EQCA Announces Effort to Pass State Equal Rights Legislation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 21, 2005

Contact: Eddie Gutiérrez, Director of Communications
Phone: (323) 217-8875 Email: eddie [at] eqca.org

EQUALITY CALIFORNIA ANNOUNCES STATEWIDE GRASSROOTS EFFORT TO PASS COMPREHENSIVE 2005 EQUAL RIGHTS LEGISLATION FOR LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER CALIFORNIANS

Legislation on Protecting Religious Freedom and Ending Marriage License Discrimination, Ending “Blame the Victim” in Bias-Motivated LGBT Murders, Strengthening Gender Non-Discrimination in Health Insurance, Updating the Unruh Civil Rights Act, and Ensuring Fair Political Campaign Practices

SACRAMENTO, CA – Equality California (EQCA), California’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) advocacy and civil rights organization, announces today six historic pieces of legislation EQCA is sponsoring this year — the largest proposed expansion of LGBT civil rights in California history. In coalition with civil rights, labor, religious, business and other community organizations, Equality California is organizing the most comprehensive grassroots effort to date alongside local communities and its chapters across the state.

EQCA is asking individuals and organizations to come together in a statewide campaign of public education and increased visibility for LGBT families and friends regarding this vital legislation. This campaign will include meetings with legislators in Sacramento and their districts, grassroots advocacy of phone calls, emails, and letters, plus a mid-May state-wide summit and lobby day in Sacramento.

“2005 will be another landmark year for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights in California,” said Geoffrey Kors, Executive Director of Equality California. "Momentum, strength, and visibility continue to build on the side of equality and justice, and the majority of fair-minded Californians believe the LGBT community deserves the same equal treatment as any other resident of this great state. Working closely with California’s LGBT Legislative Caucus and developing a wide array of organizations and coalitions will make us stronger and more successful in achieving full equality for all. This is an opportunity for local communities to become active and get involved. EQCA chapters are being called to action to make history.”

Last year, five of the six Equality California-sponsored pieces of legislation were passed and made law resulting in California extending equal insurance coverage to registered domestic partners, improved and strengthened hate crime protections, and uniform employment and housing non-discrimination law.

EQCA is sponsoring the following legislation:

AB 19: Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act (Assemblymember Mark Leno) - This bill will guarantee the California Constitution’s protection of religious freedom and ensure equal treatment under the law by allowing same-sex couples to marry in California.

AB 1400: Civil Rights Act of 2005 (Assemblymember John Laird) - This bill amends California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act (Unruh Act) to clarify that people are protected from discrimination by business establishments regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or familial status.

AB 1160: “Panic” Excuse Prevention (Assemblymember Sally Lieber) - This bill would redefine “heat of passion” to prevent use of a “panic” strategy which relies on blaming the victim for a lighter sentence in murder trials for protected groups.

AB 866: Code of Fair Campaign Practices Bill (Assemblymember Leland Yee) - This bill adds sexual orientation and gender identity to the voluntary pledge provided for in the Code of Fair Campaign Practices that the candidate or campaign committee will not use or permit any appeal to negative prejudice based on the listed categories.

SB 973: Domestic Partner In-Fact Legislation for Public Employees (Senator Sheila Kuehl) - This legislation would create a process by which domestic partners that retired prior to the effective date of AB 205 (1-1-2005) to prove their relationship for death benefits.

AB 1586: Insurance Gender Non-Discrimination Bill (Assemblymember Paul Koretz) - The bill will add additional language to clarify existing anti-discrimination provisions under the California Health and Safety Code and the California Insurance Code to make explicit that state law prohibits insurance companies and health care service plans from discriminating on the basis of gender in the creation or maintenance of service contracts or the provision of benefits or coverage.

Founded in 1998, Equality California is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots-based, statewide advocacy organization whose mission is to ensure the dignity, safety, equality and civil rights of all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Californians. Equality California is one of the largest and fastest growing statewide LGBT organizations in the country. We can be contacted through our website at http://www.eqca.org.

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