page_title: California Legislative LGBT Caucus
section_title: Members
hierarchical_section_title: California Legislative LGBT Caucus / Members
caption_attribution_description: English: California's LGBT state legislators
context_page_description: The California Legislative LGBT Caucus is an American political organization formed in June 2002 and composed of openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members of the California State Legislature. The caucus currently has eight members, which is a record held over three non-consecutive sessions.
  This group is contrasted to other LGBT Equality Caucuses in that the California caucus consists entirely of LGBT legislators while other LGBT Equality Caucuses consist of all orientations. Both, however, promote the promulgation of LGBT-affirming laws within the legislature.
context_section_description: 17 openly LGBT people have served in the legislature and been members of the caucus – all gay or lesbian and Democrats. Seven of them are current office holders.
  In addition, there has been one gay member of the legislature who, despite being open about his sexual orientation, was not a member of the caucus. Republican state senator Roy Ashburn from Kern County came out in March 2010 after having been arrested while driving under the influence on his way home from a gay bar. He served the remaining eight months of his term but did not join the caucus.
  There have also been members of the legislature who, though not open about their sexuality at the time they served in public office, subsequently declared themselves gay or lesbian. Dennis Mangers, who represented Orange County in the Assembly from 1976 to 1980, married his partner of 17 years, Michael Sestak, in June 2008. Art Torres, who served 8 years in the Assembly and 12 in the State Senate before going on to spend 13 years as chair of the California Democratic Party, came out publicly in April 2009.
caption: Number of openly LGBT California state legislators by session
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