Black LGBTQ+ voices will have a space this upcoming weekend, one for people of all ages and generations, including boomers and Gen Z folks. Dr. Byron Johns non-profit organization, aplace2be, is hosting an event called An Intergenerational Dialogue with the Los Angeles Black trans community, part of the 2026 Circa: Queer Histories Festival presented by One Institute. The event will be held at the APLA Health Gleicher/Chen Health Center Annex, 3741 S La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles 90016, from 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm.
According to the website, the project was launched in 2022 through a partnership between Dr. Byron Johns and UCLA’s Center for Oral History Research. It documents the lived experiences of LA’s Black LGBTQ+ community. 23 deeply personal oral histories were collected that focused on identity, racism, activism and resilience. The project is now entering its next phase: an Intergenerational Dialogue that specifically highlights the voices of Black trans and gender Non-conforming (TGNC) identities.
Dr. Byron Johns said, “We have been deliberate about seeking out a baby boomer, an X, a Y, and a Z, so that we have those perspectives represented in the dialogue, because we want it to be inclusive and we want to bring the community together.”
He expressed that he is shocked that the current political climate and conversations surrounding the LGBTQ community and achieving equity in society are still happening. Johns expressed that being a driving force behind this event has shown him his purpose.
“It has grounded me in my purpose. It’s important to have representation so that this gets documented in history, and that people can share within their cultures because there aren’t many spaces where that occurs right now,” he said.
Activist and author Toni Newman will participate in the dialogue. She has spent over 4 decades advocating for the transgender community utilizing her life journey, as she began to live her life openly in the 1980s. She hopes the younger generation understands those who came before them and gave them the privileges they have today.
“I love the new ideology that the younger TGNC folks are presenting, and I’m open to their new thoughts and ideals. I want to listen to how we can evolve even more. But I also want to give them some context about what we did to get here and what can still work today.”
She continued, “I want to make sure they know others before them sacrificed a lot to get us on TV, in movies and music, and represented in entertainment. It was a long process. I just don’t want them to forget: You got here on the backs of others who have fought and died.”
Activists, poet and co-director of Mirror Memoirs, Jaden Fields, will also participate in the Intergenerational Dialogue.
“We have been organizing for a long time, and really started providing folks with information about the ways that we can get engaged to try to protect our rights. Also to fight against a lot of the misinformation that’s out there about the Black LGBT community, and more specifically, the Black trans community,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the conversation, and I’m looking forward to representing.”
For more information and to register, please visit www.aplace2be.org
