Page 11 - Adelante Magazine February 2021

BAMBY SALCEDO
Activist
President & CEO, TransLatin@ Coalition
Photo credit: Olivia Peregrino
My commitment to our peoples is simple: We are going to continue to fight to ensure that the lives of trans
people are validated and recognized as the people that we are. As an organization, we continue to provide
support to our community with emergency relief. Once this pandemic is over, I look forward to seeing our
people eye to eye. I want to be able to hug and meet them in person and strategize and organize together in
person. I see many possibilities, but these possibilities can only be a reality when the new administration takes
a handle on the global pandemic in a way that will support all peoples. When this happens, only then, I will be
able to see the beautiful smiles of our peoples.

TONY MILLS, MD
President & CEO, Men’s Health Foundation
I am primarily a caregiver. I take care of HIV patients. When I started my practice in Los Angeles in 1999, people
were frightened of HIV patients. They feared touching them. They feared transmission of the virus. I founded
my practice on the fundamental principal of hugging. Every HIV patient got a hug when they came in and every
HIV patient got a hug when they left. Maintaining social distancing has been the most difficult part of the COVID
crisis for me. The hugs were not just for my patients, they were for me. They were for my staff. We all thrived
on the love that we shared through those simple hugs. What I am most looking forward to when the crisis is
over and it’s safe to resume normal activities is giving and receiving a hug from my patients. There is so much
power in the simplest acts. I had many patients who told me “Dr. Mills, you are a great doctor, but my favorite
parts of the visit are the hugs.” I want to hug my patients again. I can’t wait.

Hon. JOHN J. DURAN VILMA DIAZ
Former Mayor of West Singer/Musical Artist
Hollywood formerly of La Sonora Dinamita
“First - I am going to eat Chile
verde at Teresitas at the corner of Hello friends. When the pandemic
First and Gage. And then I am ends, the only thing I want most is
spending all day and night at to return to my work in my live
Disneyland with my closest performances with La Sonora
friends where we will act like 9- Dinamita, I really need to see the
year old children and not feel public enjoy our music, but without
foolish!” a mask and that we are all healthy.

MISS LOLA
GIPSY RODRIGUEZ Queen of Club Papi
LGBT Activist
I am most looking forward to getting
I can't wait for things to go back back into Drag and hosting at my
to normal, although I appreciate home bars with Club Papi in long
the fact that this pandemic got Beach @hamburger Marys and in
our families and friends back and WeHo @ Mickys. I’m really looking
closer together. I look forward to forward to traveling again especially
being able to hug them all and the to all the cities we serve with our
doors of my business will be open club Papi events.
to reunite all of them.

DANNY NUNO, JOSÉ AGUILAR
“El Dman” & First Adelante Cover Photographer
Model
Once it’s safe and we are allowed to
When the pandemic is over, I will resume our “routine” activities, I look
give BIG STRONG HUGS to all forward to being behind my camera.
my loved ones and will live life I am most alive when I’m photo-
without worrying about what graphing.
people have to say. #YOLO

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