Contact: Ari Ruiz, Political Vice-President

Phone: 818.293.5465 / Email: Ari.Ruiz@stonewallyoungdems.org

FOR IMMEADITE RELEASE

September 25, 2012

Stonewall Young Democrats announces new endorsements for November ballot

Betsy Butler wins endorsement in AD50, Mike Feuer earns early endorsement for March election and Prop 32 gets a big No

Los Angeles, California – SYD, Stonewall Young Democrats, LA County’s largest Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) youth advocacy group is proud to announce our newest endorsed candidates and propositions for the November ballot.

Founded in 2004, Stonewall Young Democrats is a community of dedicated youth passionate about political and societal issues. We strive to give voice to LGBTQ youth and take action in a grassroots manner on matters of both local and national significance.

On Monday night, our members voted unanimously issue an early endorsement in support of Assemblyman Mike Feuer’s race for Los Angeles City Attorney. “Mike has been a long time champion of the LGBT community & friend to Stonewall Young Democrats. Stonewall Young Democrats is proud to endorse such a progressive champion for Los Angeles District Attorney for the March 2013 municipal election in Los Angeles” said Michael Colorge, President of Stonewall Young Democrats.

Also, the club voted to endorse Assemblywoman Betsy Butler’s re-election campaign for the newly created 50^th Assembly District. “Betsy is a dear friend and we are very proud to endorse a proven leader fighting for the LGBT Community. Her legislative record speaks for itself, she authored AB1700 which is aimed to protect LGBT Seniors from losing their home – that is proven leadership” said Ari Ruiz, Political Vice-President of Stonewall Young Democrats.

Other candidates who also gained the endorsement from Stonewall Young Democrats include: Tony Cardenas (CD29), Grace Napolitano (CD32), Linda Sanchez (CD38), Alan Lowenthal (CD47), Chris Holden (AD41), Adrin Nazarian (AD46), Edwin Chau (AD49), Ian Calderon (AD57), Christina Garcia (AD58) and Bonnie Lowenthal (AD70)

We are also proud to stand with our union brothers and sisters in opposing the biggest fraud in California history by opposing Proposition 32. Prop 32 limits the voices of working families but does nothing to curb corporations from buying elections. We also voted to support Proposition 30, which increases school funding.

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Title: Reception in Support of Senator Fran Pavley
Location: Private Home in Studio City
Link out: Click here
Description: Please join Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones for an event to support the re-election of State Senator Fran Pavley!

* 12:00pm – 2:00pm, June 23, 2012

* At the home of Beverly Thomas & Kent Benjamin (address provided upon RSVP)

RSVP by ordering your tickets here: https://secure.actblue.com/page/pavleyvalley

Questions? Please call (310) 477-8081
Start Time: 12:00pm
Date: 2012-06-23
End Time: 14:00pm

Los Angeles, California – SYD, Stonewall Young Democrats, LA County’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) youth advocacy group responded to Compton School Board Member Skyy Fisher inflammatory comments about our community.

Appearing on a radio podcast, Compton Unified School Board Member Skyy Fisher, called 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, the Florida teen killed by George Zimmerman on February 26 in Sanford, Florida, a “fa**ot black dude” and school Superintendent Karen Frison a “b**ch”.

It’s completely outrageous for him to use that language, especially as an elected member of a school board.

We understand that good people can make mistakes and learn from them; however, the severity, context and repeated nature of these offensive remarks compel us to call for Mr. Fisher’s resignation.  We are grateful to the Community leaders, parents and families of Compton for showing their support for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community.

That is why we join Compton School Board Member Satra Zurita, NAACP Compton, Parents and Families of Compton in calling for the resignation of Mr. Skyy Fisher.

We wish him well as he takes the time to engage in self-reflection and better himself as in individual and we look forward to assisting the people of Compton in electing a new Board Member to the School Board.

Sincerely,

Michael Colorge

President

Ari Ruiz

Political Vice-President

Statement in PDF here

Title: Panel: Choosing Between LGBT candidates & Straight-Allied Incumbents
Location: Plummer Park Art Room 1 7377 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046
Link out: Click here
Description: Would you vote for a straight ally or a LGBT candidate?

Increasingly we are seeing political races across the country pitting proven straight allies against viable LGBT candidates. How do we balance standing with incumbents who have supported us with the need to elect LGBT representatives?

Join us Saturday, February 25th at 5:00pm for a panel discussion with:

Eric Bauman, California Democratic Party Vice Chair
Carlos Marquez, Western Region Deputy Political Director with the Victory Fund

Get your questions answered. Learn the history of LGBT political momentum in California. Hear the importance of electing LGBT candidates and supporting our allies. And get information to help with some very complex, nuanced political decisions we will have to make going forward.

The event starts at 5:00pm at:

Plummer Park
Art Room 1
7377 Santa Monica Blvd,
West Hollywood, CA 90046

Have questions about the panel? Ask us on Facebook!
Start Time: 17:00
Date: 2012-02-25
End Time: 20:00

Title: Membership Meeting: Officer Elections / Legislative Updates
Location: Plummer Park 7377 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046
Link out: Click here
Description: Please join Stonewall Young Democrats for our Bi-Monthly meeting. This month we will be electing new officers for the 2012 year. We will also have local and adjacent elected officials give us a legislative update from Sacramento and Washington D.C.

Light snacks and refreshments. FREE event.

Speakers:
US Congressmember Adam Schiff (invited)
US Congressmember Judy Chu (invited)
CA State Senator Curren Price (invited)
CA State Assemblymember Mike Feuer (invited)
CA State Assemblymember Ricardo Lara (invited)
CA State Assemblymember Betsy Butler (confirmed as of: 11/3/11)
Start Time: 15:00pm
Date: 2011-11-13
End Time: 17:00pm

Warren Furutani

With more than 40 years of experience in education and public service, Warren Furutani has always been a staunch advocate for equal opportunity.

Beginning as a civil rights activist in the 1960s, Warren worked tirelessly to establish admissions programs for students of color at colleges and universities throughout the United States. He helped many campuses establish ethnic studies programs and was instrumental in UCLA and Long Beach State University adopting an Asian American Studies program. Warren’s activism at this time has been documented in the Japanese American National Museum’s exhibit “Common Ground.” He was also interviewed in the anthology, “Roots: the Asian American Reader.”

In 1969, Warren was one of the founders of the Manzanar Pilgrimage, an annual event to honor the 110,000 Japanese American men, women and children who were forced to leave their homes and were incarcerated during World War II. In 1970 Warren helped to create the Manzanar Committee that worked to get Manzanar designated as a national historical site. Today, thousands of people participate in the Manzanar Pilgrimage every year on the last Saturday of April.

In the mid-1970s, Warren worked as a counselor at the Central Continuation High School in Downtown Los Angeles. He later joined the Asian American Student Services Center at UCLA where he worked as an administrator and developed programs to recruit, mentor and tutor students as well as encourage them to be active in community projects.

In 1987, Warren was the first Asian Pacific Islander American to ever be elected to the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board of Education – the largest school district in California. In 1999 Warren was elected to the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) Board of Trustees – the largest community college district in the country.

During his time with LAUSD and LACCD, Warren was known as a problem solver and consensus builder. He brought parents, teachers, staff and the community together to develop “school-based management” which improved our schools. He was an early and strong advocate for the LAUSD and LACCD construction bonds, which directed billions of dollars into repairing and building new schools and remodeling and constructing new facilities on our community college campuses.

While a Board Member at LAUSD, Warren led the effort to grant honorary high school diplomas to Japanese Americans who were unable to finish high school because they were forced into internment camps during World War II.

In the California State Legislature, Warren was appointed Chair of the Public Employees Retirement and Social Security committee, where he introduced pension reform measures, including Assembly Bill 340 to end the abusive practices of pension spiking and double dipping. He is also Chair of the Select Committee on Career Technical Education and Workforce Development where he is focusing on preparing students with the training they need for 21st Century jobs. He also founded the Community College Caucus and is a member of the Higher Education Master Plan Review Committee.

Warren’s work in the Capitol includes legislation related to career technical education, community colleges, clean air quality, and support for small businesses. He has successfully advocated for State resources to help rebuild the Gerald Desmond Bridge in the Port of Long Beach, which is expected to generate 4,000 jobs in the community for at least five years.

In 2008, he authored Assembly Bill 37 which granted honorary college degrees to Japanese Americans whose education was disrupted due to their wrongful incarceration during World War II. Since the bill was signed, thousands of Japanese Americans have received honorary degrees from college campuses throughout California.

Born in San Pedro and raised in Gardena, Warren is fourth-generation Japanese American. His grandfather was a mechanic on Terminal Island in San Pedro who repaired motors on tuna boats. During World War II, Warren’s grandparents and father were forced to leave their home with only 48-hours notice and were sent to an internment camp in Rohror, Arkansas. Warren’s father was in high school at the time, and while at camp he met Warren’s mother who was from Elk Grove, California. Warren’s father was drafted into the military while still incarcerated. After the war, his parents returned to San Pedro to start their family.

Warren is a product of the Los Angeles public education system. He graduated from Gardena High School in 1965. He earned a liberal arts degree from Antioch University. He is married to Lisa Abe Furutani, and they are the proud parents of two grown sons.

When I was watching the morning news, I happen to turn to see Jamey Rodemeyer’s parents talk about how the bullying continued well after their son’s death. I wasn’t quite sure if I heard them correctly and unfortunately they clarified on how their daughter brought back the news from her dance about how they chanted about him being better off dead. As video played on about his life leading up to his suicide attempt, it brought back memories of elementary school and my own run-ins with bullies. And in the end, I look back at how the luxuries that life gives us bring out different outcomes. I had the luxury of having a mother who also is a lawyer in profession, the luxury of going to schools that had teachers and administrators who don’t tolerate any sort of harassment, the luxury of being surrounded by peers who weren’t closed minded. Not everyone though is afforded these luxuries in life.

When I referenced my own bullying in my first SYD newsletter as president, it reminded me of all the insanity that kids go through when growing up, trying to fit in, trying to belong. I just so happen to fit in with a lot of the girls in school back in the early 1990′s- figure skating with them on asphalt, singing A Whole New World and watching a ton of Disney films, and just acting silly. That definitely attracted a lot of animosity from the other guys in school for various reasons… and my lack of interest in boys hobbies didn’t help. It was one thing to fit the nerd stereotype back then, it was another to also not fit with the general stereotype of how boys should behave. That’s when the taunting started. It got to the point after a while that during the 4th grade class, I snapped in half and hurled a clipboard across the room and screamed. That’s when my mother ‘fixed’ the problem for me and the bullying stopped. And through out the rest of my time in LAUSD, that never re-surfaced in Middle or High School. I guess it helps to have everyone asking you for homework help and be surrounded by all the pretty girls the guys want to be close to.

I wondered sometimes what would have happened if my mother hadn’t intervened all those years ago or if the schools I attended didn’t have Project 10 available. I might not be writing this today, or I wouldn’t be the person I am today but some kind of damaged individual. At this point, I consider myself lucky as worse things could have happened. I’m one of the lucky ones to not completely travel down that path and towards a cliff, where many never return. Jamey didn’t have those luxuries aside from a family that accepted him no matter what. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough to stop him from going over the edge in the early part of September. Sometimes, we need others to stop ourselves from falling off the cliff. We need to become those luxuries to others who don’t have enough from life to keep them from falling.

Resources for LGBT Youth facing bullying:

The Trevor Project (http://www.thetrevorproject.org/)

Project 10 (http://www.project10.org/)

Michael Colorge

President

Stonewall Young Democrats