Chiu Seeks LGBT Caucus Membership

Upholding a campaign promise, Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco), who is straight, is seeking to join a legislative group for LGBT lawmakers in the Statehouse.

But it remains unclear if the California Legislative LGBT Caucus will revise its rules, which currently restrict membership to only those members of the state Assembly and Senate who identify as either lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.

Thus, freshman gay Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Campbell), who represents the 28th Assembly District, automatically became a member of the LGBT caucus when he took his oath of office December 1. Shortly thereafter the LGBT caucus sent out a tweet in which it welcomed "our newest member" in reference to Low.

After he was sworn-in to his 17th Assembly District seat last week, Chiu approached the LGBT caucus' chair, gay Assemblyman Rich Gordon (D-Menlo Park), to formally request that he be allowed to join the group.

"I have said if that is something the LGBT caucus members feel is helpful and appropriate, I am happy to do that. But I will leave that up to the caucus to decide," Chiu told the Bay Area Reporter this week when asked if he still wanted to join the group. "I am sure there are a number of ways I can be supportive of the caucus. I want to be as supportive as I can."

The Legislature is now adjourned until Monday, January 5. The LGBT caucus, which meets for breakfast the first Wednesday of the month, is scheduled to take up Chiu's request the morning of January 7.

"I will have that on the agenda. I don't know what the group will do," Gordon told the B.A.R. this week when asked about Chiu's membership request.

A year ago when the B.A.R. first reported that Chiu had announced he wanted to join the LGBT caucus during a fundraiser his campaign held with LGBT donors, Gordon at first was emphatic that Chiu could not become a member due to the caucus' rules about membership. Pressed on if the rules could be changed, Gordon replied it would be up to the caucus "to make that decision."

He noted that all five of the Legislature's minority caucuses - there are also ones for women, African Americans, Latinos, and Asian and Pacific Islanders - restrict their memberships to fit the demographic makeup of the groups. He reiterated that point this week.

"None of the caucuses have had someone who is not identified with the membership group. So how we will handle that and talk about that and will do, I don't know," said Gordon. "I have some concerns because I don't think David would be the only one who would want to join our caucus if we allowed" non-LGBT members.

Looking at the LGBT legislation introduced the last several years, Gordon noted, "some of the significant ones have not been carried by LGBT caucus members." And among those bill authors, he added, "a fairly large group would say, 'I want to join too.' I don't know what that would do to the caucus."

Since its creation in 2002, the LGBT caucus has consistently had two members from San Francisco. Lesbian former state Senator Carole Migden and then-Assemblyman Mark Leno, who is gay and now serving in the Senate, were among its inaugural members.

More recently gay former Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) had been a member of the caucus along with Leno. But Chiu's defeat last month of gay District 9 Supervisor David Campos, whom Ammiano had backed to succeed him, marked the first time since 1996 that an LGBT person did not hold one of the city's two Assembly seats.

With the departure of gay former Assemblyman John A. Perez (D-Los Angeles), who was termed out of office like Ammiano this year, the LGBT caucus saw its ranks be diminished by one to now number seven members.

Along with Gordon, Leno and Low, the membership consists of gay Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens); lesbian Senator Cathleen Galgiani (D-Stockton); and lesbian Assemblywomen Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Stockton) and Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), who is the Assembly speaker.

It is likely that the LGBT caucus members will not reach agreement on what to do when it comes to straight allied lawmakers who want to join them during their meeting next month, predicted Gordon.

One suggestion is for the caucus to consider creating a tiered membership structure.

"With great allies like David and others, maybe we figure out some way to affiliate, include, or some other relationship we could have. I don't know what that would look like," said Gordon. "I very much appreciate David's interest and following through on this and look forward to the conversation the caucus will have."

Leno told the B.A.R. this week that creating an honorary status for non-LGBT lawmakers "is appropriate." But he expressed reservations about allowing them full-fledged membership in the LGBT caucus.

"Caucuses exist for a purpose. I am certain all of us appreciate and welcome Assemblyman Chiu's interest," said Leno. "We encourage fellow colleagues interested in promoting our civil rights to join us in authoring legislation to that end."

Chiu told the B.A.R. that, in addition to the LGBT caucus, he is looking at several others to join. He already is a member of the API caucus and the environmental caucus. And as the assistant speaker pro tempore, he also holds a powerful leadership post within the Democratic Caucus in the Assembly.

Regardless of whether he will become the LGBT caucus' eighth member during the 2015-2016 Legislative Session, Chiu said he has been speaking with the caucus' staff, the statewide LGBT advocacy group Equality California, and his constituents about what pro-gay bills he could introduce when the Legislature reconvenes next year.

"I have already started conversations about that," Chiu said this week, though he was not yet ready to discuss any specific legislation. "Please stay tuned."