Rirdo Lara mak history as California's 1st openly gay elected statewi officeholr

Contents:

• POLIL NOT: GAY CA SURANCE CZAR LARA MARSHALS DEMOCRAT, LGBTQ SUPPORT REELECTN RACE
• GAY CA SURANCE CZAR LARA SURVIV PRIMARY CHALLENGE
• CA SURANCE CHIEF ASKS FEDS TO LIFT GAY AND BI BLOOD BAN
• RIRDO LARA MAK HISTORY AS CALIFORNIA’S 1ST OPENLY GAY ELECTED STATEWI OFFICEHOLR

POLIL NOT: GAY CA SURANCE CZAR LARA MARSHALS DEMOCRAT, LGBTQ SUPPORT REELECTN RACE

A day after Assemblyman Marc Leve (D-Greenbrae) announced his 2022 ndidacy for California surance missner, gay cumbent Rirdo Lara rolled out endorsements om a vast array of fellow Democratic elected officials and LGBTQ lears. They are lbians Senate Print Pro Tem Toni Atks (D-San Diego), Senator San Talamant Eggman (D-Stockton) and Assemblywoman Sabra Cervant (D-Corona); gay Senators John Laird (D-Santa Cz) and Stt Wiener (D-San Francis); bisexual Assemblyman Alex Lee (D-San Jose); and gay Assemblymen Evan Low (D-Campbell) and Chris Ward (D-San Diego). Torr, who lost his own bid to bee state surance missner 1994, was referrg to the late gay San Francis supervisor who was the first out person elected to public office California 1977.

Acrdg to the Fair Polil Practic Commissn plat filed May 19, the LGBTQ Cc Learship Fund took $122, 500 om seven surance pani between June 2021 and April learship fund rais money to support lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr officials. Lara, who is openly gay, is a former vice chair of the mtee and remas an ex offic this month, the LGBTQ Cc Learship Fund donated $50, 000 to Californians Supportg Rirdo Lara for Insurance Commissner 2022, an pennt expendure mtee supportg Lara’s also gave $75, 000 to the Equy California polil actn mtee, which ma two donatns totalg the same amount to the pennt expendure mtee workg to re-elect Lara. On Monday, Commissner Lara sent a letter urgg an end to the FDA’s policy banng blood donatns om gay and bisexual men.

GAY CA SURANCE CZAR LARA SURVIV PRIMARY CHALLENGE

“The FDA’s facto ban on blood donatns om gay and bisexual men is outdated, stigmatizg, and not based science, ” said APLA Health CEO Craig E.

Rearch by the Williams Instute at the UCLA School of Law dite that, if the outdated policy is lifted, up to 615, 300 addnal pts of blood per year—enough blood to help save the liv of more than one ln people—n potentially be ntributed by gay and bi men.

The FDA’s origal lifetime ban agast gay and bi men was enacted 1983 when ltle was known about the mechanisms of HIV transmissn and the AIDS epimic was ncentrated primarily the gay male muny.

CA SURANCE CHIEF ASKS FEDS TO LIFT GAY AND BI BLOOD BAN

“Requirg gay, bisexual, Queer and other men who have sex wh men to absta om sex for three months orr to donate blood is an impractil and fear-based policy, rooted stigma, that effectively prevents many possible donors om ever donatg blood.

The current ban, even wh s recent revisns, is a remnant of the homophobia and ignorance that was propagated by policians and bigots early the AIDS panmic, ” said Los Angel LGBT Center Executive Director Joe Hollendoner.

RIRDO LARA MAK HISTORY AS CALIFORNIA’S 1ST OPENLY GAY ELECTED STATEWI OFFICEHOLR

“It specifilly discrimat agast gay men. A heterosexual person uld have hundreds of partners wh a three-month perd and still be allowed to donate blood but if a gay man has sex jt once durg that same perd, he would be tomatilly nied. This year France and Greece announced their plans to abolish their longtime rtrictns on blood donatns om gay and bi men.

Gay California Insurance Commissner Rirdo Lara survived an traparty challenge his primary race Tuday to advance to the general electn November where he uld be nng agast a Republin opponent. Gay Los Angel cy ntroller Ron Galper fell short his bid to be elected the state's ntroller.

Gay Green Party member Gary Blenner fished fifth place wh 2. The son of immigrants, Lara is also the first openly gay statewi elected official the Goln State.