Lawyers Club Blog (ARCHIVE)

The news this week has been dominated by Simone Biles’ decision to withdraw from the team competition in the “2020” Tokyo Olympics. I admit, my initial reaction was one of disappointment. After all, she is the GOAT, and I was excited to see her compete and win a gold medal for our country. 

After I had time to reflect, however, I realized that the pressure placed on Biles as a single member of an incredibly talented team was untenable, unfair, and in fact diminished the talent and contributions of the rest of the team. The entire country—if not the entire world—looked to Biles, and Biles alone, to secure the gold medal. In doing so, we bought into the paradigm that team USA could not win without Biles. But that was not the reality. As Biles courageously made the decision to withdraw to protect both her mental and physical health, Biles’ teammate, Sunisa Lee, won gold in the individual all-around competition.

During the early morning hours of June 28, 1968, New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in Greenwich Village in New York City. Officers forced customers and workers into police vehicles. Rather than dispersing the crowd as had occurred during past raids, those remaining starting cheering and the crowd mushroomed. According to several accounts, a clubgoer shouted at onlookers, “Why don’t you guys do something!” And they did. The Stonewall Riots, also called the Stonewall Uprising, sparked six days of protests and clashes with police officers. Leaders among this crowd included prominent trans women such as Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. The Stonewall Riots served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world.

As I embark on the biggest leadership role of my career, I have been reflecting upon how I got here. Largely, I listened and followed the advice and counsel of numerous people who encouraged me along the way. Their advice included to join Lawyers Club of San Diego in order to gain leadership skills, volunteer my time to a mission about which I was passionate, and step outside my comfort zone. Those people—whether they know it or not—are my mentors, and I am grateful for their advice and encouragement.