Pride Month Celebration honors LGBTQ+ advocates

In celebration of Pride Month, Assemblymember Alex Lee honored six leaders and organizations for their advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community on June 2 at the Assembly District 24 Pride Month Celebration at SoFA Market in downtown San Jose.

Jenna Daugherty is a volunteer for Fremont for Everyone who brings her experience as a trans woman to advocate for people experiencing housing insecurity. Raised in a fundamentalist Christian household, she has the vision to bridge the gap between the trans and Christian community.

Sera Fernando is the manager for the Santa Clara County Office of LGBTQ Affairs, established in January 2016 as the first county-level office of its kind. Fernando provides leadership and support for the county’s LGBTQ community members.

Josh Selo is chief executive officer of the Bill Wilson Center, a nonprofit organization that focuses on ending intergenerational homelessness and poverty. Selo came to the Bill Wilson Center after serving as executive director of West Valley Community Services, which provides low-income residents with rent and food assistance.

Saldy Suriben is chief marketing officer for Silicon Valley Pride, where he helps organize community events to serve the LGBTQ+ community. Suriben is also the senior management analyst for the Santa Clara County Office of LGBTQ Affairs.

Executive director Ken Yeager was on hand to receive recognition for the BAYMEC Community Foundation. The foundation’s has been recording and sharing local LGBTQ+ history for the last several years. The project has included an exhibit at History San Jose, the documentary film “Queer Silicon Valley” that aired on Bay Area PBS stations and oral histories of community leaders.

Rainbow Chamber of Commerce Silicon Valley was also honored for its work to create a vibrant LGBTQ+ business community. With over 100 members, the Chamber organizes networking mixers, training webinars, fundraising activities and more.