LIVE Magazine- Issue #268, March 9, 2018

ALEXIS
ORTEGA
To be honored with the
4th Annual Bloom in the Desert
Ministries Community Justice Award at
the 9th Annual Spring Fling Cabaret and
Silent Auction
PALM SPRINGS, California: Palm Springs
native, Alexis Ortega will be honored
with the 4th Annual Bloom in the Desert
Ministries Community Justice Award at
the 9th Annual Spring Fling Cabaret and
Silent Auction fund raiser, Friday, March
9, 2018, at the Doubletree by Hilton Palm
Springs Golf Resort in Cathedral City.
Ms. Ortega is recognized for her work in
bringing the first East Coachella Valley
Pride Festival to reality in Coachella in
2017. Recently, she was named Director
of Community Engagement for The
LGBT Community Center of the Desert
(The Center). She chairs the board of
Leadership Coachella Valley, a program
developing future Coachella Valley
leaders. She serves on the annual Harvey
Milk Diversity Breakfast Committee. She
is a volunteer organizer of Palm Springs’
Dyke March and social events for younger
local lesbians and queer women. She led
awareness programs with Palm Springs
Police, plus youth outreach in Coachella
and Thermal. Before working at The
Center, she was on staff at Desert AIDS
Project. She grew up in Palm Springs,
graduated from Palm Springs High School.
She graduated in 2009 from Stanford
University, where she was very involved
in LGBT groups. After Prop 8 passed, she
helped organize the National Marriage
Boycott – a student-led movement of
allies and LGBTQs pledged not to marry
until federal marriage equality became
law.
The Bloom in the Desert Ministries
Community Justice Award celebrates
persons engaged in varied social justice,
peace, and human rights advocacy work
in the Coachella Valley who have not
received significant public recognition.
The award is inspired by Bloom’s mission
statement, which says in part, “We
agitate for God’s peace and justice in our
communities and around the world.”
The fundraiser’s theme is “You Gotta
Have Friends,” celebrating Bloom’s 15th
anniversary with a joyous evening of
music and friends. Locals Kevin Miller,
Allan Jensen, Robbie Wayne, and Ken
Harper as Liberace are scheduled for
entertainment.
Paid ticket reservations are available at
www.bloominthedesert.org.
2018 COMMUNITY JUSTICE AWARD
The Bloom in the Desert Ministries
Community Justice Award celebrates
persons engaged in varied social justice,
peace, and human rights advocacy work
in the Coachella Valley who have not
received significant public recognition.
The award embodies a portion of Bloom’s
mission statement: “We agitate for God’s
peace and justice in our communities and
around the world.”
Alexis Ortega is the recipient of the 4th
Annual Community Justice Award. She is a
thought leader among LGBTQ millennials
in our valley. She is an ambassador
for The Center in Palm Springs and a
justice seeker generally. In partnership
between The Center and Building Healthy
Communities Coachella Valley, Alexis
builds LGBT programs promoting justice
and support for persons in the eastern
Coachella Valley. Through her work, 2017
was the first year for the East Coachella
Valley Pride Festival, enabling people to
“walk as who we are.” The 2nd annual
event is April 8, 2018, at Veterans Park in
Coachella.
Alexis chairs the board of Leadership
Coachella Valley, a program designed to
identify, motivate, and develop future
community leaders, connecting people in
different sectors to work together making
our valley a better place. She serves on
the annual Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast
Committee. She is a volunteer organizer
of Palm Springs’ Dyke March and social
events for younger local lesbians and
queer women.
Recently, Alexis was named Director of
Community Engagement, a new position
at The LGBT Community Center of the
Desert (The Center), establishing and
developing partnerships that advance The
Center’s mission and strategic initiatives.
Previously, she led awareness programs
with Palm Springs Police, plus youth
outreach in Coachella and Thermal.
Before working at The Center, she was on
staff at Desert AIDS Project.
Alexis grew up in Palm Springs, graduated
from Palm Springs High School, and
remains very connected to the valley.
She attended Stanford University (first in
her family to attend college), graduating
in 2009 with an economics degree. In
college, she was very involved in LGBT
groups. After Prop 8 passed, she helped
organize the National Marriage Boycott
– a student-led movement of allies and
LGBTQs pledged not to marry until federal
marriage equality became law.
Having attended previous Spring Flings,
Alexis is, “Thrilled and honored to receive
Bloom’s Community Justice Award.”
Previous Community Justice Award
honorees were: Tracy Turner, 2015; Paul
Zak, 2016; Rosa Lucas, 2017.
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