QUARTERLY SPRING ISSSUE 2019
WWW.SACSTONEWALL.ORG
Another year.. And it'll be our PROUDEST yet
This year we're celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. As the only organization with its name, expect your club to things DONE, but to continue the past, present, and future
"Stonewall" in not only get the charge with in mind.
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
#OURBIGGESTYEAR
UPDATES
Hear from the our President, Tim Kamermayer
Learn what's in store for 2019.
Hear from our members and supporters like YOU.
PAGE 1
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR By Lanz Nalagan, Communications Chair Are you ready Sacramento? 2019 is the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots- and as the only Stonewall club in the region, we're not just living our motto of "Getting Things Done..." we're amplifying our work to do more this year than ever before. Check it out and enjoy the issue. - The Stonewall Quarterly is published 4 times a year by the Stonewall Democrats of Greater Sacramento and distributed to all members of "The Club That Gets Things Done!" I encourage you to submit news, advertisements, and features for publication. The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the contributors and not necessarily of the Stonewall Democrats of Greater Sacramento.
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
PAGE 2
By: Tim Kamermayer, President Friends, As we complete the first quarter of 2019, it is astounding how much has already happened with our Club. As you may recall, the Executive Board had a lot of goals for expanding our influence, and increasing the ways we fulfill our overall mission of endorsing LGBTQ Democratic candidates into public office. Many of those initiatives were postponed until the new year, in order to focus on the midterm elections (increasing our voice will always be the Club’s first priority). And, given the success we had with our endorsed candidates, the focus was warranted. As you know, Stonewall gave more money this past election cycle than in the history of the Club, and it resulted in many of our endorsed candidates winning. Including former PAC Chair and long-time friend of the Club, Rosanna Herber for SMUD Board. The election results, of Rosanna and all races, demonstrated how powerful our Club can be when we substantially contribute to a particular candidate AND the benefit of endorsing in a lot of races (over 40). Which is why it became imperative that we established a second annual fundraiser moving forward. In February, our Board hosted the first annual Wine Pull. Spearheaded by our Fundraising Chair, and the Fundraising Committee, the Wine Pull was a huge success. With Senate pro Tempore Toni Atkins and Sacramento Councilmember Steve Hansen as our guest speakers for the event. We raised several thousand, and helped establish a new event that will ensure Stonewall will continue to be a significant player in Sacramento elections. Our Vice President, Kim Angulo, also formally established the Advocacy Committee and they have already testified at a few Elk Grove School Board meetings. Our advocacy efforts have been cited by community leaders, school board trustees, and local media. And, this is still the beginning. We are working with the Victory Fund on Sacramento specific candidate training (read my article on Building the Bench). The 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots is this year, and our Four Freedoms Gala is going to be bigger than ever. Hosted at the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria on Wednesday May 15th; you’re not going to want to miss this one.
PAGE 40
PAGE 3
BUILDING THE BENCH By: Tim Kamermayer, President It was the Summer of 2018 when a local public official backchanneled our club to let us know they would be stepping down at the end of their term. The call was important because the official wanted to know if anyone from our Club would be interested in running for the seat when it became available. The underlying implication was easily interpreted to mean: Do you have someone that would want to run that I could meet with and potentially support for the position? In many ways, that inquiry alone should be considered a victory for our Organization. Yet, our answer was NO. We did not have any members at that time who were interested, and so we missed out on an opportunity to go from “issues represented at the meetings through allies” to “LGBTQ representative at the seat of the decision-making table.” For over 16 years the Sacramento Stonewall Democrats have been a force in the community, and our presence has only grown since those small informal house meetings. Concerned about our issues being represented, we spent the past decade growing our financial coffers, fostering deeper relationships with local officials, and ensuring that the endorsement of Stonewall meant something. And, the fruits of our labor can be seen across the Greater Sacramento Area. Over the past ten years, we have endorsed over a hundred public officials for office. With that success comes the need to ask, “What does the next level look like”? I believe the next level is building a proverbial bench. Identifying members of our club who would be interested in office, long before a seat is available. It means providing our LGBTQ members who are serious about representing their community in a public official capacity the appropriate training to ensure they have the best tools available to succeed. To achieve the above ends, we have started collaborating with the Victory Fund Institute on building Sacramento-specific curriculum. This will take time, as all great game-changing efforts demand. But, the program is now in the planning stages. With a little bit of luck, there will be a pilot program by Winter 2019, a few months before the March 2020 primaries. Every Stonewall Quarterly, I’ll provide an update on our efforts.
A note from Jackie Smith
PAGE 5
By: Jackie Smith, Community Member and Leader To my friends at Sacramento Stonewall, Thank you for your support for my run for Assembly District 6 this past November. We should be proud pulling almost 95,000 votes in a Midterm election as an openly LGBT woman in one of the most Republican areas of California. Every dollar we raised went to getting my name recognition, so thank you for helping me achieve a historic victory even though we did not win the seat. But I also wanted to thank the membership for sending me to the Victory Fund Training specifically designed for LGBT candidates and support staff. Through this training I learned several new processes to work smarter not harder this next go around for 2020. For example, that yard signs “don’t vote” and better to spend your money of direct voter contact; to raise early and spend later…. But more importantly to create a project plan to victory starting backwards from Election Day in 2020, with focusing on direct mail pieces, door knocking and raising money. Running for office was not in my sights at this time of my life. Being married to my wife of now 16 years together and moving to one of the most Republican areas as an openly LGBT woman, the But wanted to help more. I noticed no one wanted to go up against Kevin Kiley, the 34 yr old incumbent last thing I imagined was running for office. young Republican in the Assembly seat. After working in the Silicon Valley for most of my career, we But I also wanted to thank the membership for moved here after both our corporate divisions closed. My wife sending me to. I researched the qualifications and and I moved to Rocklin and changed careers. She as a Hospice realized that I could actually push the needle…maybe worker and I wanted to sell real estate. enough to win, but definitely push the needle. And we My “plan” was to retire gracefully owning a real estate brokerage, did!! managing a few properties and golf. And lots of it! But sometimes Now again, I am at the crossroads, knowing that Kevin plans get rerouted to another time and another place. Because Kiley is indeed running for Senate District 1. If he things happen. We are called “to serve.” What happened? manages to win, his seat for AD6 will spur another Donald Trump. special election. My 95,000 voters need to know if he does, so yes, together we could possibily pick up this After the fall of Hillary, I went to Washington, DC on that fateful seat for our Democratic values in AD6. I’ll keep you day on Jan. 20, 2017. As he was sworn in, I stood in the cold with posted. We should know at the end of March with the my friends holding signs in protest. The Women’s March was the Primary results. Either way, I’ll be announcing my run following day. We were seemingly at war. Red hats versus pink pussy hats. Our values were at a crossroads and I felt I had to do shortly thereafter once we know our game plan. something. Thank you again for all your support and I look forward to doing great things with Stonewall to win in I came home and deep dove into the Democratic Party. Became 2020!! a delegate, joined the LGBT Caucus and got on the Eboard, started the first LGBT Democratic Club in Placer County….I joined Cheers to you all! Indivisible, went to marches in protest…
What does the PAC do in non-election years?
PAGE 6
By: Matthew Nielsen, PAC Chair With a historical blue wave behind us and a daunting 2020 challenge ahead, 2019 is set to build upon the momentum we created in 2018 and to focus on building out our local leadership bench. The Political Action Committee of Stonewall (PAC) spent numerous Saturdays interviewing candidates from all over our region vying to be the next school board member, city council representative, or other civic leader. The road to achieving a total of 45 endorsements brought us face to face with so many new and emerging activists in our community. Not only were we excited about the wonderful diversity of our endorsed candidates, but also of the passion, strength, and ambition of all of those we interviewed. Now that the endorsements have been made and the races have been won or lost, what’s next for the PAC? The Stonewall Board has laid out a very ambitious agenda for 2019, launching a new Advocacy Committee (headed by Vice President Kim Angulo), an Ad-Hoc Rules Committee (headed by President Tim Kamermayer), and Leadership and Candidate Training Program. The mission and goals of the PAC will overlap with all of these new initiatives. The relationships we’ve built with our elected officials can be used by the Advocacy Committee in voicing our concern for LGBTQ and other progressive issues. The Leadership Program can work in tandem with the PAC to build a bench of future candidates and provide the necessary training and political connections to run successful campaigns. The Rules Committee can help make the endorsement process more transparent and accessible. The PAC has also produced recommendations on how to improve the endorsement process for 2020. Tracking the votes and advocacy of our endorsed elected officials will help streamline repeat candidates and provide Stonewall with more transparency. Connecting with other Democratic Clubs will ensure that our goals and standards are aligned and represent the whole of our community. Adjusting the appointment schedule for PAC members will provide a consistent framework where everyone in the PAC will have had the same opportunity for interactions with candidates both during the primaries and the general election. While it may seem that 2019 is a quiet or down-cycle year for your Stonewall PAC, rest assured that a lot of work is taking place! This year will be crucial to improving the endorsement process and providing foundational support to our 2019 Stonewall initiatives mentioned above.
The PAC also invites you to share feedback from the 2018 endorsement process with us. Tell us what you think went well, what can be improved, and what else we should be thinking about. As we look toward 2020, we all need to realize how much we have at stake. A Trump re-election will give him even more legitimacy and arrogance, along with his followers and party office holders. Let’s make sure we do all we can to beat him. Register your friends and family to vote, save money to donate to candidates and PACs, and prepare to put your walking shoes on start knocking on doors by the end of 2019.
PAGE 7
Elk Grove Unified School District approves inclusive history and social studies K-8 curricula! PAGE 9 By: Charlene Jones, Board President- Stonewall Foundation Stonewall Foundation board members attended the Elk Grove Unified School District board meeting on Feb. 5, with Vice Chair Dharia McGrew and former Treasurer Jeff Edwards speaking in support of adopting a new curriculum that includes LGBTQ leaders in textbooks. We were pleased to witness unanimous Board approval of teaching tools that portray contributions of different ethnic and minority groups. Expanding study that includes the contributions of our LGBTQ community better ensures equal representation and brings a welcome range of role models to students. The new materials align with the CA History/Social Science Framework related to the Fair, Accurate, Inclusive and Respectful (FAIR) Act, which makes California the first state to mandate study of Native Americans, African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, European Americans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans, persons with disabilities, and members of other ethnic and cultural groups, with emphasis on their roles in contemporary society. Tatiana Gomes, an active high school intern working through a Stonewall Foundation internship in partnership with the LGBT Community Center, offers their most powerful point of view: "As a Person of Color and a member of the LGBTQ community, representation is extremely important so when EGUSD started reviewing textbooks that would accurately portray the roles and contributions of People of Color, LGBTQ people and persons with disabilities I started to reflect on my own view of the world. I've always understood that I'm extremely lucky when it comes to the people I was surrounded by when I was younger, but the lesson didn’t click until now. My grandfather was an African-American man who grew up during Segregation in South Carolina. It was because of the hardships he encountered in South Carolina that he chose at fifteen years old to join the military to fight in the Korean War in the Air Force and then subsequently serve three tours in Vietnam with the Navy; he was also in the first wave of African-American servicemen to be allowed into Technical school when the U.S. Military was desegregated. My grandfather served his country proudly even if the people didn't believe he was equal because of his skin color.
PAGE 10
Ever since I was born, I was taught that being gay or LGBT was normal. I have been a part of the LGBT community since I could understand what being gay meant. My Aunt played a big factor in that, she’s been with her partner for about 30 years and they have been important role models for me. My Aunt has two master’s degrees and worked in several companies in Silicon Valley. Her partner has a PhD in Microbiology and served in the first Gulf War as the National Guard. They were the ones who taught me I could have a normal life despite being LGBTQ. It was because of them I’ve never had to worry about whether I could live a normal life, have a good career, or if it was okay for me to be this way I’ve never had to worry about being accepted by my family, I’m one of the lucky ones. Many other children didn’t have the luxury I was afforded. Some come from families that just don’t understand while others have families who are openly hostile to the LGBTQ community. For the people who don’t have someone like my aunts discovering who they are can be confusing, lonely, and scary. That’s why LGBTQ+ representation in school text books and media is so important because it’s for the people who don’t have someone like my Aunts to look up to, to understand that it’s okay to be who you are." -Hello Charlene, We thank you and the Stonewall Foundation of Greater Sacramento for support. Giving all EGUSD students a sound education is our goal. Again, thank you for your support. Chet Madison President, EGUSD Board of Education
PAGE 11
CSUS Laurie McBride Scholarship - Application Period Now Open By: Charlene Jones, Board President- Stonewall Foundation The Stonewall Foundation of Greater Sacramento is expanding opportunities for LGBTQ leadership development at Sacramento State University. This year for the first time our Laurie McBride Scholarship is open to receive applications from enrolled juniors, seniors or graduate students. The McBride Scholarship seeks to assists students committed to political, social and economic rights of LGBTQ individuals, as well as achieving academic success. As our 2018 McBride Scholar Travis LeGault explains, “I believe that our voices are needed everywhere…..that we ourselves need to be at the table too, and that is what I try to live myself, to try to be at the table and further the cause of getting as many other LGBTQ people as possible to the table too.“ The Stonewall Foundation was pleased to attend the CSUS Welcome Back Spring Mixer hosted by the PRIDE Center and Queers & Trans faculty and staff where the 2019-20 McBride Scholarship was introduced to students, faculty and staff attending, including CSUS President Robert Nelsen.
PAGE 12
PAGEÂ 13
Stonewall Foundation Board of Directors PAGE 14
If you haven’t yet, please meet Stonewall Foundation board members who, along with Charlene Jones, lend time and talent to building a LGBTQ Leadership Pipeline. Vice Chair Dharia McGrew, a health policy analyst, transitioned to a career in public policy after a decade researching genetics, human disease, and cancer biology. She began her tenure in the legislature as a Science & Technology Policy Fellow after completing a PhD in Molecular Biology and was a senior policy consultant to the CA legislature, advising on issues related to drug pricing, public health, and food safety. Dharia was a founding board member of the Capitol LGBTQ Association and serves on the host committee of Equality California’s Sacramento Equality Awards. She is also a member of the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technology Professionals and the Sacramento Stonewall Democratic Club. Treasurer Felicia Johnson started activism after coming out and founding a Gay Straight Alliance at Del Oro High School, the first in Placer County. Although faced with great opposition, the GSA remains active to this day, having evolved into the Genders & Sexualities Alliance. Felicia moved to Sacramento where she facilitated support groups for LGBTQ youth, joined the Sacramento Rainbow Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and worked as Operations Manager for the Sacramento LGBT Community Center. Felicia is current Operations Manager at the family-owned Taylor’s Market. She can often be found at community events, including Take Back the Night and V-Day Sacramento. Secretary Katie Patterson is an attorney assisting businesses in complying with federal and state requirements. She has been dedicated the advancement of LGBTQ rights for over 15 years, when she first phone banked to preserve the then landmark Massachusetts Supreme Court decision recognizing same-sex couples’ right to marry. For the last decade, she has served on boards dedicated to advancing LGBTQ rights, particularly in the legal profession. Most recently, she was Co-Chair of Sacramento Lawyers for the Equality of Gays and Lesbians (SacLEGAL). She lives in Sacramento with her wife Naomi, and her son Theo. Beau Reynolds has been an advocate for social and economic justice all of his life - whether civil rights for people of color, equity for women and the LGBTQA community, or activism through community and faith-based organizations. He has used challenges of life to help others find their voices and build the power necessary to make change. Beau has worked as an organizer in the Labor Movement for over 10 years. He currently serves as a founder and executive director of V.O.I.C.E., an organization that advocates for economic and social equity through mentorship, skills training and career placement for communities that have seen systematic divestment in their well-being. Lanz Nalagan is honored to serve the LGBTQ+ community in his capacity as Annual and Corporate Giving Director for the Sacramento LGBT Community Center. Over the years, he grew passionate about campaign finance and philanthropy in the political and non-profit sectors, and he is grateful that his current work reflects that. After immigrating from the Philippines, Lanz grew up in the East Bay area and attended school in the beautiful Central Coast- earning a B.A in Political Science from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He also lived in Washington, D.C before working in Sacramento, CA. He’s a long-time board member of the Stonewall Democratic Club and its newly created Stonewall Foundation of Greater Sacramento. Lanz is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and hopes to earn his CFRE- Certified Fundraising Executive- in the near future, to continue funding causes he’s passionate about. In his free time, he enjoys the outdoors, tennis, skiing, square dancing, pole sports, and spending time with family and friends over good eats and drinks, karaoke, games, and any sci-fi, but especially TNG and Firefly.
WWW.SACSTONEWALL.ORG
QUARTERLY SPRING ISSUE 2019
Paid for by the Stonewall Democratic Club of Greater Sacramento FPPC #1247892 and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. © Sacramento Stonewall Democrats The mission of the Stonewall Democratic Club of Greater Sacramento is to advance equal rights for all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. We will support public policies that advance that mission in the United States, the State of California, and the greater Sacramento area. We help elect to public office qualified Democratic Party candidates who are openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, as well as allies who support equal rights for the LGBT community. \We will work to sensitize and educate all Democratic candidates and office holders, the Democratic Party in general, and the community at large, to the issues and concerns of the LGBT community. Conversely, within the LGBT community we will promote the Democratic Party’s broad message of economic justice and social equality. To achieve this mission, the Stonewall Democratic Club of Greater Sacramento will work: To lead our party to improve its record and speak out on issues of importance to the LGBT communities, and to work for the nomination and election of Democratic candidates, including qualified openly LGBT candidates; To achieve diversity in our membership and our governing bodies; To elect openly LGBT people to local office and to achieve appointments of openly LGBT people to city and county boards and commissions in the greater Sacramento area who will be fully supportive of our fight for equality and against bigotry and intolerance; To take a position on candidates and ballot measures; To register voters who support the Club’s mission and encourage their participation in the electoral process; To educate LGBT communities and supporters about the equal rights issues we face, as well as assist them with those struggles; To collaborate with other LGBT groups and individuals to promote our mission of equality; and to aid other local grassroots Democratic Clubs in the greater Sacramento Area, and our non-gay allies, in order to advance the prominence of openly LGBT people within the Democratic Party. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1