♦ MIMI HOANG, Chair
Mimi Hoang, Ph.D. is an out bi psychologist, educator, and activist, and has been a community organizer since 1999. Her leadership in different LGBT communities include co-founding the Los Angeles Bi Task Force in 2008, co-founding and chairing 2 local bi groups: AMBI (A Meeting of Bi Individuals) and Fluid UCLA. Dr. Hoang also advocates for Asian Pacific Islander (API) LGBT issues through involvements with API Equality, AQWA (API Queer Women and Transgender Activists), and ‘Ohana House/Asian Pacific Islanders for Human Rights. Pride and social justice projects include co-organizing the annual Bi/Fluid Pride contingents at the LA Pride Parade, and grassroots activism for marriage equality in California. More research/clinical work include a dissertation on bisexual identity, as well as numerous speaking engagements at conferences, universities, and community agencies. Listed as one of the “Most Significant Women in the Bisexual Movement” by Mike Szymanski, Bisexuality Examiner, Dr. Hoang continues to promote sexual orientation equality in community, clinical, and academic circles.
♦ JERRY MUSSARI, Business Coordinator
Joe “Jerry” Mussari, MSW, first became active in the Bi Community during the B.A.F.F.L.E.D. (Bisexual Arts Film Festival, Literature, Educational and Drama) event in August, 1999 when he volunteered to take tickets at the all day event. Since then, he has been a facilitator for the Bi Chat in Long Beach for 4 years, and he was board member for a short time for Bi Net LA. He was instrumental in launching the LA Bi Task Force (formerly called the LA Bi Center Planning Committee) in November, 2007.
Back in the 1970s , while Jerry lived in San Francisco, he rented out his 3 story home to a group that called it The Golden Gate Gay Liberation House. He also spearheaded an all volunteer counseling program for the young men who lived at the home. He envisions that, someday Los Angeles will have a drop in center for Bisexuals and Bi-friendly individuals.
♦ STEPHANIE BALLARD, EDUCATION COORDINATOR
Stephanie Ballard has been an activist since the 1980’s, when attacks against abortion clinics galvanized her to work for women’s rights and awakened her feminist consciousness. In the ‘90’s she co-founded an LGBT organization, Lavender Lights, which served the hungry and homeless in Cincinnati, Ohio. In addition to bisexual advocacy, her current passion is resisting racism and white privilege though a local organization, AWARE-LA. Stephanie works as a research and instruction librarian at Alliant International University in Alhambra and has experience in higher education, public health, and social services. Relatively new to LABTF, she was instrumental in bringing Lisa Diamond here for a successful event in March ’10.
♦ RUTH CAM, Secretary/Historian
Ruth Cam, J.D. was born and raised in Europe. She worked in the Hotel and Restaurant Industry and was a community organizer for the Local Union in Aachen, Germany. Ruth moved to California in 1994. She attended University of La Verne, College of Law and is now a California licensed Small Business Attorney. Ruth came out as bisexual in 2008 and has since then been involved with the Bi Community in Los Angeles.
♦ TARA M. AVERY, Media Coordinator
Tara M. Avery is a cartoonist and web designer whose comics work has found its way into print and on the web. Her sitcom webcomic “Dirtheads” features several LGBT characters (as well as plain ol’ dirtheads) and has been running since 2005 at http://www.cheatingatsolitaire.net. Her short subject work has appeared in publications such as Astrokitty Comics Presents and Shiot Crock, the latter of which she has served as webmaster. A spinoff of “Dirtheads” named “Gooch”, focusing on her LGBT characters, will debut on this site later this month.
Friends of the Committee
FAITH CHELTENHAM
Faith Cheltenham has good luck navigating the worlds of technology, mass media & culture with the intent of changing the world. Faithhas pounded pavement interning for Al Gore, was a cast member of “Black. White.” a 2006 Emmy-winning reality show on Race in America for FX Networks, and in 2007, she developed and produced sarahferguson.com, working closely with Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York. Faith finished her “extended working vacation” in NYC with the 2008 San Diego Comic Con launch of tor.com, the science fiction social networking website she co-developed. A longtime Bisexual activist and co-founder of UCLA’s Queer Alliance, Faithis an occasional contributing writer for BiNet USA and advocate.com and has been heard on NPR’s All Things Considered and KFPK.
MIKE SZYMANSKI
MIKE SZYMANSKI has been a bi activist since the early 1980s when he was a gay writer who came out as bi in a cover story and then went on the Donahue Show to talk about it. He has been on more than forty talk shows, and has written for E! Online, Knight-Ridder Tribune, Atlanta Constitution, Entertainment Weekly, US, and many national magazines and now writes for the Los Angeles Times, Science Fiction Weekly, WordMag, and Hollywood.com. Mike has also written popular columns on PlanetOut.com, BiFocus.com, BiCafe.com, and Cybersocket. com and is the Bisexuality Examiner (http://www.examiner.com/x-3366-Bisexuality-Examiner). He was previously media coordinator for BiNet USA, and now teaches journalism at UCLA. His current partner found him by reading an article Mike wrote about bisexuality and came out as bi after being married to a woman. They are now raising a child his partner fathered with Mike’s sister and have been together for more than a dozen years.
KYLE SCHICKNER
Kyle Schickner left Rutgers University in 1995 to start an Off-Off-Broadway theater company called FenceSitter Productions. Based out of the Stanford Meisner Theater, the company produced four successful plays, three of which were written and directed by Schickner himself. Schickner eventually relocated to Los Angeles, and FenceSitter Productions became FenceSitter Films. Schickner has written and directed five feature films, as well as several commercials and music videos. His features include romantic comedy Rose By Any Other Name…, the mockumentary Full Frontal, and the critically acclaimed thriller Strange Fruit.
His current feature film, Steam, stars Oscar-nominated actress Ruby Dee, 80s and indie icon Ally Sheedy, and up-and-coming young actress Kate Siegel.