LaRue Fields is the Senior Program Coordinator & Services Navigator for the San Diego LGBT Community Center. In this role she is responsible for creating a safe and welcoming environment for LGBT seniors and providing access to important resources and referrals regarding health care, social services, and community activities. Her responsibilities also include increasing senior community connections and involvement, reducing isolation and providing case management to seniors on issues of housing, health care, finances, and other matters associated with aging. While in San Diego, LaRue has held positions with the San Diego LGBT Community Center, and Senior Community Centers (now known as Serving Seniors) and the Salvation Army.
Prior to coming to San Diego, LaRue was the Head Women’s Basketball Coach & Health/Physical Education Instructor at Morgan State University, a Historically Black University in Baltimore Maryland and the first African-American female Head Coach at the University of Minnesota. While in Minneapolis, Minnesota, LaRue also worked for the Minneapolis Urban League and the Minneapolis NAACP as part of their senior management teams.
LaRue is a Bayard Rustin Civil Rights Award winner (2015) and serves on the AIS (Aging & Independence Services) Senior Advisory Council as 1st Vice-Chair. She has also been recognized for her outstanding work with the LGBT Senior Community by Dave Roberts (Supervisor, Third District), Senator Marty Block, Assembly members Toni Akins, Todd Gloria and Shirley Weber as well as Councilmember Chris Ward.
LaRue is the daughter of the late Norman and Gertrude Fields and have four siblings two of whom live in California with the other two residing in her home state of South Carolina.
LaRue is a tireless worker and advocate who has dedicated her life to helping others especially LGBT seniors and low income people of color.
San Diego Pride raises funds primarily through festival ticket and beverage sales, and through sponsorships, and exhibitor fees. These funds support San Diego Pride’s community philanthropy which has distributed more than $2.5 million in advancement of its mission to foster pride, equality, and respect for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities locally, nationally, and globally.
