Withdrawal from Candidate Forum at LGBT Center by Hugo Soto-Martinez Sends Worrisome Signal 

Very Late Cancelation Leaves L.A. Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell Alone on Stage, Dramatizing Role as Sole Openly LGBT Elected Leader for City

Late Friday, a candidate forum planned since August by the Central Hollywood Neighborhood Council (CHNC) occurred in Council District 13 with just one candidate participating, Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell.
Just 90 minutes before the Sept. 30 event — held at a neighborhood landmark, The L.A. LGBT Center — candidate Hugo Soto-Martínez backed out. 

After the forum was announced on August 31, Soto-Martínez alleged bias in the selection of the forum’s moderator, Nicole Legacki Abeckett. Her substitute in the role, Elvina Beck, is not aligned in the contest and not even a voter in the Council district. Yet Soto-Martinez still refused to participate.

The sudden withdrawal and absence of the candidate, Soto-Martínez, who is a Democrat, sparks concern. The carefully arranged, neutral forum invited ALL constituents of the Council District, including LGBT stakeholders, to ask questions and assess the competence of the two runoff candidates.

“It’s deeply disappointing that a candidate running to represent LA’s LGBTQ+ community would not even bother showing up to a debate hosted by our community, for members of our community,” responded Tom Temprano, political director of Equality California, the respected statewide advocacy group. “This is exactly why representation matters.”

East Area Progressive Democrats (EAPD) underscores that disappointment and raises added concerns. 
“Any candidate running to replace the ONLY openly LGBTQ elected leader in L.A. must go the extra mile to show care, compassion, competence, and responsiveness to the diverse LGBT communities here,” says EAPD President Hans Johnson, a longtime advocate for LGBT human rights and environmental justice. “

That’s especially true for all who call CD 13 home.

”This event turned out to be revealing in ways the sponsors might not have anticipated. But that is the value of civic engagement with the aim of exerting accountability. 

“That happens when we respect diversity, face discomfort, build bridges, and show up.” 

Councilmember O’Farrell has represented Council District 13 since July 2013. 

In June 2016, in the aftermath of the massacre of LGBT club-goers at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, O’Farrell spoke of his work to fight the National Rifle Association while leading a candlelight vigil on the steps of L.A. City Hall for victims and survivors of gun violence. 

O’Farrell has also led efforts to improve safety and services for the transgender community, in Council District 13 and citywide, while organizing programs to overcome stigma facing transgender Angelenos, including within public agencies.

Along with his husband George Brauckman, a retired nonprofit healthcare manager, O’Farrell is a founding member of East Area Progressive Democrats (EAPD) and is endorsed by the club for re-election.