The Powerful LGBT Group Behind California’s Most Radical Laws Is Setting Its Sights on Washington

One group could be to blame if you are ever stunned by an innovative California law.

Equality California was founded 20 years ago to support LGBT rights. It has grown into a significant player in California politics. The progressive group is the most adept user of Sacramento’s legislative process, thanks to millions in donations from companies like AT&T or Comcast. Equality California works with Democratic allies to set the legislative agenda. They have pushed many of their Democratic friends. “woke” Policies that let minors have secret sex and allow men to enter women’s prisons.

Now, the group wants to leave a mark on the rest. Its Washington, D.C., headquarters is where the group can be found. lobbies Federal legislation is needed to allow abortion to be legalized, to grant amnesty for illegal immigrants and to ban guns. Equality California offers the highest donation tier to those who donate $50,000 or more. “National Trailblazer.” Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D., Calif. gave an uplifting speech to the group. called Equality California “the way of the future” And warned “the days are numbered for the people who would stand in the way of liberty and justice for all across every community in our country.”

Equality California wasn’t always a powerful progressive force. For the majority of its existence, Equality California was not a major player in Sacramento. It failed even to block a 2008 ballot initiative banning gay marriage. Some in California’s LGBT community started questioning the necessity of Equality California after 2014 saw LGBT advocacy group’s demands that courts mainstream gay marriage.

Rick Zbur.

Zbur, now a Democratic State Representative, was once a prominent Los Angeles lawyer and progressive advocate. After taking over the leadership of Equality California, Zbur quickly changed its strategy. Zbur expanded Equality California’s mandate to encompass other progressive causes like abortion and immigration expansion. He also pushed for LGBT rights beyond the borders. civil rights protections. Zbur once again imagined Equality California in anti-Trump terms after the 2016 election.resistanceThe “stalwart” who led an important federal court case against the government’s ban of transgender soldiers.

Equality California’s initial year of Zbur as its executive director, 2014 had only $2 million in revenues. In 2017, Equality California had $2,000,000 in revenues. tripled Up to $6,000,000

Equality California had a growing revenue, which led to an increase in its political spending. In 2010, the largest contribution to Equality California’s campaign was $5,000 made by Kamala Harris, then-San Francisco District Attorney. The group now gives millions to its top allies, including Scott Wiener (D.), who is running for the 2016 and 2020 elections in the Senate. received Equality California received more than $2.2million from contributions, pollings, mailers and advertisements.

Equality California receives contributions from the State Capitol. This group counts Toni Atkins, state senator leader as a “local leader,” A donor tier is anyone who donates between $5,999 and $9,000. Equality California has contributed thousands to Atkins’ campaigns. Atkins shares the same donor status with Eleni Kuunalakis (D.), Lieutenant Governor and widely regarded as an likely successor to Governor Gavin Newsom.

Equality California’s state legislators can also help one another through donations. California gives nonprofits the right to collaborate with state legislators. “sponsor” Legislative bills are introduced in state legislatures. Equality California and other groups can help draft laws and find friendly legislators to present them. Legislators can also tap into influential organisations to sponsor any legislation they may require.

Equality California is a great partner for lawmakers who wish to use this system. It has the cash and clout of Equality California. Equality California is a group that pressures state Democrats to vote for bills bearing Equality California names, in order not to lose their support or be criticized. bigots.

“Their narrative is to disagree with us, is to hate us, and hatred toward us is hatred toward the kids who feel bad about themselves,” Greg Burt is a policy advocate at the California Family Council and has voted against many bills. “That has scared everyone into silence.”

Lorena Gonzalez, a former assemblywoman (D.), felt the wrath of her fellow members when she attempted to stop an Equality California bill that would have allowed minors aged 14 and older to have same-sex relationships with adults up to 10 years old.

“Give me a situation where a 24-year-old had sex with a 14-year-old, any kind of sex, and it wasn’t predatory,” Gonzalez is a powerful union-backed Democrat said.

Equality California was led by her opposition to make “downgrade“Her rating as LGBT-friendly lawmaker. Zbur stated that they would not permit “legislators to play shenanigans” To avoid controversial votes. The bill passed the following year.

The statement below is from the Washington Free Beacon A spokesperson for Equality California stated that the group supports legislation to further its goals. “to achieve full, lived equality for all LGBTQ+ people.”

“That mission includes ensuring” This “no one faces discrimination for who they are or whom they love,” The spokesman said that they added.

Equality California sponsored 90 bills in the first fifteen years of its existence that were passed by the legislature. Since 1995 Zbur took over In 2014, the organization added 95 additional bills and resolutions.

Campaign finance records reveal that Equality California-sponsored legislation is often sponsored by lawmakers. They ask corporate donors to make a donation to the group. California’s “Allowed Donations” law allows these donations.behested paymentsIt allows public officials to directly solicit donations for causes that they believe in. This system is used in Sacramento to allow special interests and corporations to lobby legislators.

In behested payments, the group has received $2.2million from companies that include tech firms, teachers unions, other labor groups and Planned Parenthood. The group has a number of top donors, including AT&T and Gilead Sciences.

Sacramento’s powerful organisations often work in partnership to sponsor bills to increase pressure. Unions are important allies, including Planned Parenthood (which donates to Equality California), and the American Civil Liberties Union. The coalition is a result of their efforts. overhauled California schools’ sex education curriculum to include Information about gender identities and gay sex. California Planned Parenthood and Equality consult with districts How to Teach the Program.

Equality California’s power has made it difficult to criticize its methods.

“They’re very powerful because no one wants to be labeled a hater,” Burt. “You don’t want to be called a hater, so now kids are being sterilized. The results of silence are just devastating.”

Equality California’s progressive coalition is met with strong resistance from those who oppose it. Equality California faced a record number last year of parents running for school boards to fight the radical curriculums they witnessed in Zoom classes. sprung into action. This group almost doubled its presence in school board races, increasing more than a dozen candidates. Teachers’ union allies in the group helped stop parental movements. pouring millions into races.

Californians continue to fight for equality California’s legislative records. Mothers are suing They claim that school districts were populated by employees who made it a point to force their students into sex change. The female inmates of these prisons have taken action against a law That allows biological men in prisons for women, cops oppose a law from 2022 that would allow them to do so. allows Prostitutes encourage sex trafficking by encouraging them to live in impunity.

“We stand by the critical civil rights laws that we’ve helped to pass here in California, and we appreciate the attorney general and the California Department of Justice for defending those laws in court,” Spokesman for Equality California stated that

Equality California bills are continuing to flow out of Sacramento despite legal resistance. Zbur now sits in the statehouse and is working to advance the group’s goals. The legislature will also consider bills to allow the state to have custody of children who are not allowed to get sex, or mandate that schools be equipped with books on transgenderism.

This was, as some critics say, the plan of the group.

“When no one stands up to them, the result is they introduce crazy bills, and they get crazier year after year,” Burt said. “They have some radical goals, and those goals are to completely transform how we think about gender and sexuality.”

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