Politics

Political Notes: CA LGBTQ 2024 US House races begin to take shape

Political Notes: CA LGBTQ 2024 US House races begin to take shape

  • POLITICS
  • by Matthew S. Bajko
  • Mar 13, 2023

With less than a year until the 2024 primary election in California, the U.S. House races in the state with LGBTQ candidates are beginning to come into focus.

As SF moves to end travel ban, gay legislator stands by state policy

As SF moves to end travel ban, gay legislator stands by state policy

  • POLITICS
  • by Matthew S. Bajko
  • Mar 8, 2023

With San Francisco officials moving to repeal their restriction on taxpayer-funded travel to conservative states, the author of California's travel ban policy has no plans to follow suit.

Political Notebook: SF supervisors reject mayoral historic panel nominee

Political Notebook: SF supervisors reject mayoral historic panel nominee

  • POLITICS
  • by Matthew S. Bajko
  • Mar 7, 2023

A mayoral appointee to the San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission was rejected Tuesday by a majority of the city's supervisors, who cited her lack of qualifications to serve in the historian seat on the oversight body as the reason.

With queer historians interested, SF supes face calls to reject mayor's pick for historic panel

With queer historians interested, SF supes face calls to reject mayor's pick for historic panel

  • POLITICS
  • by Matthew S. Bajko
  • Mar 3, 2023

San Francisco supervisors are facing calls to reject a mayoral appointee to the city's Historic Preservation Commission over questions about her qualifications to serve in a seat designated for a historian.

Political Notes: Majority of CA trial courts lack LGBTQ judges

Political Notes: Majority of CA trial courts lack LGBTQ judges

  • POLITICS
  • by Matthew S. Bajko
  • Mar 2, 2023

For more than a decade California's courts have been required to release sexual orientation and gender identity demographic data on judges in an effort to help diversify the bench.

Political Notebook: SF gay GOP leader opposes changing city park name

Political Notebook: SF gay GOP leader opposes changing city park name

  • POLITICS
  • by Matthew S. Bajko
  • Mar 1, 2023

The president of a group for LGBTQ Republicans has come out in opposition to changing the name of a San Francisco park site that honors the city's last GOP leader to be elected mayor.

UPDATED: San Francisco supervisors move to end travel and contract bans covering conservative states

UPDATED: San Francisco supervisors move to end travel and contract bans covering conservative states

  • POLITICS
  • by Matthew S. Bajko
  • Feb 28, 2023

San Francisco supervisors have pushed back a vote to ax San Francisco's ban on city agencies doing business with companies headquartered in states that have adopted anti-LGBTQ laws, abortion bans, or restricted voting access in recent years.

Political Notes: CA GOP ex-legislator with best LGBTQ rating seeks return to Sacto

Political Notes: CA GOP ex-legislator with best LGBTQ rating seeks return to Sacto

  • POLITICS
  • by Matthew S. Bajko
  • Feb 27, 2023

A former Republican member of the California Assembly who had the best voting record in 2022 on LGBTQ bills among her GOP colleagues is vying to return to Sacramento next year.

Political Notebook: Gay Vallejo councilman aims to address teen smoking

Political Notebook: Gay Vallejo councilman aims to address teen smoking

  • POLITICS
  • by Matthew S. Bajko
  • Feb 15, 2023

Vallejo's new gay City Council member is aiming to address teen smoking in his Solano County city this year.

Feinstein, former SF mayor, won't run again for US Senate

Feinstein, former SF mayor, won't run again for US Senate

  • POLITICS
  • by John Ferrannini
  • Feb 14, 2023

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein — who took office as San Francisco mayor in 1978 the day the late mayor George Moscone and supervisor Harvey Milk were assassinated — announced Tuesday she doesn't intend to seek another term in the Senate next year.

LGBTQ Agenda: Civil liberties, queer groups upset with bipartisan social media bill

LGBTQ Agenda: Civil liberties, queer groups upset with bipartisan social media bill

  • POLITICS
  • by John Ferrannini
  • Feb 14, 2023

Some LGBTQ and civil liberties groups are sounding the alarm about bipartisan federal legislation intended to protect minors online, which they say will empower Republican-led state governments to clamp down on freedom of speech.

San Francisco supervisors eye ending contract ban covering states with anti-LGBTQ laws, abortion bans

San Francisco supervisors eye ending contract ban covering states with anti-LGBTQ laws, abortion bans

  • POLITICS
  • by Matthew S. Bajko
  • Feb 13, 2023

A controversial proposal that San Francisco end its contracting ban with companies headquartered in states that have adopted anti-LGBTQ laws, abortion bans, or restricted voting access in recent years will soon be taken up by the Board of Supervisors.

SF mayor defiant in State of the City: 'like air, I rise'

SF mayor defiant in State of the City: 'like air, I rise'

Mayor London Breed made downtown revitalization a key part of her State of the City address in the city's Dogpatch neighborhood midday Thursday, in a defiant address where she said San Francisco has seen tough times before, yet has always survived.

Political Notebook: Lesbian CA Senator Menjivar settles into Sacramento

Political Notebook: Lesbian CA Senator Menjivar settles into Sacramento

  • POLITICS
  • by Matthew S. Bajko
  • Feb 8, 2023

Providing a video tour of her Sacramento office via Twitter in early January, lesbian state Senator Caroline Menjivar (D-San Fernando Valley) showed off the entry area and shared workspace for her staff.