Calif. Statehouse LGBT Legislative Caucus grows to 7, largest in USA

[Newsjock]

Source: Bay Area Reporter

As expected California's LGBT Legislative Caucus will grow to seven members following Tuesday's election. Once sworn into office Monday, December 6, the septet will comprise the largest bloc of openly gay state legislators in the country.

Three Democratic freshmen out Assembly members – Toni Atkins in San Diego's District 76; Rich Gordon in San Mateo County's District 21; and Ricardo Lara in Los Angeles County's District 50 – will join Assembly Speaker John A. Perez (D-Los Angeles) and Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco), who chairs the LGBT caucus.

Lara and Gordon's wins mark the first time that out candidates have been elected to the statehouse from districts without LGBT neighborhoods.

... In addition to the five members of the Legislature's lower house will be out state Senators Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego), neither of whom were on Tuesday's ballot.

... The sweetest victory of the night for EQCA and LGBT Californians came in the defeat of GOP Assembly candidate Andrew Pugno , who authored and helped pass Proposition 8, the constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage in California.

Read more: http://ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=5216

[paulflorez]

1. Toni Atkins is my Rep and Kehoe is my Senator!

My district rocks!!!

Also I read that we now have 4 LGBT Congresspeople, up from 3!

[FreeState]

3. North Park here - Atkins and Kehoe are great

It was nice to see Todd Gloria follow in their city council footsteps too. I love my district;)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. This is great news!

I hope they will be able to accomplish much!

Recommended.

[FreeState]

4. K&R - maybe some day GLBT lawmakers numbers will be equal to the population at large

6-10% would be 3-4 Senators and 6-8 Assembly members. But it's a great start!