2013 year end report

www.eqca.org

2013 YEAR END REPORT

A YEAR OF VICTORIES, A YEAR OF GROWTH.

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EQUALITY CALIFORNIAEquality California is the largest statewide Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) advocacy organization in California, working to secure full and lasting equality for, and acceptance of, LGBT people. Over the past decade, Equality California has partnered with social justice advocates, businesses, grassroots supporters and legislative leaders to strategically move California from a state with extremely limited legal protections for LGBT people to a state with some of the most comprehensive human rights protections in the nation. Equality California, together with our allies, has successfully passed 96 pieces of pro-equality legislation. EQCA continues to advance equality through legislative advocacy, electoral work, public education and community empowerment.

A YEAR OF VICTORIES, A YEAR OF GROWTH.

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Dear Friends, It’s been exactly one year since I started as the Executive Director of Equality California and it’s been a tremendous year of victories and a year of growth for our organization and the equality movement. In June, we all rejoiced when the Supreme Court ruled that proponents of Prop. 8 lacked legal standing and dismissed the case — effectively returning the freedom to marry to the Golden State! That same day a second groundbreaking decision came when the Court ruled that Section 3 of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act was unconstitutional. This decision affirmed that all loving and com-mitted couples who marry deserve equal legal respect and treatment. This year has also been a year of growth for EQCA and accomplishments through our legislative advocacy, EQCA Institute and political action committees, including the following highlights:

• Passing Historic Pro-equality

Legislation: EQCA’s advocacy led to

the legislature passing, and the

Governor signing, four pieces of pro-

LGBT legislation this year!

Included in our legislative package

were groundbreaking bills to help

transgender youth and adults live

authentic lives, a bill ensuring LGBT

elders are given adequate care in

senior facilities and legislation ensuring

tax parity for same-sex couples .

• Connecting LGBT Californians with

Health Care Options: This

year, with funding from the California

Endowment, EQCA expanded the

Equality California Institute by

launching our “Health Happens with

Equality” and “La Salud Ocurre con

Igualdad” public education campaigns

designed to connect thousands of

uninsured LGBT Californians with the

resources needed to enroll in the

health care option that matches their

needs.

• Expanding California’s Pro-Equality

Majority: We continued our work to

protect and expand the pro-equality

majority in the California Legislature,

and this year we helped elect six 100%

pro-equality candidates in the six

special elections that were held

throughout the state.

• Court Victory Upholding California

Ban on “Conversion” Therapy: In

August, a significant victory for EQCA,

and the LGBT movement came when a

U.S. Appeals Court ruled in favor of

justice and upheld SB 1172 – a 2012

EQCA co-sponsored law that banned

harmful “conversion” therapy practices

in California for youth. Thanks to our

friends at NCLR and Munger Tolles LLP,

our victory in this case is being

replicated nationwide.

• Safe Schools Audit: Prompted by

reports of pervasive, and often severe,

bullying and harassment against LGBT

students, EQCA and Gay-Straight

Alliance Network partnered with then

Assemblymembers Ricardo Lara and

Betsy Butler to call on the Joint

Legislative Audit Committee to

authorize an audit of local education

agencies and to report on the level of

compliance with laws that protect

students from discrimination, bullying

and harassment. The audit was

released this summer and we now have

data to show shortcomings in student

safety and have begun working closely

with the Department of Education and

education leaders statewide to make

sure that LGBT youth are safe, and that

districts are compliant with federal and

state law.

This is just scratching the surface of what

an incredible journey 2013 has been for

me, EQCA and you. The victories — and

challenges — that we saw this year serve

as a vivid reminder of the work that still

remains and underscores the need for a

strong LGBT political organization.

Thanks to your continued support, EQCA

is alive and well and more effective than

ever. I invite you to review this report to

learn how our collective work is changing

lives.

Sincerely,

John O’Connor

A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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On June 26, 2013, EQCA staff and supporters rallied outside of our West Hollywood office when the Supreme Court ruled that Prop. 8 pro-ponents lacked legal standing to defend the case. The case was dismissed — effectively returning the freedom to marry to the Golden State!

THE FREEDOM TO MARRY RETURNS!

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• Freedom to Marry Returns, Section 3 of DOMA Unconstitutional In June, the United States Supreme Court dismissed the final

appeal in the Hollingsworth v. Perry case, better known as the

Prop. 8 case, restoring the freedom to marry in California. The

Court ruled by a vote of 5-4 that the proponents of Prop. 8 had

no legal standing to bring the appeal.

The Court’s decision vacated the ruling of the Ninth Circuit

Court of Appeals and left in place the federal trial court ruling

of Judge Vaughn Walker, who invalidated Prop. 8 in 2010,

concluding that the measure violates the Constitution’s

guarantee of equal protection and the fundamental right to

marry.

In a separate ruling, the Supreme Court held that Section 3 of

the federal so-called Defense of Marriage Act was

unconstitutional, meaning married same-sex couples in

California and other states will have full access to federal

protections and benefits.

EQCA has long worked to secure the freedom to marry in

California. In 2000, Prop. 22 passed, entrenching the ban on

marriage for same-sex couples. In 2004, EQCA joined four

other parties challenging Prop. 22 in court, culminating in a

ruling from the California Supreme Court in 2008 that banning

marriage for same-sex couples violated the equal protection

clause of the California Constitution. California became the

first state in the nation to pass marriage legislation for same-

sex couples in 2005 and 2007 when the state legislature twice

passed bills that would have allowed same-sex couples to

marry. EQCA was also a leader in the No on 8 campaign and

after its passage, mounted a large public education campaign

which helped shift the public opinion in California.

• Protecting LGBT Californians by Passing a Robust Pro-Equality Legislative Package EQCA’s advocacy with the legislature resulted in the Governor

signing four pieces of pro-LGBT legislation this year, with bills

focusing on transgender rights, tax parity for same-sex

couples and protections for LGBT seniors:

School Success and Opportunity Act AB1266 - Assemblymember Tom Ammiano

Every student — including transgender students — should

have a fair chance to fully participate and succeed in school.

The School Success and Opportunity Act addresses the

exclusion of transgender students from classes and activities,

and restates existing anti-discrimination law to provide clear

protections for transgender students.

Transgender Name Changes and Birth Certificates AB1121 - Assemblymember Toni Atkins

California procedures to change a person’s name and/or

gender were extremely costly and burdensome, particularly for

low-income transgender individuals who may not meet the very

low income limits to be eligible for court fee waivers. AB 1121

simplifies the process required for name changes and ensures

that a transgender person’s gender identity is reflected

accurately on important identity documents.

LGBT Cultural Competency Training for Administrators in Senior Care Facilities AB 663 - Assemblymember Jimmy Gomez

Ensures that administrators of residential care facilities have

an additional five hours of training in cultural competency and

sensitivity in aging LGBT issues.

2013 VICTORIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

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LGBT Health Insurance Tax Parity AB362 - Assemblymember Phil Ting

Although DOMA has been struck down, according to the Franchise Tax Board, the

compensation provided to employees by their employers in the 2013 taxable year to

make up for unfair federal taxes they had to pay in order to cover a partner or spouse on

health insurance is still subject to state income taxes. AB 362 will provide relief from state

taxes for employees who receive this compensation from their employer in fiscal year

2013. AB 362 also covers employees with a same-sex registered domestic partner to give

these couples up to five years to transition to marriage without incurring this state tax on

their employer-provided reimbursements for unfair federal tax payments.

Benefits for LGBT Veterans

AJR 19 - Assemblymember Dr. Richard Pan

Assembly Joint Resolution 19 urges Congress and the President to provide or reinstate

benefits, including applicable spousal benefits, to our military men and women who have

been discriminated against due to their sexual orientation.

Russia’s Anti-LGBT Laws

SR 18 - Senator Mark Leno

Senate Resolution 18 addresses the anti-gay laws recently passed in Russia, in particular

by urging CalPERS and CalSTRS not to invest future resources from their pension plans in

Russia. The resolution condemns the laws as an affront to people across the world who

identify as LGBT.

“Equality California continues to be our ‘go-to’ partner on every political and policy issue impacting the lives of the LGBT community in California. EQCA’s Executive Director, John O’Connor, has navigated a steep learning curve, hired a core of talented staff, and become an invaluable strategic partner in keeping California at the vanguard of full justice and dignity for LGBT people.”

Kate Kendell Executive Director National Center for Lesbian Rights

“EQCA and TLC developed a strong stra-tegic partnership this year around pieces of legislation to better protect transgender students and to simplify the process required for a name change to reflect a person’s gender identity. I look forward to strengthening our partnership in the next year and continuing to address important issues impacting California’s transgender community.”

Masen Davis Executive Director Transgender Law Center

“California remains at the forefront of pushing for groundbreaking pro-equality legislation that sets the tone for the rest of the country. We laid the foundation this year to advance a first-in-the-nation bill to stop special tax breaks for youth organiza-tions that discriminate against gay youth and leaders. Working with EQCA, we made history by securing the first-ever 2/3rds vote in any legislative chamber for an LGBT bill and we’ll redouble our efforts in 2014.”

Senator Ricardo Lara Chairman, California Legislative Latino Caucus Board Member, EQCA Institute

WHAT LEADERS ARE SAYING ABOUT EQCA

“The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community celebrated incredible victories

this year nationwide and here in California. But while we made major strides at home, our

brothers and sisters in Russia suffered major setbacks. To demonstrate that in California,

we can have an impact abroad, I authored SR 18 to demand that our state’s two largest

pensions divest from Russia. With the support of EQCA, other coalition partners and my

colleagues in the Senate, the resolution passed and our message was sent loud and clear.”

- Senator Mark Leno

LEGISLATIVE OUTREACHPhone Calls: 63,702Emails: 10,373Letters: 9,124

COMMUNITY OUTREACHVolunteer Shifts: 579Volunteer Hours: 1881Conversations: 58,099

RESULTSBills Passed: 5Bills Signed: 4

ADVOCACY BY THE NUMBERS

www.eqca.org

PASSING PRO-EQUALITY LEGISLATIONAt the core of EQCA’s advocacy is our focus on passing pro-equality legislation. This year, we amplified our lobbying efforts and expanded our Sacramento staff to ensure that the LGBT community’s voice was heard during committee hearings and critical votes.

www.eqca.org

• Connecting LGBT Californians with Quality, Affordable Health Care: In March, EQCA received a $250,000

grant from the California Endowment to

launch the Equality California Institute’s

(EQCAI) signature campaigns: “Health Happens with Equality” and “La Salud Ocurre con Igualdad,” doing direct

education and outreach to the California

LGBT community in support of the

Affordable Care Act.

By the end of October, EQCA field staff

had attended over 65 events statewide

— from Pride festivals to health fairs —

and provided information to nearly 9,000

people. The extensive reach of EQCAI

resulted in a grant expansion from the

Endowment to increase outreach efforts

and enroll LGBT Californians in the

Covered California health exchange.

Equality California Institute is recognized

as a Certified Enrollment Entity and is

providing direct enrollment assistance to

LGBT Californians in each of our offices:

San Francisco, West Hollywood and the

Inland Empire. Additionally, EQCA has

collaborated with several coalition

partners to train staff on cultural

competency within populations like

underinsured transgender Californians

and LGBT Latinos, who are often difficult

to reach with traditional public health

campaigns.

• Reducing Disparities In February, built on years of data

collection and analysis, EQCAI and

Mental Health America of Northern

California published a report titled, “First

Do No Harm: Reducing Disparities for

LGBT Populations in California,”

cataloging the many ways in which the

current public mental health services lead

to inadequate treatment for LGBT

Californians.

The meticulous report gave concrete

policy recommendations to reduce

disparities within the LGBT community.

From a tendency to lump all LGBT people

together, to ways bisexuals are further

marginalized by dominant binary

categories, to a startling lack of cultural

competency, many recommendations

became the basis for legislation

sponsored by EQCA, including the data-

collection bill vetoed by the Governor,

and the two cultural competency bills

(one signed, the other a two-year bill).

The publication was also the basis of a

series of town halls around the state,

returning to the communities that had

participated in the initial data-gathering

sessions in 2012. • Preparing LGBT Elders to Combat Medicare Fraud Seniors often fall victim to Medicare

fraud, and LGBT seniors are some of the

hardest hit. In partnership with the

Council on Aging and the U.S.

Department of Health and Human

Services, EQCA provided LGBT cultural

comptency training and updated fraud

detection programs to make it more user

friendly for staff and volunteers. The

Institute organized presentations at

various LGBT Centers and venues

throughout California to train staff and

seniors with the resources necessary to

avoid fraud.

Equality California Institute educates lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and the public at large about issues impacting the LGBT community and our allies. Established in 2000, EQCAI actively works to improve the lives of LGBT Californians through education, programs and collaboration. For more

information, visit www.eqcai.org.

EQUALITY CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE

“The EQCA Institute has demonstrated highly effec-tive leadership in connecting California’s uninsured LGBT population with the new online health insurance marketplace. Using their skills at organizing in the field, they are reaching diverse pockets of the com-munity and have emerged as a valuable partner to the California Endowment in this historic opportunity to address very real disparities in access to health care.” Daniel Zingale Senior Vice President The California Endowment

www.eqca.org

HEALTH HAPPENS WITH EQUALITY

Equality California Institute launched “Health Happens with Equality” and “La Salud Ocurre con Igualdad” — an unprecedented edu-cational, outreach and training campaign designed to introduce and enroll marginalized LGBT Californians in Covered California.

LA SALUD OCURRE CON IGUALDAD

www.eqca.org

Defending Transgender Students With the groundbreaking School Success and Opportunity Act, we knew that we would face the same concerted opposition that has reacted against every advance of LGBT equality. So we weren’t surprised to find the usual suspects

— Capitol Resource Institute, Pacific Justice Institute, Frank Schubert — agitating against the law. As of

• Electing a Pro-Equality Majority In 2013, the EQCA Candidate Political Action Committee, which has a strict policy of 100% pro-equality or no endorsement, went 6-for-6 on endorsed candidates winning special elections. We congratulate Freddie Rodriguez, Holly Mitchell, Norma Torres, Lorena Gonzalez, Ben Hueso and Sebastian Ridley-Thomas on their victories. Our staff made over 5,000 calls in support of our endorsed candidates, and sent staff and volunteers to three of the races. This is part of a broader strategy of enlarging our pro-equality majority — a strategy that paid dividends in 2013 with the first two-thirds win on any LGBT bill in California history for the Youth Equality Act. We also raised a record amount to support 100% pro-equality candidates, nearly $50,000, at events in Sacramento and Los Angeles. With 2014 on the horizon, we are well-poised to leverage our PAC success into an even larger pro-equality majority. • Safe Schools Audit Prompted by reports of pervasive, and often severe, bullying and harassment against LGBT students, EQCA and Gay-Straight Alliance Network partnered with then Assemblymembers Ricardo Lara and Betsy Butler to call on the Joint Legislative Audit Committee to authorize an audit of local education agencies and to report on the level of compliance with laws that protect students from discrimination, bullying and harassment. The audit was released this summer and we now have data to show shortcomings

in student safety practices and have begun working closely with the Department of Education and education leaders statewide to make sure that LGBT youth are safe, and that districts are compliant. • Immigration Reform In October, EQCA joined the “LGBT for CIR” coalition, pushing for fair and inclusive comprehensive immigration reform. We’ve launched action alerts to our members, urging them to contact their U.S. Representative, and giving them prompts for how to talk about the issue. EQCA also participated in several pro-CIR rallies, most notably the Los Angeles May Day rally and will continue to lobby our elected officials and work with our diverse coalition of immigrant rights supporters to advance immigration reform.

• Court Victory Upholding California Ban on “Conversion” Therapy It isn’t news that some LGBT youth face rejection from their families when they come out, but even worse, some are told they can change who they are by going through dangerous “conversion” therapy practices. In August, a U.S. Appeals Court ruled in favor of justice and upheld SB 1172 — a 2012 EQCA co-sponsored law passed that banned harmful “conversion” therapy for minors in California, protecting youth. The work we do in California is often replicated nationwide, and we’re excited to see New Jersey and Pennsylvania taking up similar measures to protect the youth in their states. We thank our friends at the National Center for Lesbian Rights and Munger Tolles LLP for

representing EQCA in court and helping secure this victory.

• The Work Ahead While we celebrated incredible victories and growth this year, we were also reminded of the critical work that remains to achieve full and lasting equality. Work like defending transgender students against fringe anti-LGBT groups, supporting our LGBT elders, expanding our Institute work to ensure healthy communities and maintaining our pro-equality majority in the California legislature. We also know that we must continue to hold our officials accountable so that legislation is properly implemented, that our federal representatives act on a fair and balanced immigration overhaul, and that our community continues to have a powerful and effective voice in Sacramento. We need constant vigilance against our adversaries who have demonstrated their commitment to fighting equality. For example, days after passing the historic School Success and Opportunity Act, our opponents launched a referendum effort to stop the law from taking effect. We are awaiting the results of this mean-spirited attack that aims to prevent our transgender youth from full participation in school. Now, EQCA and our coalition partners are leading the effor tto defend this critical law. The aforementioned is a perfect example of the work ahead. In 2013, we celebrated major strides forward, and in 2014, we will roll up our sleeves and get right back to work toward full and lasting equality.

www.eqca.org

Defending Transgender Students With the groundbreaking School Success and Opportunity Act, we knew that we would face the same concerted opposition that has reacted against every advance of LGBT equality. So we weren’t surprised to find the usual suspects

— Capitol Resource Institute, Pacific Justice Institute, Frank Schubert — agitating against the law. As of

press time, we don’t know whether they will qualify their attempt to repeal the law at the ballot, but we anticipate further litigation in the vein of their attacks on SB 1172, the law banning psychological abuse of minors by licensed therapists in an effort to change sexual orientation.

Expanding Our Pro-Equality Majority Every Assembly seat and half the State Senate seats in California will be up for election in 2014, giving EQCA an excellent opportunity to enlarge our pro-equality majority. With this year’s record-breaking fundraising, we are better positioned to ensure that 100 percent pro-equality candidates get

THE WORK AHEAD

This year, our community celebrated incredible victories and growth, but our work is far from over. In 2014, we recommit ourselves to defending the transgender community, LGBT elders, electing pro-equality candidates, improving access to health care and passing immi-gration reform. We hope you’ll join us.

THE WORK AHEAD

www.eqca.org

About Equality California Equality California has strategically moved California from a state with extremely limited legal protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals to a state with some of the most comprehensive civil rights protections in the nation.

Improving the Lives of LGBT Californians Equality California works to achieve equality and secure legal protections for LGBT people. To improve the lives of LGBT Californians, Equality California sponsors legislation and coordinates efforts to ensure its passage, lobbies legislators and other policy makers, builds coalitions, develops community strength and empowers individuals and other organizations to engage in the political process.

Creating a Stronger California Equality California has successfully passed 96 pieces of legislation to advance the rights LGBT people in California. Working in partnership with California’s LGBT Legislative Caucus, Equality California is committed to building a better future for all Californians by protecting youth, strengthening families and empowering communities. Each year at the Capitol, Equality California monitors hundreds of bills and leads efforts to defeat legislation that could have a negative impact on LGBT Californians and their families.

Defending LGBT Rights & Protections Equality California, represented by our community’s legal organizations and pro-bono counsel, has been a party to key lawsuits on behalf of its members including the historic case before the California Supreme Court striking down state law that barred same-sex couples from marriage. Equality California also submitted amicus briefs supporting the federal challenge of Prop 8 and the “Defense of Marriage Act.” In addition, Equality California has participated in cases defending California’s domestic partnership laws, banning dangerous “conversion therapy” practices and safe schools protections for LGBT youth.

BUILDING A STATE OF EQUALITY

E Q U A L I T Y C A L I F O R N I AW W . E Q C A . O R G

W W W . E Q C A . O R G

2013 year end report

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