The results of the November 2 election will impact the fight for LGBT equality for years to come. Yet with Election Day less than two weeks away, experts are predicting a low turnout, especially among the voting groups that are most supportive of LGBT equality.
While there has been a frustrating lack of progress at the federal level to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, failing to vote in this election is not the solution and will only hurt our efforts, especially here in California where there is so much at stake.
Over the past decade, California has led the nation in passing pro-equality legislation. We created the nation's first domestic partner registry, established protections for LGBT youth and seniors, required equality in insurance, won the strongest protections for transgender individuals in the country and passed bills that would have allowed same-sex couples to marry. But we simply couldn't have made such incredible strides without the support and advocacy of elected officials who have stood firm with us. This election, Californians will vote for candidates who will either champion our ongoing struggle to achieve full equality or candidates who will stand in our way and could even work to undo our hard-fought victories. Leading up to and on Election Day, each and every member of the LGBT community and our allies must step up to ensure that we elect both LGBT candidates and strong allies for governor, attorney general, the state legislature, judges and for other key offices so that we can continue making significant progress toward our goal of achieving full equality.
What is at stake?
Our next governor and attorney general will play a particularly crucial role in many issues impacting LGBT Californians, including the ongoing federal challenge to Proposition 8 and our fight to permanently restore marriage equality. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown made the principled decision not to defend the discriminatory Prop 8 in court. The state of California refused to defend its own law, withholding its immense legal resources and skilled attorneys, which sent a powerful message against the inequality same-sex couples and their families face. Only extremist groups with a dangerous anti-LGBT agenda were left to defend Prop 8 in court. The moral stance of Schwarzenegger and Brown against the evils of Prop 8 have undoubtedly played a significant role in moving us closer to achieving equality.
But in November, the landscape could change dramatically. Our next governor and attorney general will decide whether to throw the state's powerful weight behind Prop 8 during the ongoing federal challenge of the measure. Gubernatorial candidate Brown and attorney general candidate Kamala Harris have promised to maintain the state's position against Prop 8 and have repeatedly pledged not to defend it. However, both gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman and Steve Cooley, candidate for attorney general, have consistently promised to defend Prop 8, despite a federal judge's ruling that deemed the measure a clear violation of the U.S. Constitution. Noted legal experts such as UC Irvine Law School Dean Erwin Chemerinsky have said that our next governor or attorney general could significantly impact the case if they change course and ask the courts to overturn Walker's decision.
Further, in the race for lieutenant governor, we have the opportunity to elect a true pioneer and longtime ally in the fight for marriage equality, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who is squaring off against Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado, who opposes LGBT equality and who recently attacked Newsom for his support of transgender programs as mayor. We must do everything we can to elect leaders who unequivocally support LGBT equality to our state's highest three offices as well to other statewide positions.
NOM stepping up its efforts to fight LGBT equality
Our opponents also know just how critical this November's elections are in their fight to deny LGBT Californians equality and to keep same-sex couples from marrying. In fact, the National Organization for Marriage, a virulent anti-LGBT extremist group, has spent a huge sum in support of anti-equality candidates. NOM is backing California Assembly candidate Andrew Pugno, one of the architects of Prop 8, and U.S. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina, who also supports Prop 8, in her bid against Senator Barbara Boxer. NOM just launched a television ad campaign attacking Pugno's opponent, Dr. Richard Pan, using the same scare tactics used to pass Prop 8. Pan supports full equality and has been endorsed by Equality California's political action committee.
Despite NOM and other anti-LGBT opponents' vast arsenal, Equality California PAC, which only endorses candidates who support full equality for our entire community, has already seen key successes with our election work. In the June primaries, Californians voted overwhelmingly for candidates who support full equality for the LGBT community, and with the dedication of our members, thousands of volunteers and our staff, we helped a record number of openly LGBT candidates win their primaries for seats in the California Legislature. Based on the June primary, it is virtually assured that when the California Assembly and Senate kicks off the 2011 legislative session, it will be with the largest percentage of LGBT members in the history of both our state and our nation. More than 5 percent of our state's legislators will be LGBT officials, including LGBT Legislative Caucus Chair, incumbent Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco), who is running for re-election in District 13. Ammiano has been an incredible champion for our community, and we need his passion and commitment in the Legislature, especially if Pugno is elected.
A historic opportunity to elect LGBT judges
In addition, our new initiative to add more LGBT judges to the bench was also a success with all three Equality California endorsed judicial candidates either winning their elections outright (Linda Colfax in San Francisco) or coming in first and facing runoffs in November. In what is a truly historic election, Victoria Kolakowski, Alameda County judicial candidate, has a strong chance of becoming the nation's first transgender judge this fall. Moreover, in San Francisco, Michael Nava could become California's first elected openly gay Latino judge. Both races are expected to be very close, and your vote, donation, and volunteer work could make the difference.
What you can do
With much at stake in November, it's absolutely vital that every member of the LGBT community and all of our allies do everything we can to elect only those candidates who are 100 percent in support of LGBT equality. Equality California is leading the effort to turn out LGBT and allied voters. We are mailing more than a quarter of a million pieces of election mail, making tens of thousands of phone calls to supportive voters, donating money, running a major get-out-the-vote operation and putting staff and volunteers in the field to support our endorsed candidates. Please help us support these candidates by donating, volunteering and, of course, voting. You can volunteer at one of our offices or even at home by sending an e-mail to [email protected] with "Call from Home" in the subject line. We will send you a list of voters to call and to encourage to vote. Electing these candidates will not only strengthen our movement, but it will also send a strong message to LGBT and questioning youth – that our state's elected leaders will stand with us in our struggle for full equality. There is simply too much on the line to sit this election out. For more information, including Equality California's voter guide, visit www.eqcapac.org.
Geoff Kors is the executive director of Equality California.