DREW ARRIOLA-SANDS
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, 2021 - 2022
Drew Arriola-Sands is a musician and artist and currently the lead singer of L.A. queercore punk band Trap Girl. Drew is also the founder and main organizer of Transgress Fest which is the first music festival in the U.S. to center around trans identifying musicians that has ran every year since 2016. Drew is also a writer of the popular zines "Im a trap girl" and "The transgender experience" part 1&2. Drew’s past projects include The Andrea Dangerfield Band and Commando from San Francisco.
Drew Arriola Sands collaborated with Chicxs Rockerxs and Latino Equality Alliance on two community events that centered queer and gender expansive youth of color in East and South East parts of Los Angeles. The first event was something we called "Spring Into Health Fair" which offered free resources, clothing swap, food, live art, drag performances and a karaoke session hosted by Drew. On May 28th we collaborated on our second event which was a spaced themed Prom for queer and gender expansive youth and allies ages 15- 20. The proms theme, music and look where chosen by our own youth committee that worked along side Drew and the social impact partners. Over the next 6 months we hope to continue making these spaces accessible to our youth and providing more musical opportunities
CULTURE HUB
Chicxs Rockerxs South East Los Angeles (CRSELA) amplifies the voices of trans and gender expansive youth, girls, and artists from communities of color through music, mentorship and social justice to empower themselves and their communities.
SOCIAL IMPACT INITIATIVEs
Latino Equality Alliance is a grassroots organization established in January of 2009 as an alliance of individuals and representatives from several organizations who came together to work on the No on Proposition 8 campaign in East Los Angeles (Prop 8 was the anti‐marriage equality ballot initiative). As a result of No on Prop 8 work in both the LGBTQ and Latino communities, LEA founders recognized a need to coordinate efforts to increase support of LGBT people and issues in the Latino community. LEA is active in community organizing and building support for LGBTQ rights throughout Los Angeles County through a variety of activities including public education, community forums, organized actions, coalition building, and leadership development. In 2015, in partnership with Los Angeles LGBT Center, LEA celebrated the opening of its new home at Mi Centro LGBTQ Community Center – Boyle Heights located at 553 S. Clarence Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033.