Congratulations to Dr. April Y. Silas, HCN Executive Director! Dr. Silas was recently sworn in to the LGBTQI+ Advisory Committee for San Francisco Mayor London Breed.
"This is a historic milestone for our LGBTQ communities in San Francisco," announced Mayor Breed. "The committee has a rich history, and today we are affirming its leadership by expanding its representation. Moving forward, elected officials, non-profit leaders, community members, and other partners will come together and communicate under one body."
First established in 1975 within the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, the LGBTQI+ Advisory Committee was recently relaunched during Pride Week 2021 when Mayor Breed appointed 25 members to the newly restructured Committee. HCN is excited to share that HCN's Executive Director Dr. April Y. Silas and HCN's Board Vice President Lisa L. Williams, Director of Soul of Pride, were among the 25 new members sworn in to San Francisco's LGBTQI+ Advisory Committee. Congratulations to them both!
After being sworn in Dr. Silas said, “My role as part of the LGBTQI+ Advisory Committee is to serve the larger San Francisco Human Rights Commission and City of San Francisco with an unapologetic humility, while daring to speak my truth. I bring a voice that is both a whisper and shout, both soft and unyielding, and as such I join those whose collective effort shall continue to uplift the voices of BIPOC LGBTQI+ community members as central to every aspect of the city decision making process. I will advocate tirelessly for culturally affirming spaces, access to culturally affirming mental health models, and the cultivation of resources that are specific to every lived experience within the LGBTQI+ community. Mental health, in my humble opinion, presents a transformative pathway towards self-empowerment."
"I bring a voice that is both a whisper and shout, both soft and unyielding, and as such I join those whose collective effort shall continue to uplift the voices of BIPOC LGBTQI+ community members as central to every aspect of the city decision making process. I will advocate tirelessly for culturally affirming spaces, access to culturally affirming mental health models, and the cultivation of resources that are specific to every lived experience within the LGBTQI+ community." - Dr. April Y. Silas, HCN Executive Director
According to Dr. Sheryl Davis, Director of the Human Rights Commission, "Many of the City’s challenges today disproportionately impact our most vulnerable populations, the most recent example seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mayor and Human Rights Commission worked hard to ensure equitable COVID response and recovery that was informed in partnership with San Francisco's diverse BIPOC and LGBTQI+ communities. Equity, intersectionality, and LGBTQI+ justice was at the forefront of our community engagement process and was critical to our success." The newly relaunched LGBTQI+ Advisory Committee within the Human Rights Commission is a part of this ongoing effort.
Dr. Silas shared that she is honored to be a part of the LGBTQI+ Advisory Committee and said, "My very life is the convergence of multiple revolutions! As a Black woman whose entire life has been shaped by the civil rights movement, today I am standing proud in San Francisco with my Black fist in the air as an equally proud LGBTQI+ community member. I stand as proudly as I kneel before my ancestors in gratitude for this opportunity. I stand as proudly as I protest with the multitude of beloveds who understand all beings are connected. Looking forward, I reimagine San Francisco to be a place where our communities align their voices for the panoramic well-being, radiant health, uncompromised safety, and equitable access to resources for all!"