The Journey of a Transgender Trailblazer and Advocacy w/ Karina Samala

Have you ever witnessed a metamorphosis? 

Our latest conversation with Karina Samala aka Mother Karina, a beacon of resilience and identity, offers exactly that - a transformative glimpse into the life and advocacy of a remarkable transgender woman. Her rich Filipino heritage and journey from 'Dolly Boy' to a powerful voice within the LGBTQ+ community is more than just inspiring; it's a testament to the human spirit's tenacity in adversity.

Navigating professional landscapes while embracing one's true self can be as complex as it is daunting. Karina opens up about the dichotomy of maintaining a job with strict security clearances daily and thriving in the electric atmosphere of gay bars and pageants by night. Her story is punctuated by silent activism, mentorship, and the underground lifelines that sustain many within the community. These narratives shed light on the harsh realities that accompany discrimination and the fight for acceptance, resilience, and identity.

We close our episode with reflections on the broader implications of Karina's experiences and the impact of leadership and mentorship in forging a stronger, more unified trans community. The vital importance of representation, voting for allies, and standing in solidarity against violence and suicide within the trans community is illuminated through her journey. Her voice is a clarion call for action, compassion, and support for the most vulnerable, ensuring that every step we take is toward a more inclusive and understanding world.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

I was the 7th child, born with 7 sisters. Wow, Sounds like Snow White or something. I grew up in the Philippines but I've been so spoiled because the only boy in the family, especially with Asian families I'm supposed to carry the family name as they say it Now, you're advocating for the entire community and infiltrating with the agenda everywhere, right?

Speaker 2: 0:25

Yes, the gay agenda is infiltrating and you are definitely a huge catalyst of honestly so much work in community.

Speaker 1: 0:32

All of a sudden, when he was on the microphone saying this thing, a lady in front dress in Blackfail stood out and said with a piece of paper said you don't know what the fuck you're talking about. He is a boy. I have here his birth certificate. He is a boy.

Speaker 2: 0:50

This is the Transparency Podcast Show. Hey y'all, welcome to the Transparency Podcast. My name is Shane Ivanash and I'm here with Blossom C Brown, and if you don't know who she is, make sure to Google her.

Speaker 3: 1:01

Oh, yes, hey.

Speaker 2: 1:06

And I have an amazing another icon, yes, icon after icon after icon on these episodes Karina Somalda, aka Mother Karina.

Speaker 3: 1:18

Our mother, our mother.

Speaker 1: 1:20

Oh, thank you so much, both of you Welcome.

Speaker 3: 1:26

We're probably going to argue over you. Yes, pretty much. We're going to fight for you. That's too bad.

Speaker 2: 1:33

Oh my gosh, I love this already. So, mother, first of all, I see you've already brought a lot of notes for the tea. So where we go in today, first of all, tell folks who the hell are you, because, for the folks that don't know, you're queen of the. You know LA, in my opinion, as my, as your first born son. But who are you to the people? Like what? What is that?

Speaker 1: 1:57

Well, I am Karina Somalda, a very proud transgender woman, yes, okay, and by ancestry from the Philippines. I was born and raised in Manila, philippines, and I moved here, like my God, a long time ago. I've been here for over 35 years, okay, so I've worked also, you know, with a lot of organizations and, as a matter of fact, I was the seventh child born with seven sisters.

Speaker 2: 2:34

Sounds like Snow White or something.

Speaker 3: 2:35

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 2:37

Oh, my God, all their sisters that I have. Okay, and when the thing about it is, I grew up in the Philippines but I've been so spoiled because the only boy in the family especially with Asian families I'm supposed to carry the family name. I say, say it, but then, but then, because, living with my sisters, I grew up and playing with all the girls. Yeah, so I even play and use the dresses and perform and dance for them and so forth. And that's the reason why, even when I was shunker, yeah, my nickname is Dolly Boy.

Speaker 3: 3:16

Oh, where'd you get that?

Speaker 1: 3:17

from mother Dolly Boy Family because they felt like they're doll and the only boy in the family.

Speaker 2: 3:24

So they dressed you up like a doll, they dressed me up, so in a way they were inclusive from the beginning.

Speaker 1: 3:30

Just, you know, in a weird way, right, in a weird, way Okay, but still and even the whole neighborhood close with Dolly Boy, that's my nickname from the whole neighborhood.

Speaker 2: 3:41

I'm gorgeous, though, so I understand where that nickname definitely originates from right.

Speaker 1: 3:45

But then, when I was already up to in high school, you know I've been pieced by my high schoolers, and so I said no, from now on I don't want to be called Dolly Boy anymore. Please drop that.

Speaker 2: 3:59

Yeah, and look at you now. Now you're advocating for the entire community and infiltrating with the agenda everywhere. Right, the gay agenda is infiltrating and you are definitely a huge catalyst of honestly so much work in community. Mother. Where did you get started in community work? Like, where was that moment for you that you decided, as a trans woman, I'm going to give my life back?

Speaker 1: 4:22

Yeah, what really started me is way back. Yeah, I said we're located here. My first job was in Michigan City when I first came to America. I have a sister that lives in Michigan City, Indiana, where you know Lake Michigan, right Lake Michigan and my sister there is a nurse and married to a doctor, so I went to visit them and then I thought, oh, I love it here. That's the first time I saw snow, because back in the Philippines we don't have snows.

Speaker 2: 4:59

No, definitely not.

Speaker 1: 5:00

I was running out of snow and the thing about it is they leave a very nice neighborhood. As a matter of fact. I mean, Oprah Winfrey had also a house nearby the neighbor. Really, she has a house there, the neighbor, because my brother-in-law is like what I said he's a doctor. My sister was a nurse, so I grew up with that. When I visited I said, oh, I love it here. I ended up staying there and going. My very first job was there. So I've gotten my first job in the laboratory doing a lot of testing and everything else. But my background is entirely different thing. I am a graduate of MIT, Philippines.

Speaker 2: 5:44

We say that louder so folks can hear that MIT, mit, yeah, because folks I don't think they know that you are a graduate of MIT yeah.

Speaker 1: 5:56

And the thing about that also is that when I was working with them I realized also that hey, this is really, since it's my first job, I was so excited about the whole thing, because then we had some problems with. My degree is chemical engineering, wow, so that's what my degree is. And so I said I said I don't want to work in the laboratory. We were in the laboratory at that time, so I said okay. And then when we got, when there was a problem with the company and it shut down, so I was laid off and first of all it was okay. So then when the time came, I was laid off, I left and I said I'm going to go to California, since all my relatives are in California I only had one sister in Michigan City I'm going to go back to California. I went to California. When I got to California they said they're calling me back. I said we're starting up again. I said I did not work in California at that time because I was just enjoying my, because I'm getting Living your best life.

Speaker 1: 7:11

Okay. So I said, and they called, they were calling me. I said, no, I don't want to go back anymore. So I said I'm just going to look for a job here. The job that I got here was also at Lira Nell okay, dealing with fasteners and stuff like that in a laboratory. And then with that I got Northup Gram. Northup Gram and also is one of the ones that they recruited me and said we would like to have you work with us. Northup Gram is an aerospace company that I worked with.

Speaker 2: 7:49

So like Lockheed Martin to a degree, yeah, okay.

Speaker 1: 7:54

They work on the stealth bomber and the satellites and the missiles.

Speaker 3: 7:57

Wow, damn.

Speaker 1: 7:59

And they send me to school to learn all of those things.

Speaker 3: 8:03

Wow, and you were transitioned then, right. Not yet at that time when I was working with them.

Speaker 1: 8:10

And because of the work that I do, I have to have a top security clearance and every time they because we update our clearance every time that shot one of the questions because we wouldn't have the rights trans rights and all LGBT rights that we have now at the time, okay, so, with that said, it was like mid 80s up to mid 90s, because I worked there for 14 years as a senior. When I left them I was a senior engineer. Oh, wow, I left them.

Speaker 3: 8:47

Honey, you are a boss, yeah, by the career. A whole box in the street?

Speaker 2: 8:51

Yeah, no, she was telling me about like this gunshot detector radar or something that she like?

Speaker 1: 8:56

Yeah, Like yeah, we work with that, yeah, I work with those things.

Speaker 3: 8:59

Yeah, oh honey, that's a what Right.

Speaker 2: 9:03

Yeah, that's just what you've done in your professional career in that aspect, we haven't even got into activism yet. Yeah.

Speaker 1: 9:12

Okay, with that said. With that said, I kind of realized, because one of the question that I, when I apply for my security clearance, one of the question that they ask is are you a homosexual? The word gay and also homosexual.

Speaker 2: 9:30

Not homosexual.

Speaker 1: 9:32

A homosexual One of the question that they ask and a homosexual I know, and I said oh, I said I have to lie all the time because otherwise they won't give me a. I'd be fired. You wouldn't get clearance, right, I wouldn't get my clearance of the work that I do, I get fired.

Speaker 1: 9:49

And that's such the reality of trans people in general and I said, no, I was so very tentative on a lot of things, but the thing about that is one that I consider also is that the time when I was transitioning, I selected because I work in Anaheim. I started in Anaheim. They moved me to El Segundo, where the airplane sign of sublocation we work in a what's it called? So I know the black hole, I call it the black hole. We don't even have windows. Oh my God. Is it like an airplane hanger? Oh no, it we, where we have a lot of testings and a lot of work that we do? Wow, we have to have special to get in and out of those areas. Oh my gosh.

Speaker 2: 11:04

So, like it's like, did you see aliens? Yeah, you did. No, oh, my God, she saw aliens.

Speaker 1: 11:10

It's very, very, very strict.

Speaker 2: 11:12

Yeah, well, I mean they have to. It's a security thing, with it being researched Very, very secure thing, because it's what we do.

Speaker 1: 11:20

But, and that's why I said, when they asked for you know, are you a homo-sci-ci?

Speaker 2: 11:24

well, I had to lie and said no, because clearly we know that's a lie girl.

Speaker 1: 11:32

Then see the thing about it also, when I was working with them I used to live in Long Beach. Yeah, okay and so and so, with that said you know, and I would go to our locations. Where I said I got involved with the Imperial Court yes, system, that's how I trust became Karina the Imperial Court system with that. The Imperial Court is a non-profit 501-CA3 organization and they help the community. They don't get paid for anything. Everything that do relates to the community and helping the community at the time. So I said okay, with that, said I got involved with them, and so I got, and the first bot I went to is in Long Beach, one of the gay bars in Long Beach. Which one was it? But Ripples, Ripples.

Speaker 2: 12:28

I can remember Ripples.

Speaker 1: 12:29

Yeah, way, way back. Yeah, okay, so Ripples, no-transcript. I went there and stuff like that and they had the Imperial court, had a pageant called the king and queen of the closet ball and the first prize is around triptychotihauai. We say Imperial court has 70, over 70 chapters. It's a three nation organization. We have like in 15 in Canada and then almost every city has one, isn't?

Speaker 2: 13:03

it one of the oldest nonprofits, too. One of the oldest it started in 1965.

Speaker 3: 13:10

It started in San Francisco. That's been 60s almost a year.

Speaker 1: 13:15

And the one in Los Angeles started in 1970. Okay, so with that said I got involved with them. Come on enter the pageant, come on enter. So I said I'm gonna enter.

Speaker 2: 13:26

Wait, is that where you got me to enter the pageant? Is that where the energy came from?

Speaker 1: 13:29

I'm seeing the influence. Yeah, so I entered the pageant. First, the pageant is the soil is called closet ball. You come out as yourself, you build the parading and everything. There's a Q and A portion of it, and then you, after that part, you go to the backstage. Somebody transform you. So that's like I came out as a boy. I go backstage, somebody transform A gorgeous woman, and then they add both scores and whoever wins becomes the king and queen of the closet ball. That's why it's closet ball.

Speaker 2: 14:10

And clearly we know who won, because Mother Karina was the back of that title.

Speaker 1: 14:15

And I said, oh my God, I love this pageant, I would like joining this pageant. They sent me. I started joining by the queen of the universe, queen California. I started winning. I was sent to Chicago.

Speaker 2: 14:27

I started winning the pageant yeah, you were eating them up. You were eating them up.

Speaker 1: 14:31

What I brought my I don't know At the time I didn't know how to I brought my own makeup artist. That's all of the same.

Speaker 3: 14:38

That was actually smart.

Speaker 1: 14:39

But at the same time I'm still working for North Brampton During the day I work Working with aliens and stuff I do.

Speaker 3: 14:47

Okay, I'll work in a suit. Where is the alien? But I know we got an alien, but don't care somewhere. I don't know, I don't think we got an alien, we got a cold one. Which one is the creepy one? Okay, yeah, the creepy one. I was like yeah, Spear seabird.

Speaker 1: 15:01

At day time I work in a suit and time Ty. Going to work At night I dress up and go to the gay bars in West Hollywood Giving Gemini energy.

Speaker 2: 15:14

No, I actually. You know what it's giving.

Speaker 3: 15:16

Gemini energy. It's funny because we're both Libras, but I can. I almost have a similar story where I will leave the house, dress one way, but then we're you know what I mean. But get in my oh yeah and go to the club and I was doing sex work at the club. Believe it or not. We called it parking lot pimping. Okay For me, but I call it. That's how we get that slow money right, yeah, we have a thing of what I like to make slut money Okay.

Speaker 1: 15:46

What I call it, and when I also work with love, fortune and everything else, I call it survival sex. Yeah.

Speaker 3: 15:53

For most of our community member.

Speaker 1: 15:55

I don't even call it. You know sex work. I don't even call it. You know survival sex because a lot of our community members are being thrown out on the streets by their parents for non acceptance of who they were, who they want to be. So they end up on the streets doing survival sex and I, even when I even work with law enforcement and everything I even said police commissioner's meeting and said what's wrong with that.

Speaker 1: 16:21

I said you should legalize. I said yes, we should. You should legalize Absolutely. But what they do? I said in Las Vegas, nevada and all those states that legalize it and that way you can tax them. I said yeah, tax protection and all is controlled because of testing. They have to go through a lot of the testing and they have to all go certificates that they have to. And I always say that, yeah, survival sex is perfect. They just say yeah, but the problem with that it has to go to the ballots by voting. It would never pass here in Los Angeles or also California, because of a lot of those religious groups was gonna be against that. To legalize prostitution.

Speaker 3: 17:05

Cause I think in Vegas, if I'm not mistaken, or is it outside of the strip that it is legal.

Speaker 2: 17:10

In Vegas. It is, I think Vegas you can actually do it within the city limits, as well, but then there's also the bunny ranch that is like, specifically designed for the space and the activity.

Speaker 1: 17:21

It's legalized, it's like security and money processing. And that's why I look into all of that before, and I was pushing that. But as a matter of fact, wait, are you trying to start a bunny ranch?

Speaker 3: 17:31

Yeah, that was a perfect way. That was a good one. That was a good one.

Speaker 1: 17:38

Because I've always wanted there to help and protect our community and that's the reason why it pushed me to really fight the system. And it pushed me to do it Because of the happened with me, with my job and everything else At that time. Even when I was working at Northrop, I overheard my secretary talk at lunchtime talking to the other secretaries. I had my office upstairs and they were down Said I overheard them talking about me. They said look look at him, he's changing. Look at the way, because I was trying to grow my hair but bundled up. Of course we have a similar story.

Speaker 3: 18:14

I'm over.

Speaker 1: 18:15

He said how unprofessional he is looking right now and everything else. I think they're noticing the changes. So I was really mad at her. I called her out and I said listen. I said I overheard you at lunchtime talking to the other secretaries and I don't appreciate you talking about me. First of all, I said to her I was not hired here for my looks. I said ooh, I was hired for what I have in here. I said, and I was sent to school for that. I said to you, and you don't even have any proof at all, we're just talking and stuff like that. You don't have any proof, because if they have proof I would have been busted out. You don't even have any proof, I said. And she was a little bit chubby and fat, mother. So I said to her, if I tell them? I said that you're fat. I said they have to believe me because I have my proof.

Speaker 2: 19:09

Mother I need it too. Why do you add that extra one on there?

Speaker 3: 19:14

But you know, mother, I'm glad that you're saying this, because survival, sex work is very, very important. I see my story a lot in you. For me it was the Park and Lot Pimpin or whatnot, but I went through the education system as a way of surviving or whatnot. But they don't tell you that I almost got shot, I got robbed, I got maced in the face, the girls were competing against each other for dates, like that was a lot of our reality back then and I have a lot of stories like that.

Speaker 1: 19:42

Yeah, I even put a knife on me, the other one is a gun on me and I talked them out of it.

Speaker 2: 19:52

Ok, because of the things that I went through, and that's where the negotiating skills that now play into activism have learned and grown, yeah, and you're very powerful at that.

Speaker 1: 20:00

I have a lot of things that I have taught in situations like that that I went through, you know, and it happened to me. I'm telling you right now, because of all the journey that I took getting out, I lost a lot of money when I quit my job. I was making so much money by then, but I had to leave, I decided. I said to myself. Finally, I said I decided to quit my job. This is mid 1990s. I quit my job, I said, because of the fact that I said life is too short for me to live this double kind of life. Yes, you know, I'm not leaving my. I wanted to leave my true self as I am. That's when I decided to change and quit my job, because I wouldn't. They wouldn't, they would hide and would hide me.

Speaker 3: 20:51

Yeah, yeah, mother, you are a drowning force in this community. No-transcript. As someone who came in 2016,. We met right away, we connected. You took me under your wings, just like that. I remember we were at some community event or whatever and I started crying or something and you just came over to me and just hugged me and you really are the mother of this community. Can you tell us? How did that name become? How did you become mother?

Speaker 2: 21:20

Yeah where does it come?

Speaker 3: 21:22

from yeah.

Speaker 1: 21:23

To community members.

Speaker 3: 21:24

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 21:25

Because I encouraged our community to have our own chosen families to be there for each other, to help each other out, and the thing about it it just started calling me mother, All of you, and you also started calling me mother. So it stuck and even at the time the mayor even called me mother, the police called me mother Karina so it stuck in there.

Speaker 1: 21:53

The funny part about that is because that's why I never changed my cell phone number, because it's 24-7. I get calls from my community for any problems that they have, from family problems, boyfriend problems. Oh my God, I have so many stories.

Speaker 2: 22:10

Yeah, you're like a call center. Yeah, for the trauma of LA.

Speaker 3: 22:16

I feel like wait a minute. I don't even feel like I gave that one, Justin.

Speaker 1: 22:21

I don't know why I even called upon to go to their houses to deal with their parents to deal with things are happening inside their houses and stuff like that. And at one point what she saw funny is that I went to this house, and which I've been in the past, when an old lady could hardly walk. Grandmother opened the door and when she saw me she went oh, mother Karina is here, so it's stuck in me. Oh, my God, this old lady is calling me mother. I think it's a title that I have. That's the reason why they're doing that. They call me mother, this old lady calling me mother.

Speaker 2: 23:04

Well, you definitely earned the title, I mean mother, like you, have played the role for a lot of folks in community.

Speaker 2: 23:11

I mean a lot of the leaders that are in the community and the leaders that are currently in place.

Speaker 2: 23:18

Today.

Speaker 2: 23:19

I can trace back roots to your support, even including my own, which because I came into community around probably 2010, 2011 era, and that's when I met you through working various projects, and you just kind of pulled me under your wing and taught me the importance of not just building myself up but investing in those around me, and that was something that you instilled in me from a very, very, very early on in meeting with you is that you taught me the importance of not only creating something for me, but investing in community, even at times if it costs you things, and I've experienced loss through some of the practices and the ways and the styles that you have really sacrificed for community, and I've watched that happen for you, and I just wanted to give you flowers today and thank you for the work.

Speaker 2: 24:13

No, it's true, because, mother I mean I don't know if you fully realize it because you're living in the body and you are the icon, you are the living embodiment of that, but for me, as just a homeless street kid when you met me, like I had no testosterone, I was very. I've grown a lot and it was through a lot of your support.

Speaker 1: 24:36

I am so, so, very proud of you, how you have grown and become, with all the work that you're doing right on helping the community. I'm so, so proud and I'm so proud to be your mother, and also I was your mother of the group when she got married. I even signed a paper on that.

Speaker 2: 24:55

Yeah, she was actually at the wedding. She was part of the ceremony and she my ceremony.

Speaker 1: 25:00

and everything else. It was very, very touching and it was the first time, the first one and the other. I have also a trans woman. I was also the mother of the bride, so it was really, really good thing that happened the end of the season. Why I focus see, I really don't have my own birth child and I consider my community, all of you, as my children. That's how I get, that's why every time I get a call, they all come for help when they're in trouble, domestic violence and all those other things Really anything.

Speaker 2: 25:36

And everything with the community.

Speaker 1: 25:38

Your name gets pulled in as a resource almost every single time I don't Saying we've got to call Mother Karina whether it be police, whether it be hospital, whether it be. I don't even know them. They would call they were referred to by. You have a reputation, Friends referred for by the city referred to 211 has your name posted right there.

Speaker 2: 25:57

No, I'm kidding, but it feels like it, honestly, with how much I've seen you work with so many different organizations, and one thing that I love about your activism is you don't necessarily take credit, you work in silence, and that's one thing that you taught me is that you don't necessarily have to be in those spaces at every moment taking credit, because then you end up taking away from that individual you're empowering, and that's one thing that you always instilled in me.

Speaker 1: 26:24

That's what I always instilled in me. It's not really about me. No, yeah, it's about our community, the investment. Where are we going from here? Moving forward, okay, but we also have to look back and see our history where we're going and where we came from, because it's very, very important also to look back and look at those things, that we sort of move forward, not focus on the bad things, but we work on what's going on and moving forward to have our purpose and our strive.

Speaker 3: 26:57

Yeah, we're very protective of you, especially me. I don't play about you, and the thing is we need to have this conversation around community because I feel like there are some community leaders with egos that don't respect you the way that you deserve to be respected. I don't care if you have your own CBO, I don't care if you're CEO of your own CEO. Have some respect, have some dignity, and I don't like that. You are being mistreated in that way. So, with that being said, how do you navigate that?

Speaker 1: 27:33

I stay away. I know I wish from these kind of people. Stay away. Denied how you are, you know who you are, yes, and you don't need to be distracted with that. There's still a lot of drama. I call it Community. We call it T mother.

Speaker 2: 27:52

Is there any T available? Is the T hot? Do you need to sip it? Oh?

Speaker 1: 28:00

And even when I was even starting, because I had to work with law enforcement, because of the things that we were doing, because I was oh, I fought with them especially, I hated the special Girl, same, Remember.

Speaker 2: 28:13

I mean, yeah, like it's hard to be in the room when you're also fighting with them.

Speaker 1: 28:17

It is especially with those officers that are. What do we call this one now, oh God, forgetting the word. Now, they don't have uniforms, they just go in the streets Undercover, undercover, okay, undercover.

Speaker 3: 28:37

I hate it. Thank you, Solomon, Thanks.

Speaker 1: 28:39

Solomon Shout out to producer. I hate those undercover agents. That's why I got involved with the cops. Yeah, okay.

Speaker 3: 28:47

So what are you? I guess my question to add onto that is what do you say to community members who fear the cops and when they see you working with cops, like, what is that conversation been like for you? It?

Speaker 1: 28:59

happened in the past also. Okay. Okay, because I go to work with them because of the problems that we are experiencing as a community and the problems that I have to go to with the chief police and everything else, because of how our community, how my children, are being treated. I fight for that for that reason.

Speaker 1: 29:23

But most of those events that I got invited to be there with them, we are in a restaurant or a place that we are eating, and it was posted on Facebook that you know I'm here with the cops, the pictures of me eating, eating with the cops and everything. And they posted it on Facebook and attacked me, attacked me our community members, wow. And they said community leader, like you shouldn't be breaking bread with our enemies. They said to me they think I'm friends with them because I'm there. No, I'm there to discuss that and it just happens that they serve food where we have those meetings. I'm there. And they think they saw you know that I'm partying with them. No, it's not, I'm there because I said to them. This is what I said to them If I'm not on the table with them, we will be on the menu, yeah.

Speaker 3: 30:15

That part. You know Both of them. Yeah, both of them, that one because I know you can do it too at once. I didn't do that at all. We just discovered that together.

Speaker 2: 30:25

Again, we're still learning the buttons.

Speaker 1: 30:27

Well, right with them, I tell them and things like think to what I said, you know, and things like that. And I follow with those people and the problems with our community. That's how I got involved with Chief Grimala. He used to be a captain of the Hollywood station. She used to be a captain of the Hollywood station, you know which. We had problems with our community. I go to her and say, hey, listen, what's going on here? Okay, First of all, at that time, way, way back, because I my involvement with the communities through the pageants.

Speaker 1: 30:58

Yeah, so I started the pageants, I got Queen of the Universe, which I won 1991. And then the owner sold it to me. So I do the pageants Queen of the Universe, queen of California, queen of the Universe, and so, and the LA pride and everything else. So I got those involved with. So, with that said, at the time we don't have the cell phones and stuff like that.

Speaker 1: 31:21

So I go to the bars and recruit a lot or contestants, okay, and at that time, after our bar closes like peanuts and all those things, they're out on the streets, on the Hollywood street, on Santa Monica Boulevard and so forth. So I drive alone in my van. Okay, drive around in my van trying to recruit them and then when I drive, a lot of them gather all throughout my van, all the girls asking money. I need help on this. I need money for this, especially on their medication. At that time they buy their medications out on the streets and they got a lot of complications and sicknesses because of the medication that you don't know where it comes from Okay, and also whatever drugs that they're taking okay. So they buy on the streets. So they come to me for help with that.

Speaker 1: 32:13

And then the undercover just what I said. I hated them. They thought I am pimping these girls, okay, that I'm the mother of them and pimping these girls, and so they even would roll down your window. I never got out of my car. I wanted to know there was the true money at me and said I want to meet that girl. I want to meet that girl because they called me mother and they're all coming to me. So I think I was even labeled as the mother of all the prostitutes I go to our local bar.

Speaker 2: 32:42

Well, introducing the mother of all prostitutes, welcome. I was trying not to laugh at that to be quite honest with you, I wasn't really trying my best not to laugh at that, oh my God.

Speaker 1: 32:54

I don't go to the bars anymore, but when I go to the bars, you know, when they have problems with whatever problems that they have, the owners or whoever, would get called upon and ask. They said we need you to help us with this. So we should be in our community, since they call me the mother of the community. Okay, and then I got this to our local bar. The guys who are there saw me and they said, announced me there she is the mother of all the prostitutes. Can you believe that? So I looked at them like this yeah, I said huh, that's why you're all here, you're all trying to chase her.

Speaker 3: 33:30

That's why I we need a moment. We may actually need a moment here.

Speaker 1: 33:44

I said that to them and they laugh about me. They know I'm joking. They're joking me, they're joking and all my staff to be called the mother of all the prostitutes.

Speaker 2: 33:58

Oh my God. I hope those hosts that are watching this show are seeing actually how mother actually felt about that, so we can change that commentary. I didn't even know where to go from here. I forgot the question I was going to ask you. I thought I'd probably tell you.

Speaker 1: 34:17

You know what happened to me one time. I was driving on the streets All of a sudden this guy's pull over, pull over, pull over. He was wearing this. Wait, but you pulled over, mother, yeah, oh, my God, no, no, I have, she was wearing this. What do you call it? The spike with different colors? Mohawk.

Speaker 2: 34:37

Mohawk Okay.

Speaker 1: 34:38

Yeah, mohawk, and the first time I've seen that. That time, that time, okay, I've seen it. I said my God, so colorful and I was so fascinated with what Mohawk was. So I pulled over at McDonald's on Western Avenue and Santa Monica. I pulled over there. He followed me there, okay, and he said listen. He said I really really like you. I think you're very beautiful. I have a hotel room there somewhere. He said can you come with me? I said no, no, no, no. I even said to him no, no, no, I'm not here for that. I said to her I'm not here for that because I know where he's coming from. I was just so interested and, okay, your Mohawk. I stayed in my van, in my car. He came to my window, okay, and showed me his Mohawk. So I even touched the Mohawk like oh, wow, this is you always get in the craziest situations.

Speaker 2: 35:32

The most random people come up to you and talk to you and I've experienced this being around you several times Like just some random ass people will be like mother, I have a room there somewhere.

Speaker 1: 35:43

I said no, no, no, I'm not here for that. I even said to him I'm not here for that. It was already like maybe four o'clock, five o'clock, I'm going to go home, okay, I went to the gasoline station the nearest gasoline station because I'm running out of gas to get home. He followed me to the gasoline station, offered to pay for my gas and I said no, no, I have money. I told you I'm not here because I see you when you go.

Speaker 1: 36:09

Once I left the gasoline station, a patrol class lights pulled me over. The moment I pulled over I was surrounded by undercover. I said where's that guy? I kind of put two and two together Where's that guy? I really told him and I said why are you stopping me? Why are you? They said.

Speaker 1: 36:27

The other one said loitering, the other one's prostitution and what I said to them. It was so embarrassing because they put me. They got me out of my van, my car, on the street with my hands like this, then searching, I spread about with my hands like this and I said my God, if they can see me now with a handcuff on. I said this is real embarrassing. I said to them. I was so pissed and then the other car driver was surrounding me and I said the car, the search my car. They even looked to my cell phone, searched my car, said you better let her go, she's okay. Okay. Then they were worried. He was worried the surgeon was in charge of it. I even was, I was fighting with him. I said who's in charge here, surgeon? I said you should call your captain. I said I'm Karina Somala. I said to them and better let them know.

Speaker 2: 37:29

I said what's the respect on my name, right? Yeah, don't you know who I am? Yeah, no, I mean truly when, when I was dealing with my situation, when your name was brought up, they definitely got scared because of the work that you've done and I feel like you even took your experience with that arrest and you've made an impact, especially in LA County, with the police and actually doing the trainings to correct that. I called.

Speaker 1: 37:54

I called at the time Chief Grimala. Actually he was the captain of the Hollywood station. I called her up early in the morning. I said what time are you going to be there? I would like to talk to you and also your lieutenants. I said undercover lieutenants, I want to be, I want to talk to them. I said to them and I, when I got into the room, I have a piece of paper I did most of the talking here. Write your name down and your number, badge number. Yeah, because I would like to know who I am talking to. I said to them first of all. I said this happened to me. I said and this is entrapment. I already told that guy. No, I already told them that I'm not there for that and you still arrest me for that.

Speaker 2: 38:36

They do that to trans women still to this day. Yeah, they do, it's just.

Speaker 1: 38:39

Oh, I was so mad. Yeah, they released me and they said oh, there was a chief Grimala. It was very nice and I've worked with her, with a lot of our community members who's been there, Okay, and what happened is we should get arrested by LAPD, okay, and they we only have for for the short term jail before you go to court. We put them in a jail, which I worked with them also. Is it separate?

Speaker 3: 39:04

from men.

Speaker 1: 39:05

The jail, the jail that we have, no, we have separate housing for female and for male. Okay, perfect, even, even in LAPD jail. Okay, okay, got you, but the only hold you for before you go to court. When you go to court, the county comes in the sheriff department, picks you up, take your court to court and then depends on the judges whether they you're going to be released or you're going to go to prison. If you go to prison, they take you to county jail. So I worked with those. I worked with the policies of the LAPD policies that they're still using. I was the judge that you created those policies on interaction with transgender individuals that they're using and also with the sheriff department.

Speaker 2: 39:50

We give training. Yeah, we're working on the sheriff's department still now.

Speaker 3: 39:53

Yeah, yeah, no, that's really important, though the prison industrial complex has been really, really challenging for our trans women community, and so seeing that you've done that work is truly, truly fruitful and we, we in LAC, the fruitfulness, and I think that a lot of cities around the country can benefit from what's happening, from the work that you have been implementing for all of these years.

Speaker 1: 40:16

I owe that all. Okay, I owe that all to Jeffrey Prang. Jeffrey Prang was the mayor or city council of West Hollywood at the time and but his day job all of them have day job. Okay, all the city commissioners of West Hollywood have day jobs of their own. Jeffrey Prang his day job was at the LACD county. He was an under sheriff to New York. Baca, okay.

Speaker 2: 40:44

Yeah, Jeffrey Prang even supported me in some of the stuff that I was doing.

Speaker 3: 40:47

Oh, that's good yeah.

Speaker 2: 40:50

Yeah, like we're actually friends on Facebook and it's surprising to see him still even and he, but that was because mother Karina kind of connected with the resource.

Speaker 1: 40:56

Yeah, he was gay at the time. He was gay at the time. He started the LGBT advisory council of the of the county and then he recruited me. I said, karina, I'm starting this LGBT advisory council for the Los Angeles sheriff's county and I would like you to do a part of this. I said okay and at that time I was still an engineer from Northrop and I said, wow. I said okay, so I met with him on weekends. We missed at that restaurant. No, what I said next to next to the, which that's I forget the name of the restaurant now close to 79, 69. It's close French market.

Speaker 2: 41:48

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 41:51

I used to on weekends, saturday and stuff like that, and I have a long list because I'm an engineer. I don't know how the county, the city runs, I don't have the policies on the city. I asked for him the policies and all those things because I'd like to learn all those things. So that's how we started and he was the one that really encouraged me to get involved with committee, know more about the community. So I got involved with the imperial court and all those things and all the other organization and then at that time we were just a task force in West Hollywood. We were not even advisory board. They have a gay advisory board, lesbian advisory board, but we were just sometimes gender just surfacing right at that time we were just a task force and I was in the task force part of it Okay.

Speaker 1: 42:39

Then I went to him I said hey, how come we just a task force? You have a gay advisory board. I was. I said a lesbian, we're just a task force. And I even complained about LGBT, lgbt, okay, we used to be GLBT at that time GLBT. And then the lesbians complained, so they changed it to to LGBT lesbians. First I said how come we are always last? I said the buy, the buy, the buy and buy. You know, buys even before. I mean our marketing is showing that.

Speaker 1: 43:14

I said why is that? Something's wrong with that? I said to them. I complained about that. Then I said what does it take for us to become an advisory board? How come we're just a task force? I complained to them. They changed. I said oh, yes. I said just go. He went to the city and started our, our, our, lgbt, uh, uh, trans advisory board.

Speaker 3: 43:37

We are all actually on as she's the chair and I am the vice chair.

Speaker 1: 43:42

Yeah, no, but we started 2009. It started 2009. And then the one in West 15 years. And the one in Los Angeles. We were also just a task force with a human relations commission, okay, and we worked for that for like almost a seven, 10, almost eight years as a task force and I went to the mayor's office again and I said, hey, we want to be an advisory board too. So I changed that. We started the one in Los Angeles, 2016. And guess what? 2017, minneapolis Minnesota was the third in the whole country.

Speaker 2: 44:27

I got interviewed by the so you started the first two, correct?

Speaker 1: 44:31

So you started the one in West Hollywood and also the one in LA, in LA, and I stayed there because I want to make sure that we're doing the right thing. You're a legend.

Speaker 3: 44:40

And you need your flowers. People need to hear the backstory of this community in LA and how prominent you are. Tell me, Mother Carina, what would you like, let me add to that Minneapolis.

Speaker 1: 44:55

I got called by them. I got interviewed by the tribune that they have there because when they started 2017, what's really thing about that is we only have three in the whole USA.

Speaker 2: 45:10

And you and I serve on two of them High five yes.

Speaker 3: 45:12

That's a big deal, that's actually a really big deal.

Speaker 1: 45:17

It's a really big deal. I got interviewed by them because we are the only advisory board that advises the mayor, the city council and government within that monocity on any specific issues about the transgender community. All other cities have GLBT's, not a trans-specific advisory board dealing with our transgender community.

Speaker 2: 45:40

I thank you so much for that, mother, and the work that you've done, because it is incredible to not only start the first one in West Hollywood, which is kind of where the brainchild started, but to not only then influence another city as large as Los.

Speaker 1: 45:54

Angeles. I am so very surprised that even San Francisco don't have a trans-specific advisory board, or New York.

Speaker 2: 46:03

You may have just inspired them by calling them out right now.

Speaker 3: 46:06

We're calling in that energy absolutely.

Speaker 1: 46:09

That's the reason why I fought into that one and push it through.

Speaker 3: 46:14

Yeah, thank you so much for explaining that in detail, mother. Because you are a legend in this community, I really want to know what would you like to see for your community in this day and time, because you have started upstarted so much in our community and so many of us, like me and Shane, are inspired by your work. What, ultimately, would you like to?

Speaker 1: 46:36

see for our community. I encourage them because of the drama, the big drama of our community.

Speaker 2: 46:41

The fighting Drama. What drama.

Speaker 1: 46:44

The fighting, the big thing. What are you talking about? Some community members? What is she talking about? Big egos. You know Egos, Egos and Tell us more.

Speaker 3: 46:54

Look at him digging man.

Speaker 1: 46:55

He's not being a diggin, he has to learn, to work together To improve this and to move forward. That's why I don't I stay away from those dramas and those people.

Speaker 2: 47:09

We don't go right-headed. First for it, Mother, We've learned Well, because you have taken what you've taken and, I feel like, the next generation. The next step is to kind of really start creating that space.

Speaker 1: 47:22

That's very important also to also mentor and train the new generation, exactly Because they are our future.

Speaker 3: 47:29

That's right.

Speaker 1: 47:30

Our work's not going to be finished with. That's why I try to mentor the young people like you. Well, no that's what I love about your approach. Young people are coming. Okay, because we're going to be here. I'm going to be here forever. That's right. We're going to be here forever, we're going to continue, and all these young ones are the one who's going to be pushing forward Look into this and fighting against the big egos. And it's not going to solve the problem, it's going to destroy us. It is, yeah, it is.

Speaker 3: 48:00

It's true, and I always think that things like white supremacy and access to certain resources that are not trans specific does play a part in that, and I just For me, when I see how you have really built up in this community, it bothers me that you're not respected the way that you should, and I think for me, coming into this community a lot later than both of you, have been here, I've witnessed that. I've witnessed the racism, the anti-blackness, all of the other things or whatever, but to see someone of your empowerment not get your flowers and to be disrespected by people who have a platform, who is supposed to be a light for other trans people, it saddens me and I almost want to cry, because it's just kind of like we cannot be treating our trans elders like this, and me coming from Mississippi and me having a different upbringing or whatnot. I understand that completely, and so, mother, what message would you like to say to those who just may not know better?

Speaker 1: 49:18

Yeah, Look what I'm saying. That's why I always believe also for us to move forward is the three Vs the vigilant, visible also and vocal. Have a voice and also to vote. Vote for those political people who are for us, for our community, and that's the reason why they come to me sometimes and I endorse them, Because we have to continue our work, because don't look about the bad things, we have to move forward.

Speaker 1: 49:54

I've lost so much of my own children, you know, killing themselves, jumping off the freeway. You know Leslie, and also one of my trans, trans girls in West Hollywood that moved domestic violence, killed, stabbed 26 times by the live in boyfriend that I've been called upon and I had to call, you know, the detectives. She moved from here, moved to you know, Texas and then she got stabbed 26 times. It's really, really hurting. And then one of my girls jumped off the freeway because of this happening, because of parents non accepting. I was invited, you know her friends would call me mother, mother. You heard about Leslie, you know. You heard about her being, you know, stabbed. You heard about her jumping off the freeway. Okay, Then I went. I went there on the viewing itself. Okay, we were at the viewing with all those people in there. You know, of course it was a close casket because of jumping off her condition, Okay, but the thing about it is, at the viewing, the priest, who is a Catholic, who is a well, I'm not even Mexican, you know want to do the sermon at that time.

Speaker 1: 51:21

You know, want to do the sermon because she's trans. They got all the female pictures out, Okay, and she's one of my pageant girls. And when the priest stepped out, the cousin came on the microphone. Those who knew who wants to say something about our cousin Leslie, please come forward. I went on the microphone. They pushed me Come on. I went on the microphone right away. The first thing I said is I am Karina Samar. I'm a proud transgender woman and we love unless this part of our community. We love and miss her dearly. That's all I said.

Speaker 1: 52:03

The boyfriend went on the microphone. He charged the family. That's why this has happened. Look at this thing, Look at how you hear, Because she borrowed the boyfriend's car, went off on the 105405 freeway at one o'clock in the afternoon and jumped off the freeway and killed herself. This is going on and you know what happened All of a sudden, when he was on the microphone.

Speaker 1: 52:30

Saying this thing, a lady in front dress, in a black veil, stood up and said with a piece of paper said you don't know what the fuck you're talking about. He is a boy. I have here his birth certificate. He is a boy, Out of viewing when he's the redeemer himself, he is a boy. You know what they did? They got us all out. The establishment got him because they were fighting already. When we got out, the boyfriend came up to me and tried to apologize. I said no, no, no, you don't have to apologize. Thank you for standing up for our community. I said to him and saying those things you know he was apologizing because all of a sudden, all the, you know the, the, it's gone. They were all sent out. We finished, Okay, so we can't even get a respectful viewing Exactly.

Speaker 1: 53:20

So. Now, what happened? The, the, the friends called me the following day mother, mother, this is my, the one to talk to you. I found out that the lady that stood up was an aunt, not even my mother. When I went to the mother, I talked to her. We did a fundraiser to help for the burial and everything they, the barricade, did. And then I talked to the mother and the mother, and the mother said to me it was an aunt. So I said, I said to her next time. I said go to the archdiocese of Los Angeles. The priest there, who is white, not Latino. I said he is, you know, he is there for our community. She did Other at the funeral, at the, at the, at the game, at the, at the forest lawn, when we were.

Speaker 1: 54:11

I was very disappointed with our community. Though it was a daytime funeral, it was a lot of people from our community because it was all over the newspaper, it was a well attended, it was televised, even. I even thank the, the, the archdiocese, that that was the sermon, everything. But our community members showed up like going to a bar, just up showing them behind the, showing the, and it was so I was so disappointed. There's a common place to wear those things. You know, this is a funeral, this is a forest lawn and the cellar, television and everything else, showing your booths and your behind like dressing up like that, like you're going to a bar yeah, at one o'clock in the afternoon.

Speaker 1: 54:59

This is something wrong. But I just didn't even want to because I don't want the fight and the drama again with our community members. Yeah, but I was very disappointed, okay, but this thing happened. This thing happened, okay, and that's how I learned also to deal with this, with the law enforcement, because we, we give trainings. I even invited you to go training If you want to. We've both a sheriff department and LAP. Yeah, I've done a few.

Speaker 2: 55:28

I mean it's yeah, mother. This one thing that I kind of relate with you is cause some of the things that I've done, where I've worked with the sheriffs themselves, it can look a certain way to community as if I'm supporting them, but in reality I'm going in there practically telling them their assholes the whole time and then creating policy and narratives, and you inspired me to actually do that and the thing about it is I'm so glad that it's starting again.

Speaker 1: 55:55

I would like to invite you Also. We're starting again because I was very concerned, because it's good that we have a new chief of police now of the sheriff department is very much there for us. Also, I already asked them. I would like to make sure that the policies are still there, still in effect, and I'd like to also visit our county jail. In the past I'd even gave me a badge and everything to, because I usually go there In Los Angeles. We have our county jail where we have a segment, k6g, k11 area. Okay, that we put our two, two depending on their genitalias. Okay, they go to county jail If they still have, even if they have all this, and if they still have the male organ, they go to the men's county jail and they have a facility there to put them all together to protect them from general population.

Speaker 1: 56:54

okay, and we have a questionnaire there. I even work with those questionnaires that they're using, so to make sure that they're really there for that reason because some you were part of the process of some of the intake of changing what that looks like and actually creating a space Exactly.

Speaker 2: 57:11

See, and again, this is another pillar of a huge thing you've done for community that I'm just not sure if many folks actually know some of the work you've done when it comes to creating influence within politics.

Speaker 2: 57:20

I mean, I now have politicians asking me to endorse them because of the work that I've done through the mentorship, and it's a lot of different areas that you've been able to touch and I just I wanted to again just give you your flowers, mother, thank you so much for the work that you have done, the way that you've shown up, the way that you influenced me and again, just to hit this point, that is something that Blossom.

Speaker 2: 57:44

I know you've kind of learned a lot more about my work too, especially in these last two years, and we're that style of kind of just doing things and not necessarily taking credit and creating a space and building this investment in our community as a whole. My inspiration has really come from you and what you did, because you did it for me. You pulled me in and a few other individuals at the time, and we are all leaders now taking on that role and I appreciate how much and how important mentorship was to you because I don't quite see that, as you said, blossom with some other community leaders. I feel like they've gotten that seat and they want to stay in it for a long time. But, as I've been taught by mother is like I've been trying to leave this seat as soon as I got this seat, because when you're really in this seat, it's not a good seat to sit in. So, be fair, it's a lot of work.

Speaker 1: 58:34

It's a lot of hard work. They always look at you. You always find to be the strong leader To pick on. Okay, and I said I'm past. That I'm past, that it's not about me, it's not about us, it's about the work that we're doing and this is for our community. I said this is my family and this is the style of wanting.

Speaker 3: 58:55

Well, it looks like we're at the end. Yeah, we are. Oh, we did. We're going to make it all the way to the end. Where's the boo?

Speaker 2: 59:01

button. This is over here, is it? Uh, no, no, I think we passed it, I saw a boo? Wait, I saw a boo in there somewhere. There, it is Okay. There we go. Mother, just thank you again for everything you've done. I mean you have a mural in Hollywood with your face there. You have history and you've influenced and supported and mentored so many different community leaders. I hope you see your work and I hope that I can continue to make you proud.

Speaker 1: 59:29

There is another funny thing, because I got phone calls from our community members calling me mother, mother, mother. They said. I see those homeless being all over your face in the mural and on that note if you'd like to actually head over to Hollywood and actually pee on her face.

Speaker 2: 59:49

What is the location? It's Hollywood and what's the street? What is the cross street? Mccadden Place, and so head on over to Hollywood and McCadden and there's actually a picture of Mother Karina painted as a mural.

Speaker 1: 1:00:01

That was actually like done with the city and again, more work than 50th anniversary of LA Pride because I was also. We were on the board of LA Pride and 50th anniversary of LA Pride, girl.

Speaker 2: 1:00:14

We can't talk about LA Pride because we know the drama that happened there. Okay, that's another episode. Okay, cause we got a lot there.

Speaker 3: 1:00:20

Yes, I love this show.

Speaker 1: 1:00:25

It's just full cups of tea every time it's so funny, though, when they called me and said mother the homeless are peeing on our face in the mural.

Speaker 2: 1:00:35

Well, folks, I want to say thank you so much for watching today. Please look up the Imperial Court of Los Angeles and Hollywood. Mother Karina's got a lot of great resources, including some scholarship funds for folks, and we definitely need some support on that. We have amazing events actually. I'm actually I have the crown right here. I'm not going to take it out to mess up the set, but I'm actually Mr LA Pride 2023 because of the support and mentorship again of Mother Karina, and just reach out. Always make sure to follow myself or blossom on social media. Stay tuned for our next episode. My name is Shane Ivan Nash and I'm Blossom C Brown, and make sure to hit that follow, like and subscribe. Stay tuned for more.

Speaker 1: 1:01:18

Wonderful Good. Thank you have fun.