Equality California Celebrates Passage of Proposition 50: A Victory for Fair Representation and Democracy

SACRAMENTO- Equality California, the nation's largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, celebrates the passage of Proposition 50, a crucial measure that protects fair representation in Congress and defends California's values of equality and democracy. In response to tonight's results, Equality California Executive Director Tony Hoangreleased the following statement:

"History has shown that when democracy is under attack, LGBTQ+ people are on the frontlines - bearing the brunt of the backlash and leading the fight to defend freedom. Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans have systematically targeted LGBTQ+ rights, rolling back nondiscrimination protections, erasing our history, and attacking transgender kids and their families. With the passage of Proposition 50, Californians have sent a clear message: our votes will not be silenced, our voices will not be ignored, and our rights will not be rolled back during a rigged midterm election. Equality California is proud to have fought for Proposition 50 alongside our partners and the voters who made this win possible. As we turn toward the 2026 midterms, we'll keep building on this momentum - defending pro-equality champions and working to elect more leaders who will fight for our communities. The work to defend our democracy continues, but today we celebrate a critical step forward.

As they did in California, voters across the country decisively rejected the hateful politics peddled by Donald Trump and his allies. Despite facing millions in anti-trans attack ads, pro-LBGTQ+ candidates won the governorships in Virginia and New Jersey; voters in New York made Zohran Mamdani, who ran an unapologetically pro-trans campaign, their next mayor; and pro-equality justices retained their seats and their majority in key Pennsylvania judicial races. "

Equality California endorsed Proposition 50 earlier this year as part of the organization's broader fight to protect democracy and strengthen the political power of LGBTQ+ communities and communities of color across the state. For decades, Equality California has fought to ensure fair representation through the redistricting process. In the 2011 cycle, Equality California successfully pushed the Citizens Redistricting Commission and local commissions in San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Long Beach and San Diego to recognize geographically connected LGBTQ+ communities as communities of interest, strengthening the community's ability to elect candidates of choice.

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