Equality California is poised to become a leader in the ongoing resistance to President Donald Trump and his administration.
At its sold-out San Francisco Equality Awards gala last weekend, Executive Director Rick Zbur spoke about the challenges LGBTs face under the new administration. "It's fair to say the world has changed," he said. "This is a test of our community."
Over the last three years, Zbur has worked to shore up EQCA's bottom line and that has paid off. California may be deep blue when it comes to our statewide officeholders and Legislature, but there are 14 Republicans in Congress from the Golden State. Zbur explained that EQCA has a plan to flip some of those seats. If he and other allies are successful, it could help the Democrats take back control of the House.
Seven Republican members of Congress in California represent districts that voted for Hillary Clinton last year. Zbur said those seats are in the Central Valley, Orange County, and San Diego. EQCA has hired full-time organizers to start talking with voters and doing other outreach work. It makes sense to begin that organizing now, rather than in the heat of a campaign, as we learned from the Proposition 8 experience in 2008. EQCA is also broadly focusing on issues such as health care, immigration, civil rights, voting rights, and climate change, in addition to marriage rights, Zbur said. All are important, and all affect the LGBTQ community.
Flipping some of those seven seats would help increase the chances of Democrats controlling the House; it's important to look at each congressional district, identify good candidates, and get them elected. One district at a time. Trump's diehard supporters (about 40 percent) may not have tired of him yet, but plenty of other folks who voted for him are beginning to sober up. The more Congress tries to screw over working and middle-class people, the more they will see that Trump's GOP is out of control and actively working against their interests.
There's also the U.S. Supreme Court, which is one retirement or death away from giving the president an opportunity to nominate another extreme conservative. (Neil Gorsuch, who was recently sworn in, took the place of the late Antonin Scalia, so didn't fundamentally alter the court's 5-4 conservative edge.)
"We know what we need to do," Zbur said. "We need to protect and defend our community."
EQCA also has a robust state legislative package this year, aimed at revamping some outdated laws and developing new ones. In recent weeks we have reported that the organization backs a proposed law that would change how sex offenders are tracked and another that would modernize HIV criminalization laws. Both laws are outdated and negatively affect gay men; they're holdovers from a time when gays were considered perverts worthy of punishment. Two bills that aim to ease the state's name change procedures for transgender, intersex, and non-binary individuals are also moving through the Legislature.
Next week, LGBTs and allies have a chance to advocate for those and other state bills at EQCA's Advocacy Day. Joining with the Human Rights Campaign, LGBTQ Advocacy Day takes place Tuesday, May 16 in Sacramento. It's an opportunity for activists to learn about the legislative process and how to effectively lobby lawmakers while becoming advocates for equality and social justice. EQCA, HRC, and other organizations will be lobbying on issues important to the LGBT community like health care, education, HIV/AIDS, and trans rights.
After some fiscal uncertainty before Zbur took the reins, EQCA now finds itself reenergized – and rebounding financially. It has set achievable goals and collaborates with other LGBT and allied organizations. That's a good recipe going forward. LGBTs are going to need our allies to stand up to Trump who is more interested – and invested – in his personal businesses than running the country. As we saw earlier this year, many Americans are not sold on Trumpcare, which would gut coverage for the poorest and jack up costs for the sickest.
Zbur said he wants Congress members "to fear us more than they fear the tea party." And they will, if we defeat more incumbent Republicans in the midterm elections.