Public Employee Press

DC 37 kicks off Gay Pride Month

Gay Pride Month begins at DC 37 with (l.-r.)former LAGIC Co-chair Isabel Santos, Chair Judith Arroyo, Exec. Dir. Lillian Roberts, Local 1549 Pres. Eddie Rodriguez and Assoc. Director Oliver Gray.

The kick-off celebration for Gay Pride Month on June 6 at DC 37 was an occasion to observe milestones, recall memories, acknowledge recent gains, and look forward to future goals.

But at the heart of the program was a tribute to one of LAGIC’s founding members, Regina Shavers. Shavers, who passed away in February, was a member of locals 1549, 371 and 768, and served as a co-chair of the LAGIC Committee.

Committee Chair and Local 436 President Judith Arroyo welcomed participants and outlined the committee events scheduled to take place during the month. But, as she pointed out, true knowledge of Shavers and testimony about her contributions to a cause that she cared deeply about had to come from others who were part of her time and her pioneering mission.

“I remember Regina as a sweet person who was extremely committed to getting this committee up and running. It wasn’t popular and Regina had a lot of guts to step up to the plate,” said Lee Clarke, director of DC 37’s Safety and Health Dept.

Local 371’s Isabel Santos, who served with Shavers as committee co-chair, recalled meeting Shavers at the Gay Community Center on 13th Street in Manhattan. “We gathered a group of people to get recognition from the union and we worked to put the issues together. Regina was one of the calming people — she tried to get us all to calm down — and when she said something, that’s the way it went.” Santos said: “We appreciated her. We appreciated her fight. She’s with us now — she’s always with us!”

“I had the distinct honor of knowing Regina the longest,” said Ron Arnero, assistant director of the Clerical Division. “She was my trainee at the Police Dept. on the radio and she took to it as if she’d been doing it all her life.” He recalled the early meetings of the committee organizers at the union hall. “We were all doing something we believed in and she made a difference—she created institutions and they still exist.”