Joy, Solidarity, and Collective Power: Reflections from Horizons Foundation’s Regional Town Halls
In March and April, Horizons Foundation hosted four virtual Regional Town Halls across the San Francisco Bay Area designed to bring our community together, help people connect with local LGBTQ nonprofits, and provide a platform for everyone to discuss important local issues. As our LGBTQ community now finds itself at a crossroads, with mounting threats emerging from multiple fronts, Horizons’ aim was not only to listen and learn, but to activate, connect, and inspire. From San Francisco to the East Bay, the North Bay to the Peninsula, our community came together with urgency and hope, lifting up themes of resilience, joy, solidarity, and resistance.
To capture the richness of these convenings, we asked five Horizons Foundation staff members—Maritza, Sofia, Josh, Justin, and Francisco—to share what stood out to them. What emerged was a powerful chorus of voices calling for connection, courage, and care.
From Maritza: Compassion, History, and Action
What stayed with Maritza were the calls for compassion, inclusion, and collective action that echoed across each Town Hall. At the San Francisco gathering, speakers emphasized that allyship must be rooted in love and intentional solidarity. Nicole Santamaria, the Executive Director of El/La Para TransLatinas, reminded us that “othering” leads to isolation and violence, underscoring how critical it is to hold space for all identities within our LGBTQ community.
One of the most poignant moments for Maritza came during the East Bay Town Hall, where Mateo Sánchez, Development and Communications Manager at Oasis Legal Services, urged us to become “sanctuary people”—those who are ready to show up and protect the most vulnerable when danger looms. This idea of sanctuary resonated deeply, especially when paired with Pacific Center for Human Growth Executive Director Lasara Allen’s reflection at the North Bay Town Hall: “We are stronger together.”
The Town Halls also turned to history to guide the present. Solano Pride Center Executive Director Will McGarvey shared stories from the early HIV/AIDS crisis, reminding us of the vital, often overlooked role lesbians played in caregiving and activism. Matt Foreman, Executive Director of AIDS Legal Referral Panel (ALRP) issued a powerful call to mobilize: “Scream and yell to get our elected officials to respond to crisis.” These reflections rooted today's challenges in a legacy of resistance and radical care.
From Sofia: Joy as Resistance, Connection as Power
For Sofia, the beating heart of the Town Halls was joy. “Joy in community,” she observed, was more than a mood—it was a tactic, a necessity, a lifeline. San Mateo Pride Center Director Frankie Sapp captured this sentiment beautifully: “While you're marching in the streets, don't forget to dance in them, too.” This balance—fighting fiercely while celebrating life and freedom—is the essence of queer resilience.
Oasis Legal Services’ Sánchez further emphasized this duality: “Resiliency is not just about surviving… it’s also about reclaiming joy and hope.” At each Town Hall, speakers highlighted the importance of spaces where LGBTQ+ people gather—not just to organize, but to connect, reflect, and dream. From senior centers to schools, from community centers to Pride events, these spaces are where strategy meets spirit.
Sofia reflected on how panelists lifted up the voices of queer youth and the wisdom of elders, building a bridge between generations. It was a reminder that resilience is multigenerational and that sustaining movements requires joy, creativity, and hope, not just survival.
From Josh: Solidarity Across Communities
Josh was struck by the deeply practical and deeply human ways people are building solidarity. At the Sebastopol Senior Center, Scotty King shared how simple acts—potlucks, mixers, heart circles—are keeping people connected and grounded. “The solution is coming together,” he said, “to bring people together.”
Across all four Town Halls, speakers emphasized that we’re in a moment of profound possibility. Mimi Demissew, Executive Director of Our Family Coalition, challenged us to look beyond just returning to a “pre-Trump” America. “Can we really dream of something better?” she asked—a future rooted not in reaction but in transformation, one where equality and opportunity are foundational, not aspirational.
Josh noted that the panelists—and this moment—call for more than policy change. It demands deep cultural shifts and a renewed commitment to seeing and valuing every part of our community. It’s a time to ask: How do we show up for one another—not just when it’s easy, but when it’s hard?
From Justin: A Collective Call Forward
Justin saw a clear message ring out from every corner of the region. From reflections on inclusivity and historical activism, to celebration of joy and togetherness, to focus on solidarity and possibility, the central theme of today is: We need each other.
As San Mateo Pride Center’s Sapp said: “We need us. We need our allies. We need everyone.”
These Town Halls, and convenings like them, aren’t just events — they are catalysts. They remind us that building community is as much about listening as it is about speaking. That our movements are strongest when rooted in community. And that, as daunting as the path ahead may be, we are not walking it alone. As we have for 45 years, Horizons is committed to supporting our rich San Francisco Bay Area community. Our vision of a world where all LGBTQ people live freely and fully is not impossible. The path forward starts with one courageous step—together.
From Francisco, our Moderator:
Building Leaders, Building Community
The moderator of all four Town Halls, Francisco, first heard a call for leadership. People are ready, and many are already taking action — defending our collective freedom and humanity. As he listened, what came to mind were the civil and human rights movements that have shaped his generation and those that came before him. The lessons, struggles, and victories of past movements have always been a foundation for the work we do today.
One truth continued to echo: Leaders do not create movements. Movements create leaders. That is the heart of grassroots activism. At different times, in different ways, leaders rise — called by hope, empowered by resistance, and carried forward by deep sense of purpose and shared Pride. We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, and now, the leaders are all of us working collectively.
Francisco's second takeaway was that the beauty and challenge of the LGBTQ community lies in its diversity. Though we can often be fractured, that doesn’t mean we cannot come together. Throughout the Town Halls, there was a powerful invitation from both the panelists and the audience to break down the divisions within our own community and build new foundations of support. To unite, not as a single entity, but as a vibrant, diverse collective, bound by the struggle for dignity, justice, and equality. After all, let us not forget that LGBTQ people are more than what we survive — we are what we build together.
Check out audio and video recordings of each Town Hall here.
