How One Institute Made an Impact in 2025

This year has been full of challenges and opportunities for One Institute. On the one hand, the second Trump Administration has assaulted our communities with anti-LGBTQ+ executive orders and deep funding cuts that have devastated people’s lives. On the other hand, we’ve met this dangerous political moment by sharpening our mission, increasing our advocacy, and inheriting a remarkable new opportunity I want to share with you.

Before the end of the year, One Institute will become stewards of STORIES: The AIDS Monument. Over 10 years in the making, the AIDS Monument (aidsmonument.org) is a beautiful memorial in West Hollywood Park to remember those we lost to HIV/AIDS. One Institute will lead program development at the Monument including monthly docent tours, art installations, and special events during Pride, LGBTQ+ History Month, and World AIDS Day.

Join us in honoring the growth of One Institute by making a gift to our Year-End Campaign. This year, your support will make twice the impact, thanks to the generosity of former Mayor of West Hollywood, John D’Amico and his husband, Keith Rand. When you help us reach our goal of $100,000 by December 31st, we will unlock an additional gift of $50,000 from Keith and John. John was one of the original WeHo elected officials who championed the building of the Monument. His $50,000 gift to One Institute, once unlocked, will support One’s new programs taking place at the AIDS Monument site.

The addition of the AIDS Monument to One Institute’s programs opens the door for us to continue educating about the history of HIV/AIDS to new generations, underlining the importance of continued advocacy and research, and shining a spotlight on activists, caregivers, and community leaders whose shoulders we stand upon today. A heartfelt thanks to the Foundation for the AIDS Monument for entrusting One Institute to take over this incredible responsibility.

The stewardship of the AIDS Monument is one of One Institute’s many successes of 2025. Despite efforts to shake the LGBTQ community, we chose to dive in and grow our advocacy.

In March of this year, One Institute founded the LA LGBTQ+ Arts & Culture Coalition to mobilize queer cultural workers and organizations to respond to the discriminatory executive orders and federal budget cuts targeting arts and humanities funding. With over 90 members to date, the Coalition raised awareness of the importance of supporting LGBTQ+ artists and arts organizations and to build a lasting regional alliance.

In June, the Rainbow Education Coalition Los Angeles (RECLA), co-led by One Institute, successfully advocated for a $2 million increase towards LGBTQ+ student support in the Los Angeles Unified School District, which includes the establishment of an LGBTQ+ liaison at every school. This huge win will echo in the lives of countless students, families, and educators in Los Angeles.

In July, One reconvened our K-12 LGBTQ+ Teacher Symposium where we provided professional development and resources on LGBTQ+ history education, the FAIR Education Act, and worked with the ACLU to develop early guidance on responding to the Supreme Court's harmful ruling in Mahmoud v. Taylor.

Beyond our advocacy work, our flagship programs at One flourished in 2025. One Institute published ten new K-12 lesson plans on LGBTQ+ history, authored by public school teachers in alignment with California's FAIR Education Act. In September, we admitted our largest and most diverse Youth Ambassadors for Queer History cohort to date, whose student-led exhibition is forthcoming in January 2026. Circa: Queer Histories Festival wrapped at the end of October, with 45 total events and over 2000 attendees inspired by our quality LGBTQ+ history-centered programs.

Despite our numerous wins throughout the year, 2025 has not been easy. Uplifting LGBTQ+ histories, protecting our community, and funding our public programs has been an uphill battle in the face of Trump’s authoritarian administration.

We need our community to join us and take a stand against this injustice. Help us raise $100,000 by December 31st to ensure we unlock the additional $50,000 gift from John D’Amico and Keith Rand, for a total of $150,000 to One Institute.

Make a gift today in honor of One’s wins and in defense of our future.

Honor Our History & Protect Our Future!

Help us reach our goal and unlock an additional $50,000 gift from John D'Amico and Keith Rand