For the first time in history, California’s Legislative LGBTQ Caucus could grow to comprise 10% of the state legislature in 2022. Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, announced endorsements of three openly LGBTQ+ candidates on Wednesday: former San Diego City Council President Georgette Gómez in Assembly District 80; Palm Springs City Councilmember and former Mayor Christy Holstege in Assembly District 47; and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Joseph C. Rocha in Senate District 40. Equality California previously announced early endorsements of Rick Chavez Zbur for Assembly District 51 and Chula Vista City Councilmember Steve Padilla for Senate District 18. There are currently eight openly LGBTQ+ Californians serving in the Legislature, including four in the Assembly and four in the Senate.

“For decades, California has led the nation in the fight for full, lived equality and served as a beacon of hope to LGBTQ+ people around the world,” said Equality California Executive Director Tony Hoang. “But unfortunately, our community is still underrepresented at all levels of government — here in California and across the country. Representation is power, and we have an historic opportunity this year to achieve proportionate representation in Sacramento. Equality California is going to take it.”

“This year, we stand ready to mark a massive milestone in the history of our caucus and the broader LGBTQ+ community,” said California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus Chair Asm. Evan Low and Vice Chair Sen. Susan Eggman. “There is no better way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the California Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus than by achieving increased LGBTQ+ representation in the Legislature. More members of the LGBTQ+ community are rolling up their sleeves and running for office than ever before. The Caucus stands ready to support them because representation matters. We won’t stop until every member of the community can see themselves reflected in the halls of their state capitol.”

Georgette Gómez is running in an April special election to replace former Assembly Appropriations Chair Lorena Gonzalez — who recently resigned to lead the California Labor Federation — in the current Assembly District 80. She is also running in the June primary for a full term representing the newly redrawn 80th district, which includes most of the same communities as the current district. Gómez previously made history as the first openly queer Latina to serve as city council president in the state’s second largest city after being elected unanimously by her peers. On the council, she championed civil rights and social justice, environmental justice and support for immigrant communities. She has been endorsed by the Latino and LGBTQ Caucuses, San Diego Assemblymembers Chris Ward and Tasha Boerner Horvath and Supervisor Nora Vargas.

“Georgette Gómez is a proven champion for social justice and the perfect person to represent San Diego’s LGBTQ+, Latino and border communities in the California Assembly,” said Hoang. “We have proudly supported Georgette throughout her career and can’t wait to welcome her to the California Assembly this spring.”

“It’s a great honor to be endorsed once again by Equality California,” said former City Council President Gómez. “As a Queer Latina born and raised in Barrio Logan, you know I’m ready to be the strong voice for equality and fairness that every South County family deserves.  In the State Assembly, I’ll fight for families working hard to make ends meet and basic dignity for every Californian — regardless of where you’re from, what you earn, or who you love.”

Christy Holstege is running for the newly redrawn Assembly District 47 in the Coachella Valley, which is an open seat after Asm. Chad Mayes (I-Rancho Mirage) announced he will not seek reelection. Redistricting made the district more Democratic and reunited Cathedral City, which has a large LGBTQ+ population, with the rest of the Coachella Valley’s LGBTQ+ community in a single district. Holstege made history in 2017 as part of the nation’s first all-LGBTQ city council in Palm Springs and again in 2021 as the nation’s first openly bi+ mayor. If elected in November, she’ll make history once again as the first openly bi+ woman to serve in the California Legislature.

“We couldn’t be prouder to support Christy Holstege’s historic campaign for California Assembly,” said Hoang. “On the city council, Christy has been a tireless champion for civil rights, reproductive freedom, affordable housing and an economy that works for everyone. We have no doubt that she will continue to be a powerful force for progress in Sacramento when she makes history this fall.”

“It’s an honor to receive Equality California’s endorsement in our campaign for Assembly District 47,” said Councilmember Holstege. “Throughout my time on the Palm Springs City Council, my colleagues and I have made advancing inclusion, diversity, and justice the center of what we do. I’ve dedicated my whole career to this mission — as a community organizer for the No on Proposition 8 campaign; a civil rights attorney for our community’s most vulnerable, including LGBTQ clients; and as the leader of this compassionate world-class city. I’m grateful to EQCA for their support and look forward to working together in the State Legislature.”

Joseph C. Rocha is running to defeat anti-LGBTQ+ Senator Brian Jones — who earned a 36% on Equality California’s 2019 Legislative Scorecard and 0% in 2020 — in San Diego’s newly competitive Senate District 40. Rocha dedicated his life to serving his country when he joined the Navy on his 18th birthday, only to be discharged later under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. While he advocated for repeal of the discriminatory policy, Rocha graduated from San Diego City College, then the University of San Diego, then University of San Francisco School of Law. Following the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Joseph rejoined the military, rising to the rank of a Marine Corps Captain and prosecutor, continuing to fight for justice.

“Joseph Rocha has exemplified service to community and country throughout his life, and he will be an incredible partner in the fight for full, lived equality in the California Senate,” said Hoang. “Joseph’s unique perspective and powerful life experiences will be invaluable in Sacramento as he continues his lifelong fight for justice. We’re thrilled to support Joseph’s campaign.”

“I am heartened to join the ranks of the fearless trailblazers who have earned Equally California’s endorsement,” said Rocha. “As a principal witness in the federal case that ruled Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell unconstitutional, I have a proven track record of fighting for LGBTQ+ inclusion in some of the toughest and most conservative spaces. I’m running for State Senate out of the same sense of duty and service that has guided me my entire life, and I will be a champion for equality and justice for San Diego County.”

For a complete list of Equality California’s 2022 endorsements, visit eqca.org/elections.

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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

Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, announced its endorsement Thursday of California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, who is running for re-election in 2022. Thurmond has been a strong supporter of Equality California’s Safe and Supportive Schools program and recently personally intervened to help defeat an anti-trans policy proposal in the Chino Valley Unified School District. He is committed to closing the learning and equity gaps that were amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic and stopping discriminatory policies directed at LGBTQ+ and other vulnerable students.

“Superintendent Thurmond is a passionate advocate for LGBTQ+ students, committed to ensuring every child feels safe and supported in our public schools,” said Equality California Executive Director Tony Hoang. “He has worked diligently alongside Equality California to counter the attacks against our trans and gender-nonconforming youth, in particular, and we could not ask for a better ally and champion for all California students.”

Thurmond has also championed Equality California’s effort to ensure public school teachers and staff have the tools and training they need to support openly LGBTQ+ students, co-sponsoring legislation authored by then-Assemblymember Todd Gloria in 2019 to create an online teacher training program for public school employees and supporting a $3 million budget allocation in 2021 for the California Department of Education (CDE) to develop a curriculum for the program, in partnership with LGBTQ+ civil rights organizations.

“I am proud to earn Equality California’s endorsement and look forward to working with them to make California’s schools as inclusive and diverse as possible,” said Thurmond. “At the California Department of Education, we are advancing LGBTQ+ civil rights for students in the classroom. In my time leading the department, we have secured funding for cultural competency training programs, an online repository of resources to prevent bullying of LGBTQ+ students in CA schools, and the creation of an online training platform through CDE, teaching transgender history in the classroom, and even took on school districts that carried out harmful practices that would’ve hurt LGBTQ+ students. In 2022 and beyond, we will continue doing the important work of protecting all of our students in California together.”

In addition to Equality California, Thurmond has been endorsed by U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Governor Gavin Newsom, Lt. Governornor Eleni Kounalakis; Attorney General Rob Bonta, Secretary of State Shirley Weber, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, the California Teachers Association and the California Federation of Teachers.

Thurmond was elected in 2018, after serving in the California State Assembly, West Contra Costa School Board, and Richmond City Council. He lives in Richmond and has two daughters, who attend public schools.

For a complete list of Equality California’s 2022 endorsements, visit eqca.org/elections.

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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

Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, was the first organization to endorse Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia for an open Congressional seat Friday, after U.S. Representative Alan Lowenthal announced Thursday that he will retire at the end of the 117th Congress. Garcia made history in 2014 when he was elected as Long Beach’s first openly LGBTQ+ mayor, first Latino mayor and youngest mayor in the city’s history. He would be the first openly LGBTQ+ immigrant and the second openly LGBTQ+ Latino elected to Congress — and the first LGBTQ+ Latino elected to Congress from California.

“Mayor Garcia has shown throughout his nearly 13 years in elected office that he has the skill, tenacity and compassion to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ people and the diverse communities to which we belong,” said Equality California Executive Director Tony Hoang. “From creating one of the country’s most comprehensive responses to the COVID-19 pandemic to establishing transgender-inclusive healthcare coverage in the City of Long Beach, he has been there for our LGBTQ+ community and for all Californians. We need a leader like him in Congress, and we’re prepared to do everything in our power to ensure he is elected in 2022.”

“I am honored to receive the endorsement of Equality California, the largest statewide LGBTQ+ organization in the country,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “Now more than ever, we need fierce advocates for equality in Washington, and I am excited to get to work and win this race.”

The primary election will be held June 7, 2022 and the two top finishers will advance to the general election Nov. 8, 2022. Although the California Citizens Redistricting Commission is still finalizing district lines, the Commission’s nearly final congressional lines would make the district majority Latino and include Long Beach, Signal Hill, Lakewood, Bellflower, Downey, Bell Gardens, Bell, Maywood and Huntington Park.

Garcia, who was easily re-elected as mayor in 2018 with nearly 80 percent of the vote, holds a doctorate degree in education from California State University Long Beach, a M.A. from the University of Southern California, and a bachelor’s degree also from CSU-Long Beach. He lives in Long Beach with his husband, Matthew Mendez Garcia, who teaches political science at CSU-Long Beach.

For a complete list of Equality California’s 2022 endorsements, visit eqca.org/elections.

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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

The OUT Against Big Tobacco coalition supported by Equality California Institute launched a pledge today urging California legislators and candidates to voluntarily refuse campaign contributions from the tobacco industry. A total of sixteen legislators and candidates have taken the pledge thus far, with more expected to sign on as the 2022 campaign season gets underway.

The pledge was launched in conjunction with the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout, a national day in recognition of tobacco users who are looking to quit tobacco for good. LGBTQ+ people are more than TWICE as likely to smoke as our non-LGBTQ+ peers, and nearly 30,000 LGBTQ+ people across the country die every year of tobacco-related causes.

Initial signers of OUT Against Big Tobacco’s pledge not to take tobacco industry campaign contributions include:

• Senator Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach)
• Senator Dave Min (D-Irvine)
• Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco)
• Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes (D-Corona)
• Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath (D-Encinitas)
• Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Laguna Beach)
• Annie Cho, candidate for Assembly District 38
• Supervisor Matt Haney, candidate for Assembly District 17
• Daniel Hertzberg, candidate for Senate District 18
• Mayor Christy Holstege, candidate for Assembly District 42
• Bilal Mahmood, candidate for Assembly District 17
• Mayor Lily Mei, candidate for Senate District 10
• Caroline Menjivar, candidate for Senate District 18
• Andrea Rosenthal, candidate for Assembly District 36
• Dr. Sion Roy, candidate for Assembly District 50
• Rick Chavez Zbur, candidate for Assembly District 50

“For decades, Big Tobacco has used their profits to place themselves as friends of our community. This year we are kicking them OUT; out of our Pride, out of our organizations, and out of our politics,” said Equality California Program Manager, Dr. Shannon Kozlovich. “We are calling all 2022 California State legislative candidates to stand with us and pledge to run tobacco free campaigns.

“The tobacco industry is killing our children, killing people of color, killing people that have underlying health conditions. We have to take a stand by not accepting tobacco contributions!” said Senator Lena Gonzalez.

In California’s 2020 Senate and Assembly election cycle, tobacco companies spent $6 million on campaign contributions, while spending millions more lobbying against legislation to prohibit the sale of flavored tobacco products — products disproportionately targeted towards LGBTQ+ people, people of color and our young people. 

“The tobacco industry serves no purpose other than to make people sick. Tobacco money is not essential for people to win,” said Senator Scott Wiener. 

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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

As President Biden, Vice President Harris and advocates across the country continue to push for federal action to safeguard the freedom to vote, Equality California announced its endorsement of California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber on Tuesday. Secretary Weber is running for a full four-year term in 2022, after making history last year as California’s first Black Secretary of State — following her appointment to the position by Governor Gavin Newsom.

“As other states attempt to roll back voting rights, Secretary Weber has used her office to protect and expand the freedom to vote — here in California and across the country,” said Equality California Executive Director Tony Hoang. “LGBTQ+ Californians are lucky to have such a dedicated partner in the Secretary of State’s office. Throughout her career, Secretary Weber has been a committed ally and a champion for full, lived equality, and we look forward to helping elect her to a full term this November.”

Weber has helped lead the nationwide fight to protect voting rights — joining lawsuits against voter suppression efforts with other secretaries of state and advocating for the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act — in the face of undemocratic attempts to limit access to the ballot box. In the Assembly, Weber was consistently one of the most outspoken champions for LGBTQ+ civil rights and social justice, helping to secure key nondiscrimination protections, criminal justice reforms and laws requiring LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum in public schools.

“I’m honored to be endorsed by Equality California, with whom I have had a strong relationship for many years –– as an Assemblymember, and now as Secretary of State,” said Secretary Weber. “I firmly believe California’s strength lies in our diversity, and our shared commitment to equality for everyone who calls our state home –– no matter their sexual orientation, gender identity or anything else. I am a proud ally of the LGBTQIA+ community and a proud partner of Equality California. I look forward to fighting for the civil rights of every Californian alongside EQCA’s leadership and membership for years to come.”

Weber is the daughter of sharecroppers from Hope, Arkansas, who moved to California after her father was threatened by a lynch mob. Weber’s father did not have the opportunity to vote until he was in his 30s, and her grandfather never had the chance to cast a ballot. Although her family moved to California when Weber was three years old, it was her family’s experience in the Jim Crow South that has driven her activism and legislative work.

In addition to Equality California, Weber has been endorsed by U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla Governor Gavin Newsom, Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis; Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, Attorney General Rob Bonta, Treasurer Fiona Ma, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, Controller Betty Yee, the California Legislative Black Caucus and the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, among dozens of elected and community leaders and progressive organizations.

After Vice President Kamala Harris left the U.S. Senate in January 2021, Governor Newsom appointed then-California Secretary of State Alex Padilla to serve the remainder of Harris’ U.S. Senate term; and then Newsom appointed then-California State Assemblymember Weber to fill the remainder of Padilla’s term. The primary election for the Secretary of State position will be June 7, 2022.

For a complete list of Equality California’s 2022 endorsements, visit eqca.org/elections.

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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

Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, announced its endorsement of Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, who is running for re-election in 2022, on Monday. Kounalakis made history in 2018, when she became the first woman to be elected to the position. She has been an outspoken champion for LGBTQ+ civil rights and social justice during her time in office and created the nation’s first statewide transgender advisory council in September 2021.

“LGBTQ+ Californians are fortunate to have such a strong champion and ally in Lieutenant Governor Kounalakis,” said Equality California Executive Director Tony Hoang. “She understands the unique challenges that LGBTQ+ people face in communities across our state, and she has been a forceful and effective advocate for progress. Her focus on protecting and empowering the trans community, in particular, has been incredibly valuable — especially as politicians across the country pursue anti-trans legislation.”

In addition to using her platform to amplify the voices of transgender Californians, Kounalakis has sponsored and supported critical legislation to ensure colleges and universities respect the gender identities of students and graduates; prevent discrimination against LGBTQ+ youth in the criminal justice system; and expand access to safe, legal abortion care on college campuses.

“I am deeply honored to have the endorsement of Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization,” said Kounalakis. “No organization has done more in our state to protect and expand the rights of our LGBtQ+ communities. I look forward to continuing to work with EQCA toward our shared goal of equality for all.”

Kounalakis also has been endorsed by Governor Gavin Newsom, Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, NARAL Pro-Choice California, the California Professional Firefighters and SEIU California.

Prior to her election, Kounalakis served as U.S. Ambassador to Hungary from 2010 to 2013, where she used her role to support human rights and made history as the first U.S. Ambassador to march in the Budapest Pride Parade.

For a complete list of Equality California’s 2022 endorsements, visit eqca.org/elections.

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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

California’s new congressional and state legislative maps include big wins for the LGBTQ+ community, after the state’s independent nonpartisan Citizens Redistricting Commission worked to unite and empower dense LGBTQ+ populations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Long Beach, the East Bay, Sacramento and the Coachella Valley. The achievement follows a months-long campaign led by Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, to advocate for fair and equitable maps that empower LGBTQ+ Californians to elect “candidates of choice” — members of the community and allies responsive to their unique challenges and priorities. [Click here to watch Equality California’s October 22 presentation to the Commission.]

“These maps represent a huge victory for diverse LGBTQ+ communities throughout California,” said Equality California Managing Director of External Affairs Samuel Garrett-Pate. “While states across the country launch unprecedented attacks against LGBTQ+ people and engage in partisan gerrymandering, California is once again leading the fight to protect our democracy and achieve full, lived LGBTQ+ equality.”

Unlike racial demographic groups, for which the Citizens Redistricting Commission receives block-level data to evaluate the concentration of Latino, Black, Asian, Indigenous and white voting age population in potential districts, LGBTQ+ people are not fully counted in the U.S. census. To fill the data gap, Equality California and Redistricting Partners used more than 500,000 georeferenced datapoints from Equality California and its partner organizations’ membership databases, as well as the U.S. Census Bureau’s Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Quarters (“POSSLQ”), to create a model identifying where LGBTQ+ people live throughout the state.

CONGRESS

• Long Beach: California’s new 42nd Congressional District unites the LGBTQ+ community in coastal Long Beach and Signal Hill in a Latino-majority district that runs north through the Gateway Cities. In recent days, U.S. Representatives Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Downey) announced their retirements, clearing a path for Mayor Robert Garcia to make history as the first openly LGBTQ+ immigrant elected to Congress.
• San Francisco: The state’s new 11th Congressional District includes all of the city’s historic LGBTQ+ neighborhoods — including the Castro, SOMA, Noe Valley, Bernal Heights and Twin Peaks — and excludes the city’s neighborhoods that voted for Proposition 8 in 2008 (the latest statewide election data on opposition to LGBTQ+ equality), maximizing LGBTQ+ support for longtime ally and champion Speaker Nancy Pelosi and providing the community with a strong opportunity to elect an LGBTQ+ member of Congress in the future.
• San Diego’s LGBTQ+ neighborhoods around Balboa Park are united in the new 50th Congressional District; Los Angeles’s LGBTQ+ community in West Hollywood, Hollywood and Silverlake is united in the new 30th Congressional District; Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ community is largely united in the new 7th Congressional District; and the East Bay’s LGBTQ+ community is united in the new 12th Congressional District.

ASSEMBLY

• Los Angeles: The nation’s largest county currently has zero openly LGBTQ+ legislators for the first time since Sheila Kuehl made history when she was elected to the Assembly in 1994. But with the creation of the new 51st Assembly District running from Santa Monica through West Hollywood and Hollywood to East Hollywood and part of Los Feliz, the heart of the LGBTQ+ community is more united than ever — and well positioned to elect former Equality California Executive Director Rick Chavez Zbur next November.
• Coachella Valley: After the 2011 Commission split Cathedral City from the rest of the Valley’s LGBTQ+ community in Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs and Rancho Mirage, the new 47th Assembly District reunites the community in a competitive district well positioned to elect a strong ally or an openly LGBTQ+ Assemblymember.
• San Francisco: With Sunday’s last-minute reunification of most of West of Twin Peaks with the Castro and other historically LGBTQ+ neighborhoods, the city’s LGBTQ+ community remains largely united in the new 17th Assembly District.
• San Diego’s LGBTQ+ neighborhoods around Balboa Park are largely united in the newly reconfigured 78th District; Long Beach’s LGBTQ+ community is united in the new 69th District; the East Bay’s LGBTQ+ community is evenly divided between the new 14th and 18th Assembly Districts; and Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ community is well represented in the new 6th District.

SENATE

• Coachella Valley: Although the LGBTQ+ community is largely united in the new 19th Senate District, positioning Palm Springs Mayor Lisa Middleton to make history as the state’s first openly transgender lawmaker, the Valley will have to wait until 2024 after moving from an even-numbered district (the current 28th) to an odd district. Meanwhile, the southern end of the Valley is included in the new 18th District, where Chula Vista City Councilmember Steve Padilla is the clear frontrunner to succeed Senator Ben Hueso in 2022.
• Los Angeles: The heart of the LGBTQ+ community in Hollywood and West Hollywood are united in the new 24th District, while LGBTQ+ residents in East Hollywood, Silverlake and Los Feliz — as well as the emerging LGBTQ+ community in Downtown LA — are united in the new 26th.
• San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ community remains united in the slightly adjusted 11th District; Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ community remains united in the new 8th District; the LGBTQ+ community in Signal Hill and coastal Long Beach remains united in the 33rd District; most of San Diego’s LGBTQ+ community is united in the reconfigured 39th District; and the East Bay’s LGBTQ+ community remains united in the new 7th District.

Equality California worked in close partnership with the IVE Redistricting Alliance and organizations like the California Black Census & Redistricting Hub, Asian Americans Advancing Justice and MALDEF to ensure that efforts to unite LGBTQ+ communities did not inadvertently divide other communities of interest. An overwhelming majority of LGBTQ+ Californians are members of communities of color, and LGBTQ+ people are significantly more likely to live below the poverty line, so the community is best served by fair and equitable maps that empower all historically marginalized communities — including communities of color, immigrant communities and working class communities — throughout the state.

BACKGROUND

A decade ago, Equality California and Redistricting Partners successfully pushed the 2011 Citizens Redistricting Commission and local commissions in San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Long Beach and San Diego to consider geographically connected LGBTQ+ communities as communities of interest in the redistricting process.

California has pioneered maximizing the LGBTQ+ community’s political power through the redistricting process. Harvey Milk became the state’s first out LGBTQ+ elected official in 1977, when San Francisco switched from at-large elections to districts for the Board of Supervisors. With the power to elect candidates of choice, San Francisco’s historically LGBTQ+ neighborhoods went on to elect nine more out LGBTQ+ supervisors, including Senators Mark Leno and Scott Wiener and Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, who each served on the board before being elected to the Legislature.

In 1990, San Diego LGBTQ+ community leaders advocated for the creation of City Council District 3, which includes the traditionally LGBTQ+ neighborhood Hillcrest and surrounding neighborhoods with significant LGBTQ+ populations. In 1993, District 3 elected out lesbian Christine Kehoe, who was succeeded by an unbroken line of out LGBTQ+ city councilmembers including Toni Atkins, Todd Gloria, Chris Ward and Stephen Whitburn. Kehoe, Atkins, Gloria and Ward went on to represent the historically LGBTQ+ neighborhoods in the California Legislature. Atkins made history as the first LGBTQ+ woman to serve as Assembly Speaker and the first openly LGBTQ+ Senate President Pro Tem. Gloria became the first openly LGBTQ+ person to be elected Mayor of San Diego in 2020.

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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

Today Equality California and LGBTQ Victory Fund jointly announced their endorsements of Palm Springs Mayor Pro Tem Lisa Middleton in her race for California Senate District 28. The endorsements demonstrate an early commitment from the LGBTQ political community to elect Middleton, who would be the first out transgender state legislator in California history. In 2017, Middleton became the first out transgender person elected to a non-judicial position in California, when she won her race for Palm Springs City Council.

Only eight out transgender people have ever been elected to state legislatures in the United States. All are currently serving.

“Lisa Middleton is an accomplished leader who has made her region more inclusive, just and equitable,” said Equality California Executive Director Tony Hoang. “That’s why Equality California is thrilled to announce our early support for Lisa’s campaign for Senate. The 28th District needs Lisa’s courage, innovative thinking and unique ability to build coalitions in Sacramento, where she will be a trailblazing champion for full, lived equality while delivering critical resources to her community. We’re with Lisa 100 percent and look forward to helping her make history once again as California’s first transgender state legislator.”

“A victory for Lisa will shatter a long-standing political barrier in California and will be a milestone moment for the state and the country,” said Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund. “Yet Lisa is not running for state senate to be a trailblazer. She is a passionate public servant who brings solutions-oriented optimism to challenges big and small – from filling potholes to healthcare access to climate change. Her constituents’ quality of life will always be the priority, but Lisa’s election will also inspire a new generation of trans leaders to follow in her footsteps.”

“I am deeply humbled and thrilled to receive the joint endorsements of Equality California and LGBTQ Victory Fund,” said State Senate District 28 candidate Lisa Middleton. “Since launching my bid for State Senate, the profound, extensive support I’ve received from the LGBTQ community has been a tremendous honor and boost to my campaign. I remain committed to being a leader who helps to unify and proudly stands for respect, inclusion and opportunity and that my campaign can also show the transgender community that nothing is out of reach, and we can win at all levels of government. I look forward to hopefully partnering with both incredible organizations in Sacramento to continue being an unrelenting advocate for our community and fighting for full, lived equality.”

As Mayor Pro Tem and a member of the Palm Springs City Council, Middleton ensured PPE and vaccines were available to residents, led efforts on solar requirements for all new homes and worked to address inequities in the city – including the unique challenges LGBTQ+ seniors face. 

Middleton’s primary will be held on June 7, 2022.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation Wednesday authored by Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco) and co-sponsored by Equality California and Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis to give students at California public colleges — especially transgender and nonbinary students — the ability to have the names that reflect their gender identities printed on their diplomas. Assembly Bill 245 will ensure diplomas do not “deadname” or call the graduate by the name they were assigned at birth rather than the name they use.

“A diploma represents years of hard work,” said Assemblymember Chiu. “Students should be able to celebrate their academic achievements without fear of being deadnamed. Deadnaming a student on a diploma can put up barriers to future employment and out a person in an unsafe situation. I’m grateful the Governor signed this bill to ensure we are protecting and lifting up all of our students in California.”

Transgender and nonbinary Californians often face discrimination, violence, and barriers to employment. These existing barriers can be exacerbated by student records that do not reflect their name and gender.

“Thank you, Governor Newsom, for signing AB 245 and demonstrating that California values and affirms its trans and gender nonconforming students,” said Lieutenant Governor Kounalakis. “Thanks to Assemblymember Chiu’s leadership, California is taking an important step towards protecting and supporting trans and gender nonconforming students in California’s public higher education institutions by ensuring that every student receives a diploma that accurately reflects their chosen name.”

If a person’s name does not match the name on a transcript or diploma, that can present real challenges when applying for graduate school or employment opportunities. It can also “out” individuals who may not wish to be outed as transgender or may not feel safe in their current situation to openly identify as transgender or nonbinary.

“Trans and nonbinary students already face tremendous challenges — being deadnamed on college documents should not be one of them,” said Equality California Legislative Director Tami A. Martin. “We are grateful to Governor Newsom for signing AB 245 and empowering transgender and gender nonconforming people to have their name and gender accurately reflected on their college records. With this victory, California continues to lead the way in affirming our trans and gender nonconforming community.”

Many California colleges have taken steps to give students the opportunity to designate their affirmed name and gender in a variety of areas like student identification cards and school email accounts. However, those opportunities are not always extended to diplomas, and colleges across the state have vastly different processes for updating student records after graduation.

AB 245 will require public colleges to provide graduating students the option to have their chosen name printed on their college diploma. The law will also standardize the process for updating records after a student graduates, clarifying which forms of legal identification are sufficient to update student records. In order to update records after graduation, a student will need one form of legal identification, including, but not limited to, a driver’s license, state identification card, birth certificate, passport, social security card, or court order indicating a name or gender change.

AB 245 builds off of AB 711, also authored by Assemblymember Chiu and sponsored by Equality California, which was signed into law in 2019 by Governor Newsom. AB 711 required schools districts to update the diplomas and transcripts of former K-12 students, particularly for transgender and nonbinary students, to reflect their accurate names and gender markers.

AB 245 will take effect on January 1, 2022.

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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