California to have record 10% LGBT legislature – Washington Examiner
California’s reputation as a trailblazer is about to add another statistic — a record-breaking number of LGBT members in its state legislature.
Three Democrats who are likely winners of the midterm election will bring the total up to 10% LGBT representation, a first in the nation. Depending on the outcome, this will mean 12 to 14 members, including four to six new ones, Mercury News reported.
The seats are in Los Angeles and its suburbs. The secretary of state has announced that election results will be certified by Dec. 16.
“Representation is power,” said Equality California Executive Director Tony Hoang in a statement. “LGBTQ+ people belong in every room and deserve a seat at every table where decisions impacting our community and our lives are being made. While state legislatures across the country attack our community — and our trans kids and LGBTQ+ students in particular — California will continue to lead the nation’s fight for LGBTQ+ equality and serve as a beacon of hope to LGBTQ+ people everywhere, in no small part because of our historic, proportional representation in Sacramento.”
This year California became the first sanctuary state for minors undergoing transgender medical care, opposing a trend by other states to outlaw such procedures. Arkansas was the first state in 2021, followed by Texas and others.
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Races have been called for Steve Padilla in the Senate and Corey Jackson in the Assembly, who will be the state’s first black gay state legislator. Former Equality California Executive Director Rick Chavez Zbur is expected to win his Assembly seat with both candidates in the 20th Senate District, Caroline Menjivar and Daniel Hertzberg, being LGBT.
Assemblyman Evan Low, who heads the Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, pointed out that Harvey Milk was elected about 45 years ago in California as the state’s first openly gay elected official. Milk was on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and the focus of a movie starring Sean Penn.
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“At a time when extremists have done everything they can to demonize our community, we’ve proven that California will continue to be a guiding light for our country,” Low said. “We did this together, and I know it is just the beginning.”