FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NOVEMBER 28, 2005

Contact: Eddie Gutiérrez, Director of Communications
Phone:   (323) 217-8875   Email: eddie@eqca.org

STRATEGIC EXPANSION BY EQUALITY CALIFORNIA REFLECTS CRITICAL TIME IN LGBT MOVEMENT

Five Regional Field Organizers Join EQCA Team

Sacramento, CA - As the lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual movement faces one of the most critical challenges and one of the greatest opportunities in its history in 2006, Equality California has added five field staff members and plans to establish two new regional offices in Southern California.

The strategic expansion positions the organization to build upon its past successes and prevent erosion of LGBT rights in California, the state with the largest LGBT population in the nation. With California having enacted the strongest LGBT civil rights legislation in the nation, the state is poised to become the first to legislatively end discrimination against LGBT individuals. At the same time, right-wing extremists are gathering signatures to amend the California Constitution to wipe away many of our existing legal rights. EQCA’s expanded field staff will facilitate efforts to educate Californians about the dangers at hand, and mobilize them to participate in the fight for equality.

“We are in the middle of a fierce battle that will determine if LGBT people will finally be accorded equality or if we will continue to be subject to legalized discrimination,” said Equality California Executive Director Geoff Kors. “By having regional field staff working throughout the state, where our community, voters and legislators live, we will be better positioned to achieve victory. The entire nation is watching California, as the outcome here will have an enormous impact everywhere.”

EQCA field organizers in Sacramento, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Palm Springs and San Diego are now in place, and organizers based in central California are being recruited. The new regional field organizers will work with local volunteer EQCA chapters and partner organizations and enable EQCA to work more effectively in every part of California.

“This evolution in our development will bring a new level of reach, depth and energy to the cause of LGBT equality in California,” said EQCA Field Director Molly McKay. “Our field team will work closely with other organizations as we fight to secure the dignity, safety and equality of all Californians.”

•     Sacramento/Northern California Field Organizer Jean Adams can be reached at jean@eqca.org.
•     San Francisco/Bay Area Field Organizer Brian Davis can be reached at brian@eqca.org.
•     Palm Springs/Riverside Field Organizer Bill Feingold can be reached at bill@eqca.org.
•     San Diego Field Organizer Fernando Lopez-Sager can be reached at fernando@eqca.org.  
•     Los Angeles Field Organizer Stephanie Wells can be reached at stephanie@eqca.org.

Founded in 1998, Equality California is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots-based, statewide advocacy organization whose mission is to ensure the dignity, safety, equality and civil rights of all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Californians. We can be contacted through our website at www.eqca.org.

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