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The State of California Didn’t Waste Time in LA in Carrying Out Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Executive Order to Clear Homeless Encampments
It was quite an experience to walk through one of the homeless capitals of the world just a handful of hours after certain news. Though I have had to be in the neighborhood before, me being there came completely unexpectedly on Thursday. Given the place from where I was walking, I didn’t at all expect that I would be walking through Skid Row, which is part of downtown Los Angeles.
In doing so, I learned that because of California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order Thursday to clear homeless encampments across the state, things looked different than normal in Skid Row.
(Newsom also was pulled into a recall election, given a signature-gathering initiative, for mishandling COVID-19. One of his problems is that he went to a posh dinner with lobbyists during the pandemic — after telling the California public to do the opposite.)
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An example should be immediately below.
(That’s a dismantled tent and cleaned sidewalk in Skid Row.)
Prior to Thursday, I’ve had to walk through Skid Row 11 times, at minimum. The cleanliness this time was nice. However, an issue is at hand that is so much bigger than cleanliness, they aren’t in the same galaxy.
With homeless encampments cleared, where are homeless folks supposed to go?
There was an immediate wake from needing to come out as a (transgender) woman. And upheaving my life to get gender-affirming care. As a result, I was on the streets for about a month.
Bad things happen, Governor. The result should not be not having any place whatsoever to do something your body requires (sleep).
(Newsom made his order one month after the Supreme Court ruled that municipalities may enforce prohibitions on sleeping outside.)
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