Great day lobbying legislators today!

[SugarMagnolia]

I spent today with a couple hundred of my closest LGBTQ friends lobbing the California legislature in support of a large number of pro-LGBTQ bills sponsored by Equality California and others. We spent the morning in front of the California capitol building in Sacramento planning our visits, discussing the legislation, getting to know each other and staging a rally for the press. In the afternoon we met with various members of the legislature and to encourage them to vote for our bills. 

My group was focused on health including mental health and our priority bills were focused on: making paid conversion therapy a fraud under our state's consumer fraud statutes; and ensuring that foster youth are given full access to gender health services to which they are already entitled. In all, we lobbied on behalf of 9 bills and the entire collection of advocates met with every member of the state senate and assembly. 

I was proud to participate, out and proud, and had a great time doing so. Spending time with so many committed LGBTQ folks was inspiring and getting to know many of them better was a true honor!

~Julie

 

 

[VickySGV]

One of the women on the Board of Directors of my LGBT Community Center was up there with you. I actually think I see her in your bottom picture just left of center. (the picture not her political position)  She has not reported back to us yet, but it must have been quite a day.  I am happy to know that a couple of our less accepting legislators are going to be out of the picture soon.  On the whole though, we Californians have it pretty good compared to other states.

[SugarMagnolia]

We do indeed have it pretty good! There's definitely room for improvement, though. Even people in California forget just how many very conservative areas of the state we really have. I live in one and am doing my best to flip our representation to someone more willing to represent me as well. ?

My group talked to 2 Republican senators and one Democratic assembly woman yesterday. The senators listened, but are both in very conservative areas that would not brook dissent. I'd be surprised if we got their support on anything, but you never know. All you can do is try to sow the seeds and hope that some take root!

[Carolyn Marie]

Thanks for all you do on our behalf, Julie.  It's nice to know that you, and many other dedicated people like you, are up there lobbying and working to make our lives better and safer.

 

 

Carolyn Marie

[SugarMagnolia]

Happy to do it, Carolyn Marie. Political activism is what's allowing me to get out of bed everyday during this administration. ?

The people doing the really hard work in this are people like Evan Low who's sponsoring the conversion therapy ban bill and taking a TON of heat for it. Being able to show up to support him and the other LGBTQ legislators and allies is an honor.

Any phone calls or emails California residents make to their representatives for the bills below is also super helpful!

https://www.eqca.org/legislation/2018-legislation/

[Jani]

I'm not a Californian Julie but I did live there at two different points in my life.   Thank you and your friends for this action. It's the kind of grass roots campaigning that seems to make a difference.  

 

Jani