Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, and Kipp Mueller, candidate for Senate District 21, condemned California Senator Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita) for a video in which Wilk mocked LGBTQ+ students and opposed pro-equality legislation. The video recently surfaced on social media and shows Wilk gesturing airquotes around the term gender identity, expressing his opposition to AB 1266 — a bill signed into law by Governor Brown in 2013 — which provided clear anti-discrimination protections to transgender students.

“Scott Wilk’s opposition to LGBTQ+ civil rights and social justice isn’t new, but this video is an especially shameful attack on LGBTQ+ children, who already face a disproportionate amount of discrimination and harassment at school,” said Equality California Executive Director Rick Chavez Zbur. “While Wilk opposes protections for LGBTQ+ students, Kipp Mueller — the son of a community college counselor for students with disabilities — will invest in our public schools and ensure that every student has a safe and supportive learning environment. The choice for voters in Senate District 21 is clear: we need Kipp Mueller fighting for us in Sacramento.”

“It is profoundly disappointing to see Scott Wilk shamelessly attack one of our most vulnerable communities — transgender and gender non-conforming youth — for his own political fodder,” said Kipp Mueller. “Scott Wilk owes it to the LGBTQ+ community and to all of those he represents to immediately apologize with sincerity and express his regret.”

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Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization. We bring the voices of LGBTQ+ people and allies to institutions of power in California and across the United States, striving to create a world that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ+ people. We advance civil rights and social justice by inspiring, advocating and mobilizing through an inclusive movement that works tirelessly on behalf of those we serve. www.eqca.org