Beyond June: Conversations on Pride and Belonging

Beyond June: Conversations on Pride and Belonging

Episode notes This episode of the "SLO Equity Podcast — Making Space for Every Story", explores Pride beyond the month of June through a conversation with GALA Pride and Diversity Center, San Luis Obispo County's LGBTQIA+ community center. As the first installment in our year-long Pride series, this episode reflects on the history of Pride as both a celebration and a protest, the evolution of LGBTQIA+ advocacy on the Central Coast, and the importance of creating spaces where people can experience belonging. Guests Linnea Valdivia and Trevor Norcross discuss the history of GALA, why Pride still matters today, and what they hope the future of the LGBTQIA+ community in San Luis Obispo County will look like. Trevor also shares his perspective as the father of Lily Norcross, whose experience as a transgender student-athlete in Arroyo Grande became part of a national conversation. Together, they reflect on the power of public narratives and how communities can choose empathy, curiosity, and care over fear and division. Guests: * Linnea Valdivia — Program Manager, GALA Pride and Diversity Center * Trevor Norcross — Vice President, Board of Directors, GALA Pride and Diversity Center Pride All Year Long In this episode you'll also hear brief excerpts from longer conversations with local LGBTQIA+ community members. Those full interviews will be released individually over the coming months as part of our Pride All Year Long series. The views expressed are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of any affiliated organizations. Continue learning: Diversity Coalition San Luis Obispo County — https://www.diversityslo.org [https://www.diversityslo.org] GALA Pride and Diversity Center — https://galacc.org [https://galacc.org] Resources for Transgender People - https://glaad.org/transgender/resources/ [https://glaad.org/transgender/resources/] Fact Sheet: Transgender Participation in Sports - https://glaad.org/fact-sheet-for-reporters-transgender-participation-in-sports/ [https://glaad.org/fact-sheet-for-reporters-transgender-participation-in-sports/]

The Ethics Edit | What Do We Owe One Another? | Father Ian Delinger

This episode is part of The Ethics Edit: Applied Ethics in DEI in the San Luis Obispo Community, a special subseries of the SLO Equity Podcast created and developed by Mikayla Mariano as part of her senior project at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly), with support from the Diversity Coalition of San Luis Obispo County. This episode of the SLO Equity Podcast features a conversation between host Mikayla Mariano and Father Ian Delinger, Rector of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in San Luis Obispo and host of Playing with Food on KCBX. As part of The Ethics Edit, this discussion explores how ethical principles such as justice, dignity, inclusion, and responsibility take shape within community life. Drawing from his experiences in ministry, public engagement, and relationship-building across diverse groups, Father Ian reflects on what communities owe one another and how belonging can be cultivated in meaningful ways. Together, Mikayla and Father Ian examine the ethical dimensions of inclusion in San Luis Obispo County, discussing the role of faith communities, the importance of recognizing human dignity, and the responsibilities individuals and institutions have in creating welcoming spaces. The conversation also considers how ethical values can help bridge differences and foster stronger, more connected communities. Guest: Father Ian Delinger — Rector, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, San Luis Obispo; Host of Playing with Food on KCBX Host: Mikayla Mariano — Host, SLO Equity Podcast; Creator of The Ethics Edit: Applied Ethics in DEI in the San Luis Obispo Community -- The views expressed are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of any affiliated organizations. To learn more about the Diversity Coalition of San Luis Obispo County, support our work, or get involved, visit diversityslo.org [http://diversityslo.org]. This episode was edited and produced by Mikayla Mariano, Velanche Stewart, and Rita Casaverde.

Men of Color: Navigating Community in SLO County

This episode of the SLO Equity Podcast — Making space for every story centers a conversation with men of color living in San Luis Obispo County on California’s Central Coast. Recorded as an in-person roundtable, this discussion brings together four local voices to reflect on a simple but layered question: What is it like to be a man of color in San Luis Obispo County? From navigating visibility and isolation to questioning how community is experienced across different spaces, the conversation surfaces both the progress in diversity and inclusion and the realities that continue to shape everyday life in SLO County. Roundtable speakers: * Ben Arona — Restaurant owner (Benny’s Pizza) and History Professor at Cuesta College * Cornel Morton — Community leader and Board Chair, Diversity Coalition San Luis Obispo County * Ernesto Reyes — Senior Coordinator for Equity & Inclusion, Cal Poly * Velanche Stewart — Community member, creative, and Diversity Coalition's Community Outreach Committee member The views expressed are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of any affiliated organizations. Continue learning: * Diversity Coalition San Luis Obispo County — https://www.diversityslo.org [https://www.diversityslo.org] Learn more about local programs, trainings, and community efforts.

Built This Way: Talking About Housing Inequity

The SLO Equity Podcast is back! In this relaunch episode, we talk about housing in San Luis Obispo County, not just as policy, but as something we’ve experienced and had to navigate ourselves. We break down redlining in a friendly conversation, and connect it to what people are still dealing with today. We also interview RACE Matters' Executive Director, Courtney Haile, about their documentary short "Restrictions Apply". Courtney was also featured in a past podcast episode, Why San Luis Obispo Lacks Diversity, where we discussed the then-upcoming documentary release. Now, we return to it, capturing new reactions, reflecting on the film, and the work that still needs to be done. This episode also includes reflections from an anonymous resident sharing their own experience navigating housing in SLO County. Real conversations, local context, and a deeper look at what’s shaping our community. In this episode, we: * Share lived experiences with housing in SLO County * React to Restrictions Apply by RACE Matters SLO * Reflect on how these systems continue to shape everyday life SHOW NOTES * Get involved with Diversity Coalition and the SLO Equity Podcast: https://www.diversityslo.org [https://www.diversityslo.org/] * RACE Matters SLO – Restrictions Apply short documentary (18 mins): https://www.racemattersslo.org/restrictions-apply [https://www.racemattersslo.org/restrictions-apply] * Previous episode: Why San Luis Obispo Lacks Diversity: https://www.diversityslo.org/sloequity [https://www.diversityslo.org/sloequity] Understanding Housing Inequity * A Gender Equity Perspective on California’s Housing Crisis 👉 Read the report [https://thegepi.org/a-gender-equality-perspective-on-californias-housing-crisis/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] * European Institute for Gender Equality – Gender Mainstreaming 👉 Learn more [https://eige.europa.eu/gender-mainstreaming?language_content_entity=en&utm_source=chatgpt.com] * California Tenants Guide - A guide to residential tenants’ and landlords’ rights and responsibilities 👉 Learn more [https://www4.courts.ca.gov/documents/California-Tenants-Guide.pdf] This episode is coming to you thanks to: * Diversity Coalition San Luis Obispo County * Diversity Coalition's Community Outreach Committee * Special thanks to: Velanche Stewart, Chenda Lor, KT Bertrand, Yolande Sukal, Courtney Haile,

M’Lynn Martin’s Story - Part 2 What Racism Looks Like Today (re-upload)

In this second part episode, M’Lynn Martin shares about how her voice was systematically shut down in San Luis Obispo County for standing up for what she believed in. This is what racism looks like today. This episode was first published on 09/24/21