Fresh start for Stonewall

On May 25, Thomas Kelem walked into Stonewall Alliance Center’s East Sixth Street office as he did on any other weekday morning for the last five years, as executive director. Moments later, he was called into a conference room and handed a termination letter from the nonprofit’s board of directors, which had a lawyer present. He was ordered to clear out his office by the end of the day.

“It was very sudden,” Kelem told the CN&R, adding that he’s not clear on the reason for his dismissal. “I thought it could have been handled much better, particularly in terms of its effect on the organization and the community. People were very shocked.”

In the aftermath of Kelem’s dismissal, which was further complicated by public knowledge that he was planning to step down in October, a confused community erupted in outrage. For 10 days, the board was silent about its decision, creating a rift between Stonewall and many of its LGBTQ community members; mistrust and anger festered in the chasm.

Video footage of a community forum held at Stonewall on June 13 shows attendees calling for trust to be rebuilt and criticizing a lack of communication and transparency. One attendee mentioned feeling uncomfortable about entering Stonewall and that the board did not represent the community’s desires or needs.

“The community came very angry, and the board came very quiet, and the two met very poorly,” Alyssa Larson, Stonewall’s events and program coordinator, told the CN&R. “Most people in the audience at one point were yelling or crying.”

A little over a week later, three of the organization’s five board members resigned, along with the interim executive director (a former board member).

“It just felt like a tsunami, where it just hit us and took everything back out into the ocean with it,” Larson said.

Stonewall was left in shambles, with only two remaining board members, Katie Salcido and Jenita Rodriguez, who had to act quickly.

They temporarily appointed three people who had previously served as chair of the board: Tray Robinson and Donna Humphrey, director and office coordinator, respectively, of Chico State’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion; and Tony Shafer. All were present at the community forum, as well.

Salcido said she came away from that meeting hearing that a “lack of transparency and representation” are two major things making people feel unsafe at Stonewall. The board will focus on that, she said, along with appointing its vacant positions and the executive director (currently filled on an interim basis by Stonewall bookkeeper Lori Brown).

“Our immediate goal is to fill the board with qualified individuals who are interested and passionate about seeing Stonewall thrive and want to be a part of that,” Salcido said.

The silver lining: There are already six applications from people with a desire to serve; the board can have as many as 15.

“I believe we’re in a time of healing. We’re working on building trust,” Salcido continued. “It’s going to take time. Time to retool. Time to rebuild.”

Stonewall’s next board meeting will address the recruitment process and timeline for the appointment of new board members and the executive director, Salcido told the CN&R. The executive director’s job description is being reworked, and she anticipates the organization will begin accepting applications in September.

There is a “genuine sense of gratitude and thanks” for all of the hard work Kelem has done at Stonewall, Salcido added; under his leadership, the organization expanded its scope.

“He has been an important part of the Stonewall story,” Salcido said. “And he continues to support Stonewall from the sidelines.”

Kelem is hopeful for Stonewall—the remaining people are doing a good job of assessing where things are and trying to find the best way to move ahead, he said. He can see the beginning of a plan, process and real intent to proceed in a way the community cares about and supports.

During an interview with the CN&R, Kelem reflected on his time with the organization—which goes back nine years—to when he became board treasurer, as well as how it has blossomed since it was founded in 1990, growing not just in size and service reach but in terms of visibility and collaboration with other organizations.

Kelem is proud of too many things to list. Under his leadership, the organization created a counseling program that grew from three to 16 volunteers, providing therapy to more than 60 people a week. Chico Pride and “Trans* Gender Non-Conforming Week” have become really important events not just for the LGBTQ community but the entire region.

Despite all of the turmoil, Stonewall will host a Pride celebration next month. Larson said she’s positive and confident about it now, though it was “looking a little shaky there for a minute.”

Thematically, this year’s event focuses on confronting racism and increasing accessibility. Organizers are also trying to make it the greenest Pride so far. It was just a coincidence the theme happened to be “Seeds of Change,” Larson said.

But in retrospect, it has become fitting as the organization rights itself. Stonewall just hired therapist Kris Kidd as its director of clinical counseling services, received funding to bring on an intern for Pride and hired Matthew Dennis as the center coordinator.

“Because of all the upset that happened … really we are being powered by our community,” Larson said. “It kind of left us bare and vulnerable, but it seems like maybe that’s actually what we needed.”