Los Angeles — Equality California announced today that it has endorsed Los Angeles attorney Susan Jerich for Los Angeles County Superior Court judge and Greg Rodriguez to represent District 42 (Palm Springs) in the California Assembly.

Jerich currently is an attorney with the law firm of Silver, Hadden, Silver & Levine in Santa Monica.  She graduated from the University of San Francisco School of Law and is a former assistant U.S. attorney for Northern California, a former San Francisco assistant district attorney, and former internal counsel at eBay.  She also has served in volunteer and leadership capacities with a number of LGBT and women’s rights organizations, including on Equality California’s Equality Council.  In addition, she is the only openly LGBT member of the Los Angeles County Consumer and Business Affairs Commission.

“Susan is extremely well qualified to serve on the Superior Court.  Her qualifications and commitment to fairness, as well as her extensive community service, won our endorsement,” said Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California.  “Very few members of the bench in Los Angeles are openly LGBT.  Electing highly qualified officials like Susan to every level and every branch of government is vitally important to our community both in terms of representation of LGBT people, and as role models to our community and youth.”

Greg Rodriguez is a former district director for U.S. Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Palm Springs).  Rodriguez has been active in LGBT, Democratic and education-related issues since shortly after graduating from college.  Since moving to Palm Springs in 2006, he has been the treasurer of the Desert Stonewall Democrats and serves on the Campaign Board of the Victory Fund.  He also has served on the board of the Desert AIDS Project.  A father of two teenaged sons, he is a former PTA president and served on various committees of the Palm Springs Unified School District.

“Greg has the background needed to be an effective advocate not just for LGBT people, but for all families and students,” said Zbur. “His experience working with a range of policy issues, from education to equal rights for everyone to HIV/AIDS, will enable him to get right to work in Sacramento at making California a better place for all its residents.”

The Equality California Political Action Committee endorses viable candidates who have a proven track record of supporting equal rights and legal protections for LGBT Californians and who are committed to advancing these goals in their capacity as elected officials.

Both Jerich and Rodriguez will appear on the June, 2016 ballot.

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Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization dedicated to creating a fair and just society. Our mission is to achieve and maintain full and lasting equality, acceptance, and social justice for all people in our diverse LGBT communities, inside and outside of California. Our mission includes advancing the health and well-being of LGBT Californians through direct healthcare service advocacy and education. Through electoral, advocacy, education and mobilization programs, we strive to create a broad and diverse alliance of LGBT people, educators, government officials, communities of color and faith, labor, business, and social justice communities to achieve our goals. www.eqca.org

 – An Update from EQCA Legislative Manager, Jo Michael – 

Every January 1, hundreds of new laws go into effect in California. This month, eight of them will have a significant impact on the lives of LGBT people across the state, addressing some of the disparities in health and wellbeing that members of our community still face.

Assembly Bill (AB) 959, authored by Assemblymember David Chiu, requires state health and social services agencies to collect data on sexual orientation and gender identity whenever demographic data is collected. Collecting this data helps determine whether government programs successfully reach those in need, which will pave the way for improvements to those programs. Without any data to point to, the LGBT Californians seeking help through these programs are invisible–we simply do not know how they are serving our community and where they need to improve. AB 959 creates an opportunity for ongoing engagement with state health and social services agencies to ensure that LGBT Californians will no longer be overlooked. Starting this year, we will be able to help agencies prepare to meet the new requirements under the law and work with them to achieve full compliance by July 1, 2018.

AB 960, also authored by Assemblymember Chiu and cosponsored by EQCA, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and Our Family Coalition, updates California’s assisted reproduction laws to recognize intended parents using assisted reproduction, whether or not a medical professional is involved. Building a family using a sperm bank or doctor can cost hundreds, or sometimes thousands, of dollars per month, and is simply not affordable for many families. By eliminating this economic barrier and making other important changes to the law, AB 960 puts more family building options within our community’s reach.

Also in the area of family building and recognition is AB 1951 by Assemblymember Jimmy Gomez, which modernizes California birth certificates by allowing parents to choose to self-designate as “father,” “mother,” or “parent,” eliminating inaccurate designations and confusion for same-sex parents. EQCA and NCLR cosponsored this bill in 2014, and its January 1, 2016 effective date allowed time for new birth certificate forms to be printed and distributed.

AB 329, authored by Assemblymember Shirley Weber and cosponsored by EQCA, California Latinas for Reproductive Justice, Forward Together, Planned Parenthood and the ACLU, updates sexual health and HIV prevention curricula to provide instruction that is medically accurate, comprehensive and inclusive of LGBT people and their families. Students who are children of LGBT parents or who identify as LGBT themselves often feel invisible or stigmatized in health classes when issues that are important to our community are glossed over, or not discussed at all. Ensuring that all students have age-appropriate, accurate information about LGBT people and families helps increase general acceptance and understanding of the LGBT community. In addition, helping LGBT youth feel accepted in school will aid in reducing dropout rates and encourage students to do better academically. AB 329 will ensure that sexual health education in California is relevant to all students. The sheer size of California’s student body makes the state the nation’s largest purchaser of textbooks, meaning the new law is likely to have an impact in the development textbooks that will be purchased and used in other states, as well.

Despite much progress in the effort to make schools safer for LGBT students, our youth still face verbal, physical, and online harassment far too often. AB 827 by Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell will help teachers assist LGBT students who need support dealing with bullying or lack of acceptance by providing them with information about resources at their schools (such as a gay-straight alliance or a school counselor), in their local communities (a local LGBT Center’s youth program, for example) and beyond (such as a statewide or national crisis hotline).

AB 87 by Assemblymember Mark Stone prohibits discrimination against transgender jurors in the jury selection process in California courts. The new law also makes clear that jury selection discrimination based on ethnicity, age, genetic information, or disability is prohibited as well.

Senate Bill (SB) 731, authored by Sen. Mark Leno and cosponsored by EQCA, NCLR, and TLC, focuses on particularly vulnerable members of our community: transgender and gender non-conforming foster youth. SB 731 helps keep these young people safe in foster care by requiring social service workers to take their gender identity into account before making a placement decision.

SB 703, also authored by Senator Leno, prohibits state agencies from doing business with companies that discriminate between the benefits offered to transgender employees and other employees, leveling the playing field in state contracting between in-state and out-of-state companies.

Each of these new laws will have an impact on the lives of LGBT Californians. Each addresses an area where our community still experiences discrimination and stigma. Each shows that while we have accomplished much, so much remains to be done.

Los Angeles — Equality California announced today that it plans to participate in an amicus brief to be filed with the U.S. Supreme Court following the Court’s announcement that it will hear a case challenging presidential orders extending provisional legal status of certain undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States.

Texas v. United States, filed by Texas and 25 other states, which challenges the authority of President Obama to enact the program Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) and expand portions of another, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

DAPA would offer a legal reprieve to undocumented parents of U.S. citizens, as well as to permanent residents who have lived in the United States for at least five years, removing the constant fear of deportation under which many currently live. It would also allow many to receive work permits. DACA allows certain young people brought to the United States as children to apply for two-year work permits and exemptions from deportation. A Texas federal judge imposed a stay blocking the implementation of DAPA and the expansion of DACA in February of last year.

“California’s LGBT population includes an estimated quarter-million undocumented immigrants, so this is very much an LGBT issue,” said Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California. “Lack of legal status is a life-and-death issue for many. Shut out of the Affordable Care Act, many HIV-positive immigrants have no access to life-saving drugs. Transgender immigrants are unable to get medical treatments they need. It is important that the Court restore the president’s executive orders, which begin to address the daily fear of deportation that many immigrants live with, but it’s time that we also honor their contributions with comprehensive immigration reform that includes a clear pathway to citizenship.”

Equality California is leading a collaborative of LGBT organizations to conduct outreach, education and enrollment assistance for anyone who may qualify for DACA and other naturalization programs, and to address the disparities in health and wellbeing of California’s LGBT undocumented immigrants. The court is expected to issue a ruling by June.

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Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization dedicated to creating a fair and just society. Our mission is to achieve and maintain full and lasting equality, acceptance, and social justice for all people in our diverse LGBT communities, inside and outside of California. Our mission includes advancing the health and well-being of LGBT Californians through direct healthcare service advocacy and education. Through electoral, advocacy, education and mobilization programs, we strive to create a broad and diverse alliance of LGBT people, educators, government officials, communities of color and faith, labor, business, and social justice communities to achieve our goals. www.eqca.org

– A blog post from EQCA Legislative Director, Alice Kessler –

Last summer, I joined A Wider Bridge, an organization that builds bridges between Israel and LGBTQ North Americans and allies, on an LGBTQ Mission to Israel. A Wider Bridge now finds itself at the center of a controversy related to the National LGBTQ Task Force’s Creating Change Conference. As a Jew who has often felt uninformed about and hesitant to even talk about the Israeli‐Palestinian conflict, and as someone who has over a dozen family members living in Israel and Arab Muslim family members here in the U.S., I saw it as an opportunity to run toward rather than away from my discomfort. This would not be my first trip to Israel (I had visited once before in high school), but as a longtime LGBTQ advocate, I thought it would be fascinating to view the country through this lens. I joined twenty other diverse LGBTQ leaders, some of whom identified squarely in the pro‐Israel camp and some of whom had strong reservations about Israel.

Through our travels and meetings with a broad cross‐section of Israelis and Palestinians, Jews, Christians and Muslims, secular and religious people, those young and old, I came to appreciate the complexity of this land.

For example, on a day trip to the West Bank led by a Palestinian guide, I saw the separation wall and military watchtowers up close. I also saw art and graffiti that frequently extolled and incited violence against Israelis. Alternatively in Ramallah, I witnessed a community going about its business — bakers, shopkeepers, and school children engaged in the banalities of daily life. Seeing that gave me a glimpse into an autonomous Palestine that hopefully one day will exist peaceably side‐by‐side with Israel. On a trip to an Arab fishing village called Jisr Al Zarqa, we met with two remarkable families — one Jewish and one Arab — who had started a backpackers’ hostel together, invigorating the economy of this very depressed hamlet. It was a shining example of the ways that some Palestinians and Jews are transcending the typical narrative we often hear about the conflict.

I witnessed another conflict altogether — that between Jewish secularism and orthodoxy. In arguably the holiest place on earth, this struggle is real. There are those whose belief systems do not allow women to pray on equal terms as men, to sit next to them on an airplane, or reveal parts of their bodies in public. There are those whose lives of prayer are subsidized by the state while their non‐ultra‐Orthodox brethren are conscripted into military service as a fact of life. While civil marriages performed abroad (including same‐sex marriages) are recognized by the Israeli government, marriages between Jews in Israel itself can only be officiated by the Orthodox rabbinate. Not only does this situation exclude same‐sex couples and those who wish to have a Reform or Conservative wedding ceremony, but it denies over 600,000 Jewish Israelis who are of mixed heritage and not considered Jewish “enough” to get married in their own country.

I noticed the inequalities, economic and otherwise, vis‐a‐vis Ashkenazi Jews (those of European origin) and the Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews of the Middle East and North Africa. Yet, I also observed the melting pot that exists in Israel between Jews of different origins in the diaspora.

I sat for a hearing in the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, which was devoted to better understanding transgender issues and what more must be done by the government to treat transgender people with fairness. I heard affirming statements by numerous Members of Knesset from various political parties. However, I also heard testimony from transgender adults and youth about the discrimination and struggles for safety, dignity, and economic security they have faced. These problems were laid bare in a very public and visible way – far from the accusations that this trip would be nothing more than “pinkwashing” or a propaganda tour to showcase how good LGBTQ people have it in Israel.

On a visit to Jerusalem Open House, we met with an elderly couple that had been together for more than fifty years and shared their story of living deeply in the closet and eventually coming out as Israeli society progressed and changed. We also heard about how Jerusalem Open House seeded and nurtured a group called al‐Quaws, which is now an independent organization run by and for LGBTQ Palestinians. I marched in Tel Aviv Pride and could have sworn I was in San Francisco. Then, on my last day on the way to the airport, I rode in a taxi with a Jewish driver who told me how disgusted he was by all the Pride revelers.

Because of this trip, I have many healthy critiques of Israel, its current controlling party, the Occupation, and aspects of Israel’s governance much in the same way I do about my own country. Israel and its people are varied and complicated. You can’t paint them or the situation there in any kind of broad strokes. It takes people like me engaging, not turning away, to ever hope to make progress on the idea of peace, dignity, and human rights for all in the region.

A Wider Bridge has been subjected to unfair accusations and exclusion this past week by some in the LGBTQ community, including a leading organization, and I am compelled to speak up. A Wider Bridge is not the pocket of the Israeli government. It does not seek to portray only one side of Israel or sweep others under the rug. Rather, it an organization that strives to understand and dissect Israel in all its complexities, in an incredibly thoughtful way, while acknowledging the importance that Israel holds to many LGBTQ Jewish people and our allies.

Watching the events at Creating Change unfold, first the cancellation of A Wider Bridge’s reception which was to discuss a deadly attack (by a zealous Jewish man) at Jerusalem Pride, then the reinstatement of the event, and then the protest, left me hurt and appalled. I have listened to the perspective of some of the protesting groups, and I concur that there is and must be a place for condemnation of the Occupation and the illegal settlements. However, the protestors’ chant of “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” amounted to a call for the destruction of the Jewish state and smacked of anti‐Semitism.

A Wider Bridge and Jerusalem Open House have done incredible work to promote inclusiveness, understanding, and dialog. I can only hope that in the future Creating Change will model these same values.

Los Angeles — In response to events over the weekend at the Creating Change conference, organized by the National LGBTQ Task Force in Chicago, Equality California Executive Director Rick Zbur issued the following statement:

“It is important that LGBT Jews and other Jewish allies understand that they do not stand alone in their extreme disappointment, sadness and disagreement with events this past weekend at Creating Change.  Contrary to the stated goal of creating a safe space for everyone, what took place sent a message of exclusion and disrespect to many Jewish members of our own community and to non-LGBT Jewish allies, who have been some of the staunchest advocates for LGBT equality and social justice both in the United States and around the world.

A Wider Bridge, one of two organizations at the reception shut down by some 200 protesters, is an American organization that aims to encourage pluralism in Israel and strengthen the country’s LGBT community through connections with LGBT communities in North America.  The other organization, Jerusalem Open House, is a community center that, true to its name, opens its doors to all — Jew and Arab, religious and secular. Rather than representing the Israeli government and its policies, the organizations encourage cooperation and coexistence between people with differing backgrounds and views. The attacks on fellow LGBT organizations simply because they work with Israel’s LGBT community is deeply offensive to many Jews and non-Jews alike. To read about the experience of EQCA Legislative Director Alice Kessler with A Wider Bridge, click here.

The events at Creating Change did a disservice to the broader LGBT movement. We are disappointed that after cancelling the reception and then inviting back A Wider Bridge and Jerusalem Open House, conference organizers failed to take appropriate steps to assure that the reception could occur in light of expected protests and did not ensure that conference participants could attend.  They also failed to protect the safety of and respect for participants and conference guests. The verbal and physical intimidation on conference participants who wanted to attend the Wider Bridge event was unacceptable.

We also are extremely disappointed that the conference organizers failed to defend these organizations and correct the false information and gross distortions that were used as a basis for an unfair attack on LGBT people and organizations that serve them. National and state organizations that provide leadership for the LGBT community and movement should always attempt to serve as a moral compass and stand for truth, fairness, respect, and inclusion.

In this case, the Task Force needs to do more to adhere to these values.

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Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization dedicated to creating a fair and just society. Our mission is to achieve and maintain full and lasting equality, acceptance, and social justice for all people in our diverse LGBT communities, inside and outside of California. Our mission includes advancing the health and well-being of LGBT Californians through direct healthcare service advocacy and education. Through electoral, advocacy, education and mobilization programs, we strive to create a broad and diverse alliance of LGBT people, educators, government officials, communities of color and faith, labor, business, and social justice communities to achieve our goals. www.eqca.org

Los Angeles — Equality California today announced the endorsements of 48 members of the California Senate and Assembly for reelection in the 2016 election cycle. In order to earn Equality California’s endorsement for reelection, members of the legislature must earn a perfect 100 percent Equality Score on the organization’s Legislative Scorecard, which tracks their votes on priority legislation that advances lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights, and that addresses the disparities in health and wellbeing faced by the LGBT community.

“Because LGBT Californians face huge disparities in health and well being compared to the general public, there is much work ahead and our legislative partners are more important than ever,” said Equality California Executive Director Rick Zbur. “Today we are announcing Equality California’s endorsements of members of the state legislature who are up for reelection in 2016.  Our partnerships with legislators are key to advancing equality and social justice for LGBT people and all the communities of which we’re part.  We thank our endorsed allies and look forward to working with them to continue the fight for LGBT equality and social justice in California.”

The Equality California endorsed incumbent legislators are as follows:

Senate Races:

Jim Beall (SD-15)

Cathleen Galgiani (SD-5)

Steven Glazer (SD-7)

Jerry Hill (SD-13)

Hannah-Beth Jackson (SD-19)

Ricardo Lara (SD-33)

Bill Monning (SD-17)

Richard D. Roth (SD-31)

Assembly Races:

Richard Bloom (AD-50)

Rob Bonta (AD-18)

Cheryl R. Brown (AD-47)

Autumn Burke (AD-62)

Ian C. Calderon (AD-57)

Ed Chau (AD-49)

David Chiu (AD-17)

Kansen Chu (AD-25)

Jim Cooper (AD-9)

Matthew Dababneh (AD-45)

Tom Daly (AD-69)

Susan Eggman (AD-13)

Jim Frazier (AD-11)

Cristina Garcia (AD-58)

Eduardo Garcia (AD-56)

Mike Gipson (AD-64)

Jimmy Gomez (AD-51)

Lorena Gonzalez (AD-80)

Chris R. Holden (AD-41)

Jacqui Irwin (AD-44)

Reginald Jones-Sawyer (AD-59)

Marc Levine (AD-10)

Patty López (AD-39)

Evan Low (AD-28)

Kevin McCarty (AD-7)

Jose Medina (AD-61)

Kevin Mullin (AD-22)

Adrin Nazarian (AD-46)

Patrick O’Donnell (AD-70)

Bill Quirk (AD-20)

Anthony Rendon (AD-63)

Sebastian Ridley-Thomas (AD-54)

Freddie Rodriguez (AD-52)

Rudy Salas Jr. (AD-32)

Miguel Santiago (AD-53)

Mark Stone (AD-29)

Tony Thurmond (AD-15)

Phil Ting (AD-19)

Shirley Weber (AD-79)

Jim Wood (AD-2)

Equality California endorses incumbent candidates who have earned a 100-percent, pro-equality rating for their votes on the organization’s sponsored and priority supported legislation.  Please see the 2015 Equality California Legislative Scorecard for more information

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Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization dedicated to creating a fair and just society. Our mission is to achieve and maintain full and lasting equality, acceptance, and social justice for all people in our diverse LGBT communities, inside and outside of California. Our mission includes advancing the health and well-being of LGBT Californians through direct healthcare service advocacy and education. Through electoral, advocacy, education and mobilization programs, we strive to create a broad and diverse alliance of LGBT people, educators, government officials, communities of color and faith, labor, business, and social justice communities to achieve our goals. www.eqca.org

Los Angeles — Equality California Institute today released its second annual Fair Share for Equality report, which includes policy recommendations from Equality California Institute and reports from co-sponsoring LGBT and social services organizations regarding the numerous disparities in health and wellbeing suffered by the LGBT community compared to the general public.  These reports are part of Equality California Institute’s programs aimed at educating policymakers, the public and the organizations that serve our community to address these shortfalls and improve the lives of LGBT people.

The report is the product of a December 15, 2015 convening of 175 leaders from the LGBT community and other community organizations, educators, social service agencies and government officials.  Equality California Institute launched its groundbreaking Fair Share for Equality initiative in 2015 to help address these disparities by educating our community, legislators and policymakers on how best to allocate a “fair share” of government resources to advance the health and wellbeing of California’s LGBT community.

“Through Fair Share for Equality, we invited leaders of LGBT and HIV/AIDS organizations to give us their views and recommendations on the priorities and potential solutions on which EQCA and the California LGBT community should focus,” said Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California. “The recommendations in this report will shape our programs for the next year and will help make sure that state and local policymakers are aware of the numerous and extreme health and wellbeing disparities in the LGBT community and how state resources can address them.”

This year’s priority recommendations include:

•Expand funding and programs to address the epidemic of LGBT youth homelessness

•Expand and implement LGBT data collection

•Create safe and supportive school environments by providing teachers and school counselors with culturally competent training and requiring suicide prevention programs in California schools

•Provide expanded programs for cultural competency training for medical and mental health professionals

•Develop state programs and strategies to address high drug prices faced by members of the LGBT community and people living with HIV/AIDS

•Modernize HIV transmission laws that single out and stigmatize people with HIV

•Develop a state plan to end the HIV epidemic in California, including increasing awareness and uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) regimens

•Ensure that economic development programs target the LGBT community to address income disparities

•Reduce violence and differential treatment for LGBT people within the criminal justice system, including through cultural competency training of police and other criminal justice government officials

•Provide healthcare to California’s estimated 250,000 LGBT undocumented immigrants.

For more information and to view a copy of the full report, please click here.

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Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization dedicated to creating a fair and just society. Our mission is to achieve and maintain full and lasting equality, acceptance, and social justice for all people in our diverse LGBT communities, inside and outside of California. Our mission includes advancing the health and well-being of LGBT Californians through direct healthcare service advocacy and education. Through electoral, advocacy, education and mobilization programs, we strive to create a broad and diverse alliance of LGBT people, educators, government officials, communities of color and faith, labor, business, and social justice communities to achieve our goals. www.eqca.org

San Francisco – Equality California announced today that it is sponsoring legislation, authored by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), that would establish the nation’s most progressive restroom access law.  AB 1732, the Equal Restroom Access Act, would require single-occupancy restrooms in California businesses, government buildings, and public spaces to be identified as “all gender.”

“Restrooms are a necessity of life.  Access to them influences our ability to participate in public life,” said Ting.  “Signs restricting single-use restroom access by gender create problems of convenience, fairness, and safety.  They defy common sense, which is why many of us ignore them.  ‘All gender’ signs will end these problems and ensure everyone’s rights are protected.”

“Having access to a restroom without restrictions based on one’s gender identity simply makes sense,” said Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco), a principal co-author of the bill.  “All gender restrooms will enhance dignity and safety for transgender and gender non-conforming individuals in their daily lives.”

Sponsored by Equality California and supported by the Transgender Law Center, California NOW and the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, AB 1732 would align state law with similar restroom access laws emerging in the cities of Oakland, Denver, Boston, and Philadelphia.

“This bill will greatly enhance the safety of and increase options for transgender people, who are often harassed or threatened in public, multi-stall restrooms, but the benefits would truly extend to virtually everyone,” said Rick Zbur, Executive Director of Equality California.  “Everyone at one point or another will benefit from this bill – including nursing mothers, parents with an opposite-sex child, the elderly and people with medical conditions with an opposite-sex caregiver.  And this bill will not impose any real costs on businesses or governments – it merely requires that single use restrooms be made available to everyone.  The cost quite literally is no more than a new plastic sign.”

“All Californians should have the same freedom to participate in public life, go about their day, and use the bathroom when they need it,” said Kris Hayashi, Executive Director of Transgender Law Center.  “By making single-user restrooms accessible to all genders, this law will make life easier for everyone and reduce the harassment regularly experienced by transgender people and others who don’t match people’s stereotypes of what it looks like to be a man or a woman.”

“When nature calls, women frequently have to wait,” said Jerilyn Stapleton, President of California NOW.  “We shouldn’t have to wait or postpone having our needs fairly met in public.  Everyone should experience equal waiting time.  We have universal bathroom access at home and on airplanes so why not require it in public buildings?”

“Hospitality is all about accommodation and making people feel comfortable and welcome,” said Samantha Higgins, Policy and Community Manager of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association.  “This legislation just makes sense.”

Legislation pending in the New York State Legislature would require a “gender neutral” designation for all single-use bathrooms in state owned or operated buildings.  Vermont’s state legislature has legislation pending to require newly constructed or renovated state buildings to include “gender neutral” restrooms.  In contrast, a pending bill in Indiana would make it a misdemeanor to knowingly enter a single-use restroom of the opposite sex.

For a fact sheet on AB 1732, click here.

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Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization dedicated to creating a fair and just society. Our mission is to achieve and maintain full and lasting equality, acceptance, and social justice for all people in our diverse LGBT communities, inside and outside of California. Our mission includes advancing the health and well-being of LGBT Californians through direct healthcare service advocacy and education. Through electoral, advocacy, education and mobilization programs, we strive to create a broad and diverse alliance of LGBT people, educators, government officials, communities of color and faith, labor, business, and social justice communities to achieve our goals. www.eqca.org

Los Angeles — California ranks among the top U.S. states in terms of laws protecting its LGBT residents, according to an index just published by the Equality Federation and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).

The State Equality Index (SEI) reveals that, even with historic progress on marriage equality, there are extraordinary state-to-state disparities in LGBT non-discrimination protections, including in the workplace, and efforts continue by equality opponents to pass state-level legislation that would sanction discrimination and undermine even minimal existing protections.

“While it’s gratifying to see California again ranked among the best of states in terms of LGBT equality, the State Equality Index also highlights a number of gaps that remain in the laws that protect our community,” said Rick Zbur, Executive Director of Equality California. “California is still one of the few states that does not mandate schools to have suicide prevention programs, an important goal to increase LGBT acceptance and reduce high LGBT dropout rates. Although the state of California adopted AB 959, which for the first time required data collection regarding sexual orientation and gender identity by certain California health and social services agencies, there is more work to be done in this area. Equality California is preparing a robust legislative agenda that addresses these deficiencies and that includes new, innovative legislation. One of these will be a bill to modernize HIV criminal laws that stigmatize and discriminate against people living with HIV.”

While more than 111 million people live in states where LGBT people lack clear state-level protections against discrimination in the workplace, the SEI points to a few encouraging signs – particularly in areas related to LGBTQ youth, health, and safety. States like Utah, New York, and Illinois expanded access to equality for LGBT people and their families, while others strengthened existing hate crimes laws, improved access to transgender-inclusive healthcare coverage, and protected LGBT youth from harmful “conversion therapy”.

“Even with marriage equality the law of the land, the battle for LGBT rights at the state level continues to be a story of successes and setbacks,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Though a number of states are expanding access to non-discrimination protections for LGBT people and their families, a majority of states are still struggling to reach even a basic level of equality for LGBT people.”

The SEI assesses statewide LGBT-related legislation and policies, good and bad, in five areas: parenting laws and policies; non-discrimination laws; hate crimes laws; youth-related laws and policies; and health and safety laws and policies. Based on that review, the SEI assigns states to one of four distinct categories.

Along with five other states and the District of Columbia, California falls into the top category, “Working Toward Innovative Equality.”  All have robust LGBT non-discrimination laws covering employment, housing and public accommodations, as well as protections in the realm of credit, insurance, and jury selection. Most allow transgender people to change official documents to reflect their gender identity. Almost all bar private insurers from banning transition-related healthcare. LGBT youth are protected by anti-bullying laws, as well as innovative measures in some states that address conversion therapy, inclusive juvenile justice policies, homelessness, and sexual education.

The full report, including detailed scorecards for every state, is available online at www.hrc.org/sei.

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Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization dedicated to creating a fair and just society. Our mission is to achieve and maintain full and lasting equality, acceptance, and social justice for all people in our diverse LGBT communities, inside and outside of California. Our mission includes advancing the health and well-being of LGBT Californians through direct healthcare service advocacy and education. Through electoral, advocacy, education and mobilization programs, we strive to create a broad and diverse alliance of LGBT people, educators, government officials, communities of color and faith, labor, business, and social justice communities to achieve our goals. www.eqca.org

Los Angeles — Equality California announced today that it has endorsed Katherine Perez-Estolano to represent District 25 (Glendale, Pasadena, Sierra Madre) in the California Senate.

“Katherine’s public and civic service demonstrate a deep commitment to improving the lives of everyone in all of California’s diverse communities,” said Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California.  “Her extensive experience in government, through appointed positions at state and local levels, has more than prepared her for leadership in Sacramento.  She is one of the rising stars of the LGBT community and we believe she will be a strong advocate for LGBT people and for all the communities of which we are a part.  It is a key priority for Equality California to maintain a strong LGBT caucus in the state legislature, and we are enthusiastic in our support of Katherine as an extraordinary LGBT candidate.”

Perez-Estolano is an expert in urban planning, transportation, and community engagement. She is co-founder and partner at Estolano LeSar Perez (ELP) Advisors, a policy consulting firm dedicated to growing thriving, vibrant and healthy communities. She has dedicated her career and civic focus to protecting the environment, devising sustainable housing and transportation strategies to combat climate change, and creating liveable communities.   Prior to joining ELP Advisors, she served as executive director of the Urban Land Institute, Los Angeles District Council, an organization which provides leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Perez-Estolano is an adjunct professor at the USC School of Planning and Development, and also was an adjunct professor at the UCLA School of Policy.

She has a distinguished history of public service in appointed positions in both local and state government.  In 2013, Governor Jerry Brown appointed her to the California High Speed Rail Authority.   She was previously an appointee on the state Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Commission.  She has also served as deputy mayor of the city of Pasadena, as well as on Pasadena’s Commission on the Status of Women and Transportation Commission.  In addition, she formerly served on the Latino Advisory Council of Pasadena City College.  Perez-Estolano lives in Pasadena with her wife and their blended family of six children.

The Equality California Political Action Committee endorses viable candidates who have a proven track record of supporting equal rights and legal protections for LGBT Californians and who are committed to advancing these goals in their capacity as elected officials.

Perez-Estolano will appear on the June, 2016 Democratic primary ballot.

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Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization dedicated to creating a fair and just society. Our mission is to achieve and maintain full and lasting equality, acceptance, and social justice for all people in our diverse LGBT communities, inside and outside of California. Our mission includes advancing the health and well-being of LGBT Californians through direct healthcare service advocacy and education. Through electoral, advocacy, education and mobilization programs, we strive to create a broad and diverse alliance of LGBT people, educators, government officials, communities of color and faith, labor, business, and social justice communities to achieve our goals. www.eqca.org

Sacramento – Equality California will honor Assemblymember Rich Gordon, Mario Guerrero of SEIU, Executive Secretary to Governor Brown Nancy McFadden, and Dana Williamson, former cabinet secretary to Governor Brown and principal of Grace Public Affairs, for their steadfast support of the LGBT community. This year’s Sacramento Equality Awards will take place Monday, March 7, 2016 at Cafeteria 15L.

Gordon will receive this year’s Vanguard Leadership Award for his years of service to the LGBT community, his leadership of the LGBT Legislative Caucus and for authoring and winning passage of legislation that has improved the lives of LGBT Californians. Gordon authored important bills advancing LGBT equality, including laws mandating LGBT cultural competency training for healthcare providers, requiring public utilities to include LGBT-owned businesses when doing outreach to minority- and women-owned contractors, and reducing the out-of-pocket costs to patients of expensive drugs to treat HIV and other conditions. Since first elected in the 1990s as San Mateo County’s first openly LGBT public official, he has worked to ensure that California invests in the education of its children, to maintain the state’s position as a leader in environmental protection, and to make sure that all Californians have access to healthcare.

“As an assemblymember and leader of the state’s LGBT Legislative Caucus, Rich Gordon has been a tireless advocate for the health and wellbeing of LGBT people and the many diverse communities of which we are a part,” said Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California. “As he prepares to leave the Assembly, the laws he authored are a strong legacy that advance the health and wellbeing of LGBT Californians.”

Mario Guerrero will receive this year’s State Farm Good Neighbor Award for making Sacramento a better place for LGBT people to live. He has over a decade of experience as a policy advocate, including serving as EQCA’s government affairs director from 2010 to 2011. He currently is legislative affairs director with Service Employees International Union, Local 1000. He serves on the board of the National LGBTQ Task Force and is past president of the Stonewall Democratic Club of Greater Sacramento, which has worked to advance LGBT civil rights and social justice through its electoral work to elect candidates supporting LGBT equality.

“Mario’s experience advocating on behalf of LGBT people makes him one of our community’s most effective advocates,” said Zbur. “Throughout his career, he has advanced LGBT equality both on the job and on the many boards and committees on which he has served. As one of the leaders of Sacramento’s LGBT community, he has devoted considerable time and energy to improving the lives of LGBT people both locally and across the state.”

Nancy McFadden and Dana Williamson will each receive Equality California’s Ally Leadership Award. Both have been key allies in Equality California’s work by advancing policies and programs within state government that benefit LGBT Californians. They had instrumental roles leading to the success of Equality California’s entire 2015 legislative package, including bills mandating the collection of LGBT demographic data, providing resources for teachers to support LGBT students who face bullying and lack of acceptance in schools, and requiring LGBT-inclusive sex education in California schools.

McFadden is executive secretary to California Governor Jerry Brown. Prior to that she was with PG&E Corporation, as senior vice president and senior advisor to the chairman and CEO, and as senior vice president of public affairs. She also served as senior advisor to Governor Gray Davis, as a senior member of the Clinton Administration, as deputy chief of staff to Vice President Al Gore and as general counsel for the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Williamson currently is principal at Grace Public Affairs. Previously, she served as cabinet secretary and senior advisor to Governor Brown, as director of public affairs at PG&E, as communications director in the California State Assembly majority leader’s office and as associate vice president of public affairs at Planned Parenthood Mar Monte.

“Nancy and Dana’s focus on and commitment to assuring full equality for LGBT people have made them impressive allies and unsung heroes of the LGBT community as a whole,” said Zbur. “As two of the governor’s top advisors, they have been on the front lines advancing policies and programs that have benefited millions of LGBT Californians. In the last several legislative sessions, they worked hand-in-hand with Equality California and we thank them and Governor Brown for the part they played in the success of on our policy agenda in Sacramento.”

Each year, Equality California recognizes individuals and organizations who have made an impact on the movement to secure full and lasting equality for LGBT people at its annual Equality Awards — a series of formal events held in San Francisco, San Diego, Palm Springs, Los Angeles, and Sacramento.

The 2016 Sacramento Equality Awards are co-chaired by Assemblymember Richard Bloom, Senator Ricardo Lara, Joseph Gregorich and Deanna Johnston. They are sponsored by AT&T, La Crema, PG&E, Sempra Energy, Southwest Airlines, and State Farm Insurance. For more information about the Equality Awards, click here. For tickets or sponsorship information, contact Scott Gizicki at scott@eqca.org or by calling 323-848-9801.

This year’s Sacramento Equality Awards take place on Monday, March 7th, 2016 from 5:30-7:30 at Sacramento’s Cafeteria 15L, 1116 15th St. in Sacramento.

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Equality California is California’s largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization focused on creating a fair and just society. Our mission is to achieve and maintain full and lasting equality, acceptance and social justice for all people in our diverse LGBT communities, inside and outside of California. Our mission includes advancing the health and well-being of LGBT Californians through direct healthcare service advocacy and education. Through electoral, advocacy, education and mobilization programs, we strive to create a broad and diverse alliance of LGBT people, educators, government officials, communities of color and faith, labor, business, and social justice communities to achieve our goals. www.eqca.org

Sacramento – Equality California is sponsoring two bills authored by Assemblymember Evan Low (D-Silicon Valley) that would prohibit the use of state funds to support entities that allow discrimination by creating exemptions based on religious beliefs.

“I’m proud to be a voice for the LGBT community throughout the state and across the country,” Low said. “The Golden State has always been a leader in protecting civil rights and preventing discrimination. Our zero-tolerance policy says there is no room for discrimination of any kind in California, and will certainly not be tolerated beyond our borders,” he added.

In California, laws such as the Fair Employment and Housing Act and the Unruh Civil Rights Act prohibit discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodation, and services provided by business establishments on the basis of specified personal characteristics such as sex, gender, race, color, national origin, religion, and disability. However, a majority of states nationwide lack such comprehensive protections for LGBT people, and private educational institutions may seek a religiously-based federal waiver under Title IX that permits them to continue to receive public funding even while discriminating against LGBT people.  According to a recent report by the Human Rights Campaign, the rate of schools nationwide seeking waivers increased dramatically from one school in 2013, to more than 43 schools in 2015. Six are in California.

AB 1887 would ban state-funded travel to any state with a law in effect that sanctions or requires discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Last year, Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) that allows discrimination against the LGBT community and others based on religious beliefs, prompting several governors and mayors, including New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, to ban state- or city-funded travel to Indiana. This bill would ban state-funded travel to Indiana and other states that enact similar discriminatory RFRA laws.

AB 1888 would require all institutions receiving CalGrant dollars to certify to the California Student Aid Commission that they do not discriminate on the basis of, among other things, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. These institutions also would be prohibited from seeking a Title IX waiver from the U.S. Department of Education as a condition of receiving state funds.

“These bills send a clear message that the state of California does not tolerate discrimination in any form,” said Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California.  “Now that the LGBT community has won marriage equality and made so many positive strides in other areas, we are seeing a disturbing trend of our opponents using exemptions based on religious freedom to justify discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations and other areas.  These bills end state subsidies of educational institutions that refuse to treat all students and employees equally, as well as state-funded travel to jurisdictions that discriminate.”

The bills will be will be heard in committee this spring.

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Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization dedicated to creating a fair and just society. Our mission is to achieve and maintain full and lasting equality, acceptance and social justice for all people in our diverse LGBT communities, inside and outside of California. Our mission includes advancing the health and well-being of LGBT Californians through direct healthcare service advocacy and education. Through electoral, advocacy, education and mobilization programs, we strive to create a broad and diverse alliance of LGBT people, educators, government officials, communities of color and faith, labor, business, and social justice communities to achieve our goals. www.eqca.org

Sacramento – Equality California and The Trevor Project are sponsoring a bill introduced today by Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell (D – Long Beach) that would require local school districts statewide to adopt plans to prevent teen suicides.

AB 2246 would require local school boards to adopt plans on suicide prevention for students attending grades seven to 12. These plans would be developed together with suicide prevention experts, parents, student advocates and school mental health professionals. The bill also would require the state Department of Education to develop a model plan to serve as a guide for local districts.

“Our kids spend so much of their day in school that teachers serve as the first line of defense when a child is suffering from depression or suicidal thoughts,” said Assemblymember O’Donnell. “AB 2246 protects students going through difficult economic, physical or social challenges by ensuring teachers are trained to identify warning signs.”

The adoption of such plans is especially crucial to LGBT teens, who face bullying, harassment and a general lack of acceptance that may often lead to depression.

“Research shows that LGBT youth are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their straight peers, yet California is among just a handful of states that do not require that all schools have suicide prevention policies to protect our kids,” said Rick Zbur, Executive Director of Equality California. “This bill will help get teachers the resources they need to recognize and support at-risk students.”

“The Trevor Project is dedicated to co-lead this effort to ensure that educators in California are able to protect youth, including LGBTQ students, in their schools. We believe that this bill will set a precedent that will be a model for the rest of the country,” stated Abbe Land, Executive Director & CEO of The Trevor Project. “We thank Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell for introducing this ground-breaking bill.”

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10 to 24.

The bill now awaits referral to its first policy committee.

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 Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization dedicated to creating a fair and just society. Our mission is to achieve and maintain full and lasting equality, acceptance and social justice for all people in our diverse LGBT communities, inside and outside of California. Our mission includes advancing the health and well-being of LGBT Californians through direct healthcare service advocacy and education. Through electoral, advocacy, education and mobilization programs, we strive to create a broad and diverse alliance of LGBT people, educators, government officials, communities of color and faith, labor, business, and social justice communities to achieve our goals. www.eqca.org

About The Trevor Project

Founded in 1998 by the creators of the Academy Award®-winning short film TREVOR, The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24. Every day, The Trevor Project saves young lives through its accredited, free and confidential phone, instant message, and text messaging crisis intervention services. A leader and innovator in suicide prevention, The Trevor Project offers the largest safe social networking community for LGBTQ youth, best practice suicide prevention educational trainings, resources for youth and adults, and advocacy initiatives.