BLOG: The LGBT Community supports Betsy Butler

Before I begin with this post, I want to make sure you go out and vote on June 5. If you disagree with my choice for AD 50, that's cool but please vote: Find your polling location here. If you live in the new AD 50, you received . Did you receive such mailer? Go to that blog and tell me about it.

Anyway, this is my last post as I take a brief break from election season. I have enjoyed posting here, but prefer to focus my energy on other endeavors. I know there are two gay candidates running for this seat but personally I believe that it is important to support straight allies who have consistently stood with the LGBT community and this includes Betsy Butler.

This district has had experienced legislators serving our District such as Assemblymember Mike Feuer who has been a great advocate for LGBT rights. I worked briefly with Aaron Feuer (Mike’s son) on the LA Youth Council and he has the same passion that his dad has for this City!

Assemblywoman Butler's commitment to the LGBT Community begins with the 20+ year friendship she has with West Hollywood Councilmember John Duran. Councilman Duran was a founding board member of ANGLE (Access Now for Gay and Lesbian Equality). Betsy Butler along with Councilmember Paul Koretz (both straight) helped to elect John Duran to the West Hollywood City Council. Then John Duran and Betsy Butler joined the Board of Equality California together, where they spent time in helping to elect pro-equality candidates.

For the last 10 years, Betsy has helped elect LGBT leaders and straight allies to public office in order to advance the rights of the LGBT Community. Before her election in 2010 to the State Assembly, Betsy played a critical role in lobbying leaders in Sacramento to pass legislation to protect the Gay & Lesbian Community in CA and West Hollywood.

Sen. Mark Leno noted that Betsy is a champion for gay rights and withdrew his endorsement from another candidate to exclusively support Betsy Butler. When the LGBT Caucus endorsed Butler , Senator Mark Leno said: “It was no surprise that the Legislative LGBT Caucus offered our unanimous support to Betsy Butler, she has been an unflinching advocate for LGBT Californians during her time in the Assembly and throughout her career. She is a steadfast champion for equal rights and we need her as an ally in the Legislature.” Weeks before, .

Keeping the promise of Equality for All:

No one can question Betsy Butler's commitment to the LGBT Community during her time in the State Assembly supporter. She has been our biggest cheerleader in Sacramento.  Assemblywoman Betsy Butler scored a perfect 100% from Equality California’s Legislative Scorecard because she supported every single bill which aimed to improve the lives of LGBT Californians. 

We can expect her to continue to be an effective leader for us when she is re-elected. The LGBT Community should re-elect someone who knows how to write, support and pass legislation for the Gay Community. Check out one of the bills she introduced:

• This year, Assemblywoman Betsy Butler as part of her Legislative package, introduced AB 1700: Keeping LGBT People in their Home . AB 1700 (Butler) will ensure that no LGBT person is put at risk of losing the home that he or she has built over a lifetime with a loved one. In addition this legislation would allow two people, including same-sex couples, who co-own a home together and meet specified criteria to avoid a property tax increase upon the death of one co-owner. LGBT residents of West Hollywood and Los Angeles County would benefit most from this legislation.

All of this work has garnered Assemblywoman Butler endoresements from many prominent LGBT organizations and individuals and our straight allies including:

• • Equality California
  • Beth Broderick, Actress & HIV/AIDS Activist (Ally)
  • Planned Parenthood, LA County Action Fund
  • Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom (Ally)
  • Congresswoman Judy Chu (Ally)
  • Paul Koretz, former West Hollywood Mayor (Ally)
  • Sen. Kristine Kehoe, LGBT Caucus Chair
  • Sen. Mark Leno
  • Speaker John Perez (First openly gay speaker of CA)
  • Asm. Tom Ammiano
  • Asm. Toni Atkins
  • Asm. Ricardo Lara
  • Montebello Unified School Board Member David Vela
  • West Hollywood Mayor Jeffrey Prang
  • West Hollywood Councilmember John D'Amico
  • West Hollywood Councilmember John Duran
  • Diane Abbitt, Former Chair of Equality CA
  • Bernadette Abbruzee, LGBT Rights Activist
  • Doug Spearman, Actor & Former Board Member EQCA
  • Jeff Book, West Hollywood Municipal Employees
  • Ed Buck, Animal Welfare Advocate
  • Norman Chramoff, LGBT Rights Advocate
  • Michael Colorge, LGBT & Democratic Activist
  • Luis Gallegos, Former Male-At Large, Stonewall Young Democrats
  • Geoff Kors, Former Executive Director of Equality California
  • Bamby Salcedo, Transgender Rights Educator
  • Sue LaVaccare, Human Rights Campaign Board Member
  • Fred Marical, Former Board Member, Human Rights Campaign
  • Arun Ramakrishnan, LGBT & Democratic Activist
  • Ari Ruiz, Board Member, CA Democratic Party - LGBT Caucus
  • Darrell Tucci, LGBT & Social Justice Advocate
  • Laurenze Zackson, Member, Democratic National Committee
  • Rick Zbur, Board Chair, California League of Conservation Voters
  • And many more leaders!

In every election cycle we have candidates who say they will challenge the status quo, who promise you the world but after a few months they disappoint. Betsy has been under attack before because she is a progressive champion for California and a real Democrat. She has a history of being an incredibly strong straight ally and going above and beyond for the LGBT community.

Betsy is the only candidate in this four way race that has experience in all levels of Government having worked for President Bill Clinton, Lt. Gov. Leo McCarthy, the Environmental Defense Fund and now as an Assemblywoman. She will continue to use the experience and leadership to protect LGBT Californians and fight for West Hollywood and the new 50^TH Assembly District just like Mike Feuer has done for years.

I respect that other individuals may support other candidates.  That is the nature of politics.  However, Betsy has been a true progressive and a champion for the LGBT community.  I would hope that supporters of other candidates could tout the records of their own candidates instead of feeling they need to relentlessly attack a wonderful leader who has proven track record of making California a better place for all people.

Assemblywoman Betsy Butler will conclude her campaign with a last event in West Hollywood. If you want to thank her for all her work on behalf of the LGBT Community, then ! This is my last post and as I began my first post for this campaign – I kept it clean.

Disclaimer: Titles are listed for ID Purposes only. Some organizations may have made endorsements and you should research their positions in the AD 50 race.