SAN DIEGO — Equality California (EQCA) today announced that Supervisor Dave Roberts will be honored at the San Diego Equality Awards with the EQCA Leadership Award, and that nominations are now open for the event’s State Farm Good Neighbor Award. Roberts is the proudly gay District 3 supervisor for the County of San Diego, and…
John O’Connor was appointed as executive director of Equality California (EQCA) December 2012. O’Connor brings much experience to the role with more than 15 years of cause-related work and a strong record of accomplishment. In his previous role as executive director of the LGBT Community Center of the Desert, O’Connor planned and executed a complete…
On the heels of the controversy surrounding the Boys Scouts of America’s policy to exclude members of the LGBT community as scouts or adult leaders, today state Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Long Beach) and Equality California announced the introduction of new legislation that would remove a state tax exemption for any youth group, including the Boy…
SAN DIEGO – Equality California announced today the endorsement of Assemblymember Ben Hueso for the 40th District of the state Senate, representing Imperial County and parts of San Diego and Riverside Counties. Hueso currently represents the 80th District of the state Assembly, and is running to replace Rep. Juan Vargas, who won election to U.S….
Equality California and its Board of Directors announced today that John O’Connor, a seasoned nonprofit executive with deep ties in the LGBT community, will serve as the new executive director of Equality California and Equality California Institute. O’Connor will begin his tenure Dec. 3. “I am honored to lead Equality California forward as the statewide…
Gov. Jerry Brown has signed Senate Bill 1140 (Religious Freedom in Marriage Solemnization), authored by Sen. Mark Leno and co-sponsored by Equality California and California Council of Churches IMPACT. The new law, which will go into effect Jan. 1, 2013, reaffirms the freedom of clergy to make faith-based decisions regarding which marriages they solemnize and…
A coalition of more than 30 national religious leaders gathered by Gaylesta, an LGBTQ psychotherapy association that provides mental health services including therapist referrals, education and consultation and Rev. Rebecca Voelkel, faith work director for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund and convenor of the National Religious Leadership Roundtable, have endorsed Senate Bill 1172,…
The California State Senate has voted 26 to 10 to approve a bill that would ensure that women in same-sex relationships and single women can access fertility services on the same terms as women in different-sex relationships. Assembly Bill 2356, authored by Assemblymember Nancy Skinner and co-sponsored by Equality California and the National Center for…
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A bill designed to make foster care safer and more supportive for LGBT youth was approved by the state Senate, Aug. 23, in a 23-12 vote. Assembly Bill 1856, authored by Assemblymember Tom Ammiano and sponsored by Equality California and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, will require existing training programs for…
SAN FRANCISCO – The California state Senate have voted 34-1 to approve AB 1700, which remedies unequal treatment in the tax code that would protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender seniors at significant financial disadvantage from unfair tax increases that may result in the loss of their homes after the death of a partner. The…
