worse.
She’s been proactive about getting together over the past year. At the last lunch, she strongly hinted about an invite for this summer. I responded by text to say that it won’t work out this year due to family commitments (which is partially true). However, the real reason is her smoking and drinking.
Her response to my text was, “are you breaking up with me”? I didn’t respond.
Her life isn’t going the way she’d hoped. She has a very fractured relationship with her teenage son, and I think her marriage is struggling. It also appears that she doesn’t have many friends anymore and the relationship with her siblings has fractured, too.
Do I disappear or prepare for the hard conversation?
— Dry Friendship
Dear Friendship: I suspect your friend may have had similar breakup conversations or been ghosted in the past. And she may be marginally, or evenly acutely, aware of the reasons why. So, a conversation may not be as bad as you fear, and it might actually lead her to getting some help. Give her that opportunity.
As someone who used to paint the town red with you, your friend could be having trouble adjusting to the new rhythms of your life now. But, from what you describe, she seems out of sync in her own life. You’re in a unique position to help her see that and, potentially, inspire a change.
Don’t disappear. What if you’re the only person who cares enough to express concern about how her drinking is affecting her and how it’s affecting you? Speak out of love and without moralizing. I hope she’s in a place to hear you.
Dear Eric: I’m a gay man (58) married to a man (61). We have been together for more than 20 years. My younger sister and her husband have been a part of our lives since the beginning and have never shown any sign of not accepting our relationship. We have all traveled together and have stayed in each other’s homes.
Several years ago, we took them to our favorite vacation spot to renew their vows and, in 2026, they would like us to take them back for a milestone anniversary they are celebrating. We are happy to do it.
We have come to learn from other family members that my brother-in-law often disparages the LGBTQ+ community at parties. My sister, while not participating, does not challenge her husband on what he is saying. We have not experienced this in person, but I absolutely believe this is happening and won’t tolerate that type of hatred.
I’m not comfortable confronting them about this with just secondhand information. If this is true, I don’t want to take them on a vacation and potentially have to have an unwanted confrontation in person if he were to say something intolerable. Do I bring it up now or just not say anything and make up an excuse as to why we can’t take this vacation together?
— Intolerable In-Law
Dear In-Law: You write that you absolutely believe that your brother-in-law’s disparaging comments are happening. I’m wondering why you believe it and why you would want to continue having a close relationship with someone you think is likely to talk about you behind your back.
Was this information a surprise or did it confirm something you felt and didn’t acknowledge? It seems unlikely that he’ll say something intolerable while on vacation with you, given what you’ve experienced thus far. That doesn’t necessarily mean he doesn’t think and say disparaging things elsewhere; just that he’s no fool. After all, you’re paying for his vacation. It also doesn’t prove he does think and say these things.
Hearsay and hunches are just going to create confusion. So, you have to ask him what he thinks directly.
Then, you have to decide whether you believe him. And that’s dependent on the strength of your relationship. This is a vulnerable position to be in. It’s hard to have to say to a loved one, “Do you really accept me?” But you owe it to yourself to get clarity and peace of mind.
(Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.)
Dear Eric: Mid-pandemic, my family and I moved to my husband’s hometown, hundreds of miles from our old city. It was a very difficult transition for me. I am a stay-at-home mom and the opportunities to meet people were very limited because of the pandemic.
However, about a year ago, I met two other moms with young children in the neighborhood. We became very close and now spend two to three days together every week, at the library, playground, or each other’s houses.
Meeting them was truly a lifesaver, giving myself and my children opportunities to socialize and pulling me out of my loneliness and depression.
However, my husband does not approve of these new friendships. He has come up with every excuse why we shouldn’t spend time together — their children misbehave and are a bad influence on our children (they act typical for their age, like a two-year-old throwing a tantrum); they make a mess of our house (which our children also do, with or without them); and their husbands have ill intentions toward me (which is absurd).
He even went so far as to ask his friend to come supervise when one of my friend’s husbands picked their kids up from our house when she was not there. I love my husband and want to have a happy and harmonious home. However, I value these friendships greatly and believe they make me a happier person, and therefore a better mother and wife.
— Finally Have Friends
Dear Finally: Your husband must not have much going on at work, because minding your business seems like a full-time job. This isn’t right. He’s acting out a very misplaced feeling of insecurity and until he works on that, I doubt any friendship you have is going to pass his quixotic standards.
Tell it to him straight: It’s important for me to have friends. Without them, I struggle with depression and loneliness. I know that you want the best for me and for our kids, so you need to tell me what this is really about.
He may not have a good answer. Again, that’s his work to do. The end of the conversation should be: These are the friends that bring me happiness. Is my happiness important to you? If so, I need you to support me in this.
And then don’t entertain any further complaints. This doesn’t need to be debated. If he’s not supportive of your happiness, that’s a bigger problem. But I hope he’s willing to do the work.
Dear Eric: My son is getting engaged to a wonderful woman. They are in their late 20s. My husband and I are retired and have a limited yet comfortable income.
The bride is the oldest of two children and first to marry. Her parents are younger and wealthy. Her mother has told them that the wedding must be a large and lavish affair she has been planning for years with more than 120 of their guests.
My husband and I have told the couple that we will give them a sum of money for the wedding needs — what we can afford — and will make no demands or get in their way to do whatever they want. They are relieved.
We are unsure how this will go over with her family as they may want us to fork out all the expenses for a lavish groom’s dinner, full open bar, etc., they plan or want. I cannot count on the bride to stand up for us as her mom is so manipulative.
Our only dilemma is how much money is a normal sum to give the couple if they were a normal, average couple, not considering her wealthy situation. I am not planning to mortgage our home or hand over five figures for this.
— Wedding Gift Dilemma
Dear Dilemma: As with rings (which some traditions dictate the groom’s family pays for), there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. And that’s the good news. Give only what is financially reasonable for you, knowing that your relationship with the couple is what’s important here. Not the wishes, hopes, and elaborate plans of the bride’s family.
Tradition often suggests that the groom’s family plans the rehearsal dinner, but that also means it’s yours to plan if you choose. So, you don’t have to have a lavish affair if you don’t want to. If you don’t want to plan it, that’s fine, too. Many families will write a check and leave it up to the couple to apply it to their budget.
I think the latter is the way you should go. The couple’s struggles with the bride’s family are their responsibility and they will have to learn how to navigate it. Give what you want and then step back. Tradition frowns upon the mother of the bride shaking you down for more cash like an old-timey casino bookie.
(Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.)
“[Lisa Marie] is entirely heartbroken, inconsolable and beyond devastated but trying to stay strong for her 11-year-old twins and her oldest daughter Riley,” her rep, Roger Widynowski, told Us Weekly in a statement at the time. “She adored that boy. He was the love of her life.”
Lisa Marie and Danny welcomed Benjamin in 1992, two years before their divorce. Benjamin was the only grandson of Elvis Presley (who died in 1977) and his ex-wife, Priscilla Presley. (Lisa Marie also shares daughter Riley, born in 1989, with ex Danny. She shares twin daughters, Harper and Finley, born in 2008, with ex-husband Michael Lockwood.)
Riley recalled the day her brother died in Lisa Marie’s From Here to the Great Unknown memoir, which was released posthumously in October 2024. (Lisa Marie died in January 2023 at age 54.)
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Benjamin was throwing a party at his mom’s Calabasas home when he went upstairs “to get a beer,” she wrote. After he was missing for “almost an hour,” Benjamin was found. Both Riley and Lisa Marie wrote about him at length in the book.
Keep scrolling to read all the Presley family’s quotes about the late Benjamin:
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
Venice Pride’s Gaywatch May 31 Baja Venice 311 Washington Blvd, Venice venicepride.org
Venice Pride Block Party presented by Aids Healthcare Foundation May 31 99 Windward Ave LA’s beloved grassroots LGBTQ+ Pride celebration returns with a *FREE* party in the street! Venice Pride Block Party
4th annual San Gabriel Valley Pride March and Festival
June 1
Boys & Girls Clubs of West San Gabriel Valley & Eastside (BGCWSGV),City of Monterey Park, and Alhambra Teachers Association are teaming up on the 4th annual San Gabriel Valley Pride March and Festival this Saturday, June 1. Hundreds of community members, including those of the LGBTQ+ group, will gather during this event to advocate for inclusivity and kindness during Pride month. The one-mile Pride march begins at Mark Keppel High School and will conclude at Barnes Memorial Park, where there will be food trucks, live music performances, art, and community resources. The festival will be hosted by Lisa Foxx from IHeart Radio and will highlight Club youth with inspiring LGBTQ+ stories, including teen member Mia Guttierez.
WHEN: Saturday, June 1 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
*Pride festival begins at 10:00 a.m.
WHERE: Barnes Memorial Park |350 S Mc Pherrin Ave, Monterey Park, CA 91754
*Noting that this march will begin at Mark Keppel High School and conclude at Barnes Memorial Park, where the concert and festival will occur.
Los Angeles Angels Pride Night June 1 Angel Stadium of Anaheim Join fans in the Gate 5 Courtyard for pre-game Pride festivities. Purchase a Pride Night ticket package and receive discounted pricing along with a Pride Night-themed Angles hat. Proceeds from each ticket purchase will benefit OC Pride. angels.com/pride
AIDS/LifeCycle 2024 Ride June 2-8 The Cow Palace AIDS/LifeCycle is a fully-supported, seven-day bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. It’s a life-changing 545-mile ride-not a race-through some of California’s most beautiful countryside. aidslifecycle.org
WeHo Pride Weekend May 31- June 2 WeHo Pride 2024 kicks-off on Harvey Milk Day, May 22, with a special event. wehopride.com
Friday Night @ Outloud May 31 WeHo Pride presents this free-to-attend concert in West Hollywood Park featuring headliners to be announced soon! wehopride.com
Glendale Pride in the Park June 1, 1pm-5pm Adams Square Mini Park The Glendale Pride in the Park celebration and queer family picnic is back. Glendale invites everyone in the community to join and work with love, in healing, and in creating safe space for our kids to thrive. glendaleout.org
Yappy Pride Party Returns to Just Food for Dogs West Hollywood
June 1, 2024, from 2 pm – 5 pm
The Yappy Pride Party is returning to the Just Food for Dogs West Hollywood kitchen, located at 7870 Santa Monica Boulevard, Saturday June 1, 2024, from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. during WeHo Pride weekend. Dogs and their pet companions are welcome to attend the event at their parking lot on the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue
Guests will celebrate the kickoff of Pride Month with some food and refreshments. Past events have offered wraps, freshly made burgers, hot dogs, and there were plenty of dog treats for pets to munch on. This year enjoy a photo session with fur family photos (available from 3-5pm) with the purchase of toy and treat bundle. There will also be a K-9 couture contest.
Relentlessly Advocating for Pet Health Being Completely Transparent Basing Decisions on Scientific Evidence Driving Change in Our Category Honoring Pet Life Through Support of Rescue Efforts You can find them at retail kitchens, inside veterinary clinics and hospitals, at Pet Food Express stores in California, Petco locations nationwide, and on Chewy.com.
Women’s Freedom Festival June 1, 12pm – 6pm WeHo Pride Street Fair Community Stage at La Peer Dr.
Co-sponsored and produced by the L-Project, the festival will feature emerging LGBTQ and BIPOC women, non-binary musicians, comedians, poets, and activists. wehopride.com
Dyke March June 1, 6pm-10pm WeHo Pride Street Fair Community Stage at La Peer Dr. Featuring a motorcycle-led march, this annual rally will begin immediately following the Women’s Freedom Festival along Santa Monica Boulevard. wehopride.com
WeHo Pride weekend is almost upon us. It all begins this Friday, May 31, 2024 to Sunday, June 2, 2024, with the return of the Women’s Freedom Festival and Dyke March on Saturday. Women are taking over Boystown for WeHo Pride! Women’s Freedom Festival and the Dyke March returns for its 3rd year at West Hollywood Pride on Saturday, June 1, 2024 beginning at 12 noon!
This event is FREE. It is produced by The L-Project Los Angeles and co-sponsored by the City of West Hollywood.
Located at the Celebration Stage on west end of Santa Monica Blvd at LaPeer Avenue, the event will be hosted by Jackie Steele with sounds by DJ Boom Boom & DJ Sterling Victorian.
This year’s lineup of 2SLGBTQ+BIPOC artists will include live performances by: Nekeith – Madline Grace Jones – Shiah Luna – Gattison – Cheri Moon – Theia – Mariah Counts and the KingQueen Band. Poetry by Yazmin Monet Watkins + Sasha MaRi – Suri Chan and West Hollywood’s Poet Laurette, Jen Cheng.
Dyke March performance by THEIA & MEDUSA, THE GANSTA GODDESS
Biker staging for the Dyke March will begin at 5pm with an opening performance by Medusa at 5:30 p.m. The Dyke March Rally at 6 p.m. and the March will begin 6:30 p.m.
Bikers! If interested in joining Pride Riders for the Dyke March, please contact: Katrina Vinson at: [email protected]
Reserve your tickets for a chance to win free promos and other giveaways by clicking on the link here: (Link)
The Women’s Freedom Festival lineup and schedule (*subject to change) is as follows:
The L-Project is an historically lesbian non-profit 501(c)3 organization founded in 2015 by Elisabeth Sandberg, in West Hollywood, California. Their mission is to promote and support emerging LGBTQI BI+POC women and non-binary creatives through the arts and technology.
Outloud @ WeHo Pride June 1-2 An award-winning, ticketed concert highlighting LGBTQ artistry, this star-studded, high-energy line-up celebrates and advocates for queer voices in music, kicking off Pride Season! wehopride.com
WeHo Pride Street Fair June 1-2 The street fair is free and will include community group booths, exhibitors, sponsor activations, a stage with live performances, and other entertainment elements. wehopride.com
WeHo Pride Parade June 2 A colorful and entertaining event for the whole family, the parade will feature contingents such as floats, bands, drill teams, dance teams, entertainment entries, marchers and special guests. wehopride.com
LA Pride in the Park June 8, 1pm-11pm Los Angeles State Historic Park 1245 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles LA Pride in the Park is a highly anticipated music event. This year’s headliner is Latin superstar Ricky Martin. Joining him on the massive 80-foot stage will be MUNA, Tokischa and Jojo Siwa, among others. It’s also an LGBTQ+ community event organized by CSW, LA’s original 501(c)3 Pride nonprofit, established in 1970. Guests will enjoy over 20 acres of activities, glow-ups, giveaways, and more from LGBTQIA+ partners, exhibitors, and vendors. lapride.org
Photo Credit: Ricky Martin/WeHoTimes
As the first openly gay Latin artist to take center stage at the highly-anticipated Pride event of the year, this marks Martin’s first-ever headliner Pride performance.
LA Pride in the Park will return to the Los Angeles State Historic Park on Saturday, June 8. Across 20 acres and with a capacity for 25,000, LA Pride in the Park is one of the most sought-after and largest Official Pride concerts in the country. Additionally, the official theme for this year’s Pride season is “Power in Pride,” which celebrates the LGBTQIA+ community’s ability to live authentically.
General Admission and VIP Passes are now available to purchase at lapride.org.
“I am thrilled to be headlining LA Pride in the Park because it’s an incredible opportunity to celebrate love, diversity, and equality,” said Martin. “LA Pride is a testament to the power of community, the power of visibility, and the power of standing up for our rights. Being part of this vibrant community fills me with pride and purpose.”
54th ANNUAL LA PRIDE PARADE
JUNE 9, 2024:STEP OFF at 11AM
The best Parade viewing spots are along the middle of Hollywood Blvd, or on Highland, opposite the ABC7 broadcast area. Step-off is at 11AM sharp, so get there early to get a good spot.
If you can’t be with there in person, be sure to watch the parade live on ABC7, LA Pride’s Official Television & Streaming Partner.
PARADE BLOCK PARTY
June 9, 2024 ADJACENT TO PARADE ROUTE HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD
We’re keeping the celebration going on Sunday by throwing the ultimate free Block Party adjacent to the Parade, open from mid-day and going into the evening. With a performance stage, large vendor village, food & bevs, pop-up bars, and more, it’s the place to be to after the Parade. Last year, 35,000 people enjoyed this free Parade “after-party,” don’t miss it!
The Block Party vendor booth application deadline has now passed. Stay tuned to learn more about the cool things we have in store!
The Grove will host Los Angeles’ beloved annual Pride Night celebration on Thursday, June 13, presented by Afterpay. Friends, family and members of the LGBTQIA+ community will gather in The Park for a colorful night of festive bingo, live entertainment, delectable sips and bites and more in celebration of this year’s Pride Month.
When doors open at 6PM, The Park at The Grove will shine in bright rainbow ornamentation, welcoming guests to rejoice with Pride-themed décor, upbeat tunes from a live DJ and a variety of interactive photo moments to capture the excitement. An array of bites from Rocco’s Pizza and The Grove’s dining tenants will be available to enjoy, including Häagen-Dazs, Wetzel’s Pretzels, Pressed Juicery and % Arabica, complemented by beverages from Hamptons Water, Casa Dragones, Grey Goose and Calidad.
The Grove’s acclaimed Pride Bingo will begin promptly at 7:30PM. Tickets are $55 per person and include 10 rounds of bingo hosted by LA legend ‘Bingo Boy’ (Jeffrey Bowman) and chances to win luxury prizes from some of The Grove’s renowned retailers like the newly opened David Yurman and Arhaus, along with Byredo, Backcountry, Todd Snyder and more. Caruso Signature members will also receive exclusive Pride merch and complimentary parking validation. Ticket proceeds will be donated to LA Pride.
Pride Night is sponsored by “buy now, pay later” service Afterpay. New and existing Afterpay customers who purchase Pride Bingo tickets will be reimbursed at check-in and guests are encouraged to arrive via Lyft, the official rideshare partner of Caruso. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit https://thegrovela.com/events/pride-bingo-2/.
WHAT: Pride Night at The Grove, presented by Afterpay
*Includes 10 rounds of bingo, meal and beverage tickets, exclusive Pride merch, photo opportunitiesand chances to win complimentary prizesfrom The Grove’s stores and restaurants
Our World Series-winning Dodgers take on the Kansas City Royals with LA Pride pre-game festivities featuring DJ party, and Pride merch for special ticket holders!
Catalina Island Gears Up for an Unforgettable Pride Celebration
June 15, 2024
Catalina Pride, sponsored by US Bank, will kick off at noon with the ceremonial Pride Walk, starting from Wrigley Stage and continuing along the scenic waterfront to the famous Catalina Island Casino. Participants are encouraged to don their brightest rainbow attire as they join in this joyous march showcasing support for the LGBTQ+ community. In addition, the historic Catalina Island Casino will be lit in vibrant rainbow colors to showcase Catalina’s love and support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Wrigley Stage will be the heart of the celebration, featuring an exciting lineup of live entertainment. Highlights include:
Pulp Vixen – This all-female cover band, known for their high-energy performances, will headline the event.
DJ Asha – Returning for her third year, DJ Asha will keep the crowd dancing with her dynamic mixes.
KingQueen – The rock-pop band is back by popular demand.
Mermaid – Featuring Candace Quarrels and Brittany Campbell, this duo blends rock, pop, and R&B.
Danielle Lande – Singer-songwriter and founder of QUEERSOUND.
Patrick St. James – Irish-born, Manchester-based queer pop singer-songwriter.
DJ Jae Fusz – Former background dancer for Britney Spears, bringing his DJ skills to the stage.
Tonii and Miya King – Performing as both solo artists and their duo group Sunday.
Sister Ray – Known for their eclectic style and original songs.
DJ Hovani – Las Vegas-based DJ known for his infectious sets.
In addition to the main stage performances, an after-party will be held at the Chi Chi Club from 10 PM to close, featuring sets by DJ Hovani and DJ Fusz.
“We are delighted to welcome everyone to Catalina Island for this special celebration of love and diversity,” said Jim Luttjohann, CEO of Love Catalina. “Pride is not just an event; it’s a testament to our community’s commitment to inclusion and acceptance. Catalina is a wonderful destination for LGBTQ+ visitors year-round, offering a welcoming atmosphere, stunning scenery, and a variety of activities for all to enjoy. We look forward to a fantastic day of celebration, music, and unity.”
Pride is Universal at Universal Studios Hollywood
June 15, 2024 10pm – 2am
LA Pride’s iconic after-hours party is back at Universal Studios Hollywood, with a limited discounted GA ticket price of $139! Enjoy the magic of when the park closes to the public at 10pm and you get to stay until 2am for the Pride-only after-hours experience with multiple DJ’s, dance areas, cash bars, 14 Universal characters, and enhanced lighting throughout the park! Plus the retail stores, select restaurants, rides, and attractions remain open just for us!
The month-long SaMo Pride celebration returns this June with interactive activities and experiences that honor and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and promote inclusivity and acceptance in Santa Monica. SaMo Pride is a citywide partnership between Santa Monica Place, Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM, Inc.) and Santa Monica Pier, in collaboration with the City of Santa Monica and Santa Monica Travel and Tourism.
Fierce Fables: Drag Queen Pride Family-Edition
June 15 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
At Santa Monica Pier, the community is invited to participate in the Merry-Go-Round Building. Hosted in partnership with The Crow Comedy Club, this event welcomes all family members to enjoy a drag queen and king storytelling corner, face painting and show-stopping dance numbers by Pickle Drag Queen, Pandora Boxx and Johnny Gentleman.
Pride on the Promenade
June 22, from 2 to 8 p.m.
This lively block party transforms Third Street Promenade into a colorful celebration featuring musical performances curated by OUTLOUD, giveaways, games and a retail pop-up marketplace showcasing local LGBTQ+ businesses, creating an inclusive space for all ages to come together and celebrate diversity. Plus, local service providers and community groups will be present along the Promenade, offering support and resources for the LGBTQ+ community.
Sounds of Santa Monica: Pride Edition
June 22, from noon to 6 p.m.
Families will groove to the beats of live musical entertainment by LGBTQ+ performers in Center Plaza under Lanterns of Love, an overhead colorful lantern installation. Vibrant overhead lights will also span from Third Street Promenade to Santa Monica Place, illuminating the festive atmosphere. Also on Saturday, the Santa Monica Place Kid Zone offers kid-friendly Pride programming and activities, creating an educational and entertaining space for children to play and learn about inclusivity and acceptance. For more information about Sounds of Santa Monica: Pride Edition, visit santamonicaplace.com.
The City of Santa Monica is dedicated to increasing visibility and understanding of the broad spectrum of gender identities and experiences within the LGBTQ+ community. The City celebrates Pride with the month-long lighting of City Hall in rainbow colors and a series of educational, uplifting events during the month of June. Community events include the City’s Pride Proclamation on May 28; an AIDS LifeCycle Finish Line Festival on June 8; Rainbow Family Storytime at the Santa Monica Public Library on June 11; Family Pride Drag Queen Storytime with Pickle on June 14; Pride sunset swim at the Annenberg Community Beach House on June 21; and much more.
Hermosa Beach Pride
Friday, June 14 to Sunday June 16, 2024
Location: Hermosa Beach
About the Event: Girls, gays, theys, allies, ALL are welcome to join us for our 4th Annual Hermosa Beach PRIDE, June 14-16! For more information, please visit Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau’s website.
This Pride month, Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Lindsey P. Horvath is supporting a wide range of Pride events throughout Los Angeles County’s Third Supervisorial District in solidarity, support, and love of our LGBTQ+ community.
“This Pride, we’re committed to making sure that our LGBTQ+ community, in all of its beautiful diversity, is welcomed, supported, and celebrated throughout Los Angeles County,” said Chair Horvath. “As we honor the progress we’ve made and continue to push for equality, we must stand strong, use our voices, and make sure that our LGBTQ+ community always feels empowered. The Third District and LA County will be loud and proud in our support for all our LGBTQ+ family, during Pride month and year-round.”
The media and community are invited to join Chair Horvath for the following Pride Month events throughout the Third District.
Venice Pride | May 31st, 5 – 11 p.m. | 99 Windward Ave. | venicepride.org
West Hollywood Pride | June 1st - June 2nd | Santa Monica Blvd. | wehopride.com
Chair Horvath will attend the West Hollywood Pride Parade, which takes place on June 2nd at 12:30 p.m.
Los Angeles Pride | June 8th - June 9th | Hollywood Blvd. | lapride.org
Chair Horvath will attend the Los Angeles Pride Parade, which takes place on June 9th at 11 a.m.
Santa Monica Pride | June 22nd, 2 – 8 p.m. | Third Street Promenade | smpride.com
San Fernando Outdoor Pride Market | June 22nd, 6-10 p.m. | San Fernando Rd. | sfoutdoormarket.com
AFA WRESTLING PRESENTS “OVER THE RAINBOW” JUNE SOCAL PRIDE SHOW
LOS ANGELES, CA — Alliance For All Wrestling (AFA) will hold its largest LGBTQI+ allied professional wrestling event in Azusa at Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW Hall — 250 East 1st Street Azusa, CA 91702 on June 27, 2024.
The “Wizard of Oz” themed show (‘Over the Rainbow’) will be the greatest pro-wrestling Pride event in SoCal history, featuring 40+ of the hottest SoCal wrestling stars on the independent circuit.
Barbie Boi, pro-wrestler and founder of AFA, is encouraging everyone to grab their friends and family, “click their heels three times,” and head on down the yellow brick road to witness a truly magical event.
“‘Over the Rainbow’ is an event that will bring everyone together for a night of love, representation, equality and wrestling,” says Barbie Boi. “Pride Month is such a special time for people to come together and show how important love and equality is. Pro-wrestling, to me, can also bring so many different kinds of people together. This event is showcasing talent representing the community alongside our strong allies. I want everyone to come see what is at the end of our wrestling rainbow. They’re going to love it.”
Featured and confirmed talent include: Effy, Shane Haste, Wolf Zaddies (Che Cabrera & Tito Escondido), Mylo, Sandra Moone, Delilah Doom, Barbie Boi, Keita, G Sharpe, Jazmin Allure, Titus Alexander, Tyler Bateman, Ray Rosas, Maximilien Monclair, Diego Valens, Nina, Brendan Divine, Bryn Throne, Jakob Austin Young, Eli Everfly, Bryce Saturn, Moondog Murray, Hunter Gallagher, El Primohenio, Parada, Chuy Gonzalez, Joey Mayberry, Mateo Valentine, Mighty Mayra, Shelly Benson, Everly Rivera, Marina Tucker, Krusty Krew (Lucas Riley & Dom Kubrick), The Unguided (Matt Vandagriff & Damian Drake), Gypsy Mac, Dante King and Affirmative Action (Da Shade & Project Wes).
Tickets for the June 27 show are $30 for Front Row VIP and $25 for General Admission, currently available for purchase online on Eventbrite. Tickets will also be sold at the door the day of the event.
This is an all inclusive event for all ages. Bar service for alcohol purchase available, and must be 21+ with proper identification. Pride wardrobe encouraged. Merchandise table/ photo-ops with wrestlers/ talent will be held during and after the show. Parking is free next to the VFW building and street parking is also available.
CARD SUBJECT TO CHANGE For more information about AFA – please follow on Instagram: @allianceforallwrestling, Twitter: @afawrestling, or contact via email: [email protected]
San Fernando Valley Pride | June 29th, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Van Nuys | sfvpride.org
March at noon at Van Nuys Blvd. and Gault St.
Important Pride Notes!
Photo courtesy of the City of West Hollywood
WeHo Pride Weekend Street and Facility Closures
WeHo Pride Weekend will Take Place fromFriday, May 31 to Sunday, June 2 in and AroundWest Hollywood Park and the City’s Rainbow District
The City of West Hollywood reminds the community and the region about WeHo Pride-related street and facility closures. Drivers and Metro riders can anticipate increased traffic and commute times; please plan to use alternate routes.
Street Closures will take place, as follows:
N. San Vicente Boulevard closed from Melrose Avenue to Santa Monica Boulevard fromThursday, May 30, at 7 p.m. through Monday, June 3, at 10 a.m.
Santa Monica Blvd (Eastbound) closed from N. La Cienega Boulevard to N. Doheny Drive from Friday, May 31, at 12 p.m. (noon) through Monday, June 3, at 7 a.m.
N. Robertson Boulevard closed from Santa Monica Boulevard to Melrose Avenue fromFriday, May 31, at 12 p.m.(noon) throughMonday, June 3 at 7 a.m.
Santa Monica Boulevard (Westbound) closed from N. La Cienega Boulevard to N. Doheny Drive from Saturday, June 1, at 6 a.m. through Monday, June 3, at 7 a.m.
N. San Vicente Boulevard closed from Santa Monica Boulevard to Cynthia Street from Saturday, June 1, at 6 a.m. through Monday, June 3, at 7 a.m.
Santa Monica Boulevard closed from N. Fairfax Avenue to N. Doheny Drive (including side streets one block north and one block south of Santa Monica Boulevard) from Sunday, June 2 at 5 a.m. through Sunday, June 2, at 5 p.m. for the WeHo Pride Parade. Santa Monica Boulevard from N. La Cienega Boulevard to N. Doheny Drive will remain closed though Monday, June 3 at 7 a.m.
Facility Closures will be, as follows:
West Hollywood Park from Monday, May 27 through Wednesday, June 5 (West Hollywood Park will reopen Thursday, June 6).
Small Dog Park at West Hollywood Park from Monday, May 27 through Wednesday, June 5 (Small Dog Park will reopen Thursday, June 6).
Large Dog Park at West Hollywood Park from Wednesday, May 29 through Tuesday, June 4 (Large Dog Park will reopen Wednesday, June 5).
Five-Story Parking Structure at West Hollywood Park from Thursday, May 30, at 7 p.m. through Monday, June 3, at 10 a.m.
West Hollywood Library Garage at West Hollywood Park from Thursday, May 30, at 7 p.m. through Monday, June 3, at 10 a.m.
Plummer Park South Lot from Thursday, May 30, at 7 p.m. through Monday, June 3, at 12 p.m.
Robertson Lot from Thursday, May 30, at 7 p.m. through Monday, June 3, at 10 a.m.
The City of West Hollywood will activate its annual Pride Ride free shuttle service during #WeHoPride Weekend. The City’s free transit services, The PickUp and Cityline, will offer combined Pride Ride services that will operate over the weekend.
Pride Ride vehicles (both PickUp and Cityline vehicles marked with route/destination) will travel through West Hollywood from N. La Brea Avenue to N. Kings Road along Santa Monica Boulevard. Select Pride Ride vehicles (marked with route/destination) will also run to the Hollywood & Highland Metro Station as follows:
Friday, May 31, 2024 – West Hollywood route will run from 4 p.m. to 3 a.m. From 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. service will run to-and-from the Hollywood & Highland Metro Station.
Saturday, June 1, 2024 – West Hollywood route will run from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. From 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. service will run to-and-from the Hollywood & Highland Metro Station.
Sunday, June 2, 2024 – West Hollywood route will run from 11 a.m. to midnight. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. service will run to-and-from Hollywood & Highland Metro Station to N. Fairfax Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard due to WeHo Pride Parade street closures. Following the Pride Parade, once streets have reopened, Pride Ride will run along Santa Monica Boulevard between N. La Brea Avenue and N. La Cienega Boulevard until midnight.
WeHo Pride Weekend (May 31 to June 2) will include a free WeHo Pride Street Fair representing a diverse array of LGBTQ community groups as part of visibility, expression, and celebration; the Women’s Freedom Festival; the annual Dyke March; free Friday Night at OUTLOUD; OUTLOUD at WeHo Pride music festival; the WeHo Pride Parade, and a wide range of community group programming throughout Pride month. The WeHo Pride Arts Festival (June 14 – June 16) will take place at various locations throughout West Hollywood.
Avoid the hassle that is parking in LA, and be good to the environment, by using one of LA Metro’s convenient train or bus lines. Wherever you live, LA Pride is accessible by public transportation.
As Pride celebrations continue, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Authority (Metro), is supporting all the activities. As the official transit partner of LA Pride, we’re conducting station “take overs” on Saturday, June 8 – our Chinatown station that services the concert in the park will be renamed “LA Pride Nation Station” and the station pylon will be wrapped in Pride colors. For your residents headed to the park, getting there is easy, all they have to do is take the A Line to Chinatown Station – one quick stop from L.A. Union Station. Pay Metro fare of $3.50 for a round trip on a TAP card, which cost $2 and are available for purchase at TAP vending machines at all Metro rail and busway stations. Metro has many Park & Ride lots servicing the county – parking is just $3.00 per day, payable onsite.
For the LA Pride parade and block party on Sunday, June 9 stations servicing both the Pride Parade and Block Party will be renamed and wrapped in Pride colors – Hollywood/Highland will be renamed Hollywood/Pride-land and Hollywood/Vine will be renamed Hollywood/Pride. And for those residents headed to both, they just have to take the B/D Line to Hollywood/Highland for the Parade and Hollywood/Vine for the Block Party.
Pay Metro fare of $3.50 for a round trip on a TAP car, which cost $2 and are available for purchase at TAP vending machines at all Metro rail and busway stations. Metro has many Park & Ride lots servicing the county – parking is just $3.00 per day, payable onsite.
Earlier this month, Metro also launched its “Ride with Pride” campaign. You may have already seen them, but our buses and trains are beautifully adorned with vibrant Pride themed designs, showcasing its support for the LGBTQIA+ community and enhancing the festive atmosphere for riders all month long.
Photo courtesy of LA Metro
LA Metro is the proud Official Transit Partner of LA Pride. Look for future announcements about Pride TAP cards, new LA Pride wrapped buses and trains for 2024, station takeovers, parties, and more!
PBS SoCal Celebrates Pride Month With Disco, George Takei and More
Select content slated to air during Pride Month is listedas follows (*schedule subject to change):
L.A.: A QUEER HISTORY – Sat., June 1 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus and Thurs., June 20 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal
The 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York has been widely regarded as the beginning of the Gay Civil Rights Movement, but the true heart of the movement, and what we know as “Gay Culture” was born in Los Angeles. This film sheds light on historical figures who are largely unacknowledged, creating a newfound dialogue about LGBTQ history but also a better understanding of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
AMERICAN MASTERS: Ballerina Boys – Sat., June 1 at 11:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
The story of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, a company of men who dance on pointe as ballerinas.
DISCO: SOUNDTRACK OF A REVOLUTION “Rock the Boat” – Tues., June 4 at 8:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Tues., June 18 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal as well as Sat., June 8 at 5:30 p.m. and Wed, June 19 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
The opening episode of the series looks at the roots of disco – how it emerged from a basic desire for inclusion, visibility, and freedom among persecuted Black, gay and minority ethnic communities of New York City. It tells the remarkable story of how a global phenomenon began in the loft apartments and basement bars of New York City, where a new generation of DJs and musicians, like David Mancuso, Nicky Siano, Francis Grasso and Earl Young (The Trammps), pioneered a distinct sound and a new way of spinning records.
DISCO: SOUNDTRACK OF A REVOLUTION “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now” – Tues., June 4 at 9:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Tues., June 25 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal as well as Sat., June 8 at 6:30 p.m. and Wed, June 26 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
Set against the backdrop of Black power and sexual liberation, the second episode takes viewers to the high watermark of disco in the mid ’70s. It was the birth of the “disco diva” from Gloria Gaynor and Candi Staton to Donna Summer and Thelma Houston. However, mainstream success by The Bee Gees’ soundtrack album “Saturday Night Fever,” The Rolling Stones’ “Miss You,” Rod Stewart’s “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” and Studio 54 took disco further and further from its roots of inclusivity and freedom, as straight, white men started to embrace and repackage the sound.
DISCO: SOUNDTRACK OF A REVOLUTION “Stayin’ Alive” – Tues., June 4 at 11 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Tues., July 2 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal as well as Sat., June 8 at 8 p.m. and Wed, July 3 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
The final episode documents the wellspring of resentment from white, straight, male-dominated, rock-loving middle Americans, as they targeted disco for its hedonism, femininity and queerness. A vocal “Disco Sucks” movement began to gain momentum, culminating in the “Disco Demolition Derby” at Comiskey Park Stadium in Chicago, where organizers destroyed thousands of disco records in front of a baying audience of baseball fans. In addition, the hedonism and sexual liberation embodied by disco found itself stopped in its tracks by the AIDS crisis. Pushed out of the mainstream, the pioneers of disco retreated and regrouped.
DEAR IKE: LOST LETTERS TO A TEEN IDOL – Sat., June 8 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
The story of a teenager’s all-consuming childhood quest to contact his boyhood idol, Ike Eisenmann, and ask him to star in an animated science-fiction epic that he was forever developing in an overstuffed three-ring binder.
UNIDAD: GAY & LESBIAN LATINOS UNIDOS – Sat., June 15 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos was founded in 1981, only a few years before HIV/AIDS began to ravage LGBTQ communities. GLLU was the Los Angeles area’s first major Queer Latin@ organization, and the film chronicles events at a pivotal time in the history of LGBTQ equality, women’s rights and civil rights movements that shaped the destinies of GLLU’s communities.
TO BE TAKEI – Wed., June 19 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus and Thurs., June 20 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal
This award-winning documentary features Star Trek legend, marriage equality advocate and spokesperson for racial justice; superstar George Takei.
ARTBOUND: LGBTQ Nightlife – Wed., June 19 at 9 p.m. and Sun., June 23 at 4 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
In this episode of ARTBOUND, see how a roving LGBTQ night club event in Los Angeles called “Mustache Mondays” became a creative incubator for today’s leading edge contemporary artists. This film examines the history of these spaces and how they shaped the Queer cultural fabric unique to Southern California.
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE “Stonewall Uprising” – Thurs., June 20 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Sat., June 22 at 9:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
When police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in the Greenwich Village section of New York City on June 28, 1969, the street erupted into violent protests that lasted for the next six days.
LOST LA: Coded Geographies – Sat., June 22 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
This episode of LOST LA explores two underground guidebooks, The Negro Travelers’ Green Book and The Address Book, that reveal the hidden geographies many Angelenos had to navigate, exposing Los Angeles as a place of coded segregation and resistance.
OUTRAGE OF DANNY SOTOMAYOR: American Stories – Sun., June 23 at 5 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
Danny Sotomayor was a man on a mission to address injustice. The fiery, openly gay AIDS activist, political cartoonist and organizer took to the streets of Chicago, using civil disobedience to wage war on city officials who marginalized the LGBTQ+ community and turned a blind eye to the AIDS crisis – all while fighting a losing battle with the disease himself.
CLIVE DAVIS: The Soundtrack of Our Lives – Sat., June 29 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
A look at the life and work of record executive and producer Clive Davis, whose five-decade career has launched many superstars, including Janis Joplin, Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen and Aerosmith.
JUSTLY WED: Scenes from the Marriage Equality Movement – Sun., June 30 at 5 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
An exploration of the experience and legacy of the 2004 gay marriages in San Francisco.
