Frontlines to Headlines October 2015

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LEGISLATIVE VICTORIES

October is the end of California’s legislative season and up until the end grantees working on issues targeted by Liberty Hill’s Push for Power were chalking up victories! In an hour-by-hour countdown to the signing deadline, the San Jose Mercury News notes that at 1:45 p.m. on Sunday, October 11, Governor Brown signed into law SB 588, the bill developed with input from Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance (KIWA) that puts some teeth into enforcement of California’s wage laws and helps workers collect wages they’ve earned.

Earlier in the month, the governor signed a bill designed to reduce racial profiling in law enforcement–supported by Dignity and Power Now and L.A. Voice as described in this Los Angeles Times report.  He also signed a measure calling for history textbooks and courses in California schools to teach about the mass deportation of Mexican Americans and Mexican nationals in the 1930s known as the “Mexican Repatriation,” a decision Jorge-Mario Cabrera Jr. of Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles (CHIRLA) praised in a Fox News Latino article.

POLICING & CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

In an important editorial, the Los Angeles Times took a stance opposing efforts by the L.A. Police Commission to silence activists including leaders from Youth Justice Coalition,  Los Angeles Community Action Network (LA-CAN) and Black Lives Matter (Dignity and Power Now), groups that have been using Commission meetings to draw attention to police violence in communities of color. The Final Call has a news story about the “new rules of decorum” that inspired the editorial.

The L.A. Times reported on body camera footage of the killing of Skid Row resident, Charly Africa Keunang, quoting Pete White of LA-CAN on the culture of police violence.

People Organized for Westside Renewal (POWER) and LA-CAN were organizers of a demonstration in Venice to protest recent police killings of homeless people.  CBS Los Angeles reported.

One of the recipients of Liberty Hill’s Rapid Response Fund for Racial Justice, the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights is caravanning to nine California cities to raise awareness about racialized policing (covered by NewsOne) and has released a report about how women of color shoulder the burden of mass incarceration—a finding reported on by the New York Times, Colorlines, Atlanta Black Star and Mother Jones.

Community Coalition hosted a clinic to educate the public about Proposition 47, and helped community members go through the process of amending their criminal records under the new law.  The L.A. Sentinel has the story.

ENVIRONMENT

The L.A. Times reported on findings that regulation is lacking at urban oil drilling sites in Los Angeles.  The article mentions Stand Together Against Neighborhood Drilling (STAND-LA), a coalition of grassroots organizations supported by Liberty Hill.  Another L.A. Times article on the AllenCo drill site in South L.A., which is moving to reopen after having production suspended for environmental violations, quoted Nancy H. Ibrahim of Esperanza Community Housing, a coalition member.

The New Republic, the L.A. Times and the Daily Breeze reported on new EPA regulations for monitoring air quality around oil refineries.  All three outlets interviewed Jesse Marquez of Fund for Environmental Health and Safety grantee Coalition for a Safe Environment.

ECONOMIC JUSTICE

The Huffington Post featured an article by Los Angeles Black Worker Center director Lola Smallwood Cuevas on attending the Worker Voice Summit at the White House, an event to elevate the concerns of workers.  Among the other attendees was Jennifer Epps-Addison, Liberty Hill’s Chief Program Officer. Check the New York Times for more on the summit.

The Coalition for Economic Survival (CES) appeared in an L.A. Weekly article on earthquake retrofitting for vulnerable buildings.  Executive Director, Larry Gross, spoke out against passing the cost on to tenants in an already crunched housing market.

Organizers with Strategic Actions for a Just Economy (SAJE) are helping tenants to document issues like vermin infestations and mold that South L.A. landlords are neglecting to fix.  KPCC has the story.

Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) appeared in a Los Angeles Daily News article about illegal dumping in Pacoima.  The group drew attention to the issue by organizing a tour of local trash piles that the City has been slow to clean up.

The Pilipino Workers Center is facilitating a hotline to provide Filipino Americans with resources on worker rights, labor laws and other employment questions.  The Asian Journal has the story.

The Santa Monica Lookout reported on workers at one of the nation’s first unionized carwashes who have successfully negotiated for higher wages.  The story mentions CLEAN Carwash Campaign.

The Nation featured Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education (SCOPE) CEO, Gloria Walton, in an article on the Republican Party’s stance on inequality.  Walton implored Republic leaders to address the drastic income gap between rich and poor neighborhoods in Los Angeles.

Al Jazeera and Just-Style reported on a Garment Worker Center (GWC) study that found many workers in L.A.’s garment industry face poor working conditions.  Al Jazeera’s coverage quoted GWC’s Mar Martinez, who explained that “American made” doesn’t mean sweatshop free.

GENDER JUSTICE

NBC News quoted API Equality L.A. in an article about the tragic death of an Asian-American transgender teen activist, Skylar Lee.  The organization reminded readers about how systemic transphobia and racism can create tremendous challenges for trans youth of color.

Black Women for Wellness traveled to Washington D.C. to participate in a conference on Black women’s reproductive rights.  Afro and Black Enterprise have the story.

IMMIGRATION

The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles (CHIRLA) criticized a new policy that will give ICE agents more access to searching for and detaining undocumented immigrants in the county jail system. See CBS Los Angeles and the New York Times for more.

Representatives of CHIRLA criticized Donald Trump in Fox News Latino and the L.A. Times, and called out Republican presidential candidate, John Kasich, for offensive comments toward Latinos for CNN and Think Progress. On the other hand, Jorge-Mario Cabrera of CHIRLA offered a quote to the Press Enterprise in a story about how California Republicans are trying to distance themselves from Trump’s anti-immigrant stance.

Pilipino Workers Center members were among a group of 100 women who drew attention to immigration issues by walking 100 miles to hear Pope Francis speak during a recent U.S. visit.  Grist and ABS-CBN covered the story.

When ICE detained a 67 year old grandfather who has been in the United States for 20 years and has no criminal record, Immigrant Youth Coalition put their organizing expertise toward a campaign to free the man.  Get the story from Think Progress.

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Youth Leaders Kick off Productive BSS Year with Emotional Retreat

By Karen Driscoll – BSS Program Manager

The Brothers, Sons, Selves Coalition, one of Liberty Hill’s Common Agenda Campaigns, held its annual retreat last month where 33 youth leaders along with myself and other staff from partner organizations convened in Malibu to plan priorities for 2015-2016. Together we worked with the young people in the Coalition to increase their understanding of BSS history and to create a safe space where they could bond with one another. The entire weekend was a complete success because of the hard work of Coalition partners and our consultant team, but there were definitely some highlights from the young men worth noting.

During the camp fire on the first night of the retreat, Marc Arenas, from InnerCity Struggle, shared what it meant for him to be a BSS youth leader. In that role Marc started last year he was rather shy, but being in the Coalition however, has allowed him to come out of his shell. He also shared how the BSS Coalition inspires him to do more and has allowed him to be in a place where he has the chance to meet people he’s not exposed to in his neighborhood. Marc revealed that this year he is excited to be a high school senior so that he could take more of a leadership role in the Coalition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One priority area for BSS is the development of a School Climate Measurement Tool. The tool will seek to comprehensively assess school climate on campus beyond suspension and expulsion rates. It will measure the quality of teacher student relationships, teaching practices in the classroom and the presence of police on campus.

During our session on the School Climate Measurement, youth leaders expressed their desire to see their teachers connect with them in culturally competent ways. This means that the young men want their teachers more aware of what goes on in a student’s life and community and how that shapes their interaction in the classroom. Jonathan, from Khmer Girls in Action, said that he doesn’t have mental health counselors on campus (only academic) so he wants the measurement tool to highlight this issue. The measurement tool we’re developing will help capture this critical perspective.

In learning about the organizations involved in the Coalition, Johnny, from GSA Network, shared that he had been kicked out of his home when his family assumed he was gay. He shared that he’s since found a home at GSA and can see that BSS will be just as welcoming.

The Retreat concluded with a talent show where youth leaders expressed themselves through creative measures like freestyle rap and singing. It was amazing to see the talent that filled the room.

Overall, the retreat (and BSS in general) is a place where our young people can be themselves completely. They are supported by adults who help them understand and use their leadership skills to change their schools and communities in a positive way.

This year the Brother, Son, Selves Coalition will be focused on getting the school climate measurement tool implemented in LA County school districts as well as advancing statewide and local policy that promotes school climate, reduces the criminalization of communities of color, and most importantly, inspires hope among young boys and men of color.

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Liberty Hill Welcomes new Chief Program Officer

 Liberty Hill is pleased to announce that Jennifer Epps-Addison has joined us as Chief Program Officer.  Jennifer was most recently Executive Director of Wisconsin Jobs Now, the largest base-building 501c3 organization in Wisconsin. In that role, she has been active in regional worker-led campaigns that scored wins for sick days and a living wage ordinance.  She was also involved with the national coalition to raise minimum wage rates that helped support Liberty Hill grantees in their successful campaigns in L.A. City and County.

Jennifer has 15 years of grassroots community organizing experience in economic, racial, and criminal justice issues. She has had leadership positions at the Good Jobs and Livable Neighborhood Coalition and Citizen Action of Wisconsin.  Jennifer has also worked as an attorney for the Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Office.  She holds a B.A. in Political Science and Women’s Studies from the University of Wisconsin- Madison & a law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School. 

Welcome, Jennifer!

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LIBERTY HILL ANNOUNCES “FEED” GRANTS

Liberty Hill’s new Fund for Economic Equity and Dignity (FEED) has made its first round of grants to five strong California worker-led organizations combating wage theft. These are just-in-time grants! Thanks to quick work by our team, we’re able to get this money to the grassroots just as the statewide coalition to pass SB 588, California’s landmark anti-wage theft enforcement bill, is gearing up for the final stage! The bill has been passed by the California State Legislature and now grassroots groups are working round-the-clock to win Governor Brown’s signature!

The campaign against wage theft is one of the three cornerstones of Liberty Hill’s Push for Power—our targeted fundraising initiative to push three high-momentum issues over the finish line to change. The Fund for Economic Equity and Dignity (FEED) is Liberty Hill’s unique partnership with the Service Employees International Union California State Council. Our goal is to raise funds from unions, foundations, and individual donors to make multi-year investments across the state that will increase capacity for worker-organizing groups and build a strong and long-term labor/community partnership.

The grant recipients are:

• Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance $20,000
• The Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund (Janitorial Watch) $15,000
• The Pilipino Association of Workers and Immigrants $10,00
• CLEAN Carwash Campaign $5,000
• Restaurant Opportunities Center-Los Angeles $5,000

If you haven’t experienced wage theft, you can hardly believe it can happen in California. It’s a massive problem—in Los Angeles, low wage workers lose $26.2 million each week to wage theft (learn more in this L.A. Times article  which includes stories from some of the janitor-leaders of the new grantee, Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund).  And be sure to check out this Southern California Public Radio story about the bill’s passage quoting Alexandra Suh of KIWA.

According to Victor Narro, Project Director for the UCLA Labor Center, the statewide anti-wage theft coalition  “represents one of the best examples of statewide partnership between community organizations and unions…[it] has given labor partners the practical expertise and close connection of organizations serving low-wage, nonunion workers, and it has given worker centers and community partners access to the institutional strengths of the labor movement.”

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Frontlines to Headlines September

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CHANGE

Our post-Labor Day round-up catches us up on media attention from August and early September. Policy-change wins in oil drilling regulation and the Los Angeles County minimum wage increase (following the City of L.A. in June) along with passage of the state wage theft legislation (now on Governor Brown’s desk) top the list.

New regulations from the South Coast Air Quality Management District require oil companies drilling in urban areas to cut back on noxious odors and give residents an easier way to complain. Liberty Hill-funded coalition Stand Together Against Neighborhood Drilling (STAND) is at the forefront of the resident movement, and in a report on the change, the Los Angeles Times quoted Bahram Fazeli of coalition member Communities for a Better Environment.

The L.A. Times turned to Liberty Hill for background and data on another story about South L.A. residents battling oil companies over residential pollution. Aljazeera also covered a protest organized by STAND.

Alexandra Suh of Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance (KIWA), a key anchor group in the fight for passage of statewide wage theft enforcement bill AB 588, spoke to Southern California Public Radio as the bill passed both houses of the California State Legislature and headed to Governor Brown’s desk. (The Times chatted earlier with Alexandra in their “chat and a selfie” column.)

Passage and implementation of wage theft enforcement is a goal of a Liberty Hill partnership fund, the Fund for Equity and Economic Dignity (FEED), whose grantees include the Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund, mentioned in this L.A. Times story of the injustices workers experience through wage theft.

The County minimum wage increase spurred more coverage. A Wall Street Journal article about how the minimum wage increase will impact L.A.’s garment industry quoted Marissa Nuncio, director of the Garment Worker Center, who stressed the importance of curbing wage theft.

A Huffington Post piece mentions the work L.A. VOICE and Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) have done to mobilize workers. In The Times also covered the County wage increase with a piece by ACCE member, Martha Sanchez.

Recent Liberty Hill Commission Training Focused on Targeted Hire Practices

By Shyann Murphy

Shyann is a Liberty Hill intern in her junior year at USC, where she is focusing on political science and women’s studies. Shyann is a fearless advocate for LGBTQ and women’s  issues on campus, doing a lot of much needed community engagement and organizing work on campus. 

On June 11, Liberty Hill Foundation’s Wally Marks Leadership Institute for Change Commissions Training Program hosted a panel and discussion on “Targeted Hire in Public Projects: Community Stabilization Through Local Jobs.” Targeted Hire is a policy designed to support people from undeserved communities by providing them with job opportunities in public works projects. Liberty Hill’s Commissions Training Program trains grassroots leaders to become advocates within government structures, such as commissions. The Program ensures that Los Angeles has strong leadership that makes equitable decisions for all communities.

The panel members explored “Targeted Hire” as a policy and provided suggestions for how people within decision-making structures like commissions can advocate for Targeted Hire programs to empower undeserved communities. The panelists emphasized the ways in which “Targeted Hire” programs could build power from within communities, while also creating a more stable and balanced economy.

Building a House of Power: The road to a Black Workers Center in Ferguson

By Crystal Shaw

For years, Los Angeles Black Worker Center, a Liberty Hill grantee, has been a national leader in the urgent work of reversing the Black Jobs Crisis. As a result, its staff and advisers, including the Center’s Director, Lola Smallwood Cuevas, were aware of the obstacles for Black workers not only in L.A. but also in communities such as Ferguson, Missouri. In fact, because of the success the LABWC has been having, advocates from the St. Louis suburb—whose population is nearly 70% Black—sought them out for advice and consultation, to begin talks of opening a black workers center there.

After Michael Brown, an unarmed Ferguson teenager, lost his life at the hands of a police officer and a grand jury decided not to indict the officer,  the  U.S. Department of Justice found the Ferguson Police Department had engaged in “a pattern or practice of unlawful conduct” through discrimination and racial stereotyping.  The underserved African American community was not only fighting for economic development but also against an unfair criminal justice system and decades of unfair practices by the hands of its governing systems , the very systems supposedly set up to serve them.  While this little known travesty may have been only revealed after Ferguson had been thrust onto the country’s zeitgeist, the Los Angeles Black Workers Center has recognized of the unbalanced and unorganized hiring practices that resulted in high levels of poverty plaguing Ferguson, and the need for an organized system to be set in place before economic justice could advance.

The creation of a Ferguson Black Worker Center is only possible through a true partnership between Black organizations and unions.  It’s   being anchored by The Organization for Black Struggle (OBS) and the Coalition of Black Trade Unions (CBTU) who have partnered with the national trade union, the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), explains Lola. The AFL-CIO is helping to grow workers centers across the country by supporting groups who are doing that work.   A lot of the foundational efforts are modeled on the Los Angeles BWC, and conversations were well underway before the November 2014 uprising in Ferguson after the jury verdict.  After those turbulent events, naturally a lot of focus was set on St. Louis and resources began to come in so the table has gotten bigger.

Lola Smallwood Cuevas, Director, Los Angeles Black Workers Center

“What was clear,” says Lola, is that unions and Black-led community-based organizations have not had conversations.”  She says a lot of trust had to be built.  “Obviously the conditions of over 50% of Black men in that community unemployed and the assault on Black people by the government, the balancing of the government’s budget on the pain and suffering of Black folks largely has gone unnoticed by the labor movement, by other liberal and progressive forces in St. Louis for a really long time.”

So, Lola says, all parties involved had to decide if it was even possible to have a table in which unions and the Black community could come together and actually create an institution whose mission would be to build power for Black people in the t. Louis area.  “When we went to Ferguson after the Mike Brown killing we saw the level of potential for power building: all the mobilization, all of the moves to do leadership development, build capacity, to really make this moment a movement happening. We heard people in the conversation realizing that at the core of it is poverty.”

If opening a worker’s center was to be a reality, the allies gathered knew they had to address key issues: poverty, the Black Jobs Crisis, and how to make this worker’s center and partnership operational.

During another visit In December 2014 the first thing L.A. Black Worker Center facilitated was a two-day workshop in Ferguson, and a strategic planning session with the building trade union Service Employees International Union (SEIU) along with the Coalition of Black Trade Unions and the Organization for Black Struggle.  Participants laid out a six month plan to move the center forward.  First the partners would need to find resources to have a coordinator in Ferguson that could continue the grassroots conversations on strategic planning, taking into consideration what would be the links among the organizing groups, as well as strategies for identifying the jobs, processes for placement and potential mini campaigns to start.  After much work in those strategic meetings, Lola says, a feeling of hope, and a real belief that this could happen is evident and message was born.

“Build a House of Power: Economic justice in the Back community and partnership with the unions.  That was the message coming out,” Lola explains.

Since that December visit there’s been great progress.  A location for the Ferguson Black Worker Center has been secured, the workforce development program planning is moving forward and the unions have already started doing trainings.  Political education sessions are also underway.

After doing the ground work, Lola says, everyone involved believes the Worker Center will be established and will flourish. The partners recognized, she says, it “that this was a very white led, conservative, anti-worker and anti-Black environment. What was needed was the building of a different type of power structure—power for working class folks and for Black folks in particular.  And again the framework was “Building a House of Power!” By next December the hope is that the Ferguson Black Worker Center will be well enough established to focus on the Black Jobs Crisis through partnerships with unions while at the same time offering economic and racial justice focused activities, campaigns and worker leadership training.  Immediate plans are underway for a leadership institute that will bring all stakeholders together for more planning of what the initial campaign will be.

“But again,” Lola says, “it’s a process to end up with something that’s going to be sustainable and have impact.  We want to take our time and make sure that the right partners are at the table and committed.”

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Frontlines to Headlines June/July 2015

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POLICING & CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liberty Hill’s Brothers, Sons, Selves Coalition scored a major victory as Los Angeles Unified School District responded to youth organizing efforts and agreed to allocate Local Control Funding Formula dollars to services for students in need rather than school police. Education Week covered the story, also mentioning Youth Justice Coalition (YJC), and Witness L.A. mentioned Community Coalition in its report.

When Sheriffs in the Antelope Valley targeted Section 8 renters, especially African Americans and Latinos, with harassment and intimidation, The Community Action League (TCAL) organized community members against discrimination. After a long campaign that involved a federal lawsuit against the Cities of Lancaster and Palmdale, the Los Angeles Times is reporting that conditions in the region for Section 8 renters have improved dramatically.

Southern California Grantmakers hosted a briefing on Proposition 47 to discuss philanthropy’s role in implementing the new law. Liberty Hill CEO, Shane Goldsmith, spoke at the event. Check Southern California Grantmakers’s website for more.

All of Us or None is among the groups pushing for a federal ban on job applications that include questions about criminal history. The Houston Forward Times and the District Chronicles turned to All of Us or None founder, Dorsey Nunn, for quotes on the “Ban the Box” campaign.
ECONOMIC JUSTICE

 

 

 

 

 

 

KPCC hosted a panel on L.A.’s minimum wage hike that featured Kathy Hoang of the Restaurant Opportunities Center Los Angeles (ROC-LA). An Al Jazeera article on wage theft in Los Angeles also mentioned ROC-LA and cited research by the group.

NBC News reported on tenants of a La Crescenta apartment complex who are facing drastic rent increases. The report quotes Larry Gross of Coalition for Economic Survival (CES) on the importance of rent control. CES also appeared in an article about how Los Angeles City Council is considering boosting housing stock by legalizing unpermitted rental units. Larry Gross offered a favorable opinion of the plan to KPCC.

Long Beach City Council approved measures that will strengthen the City’s Rental Housing Inspection Program, giving added protections to tenants. The Long Beach Post and Long Beach Press Telegram both mentioned Housing Long Beach (HLB) in their coverage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Intersections South L.A. published a story on the relationship between health and housing conditions in South Los Angeles. The article quotes Nery Cividanis of Strategic Actions for a Just Economy (SAJE).

A KPCC report on who will foot the bill for extensive earthquake retrofitting in Los Angeles quoted Steve Diaz of Los Angeles Community Action Network (LA CAN) who spoke out against placing the burden on renters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Los Angeles Metro is attempting to speed up bus boarding by allowing passengers to enter at all doors. The Bus Riders Union expressed support for the plan, which is currently undergoing testing. KPCC has the story.
IMMIGRATION

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the heels of Donald Trump’s disparaging remarks about immigrants, the presidential hopeful journeyed to L.A. for a meeting with Hollywood conservatives. The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles (CHIRLA) organized a demonstration outside the event, and several news outlets covered the story including ABC, NBC and L.A. Weekly.

Los Angeles City Council voted to implement new regulations against street vendors operating at public parks and beaches that include fines and possible misdemeanor charges. The Los Angeles Times covered the story and quoted Joseph Villela of CHIRLA, and a Reuters story on the issue quoted Becky Dennison of LA CAN. Both activists criticized the plan.
GENDER JUSTICE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teni Adewumi of Black Women for Wellness (BWW) travelled to Pittsburgh to speak at Kinks, Locks & Twists, a conference on women’s health issues. The New Pittsburgh Courier has the story.
ENVIRONMENT

 

 

 

 

 

A Health Affairs Blog article on philanthropists targeting climate change gave a nod to Liberty Hill’s Clean Up Green Up campaign.

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Antelope Valley Community Org Scores Big Victories for Fair Housing and Racial Justice

By Joe Rihn

Liberty Hill Foundation offers Special Opportunity Fund Grants to provide tactical, quick-turnaround dollars for organizations seeking support for timely capacity-building opportunities. A recent SOF Grant was just what an Antelope Valley organization called The Community Action League needed to tackle a pressing local problem of police abuse and racial discrimination tied to Section 8 housing.

Pharaoh Mitchell, Organizer at The Community Action League

Like many residents in Los Angeles County’s far Northern reaches, Pharaoh Mitchell came from Los Angeles seeking a more tranquil place to live. He’s resided in Palmdale for over 15 years now, but since his days in L.A. he’s been no stranger to community organizing and advocating for those in need. “I started community organizing around homelessness in Los Angeles,” he says. Mitchell now works with TCAL.

In 2007 Antelope Valley residents who received Section 8 housing benefits started becoming victims of severe and widespread discrimination, especially people of color. The area has seen an influx of Black and Latino residents leaving urban L.A., and instances of hate crimes and racial bias have been an ongoing problem. “I started noticing in the AV Press every week there was an African American person on the front of the newspaper saying Section 8 fraud,” recalls Pharaoh, describing how he became aware of the problem affecting members of his community. Pharaoh knew something was off and began to investigate.

Renewing Our Vows to Fight for Equality

Shane Murphy Goldsmith (left), her wife Monica Avina Granados, and their sons.

Today, Liberty Hill Foundation’s President and CEO, Shane Murphy Goldsmith, spoke at a press conference called by Mayor Eric Garcetti to celebrate and comment on the Supreme Court decision handed down today in favor of same-sex marriage nationwide. Shane participated as one half of a married couple. In June 17, 2008, then acting Mayor Garcetti made Shane and her wife Monica the first gay couple to get married in the city of Los Angeles. Here is an excerpt from her remarks, which she began by holding up the photo above. 

This is my family. These are the people I love more than anything in the world.

My wife, Monica Avina Granados. My children, Jude Santiago Avina Goldsmith and Oliver Miguel Avina Goldsmith. If you can’t see it from where you’re sitting it’s on my Facebook page.

We were married June 17, 2008. Here at City Hall. Our anniversary was nine days ago.  I love my wife. Thank you,  Mr. Mayor, for marrying us that day.

Some of you may be thinking “oh no big deal we’re in California.” Let me tell you.

Monica and I were married here in June, 2008. We’d actually gotten married two years earlier, but of course, our marriage was all love and no law. Our marriage had no legal standing. And four months after our legal marriage by the Mayor, we were in legal limbo again when Prop 8 passed.

So it’s hard to express how good it feels to finally stand on solid legal ground so that Monica and I can raise our two boys in a stable, loving home that has the sanction of the us supreme court and the us constitution.

The Supreme Court released a decision this morning that we celebrate. But millions of gay and lesbian individuals have, for decades,  taken important action to make this possible.

I want to call out their courage. Their visibility. Their organizing. Their lawsuits. Their love.

Our victory for lesbian and gay equality is about love, about letting  everyone express their love.

Rather than today’s court decision representing the end of our advocacy, let’s make it a point of renewal. Our movement is not just about winning the protections of marriage for same-sex couples, it’s also about winning equal rights for transgender people, for LGBTQ immigrants, for young people who are questioning their identity– for all of us who struggle in the face of gender and racial discrimination.

This is a time for us to stand with others. Let’s shower people in this country who still yearn for acceptance and justice, let’s shower them with our love and make this great country a country of love and justice.

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