California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus

The caucus was established to champion legislation that advances equality and the rights of LGBT Californians. Its members have introduced and passed numerous measures related to gay rights, including two same-sex marriage bills (both vetoed by the governor), bills prohibiting discrimination in state government, tackling orientation-based bullying in schools and adequately funding HIV/AIDS treatment.^[1] In December 2008, in the wake of the passage of Proposition 8, members of the LGBTQ Caucus pushed a resolution expressing the legislature's opinion that the proposition was unconstitutional.^[2]

In addition, the caucus sponsors an annual LGBT Pride Exhibit every June and presents the LGBT Pride Recognition Awards to outstanding Californians. In 2006, several Republican legislators boycotted the awards ceremony, walking off the Assembly floor as the awards were presented.^[3][4] This boycott stalled the ceremony for several years until 2009 when it was resurrected. In each year since, many Republicans have boycotted the ceremony.

A 2016 documentary film, Political Animals, by Jonah Markowitz features the accomplishments of California legislators Carole Migden, Sheila Kuehl, Jackie Goldberg, and Christine Kehoe.^[5]

27 openly LGBT people have served in the legislature and been members of the caucus – all gay or lesbian and Democrats. 13 of them are current office holders.

In addition, there have been two gay members of the legislature who, despite being open about their sexual orientation, were not members of the caucus. Republican state senator Roy Ashburn from Kern County came out in March 2010 after having been arrested while driving under the influence on his way home from a gay bar.^[6] He served the remaining eight months of his term but did not join the caucus. Republican Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, also openly gay, did not join the caucus after being elected in 2024.

There have also been members of the legislature who, though not open about their sexuality at the time they served in public office, subsequently declared themselves gay or lesbian. Dennis Mangers, who represented Orange County in the Assembly from 1976 to 1980, married his partner of 17 years, Michael Sestak, in June 2008.^[7] Art Torres, who served 8 years in the Assembly and 12 in the State Senate before going on to spend 13 years as chair of the California Democratic Party, came out publicly in April 2009.^[8]