Gay Picked To Lead CA Assembly

[+ Lucky]

For those dismayed at our losses on gay marriage, and, well, for the rest of us, here is some hopefully good news. The California State Assembly is set to pick an openly gay Los Angeles man to be the Speaker of the Assembly.

 

From AP-

Democrats settled an internal dispute Thursday by selecting a Los Angeles union organizer to be the next speaker of the California Assembly.

 

 

 

They unanimously backed Assemblyman John Perez, chairman of the Assembly Democratic Caucus.

His nomination for the post, among the most powerful positions in state government, marked another milestone for the 80-member house.

If confirmed by the full Assembly in January, Perez will become the first openly gay Assembly speaker. The leader he will replace, Democrat Karen Bass of Los Angeles, was the first black woman to head either chamber of the Legislature.

Perez, 40, said his nomination broke another barrier for gays and lesbians, but he also emphasized that he should not be defined by his sexual orientation.

"My job is to represent the interest of all people of the state of California," he told reporters after winning the caucus vote at Stanford Mansion, a former governor's home near the state Capitol.

The nominee with the most Democratic support usually wins the post because Democrats hold a majority of seats in the Assembly.

 

 

 

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/12/10/politics/p141553S01.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0ZL5oREUH