Every year, Out Magazine recognizes 100 people making an impact in the LGBTQ+ community.
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Fresno City Councilmember Annalisa Perea was on the list this year and honored at the OUT-100 ceremony in Los Angeles on November 9th.
"It's always an honor to be recognized, generally speaking, but to be honored at a national level, it's unheard of for me at least and it's incredible to know that on a national level, the City of Fresno is on the spotlight in a positive way," said Perea.
Perea is the city's first openly gay council member and advocates for protecting the LGBTQ+ community while ensuring equitable treatment for all.
"I was raised to always serve my community and so work ethic and strong community values is something that runs deep in my blood," said Perea.
She is also a proud Latina who says representation matters and understands her seat at the table.
"We raised the pride flag for the first time on all of our community college campuses a few years ago and being able to lead on that effort and having the opportunity to see the pride flag at city hall was a pretty incredible milestone here. Never did I think I would see the pride flag raised," Perea said.
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Peter Robertson, a dear friend and Director of Alumni Connections at Fresno State says Perea's work doesn't go unnoticed and hopes younger generations are inspired.
"She is a good listener, she is from Fresno, grew up in Fresno, serves Fresno, authentic, sincere, and leads with her heart," said Robertson.
Her work in Fresno County is not over and she looks forward to her city council president role.
"There is a lot of big policy ideas we have coming forward related to in-field development, downtown Fresno, and public transportation. And I am just really looking forward to getting started and starting the year as the city of Fresno council president," Perea said.
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