Thursday, September 25, 2025

Town Hall to Address LGBTQ Impact of Eaton and Palisades Fires Set for Saturday in Altadena

A community event will gather feedback to improve disaster recovery efforts for LGBTQ+ residents

A community town hall focused on the impact of the Eaton Canyon and Palisades wildfires on LGBTQ+ residents will be held Saturday, Sept. 27, at the Altadena Main Library in Altadena.

The town hall will share findings from LGBTQ+ respondents to the Los Angeles County Wildfire Needs Assessment and invite attendees to contribute further insights. Spanish interpretation and discussion groups will be available to ensure accessibility.

Hosted by Altadena Pride, the San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ Center, the Transgender Latin@ Coalition, the Williams Institute, the Los Angeles County LGBTQ Commission, and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the event aims to gather feedback and improve inclusivity in disaster recovery efforts. Doors open at 2 p.m. for lunch, with discussion and community input scheduled from 2:30 to 4 p.m.

The first 60 attendees will receive a free air purifier. Lunch and drinks will be provided.

Brad Sears, co-principal investigator and distinguished scholar at the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, is leading the listening session as part of a UCLA research study focused on LGBTQ+ adults affected by the fires. The session will inform a downloadable report to be published in January and shared with Los Angeles County to guide future disaster recovery strategies.

Advance registration is available online. Participation is voluntary. Those who attended the previous town hall on May 7 are encouraged to return, though newcomers are equally welcome.

For questions, contact Sears at (310) 794-5279 or sears@law.ucla.edu.

Altadena Main Library, 600 E. Mariposa St., Altadena. For more call (310) 794-5279 or visit https://bit.ly/LAFiresLGBTQ. Tickets: Free.