breaking: hillcrest town council dissolved! what's next?
spilling the 🍵 on our neighborhood's big changes & how you can shape what's next
tl;dr: 🎉 double post alert! 🎉 the hillcrest town council is dead, long live the hillcrest neighborhood association! sign up now to shape our gayborhood's future here. plus, bonus tea on other hillcrest orgs you can join! don't let karen from down the street decide the future of your neighborhood while you're busy celebrating our 100th post!
hey mi gente! 👋🏽
change is coming to hillcrest, and it's not just another rainbow crosswalk or a new flavor at holy matcha. our beloved gayborhood is about to undergo a shift in community leadership. (if you’re one of my paid subscribers, you found out about this story in this last weekend’s this week in queer chaos episode!)
now, let's spill some tea about the hillcrest town council. picture it: 2007, a year when britney was fighting for her freedom and we were all rocking skinny jeans unironically. that's when this civic powerhouse was born.
the htc was like the neighborhood's main venue for all things civic, operating as a public benefit corporation. think of it as a residents’ group. for years, this crew was the go-to for everything from community drama to actual important stuff. but now, like your favorite gay bar that suddenly turned into a straight mecca, the htc is calling it quits.
rip hillcrest town council: a tragicomedy in three acts
now, before you start planning a protest or writing a strongly worded letter to the editor, let me spill all the tea.
the dissolution of the hillcrest town council isn't just some random act of civic chaos. it's the result of a perfect storm of bureaucratic nightmares, paperwork purgatory, and more red tape than a christmas gift wrapping station. here's the down-low:
act i - past shenanigans: turns out, previous boards and leaders were about as organized as my sock drawer after a week of laundry procrastination.
they never filed taxes (yikes);
never filed official paperwork to form the organization (double yikes);
committed the organization to fiscal commitments it shouldn’t keep; ($1,000 giveaway to mary mckenzie for doing nothing made me furious as a board member… but i’ll keep this tea to myself 🐸☕)
and kept records about as current as my great-aunt's facebook profile picture.
act ii - heroic efforts, partial victory: the current board—led by interim chair alex marin, treasurer michael donovan, yours truly as secretary, and board member at-large benny cartwright—spent a year and a half battling the state of california and the irs. it was like trying to untangle christmas lights while wearing oven mitts.
we managed to gain full compliance as a public benefit corporation with the state of california (¡wepa!), but the irs? well, let's just say they were about as cooperative as a cat at bath time.
act iii - the final curtain: despite pleas for help from congressman scott peters' office (shoutout to scott for trying!) and michael donovan’s persistence, we realized it was time to face the music. and by "music," i mean the bureaucratic equivalent of "it's raining men"—overwhelming and slightly terrifying.
so, here we are. the hillcrest town council is taking its final bow. but don't start planning the funeral just yet, because like a phoenix rising from the ashes (or like cher coming out of retirement for the 17th time), something new is emerging.
enter: the hillcrest neighborhood association
ladies, gentlemen, and fabulous beings beyond the binary, allow me to introduce you to the hillcrest neighborhood association (HNA). it's like the town council's cooler, more organized younger sibling who actually remembers to return your texts and always brings the best dish to potlucks.
the HNA isn't just a rebrand or a fresh coat of paint on a crumbling structure. it's a complete rebuild from the ground up, with a foundation strong enough to support all our community's dreams, schemes, and really good drag shows.
but what makes the HNA different? well, for starters:
fresh start, clean slate: unlike its predecessor, the HNA is starting with all its paperwork in order. no more tax nightmares or bureaucratic boogeymen hiding in the closet.
clear mission, focused vision: the HNA is committed to advocating for hillcrest's residents, businesses, and visitors with laser-like focus.
diversity and inclusion at its core: the HNA is dedicated to representing the full spectrum of hillcrest's rainbow. whether you're gay, straight, bi, trans, non-binary, or still figuring it out, there's a place for you at this table.
transparency and accountability: unlike that ex who ghosted you, the HNA promises to keep the community informed and involved every step of the way.
but wait, there's more! (options for the civically curious)
now, i know what you're thinking. "edgard, this HNA sounds amazing, but what if i want to spread my community involvement wings even wider?" well, honey, you're in luck. hillcrest is serving up a smorgasbord of civic engagement options:
kiwanis club of hillcrest all-inclusive: perfect for when you want to combine community service with the possibility of meeting your future spouse. or at least someone to split a california burrito with.
uptown community planning group: for those of you who get as excited about urban development as i do about a new season of "the crown." zoning laws have never been so sexy.
vibrant uptown: because our neighborhood should be as vibrant as the personalities that call it home. think of it as the glitter bomb of community organizations.
each of these groups offers a unique flavor of community involvement. it's like a civic engagement buffet, and honey, i encourage you to sample everything.
calling all hillcrest hotties: your neighborhood needs you!
now, here's where it gets really exciting. the hillcrest neighborhood association is on the hunt for founding board members. yes, you heard that right. this is your chance to be a founding father/mother/enby parent of our community's future!
they're looking for folks who:
live within the borders of hillcrest (sorry, north park, you're cute but this isn't your moment)
the borders are marked as: meade avenue in the north, upas street in the south, park boulevard in the east, and dove street in the west.
represent the beautiful diversity of our community (yes, even you, that one straight person who accidentally wandered into hillcrest and decided to stay)
are ready to roll up their sleeves and make HNA the beacon of fabulousness and advocacy we all deserve
the power of community (aka why i'm getting emotional right now)
y'all, i'm gonna get real for a second. hillcrest isn't just a neighborhood—it's a lifeline. it's the place where many of us first felt safe to be ourselves. it's where we found our chosen families, where some of us even celebrated our first prides, where we mourned losses and celebrated victories.
but hillcrest is changing. the world is changing. and we have a choice: we can sit back and watch it happen, or we can grab the reins and steer this fabulous horse in the direction we want it to go. (note to self: really need to work on these horse metaphors. maybe switch to something more on-brand, like "steer this glitter-covered unicorn"?)
the hillcrest neighborhood association isn't just another boring civic group. it's our chance to ensure that hillcrest remains a beacon of hope, love, and really good happy hour specials for generations to come. it's our chance to say, "we were here, we were queer, and we made our community better for everyone."
your move, hillcrest
so, what's it gonna be? are you ready to be part of hillcrest's next chapter? whether you're applying to be a board member, joining one of the other amazing organizations, or just promising to stay informed and involved, you have the power to shape our community's future.
let's make hillcrest a place where everyone—regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, race, or whether they prefer oat milk or almond milk in their lattes—feels at home.
let's create a neighborhood that celebrates our history while embracing our future. let's build a community that's as strong, resilient, and fabulous as we are.
because at the end of the day, that's what community is all about. it's about creating a space where we can all thrive, love, and occasionally day-drink without judgment. it's about lifting each other up, fighting for what's right, and maybe, just maybe, creating a little bit of magic along the way.
hasta la próxima, mis amores! 💖
edgard✊🏽🌈
p.s. seriously, if you're passionate about hillcrest and want to make a difference, consider signing up for the hillcrest neighborhood association. our community needs diverse voices and fresh ideas. who knows? you might just be the visionary leader we've been waiting for.
p.p.s. remember: hillcrest is what we make it. let's make it fabulous, inclusive, and ready for whatever the future holds. whether that's flying cars, teleportation, or just really, really good tacos available at 3am. a queer can dream, right?
Absolutely love this one. Your writing is FIRE. Makes it fun to read and share with others. Thank you!