Hello to you all,

My name is Abel Ameleste, I was born in Sacramento, California. Raised in Folsom the whole of my life until this past year. As this past year after finally deciding to leave from my abusive household, and unsafe environment for me in the neighborhood of Folsom as a queer mixed person of color. First generation here born to immigrants. Moving out to Sacramento with little to no money in my name. I had no idea where I was going to go with my life. No aim, no direction, as well as little to no community. I had maybe my brother, and best friend but we started to become distant. I had to just focus on surviving. Sleeping out from my car, sleeping out in the streets after losing my car. All this stress and turmoil but in the midst of it I had spaces where I was able to go to. The Marsha P. Johnson center was the first safespace for queer people of color that I've ever been too. Growing up people in my school, and in some parts of my neighorbood, were racist, homophobic, and ableist to me to say the least. I won't pry on too much cause it could've been a whole lot worse but. I had no safespace at home nor in school. Never having the freedom to express myself out of fear from violence, cause even if I were to defend myself I'd still be punished which would make my parents mad. So I was in a bit of a bind. But in the midst of some of the worst periods of my life I had the Marsha P. Johnson center to go to, Creation District, and Sacramento LGBT Center. Where I was able to meet friends and have community. Something that I severely lacked growing up in Folsom where I was simply on my own. bullied, abused. So I ask today as far as offering free transportation to K-12 students we have that covered. As we deem schools to be an important space for the population. As it should be. School is where you develop not only skills that you can use out there in the world as an adult, but where you grow and develop and build most of your relationships. The same way we deem education as important, we must deem these safespaces as a place of importance, especially for disabled lgbtqia+ youth and young adults because even when I go out there into the workplace, social gatherings, clubs, arcades, restaurants, the bus, public transit. There are still some places where trans people are excluded. Still don't have bathrooms everywhere, still getting misgendered, harassed, threatened, and disrespected. What I'm asking of you all today is to help make these safespaces freely accessible to the people that use these centers, resources, and safespace provided by these centers. By allowing free transportation to the following centers for the people that go there and people that work there:

Creation District(Address: 1219 S St, Sacramento, CA 95811)

Sacramento LGBT Center(Address: 1015 20th St, Sacramento, CA 95811)

Marsha P. Johnson Center(Address: 7725 Stockton Blvd Suite O, Sacramento, CA 95823

We must ensure these safespaces for unhoused youth and adults, especially those fleeing from abusive environments and or households, but especially LGBTQIA+ disabled people of color who outside of these safespaces are there many like safespaces like this for us. Not only is it good to have these resources we must make sure these resources are getting to people who feel left out and ostracized by society. As well as have a place to feel comfortable expressing themselves without fear or judgement. Thank you.