[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 187 (Friday, December 2, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1206-E1207]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING DR. ERIKA HENDEL AS IOWAN OF THE WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CYNTHIA AXNE

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, December 2, 2022

  Mrs. AXNE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of 
Representatives to join me in recognizing Doctor Erika Hendel as Iowan 
of the Week. Erika is the co-chair of the Iowa Queer Communities of 
Color Coalition, board member of the Des Moines Pride Center, and in 
their free time manages to work as a veterinarian. June is Pride Month, 
and the purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact 
that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals have had on 
history locally, nationally, and internationally. Erika has been a 
tireless advocate for the LGTBQ community and truly encapsulates the 
meaning of Pride Month.
  Erika was a founding member and now sits as co-chair of The Iowa 
Queer Communities of Color Coalition (IQCC). The Iowa Queer Communities 
of Color's mission is to use an intersectional lens to address the 
inequity of services, lack of support and space, socioeconomic 
disparities, and institutional racism experienced by our communities 
through education, advocacy, intentional inclusivity, and organizing. 
Erika has always been involved in LGBTQ advocacy but knew that 
visibility is important. As Asian American. Erika has lived in Iowa for 
5\1/2\ years, but it was a difficult transition coming from some of the 
other diverse places that they have lived. This led Erika to get even 
more involved in the community and become the co-chair of the IQCC. 
Erika found that it made the most sense of community with the diversity 
that they have experienced in the queer organizations in the city. 
Erika is looking to address the question of how to create a system of 
support. That is a goal that Erika is looking to work towards in Des 
Moines through continued advocacy.
  Additionally, Erika is a board member of the Des Moines Pride Center, 
an organization dedicated to supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and 
transgender individuals and their families

[[Page E1207]]

as well as our allies in the Greater Des Moines area. They offer a safe 
environment for community members to visit with a large library and 
free Wi-Fi. The community center also serves as a meeting place for 
other non-profit organizations with similar missions. It serves as a 
hub for information and socialization for the gender and sexual 
minorities in the community.
  Erika is a shining example of tireless advocacy to make our community 
a better place and embodies what Pride Month is all about and what it 
means to be an Iowan. I will always fight in Congress to make Iowa a 
more inclusive and welcoming state right alongside Erika and the 
countless other advocates in our community. It is my pleasure to name 
Dr. Erika Hendel as Iowan of the Week.

                          ____________________