The state Democratic Party's LGBT Caucus elected new leadership during last weekend's state convention, and for the first time in recent memory, a San Franciscan does not hold one of the top four posts.
The caucus leadership is split between northern and southern California, with a chair and vice chair for both regions. Historically, at least one of the chairs and one of the vice chairs has been a woman.
Laurie McBride, co-chair of the National Stonewall Democrats and a Sacramento resident, is the new northern California co-chair, and Clark Williams , who ran unsuccessfully to replace Ken Yeager on the San Jose City Council, is the new northern California vice chair.
Jess Durfee, chair of the San Diego County Democratic Party, is the new southern California co-chair. Gloria Johnson, also from San Diego, is the new southern California vice chair. She was termed out as southern chair this year, and Fred Bilodeau , of Cathedral City, had served as southern vice chair.
The sole San Francisco resident among the leadership is transgender activist Cecilia Chung, who is the new caucus treasurer. She replaces Doug Chase from San Diego.
San Francisco resident and Stanford professor Joan Roughgarden , the first transgender person to join the caucus' leadership, stepped down as caucus secretary. Los Angeles resident John Cleary will now fill the post.
McBride said she and Durfee want to move away from caucus meetings being a platform for politicians to glad hand LGBT convention delegates, and instead, focus the caucus' attention on LGBT legislation in Sacramento and recruiting more LGBT people to run for political offices. The two chairs also want to provide more assistance to LGBT Democratic clubs throughout the state.
"We have a pretty good slate of ideas about how to make the caucus more meaningful and responsive to the clubs and the community statewide," said McBride.
Williams, who in 2004 founded San Jose's LGBT Democratic club, said he hopes to use his new post to draw more LGBT people into the Democratic Party.
"It is a great way to influence public policy and encourage more gays and lesbians to get involved in the Democratic Party," he said.
The loss of the chairmanship has led to some grumblings among local queer politicos that the voice of San Francisco's LGBT community in statewide politics will be diminished.
For decades a San Franciscan has been northern California chair. Paul Hogan held the post for the last four years, and prior to his election, Rebecca Prozan served in the position for two, two-year terms. Before her the late Robert Barnes and Carole Migden, now a state senator, held the position.
"I am very, very, very disappointed about that," said Prozan. "There is such a wealth and talent in this town, for us not to serve as northern co-chair of the Democratic Party LGBT Caucus is disappointing. As outgoing chair I made sure I found a very talented person to take my position."
Debra Walker, who had been vice chair, passed on running for chair to focus on being president of the San Francisco Building Inspection Commission and prepare for a potential run to replace Supervisor Chris Daly, who will be termed out of office in 2011. Walker had approached Laura Spanjian about running for the post, but she too opted not to seek the seat. Spanjian is considered a likely candidate to replace Supervisor Bevan Dufty, who will also be termed out in 2011.
McBride does have ties to San Francisco, having worked for Kevin Shelley when he served on the Board of Supervisors in the early 1990s.
"I was in San Francisco politics a long, long time," said McBride. As for being co-chair of the caucus, she said, "The main thing is showing up and being a conduit back to the region."
Scott Wiener, the openly gay chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party, said a change at the top of the LGBT caucus was needed.
"Jess and Laurie are terrific. The caucus needs new energy," said Wiener. "I am really optimistic about what the caucus is going to be able to do with this leadership."
Hogan, who is taking a break from state politics, doesn't believe handing over the reins of the caucus to someone outside the Bay Area will lessen local queers' ability to impact what goes on in Sacramento.
"Certainly, there is a long history of us being in the leadership. On statewide issues, we are far more united as a community," said Hogan, a senior programmer at the law firm of Howard and Rice, which is assisting with the city's gay marriage lawsuit against the state. "I am sure we will be in very capable hands with Laurie and the new leadership coming in."
Rec and park's gay vacancy
Where local LGBTs have seen their voice diminished is on the city's Recreation and Park Commission. There has not been an openly LGBT commissioner since Prozan left in August 2004.
Rec and Park spokeswoman Rose Dennis said, "We have been criticized for that, but we don't appoint a person. The mayor does."
The commission does have a vacant seat; John Murray , who is African American and represented business interests, resigned over two months ago. Asked if Mayor Gavin Newsom is considering naming an out commissioner to fill Murray's seat, mayoral spokesman Nathan Ballard would not say if an LGBT candidate is under consideration.
"The mayor is in the process of trying to fill that seat. The mayor is committed to having diverse picks for his commissions," said Ballard, who said the mayor would select a person soon. "Across the board he is committed to recruiting and retaining LGBT members."
The importance of having the LGBT community at the table can be seen in the feud between outdoor event producers, such as Pride and gay street fairs, and the department over proposed increases in fees that event producers fear could put them out of business.
Two weeks ago, Newsom stepped into the fee fight, convincing rec and park officials to delay voting on the proposal while his staff hammered out a compromise with event producers. The commission had been expected to take up the issue at its meeting today (Thursday, May 3) but the item will not be agendized until later.
"We know we are going to get bopped on the head no matter what," said Dennis. "It is such a sensitive situation we need the time to do it right."