About Us

Mimi Hoang, Ph.D. (she/her), or "Dr. Mimi" is an internationally-recognized psychologist, educator, and activist specializing in the LGBTQ+ and Asian Pacific Islander (API) communities. She came to the U.S. at a young age as a refugee from Vietnam, and grew up in Sacramento but has since resided in SoCal. Since the 1990s, Dr. Mimi has co-founded three bi+ orgs - the Los Angeles Bi+ Task Force, amBi Los Angeles, and Fluid at UCLA. Her steadfast leadership has earned her a seat at the landmark 2013 White House Bisexual Community Roundtable, being listed on Go Magazine's "100 Women We Love: Class of 2023" list, and being named “One of the Most Significant Women in the Bisexual Movement.” Dr. Mimi is the owner of Living in Color Therapy and works as the Program Coordinator of the LGBTQIA+ Affirmative Therapy Center at Airport Marina Counseling Service, a consultant/trainer on diversity and intersectionality, and creator of the "Bi on Life" self-empowerment series. ​​She lives in Los Angeles with her wife, 2 kiddos, and 2 cats. www.drmimihoang.com 

 Eric V. Beck (he/him) is an ordained ministry, serves as an elected leader in the Presbyterian Church (USA) above the church level, is a member of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE Justice), and has advocated for economic and social justice issues before local government bodies. He is a member of several bi+ and LGBTQ+ organizations, including amBi LA, Bridge Cities Alliance, the Organizing 501(c)3 for PRIDE on The Port of Los Angeles, the South Bay LGBTQ Center, More Light Presbyterians and the Covenant Presbyterians, two organizations within the Presbyterian Church (USA) that advocate for full LGBTQ+ inclusion, and was able to vote to ratify a change to the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA), making full LGBTQ+ inclusion a reality. Eric leads the Bi & Beyond discussion group at the South Bay LGBTQ Center in Torrance, CA. He spoke at Joe Jerry Mussari's Memorial in 2019 and joined the LABTF Board in early 2021. In his free time Eric is an avid Star Trek and Doctor Who fan and lives in San Pedro with his wife and their dog.

Mike Szymanski (he/him), is a journalist, activist, film critic, author and educator who has written about bi+ issues since he came out on "The Phil Donahue Show" in 1991. An award-winning journalist with a mission to educate the world about bisexuality, he served as the National Media Liaison for BiNet USA in the 1990s and won the first-ever Lambda Literary Award for Bisexual Books for co-authoring The Bisexual’s Guide to the Universe.  Mike has appeared on 50+ talk shows, taught journalism classes at UCLA Extension for nearly 30 years, and worked at the Atlanta Constitution, Entertainment Weekly, US Magazine, The Los Angeles Times and Daily News. He served as the National Bisexuality Examiner for Examiner.com and wrote for BiMagazine.org, The Advocate, The Washington Blade and other BLGT publications, and was honored with Sara Ramirez and other prominent bi+ activists during the Stonewall 50th Anniversary. He served on the early leadership of LABTF and rejoined in early 2022, and currently lives in Hollywood with his dachshunds in “The House that Bisexuality Built,” but that’s another story.

Denise Penn, LCSW (she/her), is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, currently providing support to clients at the LGBTQ Center Orange County in addition to providing mental health services at a south county high school. She also worked as a Hospice Social Worker providing support for terminal patients. In addition, Denise served as an a advocacy journalist and editor in LGBTQ print and television media for over 2 decades, including producing and hosting an award-winning LGBT community television program for twelve years. She became involved with BiNet USA and was President from 2003 to 2005 and at the invitation of Dr. Fritz Klein, moved on to join the Board of Directors of the American Institute of Bisexuality until 2015. During that time Denise collaborated with other organizations and had the honor of presenting the Mental Health portion of the White House Bisexual Community Roundtable in 2013 with Dr. Mimi. She is also an elected member of her County Central Committee and an Executive Committee member of the California Democratic Party and serves as a Vice Chair of the LGBTQ Caucus. Denise joined the LABTF board in Spring 2022 and lives in Orange County.

J. Ross Victory, "Ross" (he/him), is a Multimedia Artist making a difference through literature, music, and his message. Victory has been featured in dozens of media outlets and podcasts, including LA Weekly, LA Blade, LA Progressive, Writer's Life, and Fix Yourself First. After losing his father and brother, Ross discovered the healing power of writing and began engaging in dialogue about grief, self-discovery, and transformation, which later resulted in a dizzying amount of original content. Best known for his award-winning father-son memoir Views from the Cockpit, his Pride Month club banger, Bisexual Daze, and his L.A.-based YA horror series, Grandpa's Cabin, Victory uses words to engage and entertain while illuminate communities in which he occupies. Ross's work promotes themes of intersectionality, family, and adventure. In 2020, Ross participated in a #StillBisexual video campaign and later became involved in the Bi+ Mental Health Justice Subcommittee to develop and vet a directory of Bi+ affirmative mental health therapists. He joined the LABTF board in the Fall of 2023 to champion voices of Bi+ Black Men, MSPEC young adults, and advocate for safer workplaces. Ross lives in Los Angeles and works full-time in Higher Education.