SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s Legislative LGBTQ Caucus is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

The caucus, comprising openly LGBTQ lawmakers, became the first of its kind in the nation in 2002.

State Sen. John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) was an assemblyman when the caucus was formed two decades ago. He — along with five other lawmakers, including Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl — founded the caucus.

Kuehl was California’s first openly gay state legislator.

“That first caucus was very exciting. We went to the speaker and were able to get a staff member. We would have monthly dinners; they were half-social, half business. And it was just exciting because for the first time, there was an organized presence,” Laird said.

Laird said the first order of business for the LGBTQ Caucus was to pass a domestic partnership bill that extended marriage rights to all domestic partnerships recorded in California.

“We were able to get that bill passed and signed by Gov. Gray Davis in his last year, and it was one of the first achievements of that early caucus,” Laird said.

Before serving in the Legislature, Laird became one of the first openly gay mayors in the country in 1983. He said there were less than 10 openly out elected officials compared to today where there are close to 1,000.

“What this really means to me is that we have really grown,” Laird said. “We have marriage rights, nondiscrimination rights. We are represented at all levels of government and have been represented in all 50 states. And it’s been amazing progress, but looking forward, we still have so much to do.”

LGBTQ representation has not only grown in numbers, but it has also become more diverse. For example, back in 2002, the LGBTQ Caucus had six founding members, all of whom were white. Today, the caucus has eight members, including four people of color.

While LGBTQ representation has grown throughout the nation, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done, according to Assembly member Evan Low (D-San Jose), the current chair of the LGBTQ Caucus.

He said with states like Florida, Alabama and Texas passing anti-LGBTQ laws, it is important to continue the fight for rights.

“In 2022, we’ve seen over 300 pieces of legislation introduced across the country that have been deemed as anti-LGBTQ pieces of legislation in this country, so that’s the stark, unfortunate reality that we are dealt with,” Low noted.

In California, there have been several anti-LGBTQ protests and attacks, including a death threat against state Sen. Scott Weiner (D-San Francisco) that forced him to evacuate his personal residence.

“This is here in the state of California. So we realize, as the state of California, we have a unique obligation to continue to demonstrate the love, the grace, and the humanity to protect all in our state,” Low said.

One of Low’s priorities as chair of the caucus is to increase support and rights for the transgender community in California — specifically focusing on expanding access to health care, housing and education.

“Helping to ensure that [the transgender community] is not lost is an important characteristic of an inclusive environment… That this is not just [sic] about gay men, this is not just about lesbians or bisexuals, this is about an inclusive an environment for everyone,” Low said.

Low said that even though there is still work to be done, LGBTQ representation and acceptance have increased since he was a child growing up struggling with his identity.

“Growing up, I didn’t have the type of safety net that many are afforded today. I did not have the Internet in which I could easily find access to information. I didn’t have a curriculum that talked about the LGBT community. We didn’t talk about it at home. All we saw on TV was that of the HIV/AIDS crisis,” Low said. 

During Pride Month, Low reflects on what it was like for him to grapple with his identity and how important having strong support from friends was to him being able to live as his authentic self.

Back when he was coming out to his mom, one of Low’s friends sat in a car waiting in case anything went wrong when Low came out to his mother. The friend was there to provide a safe place for Low in case his family reacted negatively.

“I recount that personal lived experience, and I want to create as much of a loving environment for everyone else through the legislative process and through advocacy,” Low said.

Laird said while the LGBTQ community has become more accepted since the LGBTQ caucus was formed, there is still work to be done to create a more inclusive and accepting place for everyone.

“We still have to fight, and we are in danger in other states and other places, but we’ve come a long way,” Laird said.

Let “Inside the Issues” know your thoughts and watch Monday through Friday at 8 and 11 p.m. on Spectrum News 1.