A landmark reception honored the women who created The L-Fund while celebrating expanded service, stability and visibility for lesbian and queer women.
By Valerie Milano
Palm Springs, CA (The Hollywood Times) 7/18/26 – The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert was filled with celebration, reflection and renewed purpose on Tuesday evening as community members gathered to welcome The L-Fund into its new home at The Center.
The reception became what Dr. Karyl E. Ketchum later described as “the largest gathering of women in the history of The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert.” The remarkable turnout offered a powerful beginning to this new chapter in The L-Fund’s history.
The evening honored the women who created and sustained The L-Fund while reassuring supporters that its essential mission remains unchanged: lesbians taking care of lesbians.
The program opened with remarks from Mike Thompson of The Center, who welcomed the crowd and acknowledged the significance of the partnership. Sabrina French, a deeply valued member of the community, was also remembered during the opening.
Mei Ling Tom spoke about The L-Fund’s history and the women whose determination transformed a simple act of generosity into an organization that has supported countless lesbian and queer women throughout the Coachella Valley.
The idea began more than thirteen years ago when a small group of local lesbians gathered around a dining table, and each placed $20 into a basket to help another woman in need. From that beautifully simple gesture grew a vital community safety net.
Over the years, The L-Fund has provided grants to help women remain housed, escape domestic violence, obtain emergency medical care, pursue educational and professional opportunities, and express their creativity through the Debra I. Moore Grant for the Arts.
Former co-chair Robbin Burr reflected on that legacy and explained how joining The Center will strengthen The L-Fund while preserving the spirit that has always guided it.
The partnership also presents an extraordinary opportunity to share The L-Fund’s model of lesbians caring for lesbians with LGBTQ+ centers throughout the country. Working through The Center’s broader network, the program could eventually inspire similar initiatives supporting queer women in communities nationwide.
Dr. Karyl E. Ketchum, the inaugural Director of The L-Fund at The Center, addressed questions about what the partnership means for the organization and its supporters.
While The L-Fund now has a new institutional home, Ketchum emphasized that its mission, identity and financial purpose have not changed.
Every dollar donated to The L-Fund will remain dedicated exclusively to The L-Fund. Its money will continue to be maintained in separate accounts and used to support lesbian and queer women in the community, just as it always has.
What has changed is the organization’s ability to sustain and expand its work for generations to come. Through The Center, The L-Fund gains additional infrastructure, administrative support and opportunities for growth without sacrificing the community-focused mission upon which it was founded.
“As the inaugural Director of The L-Fund at The Center, I get to help carry forward something precious that a visionary group of lesbians started here years ago,” Ketchum has said. “It is a project grounded in one powerful and simple truth: we have to take care of each other.”
Ketchum explained that traditional safety nets—including family, religious organizations and cultural institutions—are not always available to lesbians and queer women. The L-Fund was created to help fill that gap and ensure that women experiencing hardship do not have to face a crisis alone.
The merger officially took effect on July 1, 2026, following extensive conversations between the leadership of The L-Fund and The Center. The community’s response has been overwhelmingly positive, including support from the women who founded The L-Fund.
Former L-Fund leaders Mei Ling Tom and Robbin Burr now serve on The Center’s Board of Directors, helping ensure that lesbian voices remain represented as the program grows.
The grant application process has already reopened under the new structure, with eight applications received during its first week—including one submitted shortly before the reception began. The response demonstrated both the continuing need for The L-Fund and the importance of ensuring its long-term future.
The L-Fund’s founders will be honored on October 16 at The Center’s annual Center Stage Gala. The celebration will give the wider community an opportunity to recognize the women whose vision, generosity and determination created an enduring source of support for lesbian and queer women.
Community members are also invited to visit The L-Fund’s new office on the second floor of The Center. Ketchum’s open office hours are Wednesdays and Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Visitors may stop by with questions, ideas, books to borrow or discuss, or simply to connect.
The reception was more than a celebration of an organizational transition. It was a reminder of what becomes possible when women come together, pool their resources and commit themselves to caring for one another.
“Together, we will continue taking care of one another, growing together, and ensuring that no woman in our community has to face a crisis alone,” Ketchum wrote following the reception.
The L-Fund may have a new home, but its heart remains exactly where it has always been—with the women of the Coachella Valley.
Tom, Laura Lloyd & Ketchum at Desert Legends 2026
Click below to see KGAY exclusive interview: https://fb.watch/In9ItIJ0Uq/?mibextid=wwXIfr
