SACRAMENTO – In a sign of the growing clout of the gay rights movement, California lawmakers have formed what is believed to be the first official gay and lesbian state legislative caucus in the nation.Led by Assemblywoman Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego, the caucus held its first news conference yesterday to promote bills to expand the rights available to domestic partners, ban gender-based discrimination in housing and employment, and prohibit the state from contracting with businesses that provide benefits to spouses, but not domestic partners.
"We're very proud to be keeping California on the forefront of equal rights," said Kehoe, one of three women and two men who make up the caucus.
The official status of the group, called the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Caucus, means that a legislative staffer is assigned part time to serve the organization. It joins a variety of other ...