A-LISTS community ACTION COMMITTEE O.C. POLITICAL
HONORS “HEROES” HERO AWARDS 2010
ACKNOWLEDGES THOSE WHO HAVE TAKEN RISKS
by randy hope
California State Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez
No other Orange County LGBT political group has as broad a reach as the Elections Committee of the County of Orange Political Action Com- mittee (ECCOPAC). The non-partisan group, which normally votes on issues and candidates important to the community it serves, has recently taken a different kind of vote—one to honor those who the group says have shown leadership, vision and commitment to the mission of ensur- ing rights for the LGBT community. “We need to honor those who have taken personal and political risks
to ensure that our community receives fair and equal treatment,” said Jim Rogers, ECCOPAC Chair. Many would say that few have taken more political risks in recent years
than California State Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez, the junior assembly member who gained notoriety earlier this year taking the gavel and becoming California’s highest ranking openly gay official. This, however, isn’t the first of firsts for Pérez as a trailblazer among America’s gay and lesbian lawmakers making history. When elected to the assembly two years ago Pérez broke the state’s glass ceiling for minority politicians as California’s first out person of color elected to a state office. His emergence as speaker is even more remarkable by the fact he was not gunning for the post. “The reality was I was going to run for the Sen- ate and be gone,” Pérez said, explaining in the assembly he is restricted to serving four more years as opposed to having eight years in the State Senate. Pérez, who represents Los Angeles, also has strong ties to Orange County where he spent seven years before being elected handling political matters for the Orange County office of the United Food and Commercial Workers, which represents supermarket workers. A politician known as an impressive fundraiser who judiciously contrib-
utes funds to political candidates who he deems will be good on LGBT and progressive issues, Pérez will be honored by ECCOPAC at the 27th Annual Community HERO Awards Dinner on Saturday, September 25. Pérez, who comes out of both the labor and Latino political move-
ments, recently explained why in the LGBT community needs to build coalitions between the two groups. “[Judge Walker’s ruling] was a profound moment for our community,
and went a long way in easing the sting of having lost the fight over Prop. 8. But we have to equally recognize that marriage is not the be-all and
end-all of our movement,” he said, having noted “LGBT Californians have suffered, and are suffering, from having our constitutional right to equal protection and due process violated every moment Prop. 8 remains in effect. In these difficult times, we need to match the brilliant work in our courts with equally tenacious and effective work on our own behalf,” he said, explaining that effectively fighting for rights is not simply a matter of holding press conferences or sponsoring legislation—or even precinct walking and phone banking. “While those are important, it’s a matter of connecting to people on an emotional, personal and visceral level. This is something the labor com- munity understands clearly. One worker cannot stand up to the corpora- tion alone. But every worker, standing together, presents a united front that cannot be ignored,” Pérez said. Strength and value is only magnified by recruiting allies, the Speaker
said. “That’s a lesson Harvey Milk learned early on. The labor community gave Harvey Milk respect during the Coors boycott and made him part of their coalition. We still see the results of that early partnership today.” According to Pérez, Judge Walker sent forth a major ripple of hope. “We must be those centers of energy and daring. We must form that
current and sweep down those walls of oppression and resistance. We must stand with labor and fight for the Employee Free Choice Act and Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) so that nobody can be fired just for being LGBT,” Pérez said. “This is a time for us to be heroic and to seize this moment for all its worth.” Other “heroes” who have seized the moment that ECCOPAC will honor
at the HERO Awards include: Long Beach City Councilmember and Execu- tive Director, Democratic Party of Orange County Hon. Gerrie Schipske; Lifetime LGBT Community Activists Dr. Max Schneider and Ron Smelt; Los Angeles Unified School District Project 10 Specialist Stephen Jimenez; Irvine United Congregational Church Rev. Paul Tellstrom; Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church Rev. Dr. Karen Stoyanoff; and Co-creators/ writers of the web series Venice, Crystal Chappell and Kim Turrisi.
The 27th Annual Community HERO Awards Dinner will be held at the Hilton Orange County on Saturday, September 25. Tickets prices range from $150 to $200. RSVP di- rectly through ActBlue by e-mailing
eccodinner@yahoo.com or by calling 949.975.0866.
14
RAGE monthly | SEPTEMBER 2010
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