By Karen Ocamb

Oct. 8 marks Antonio Villaraigosa's first 100 days as mayor of Los Angeles. But in all fairness, Villaraigosa didn't wait for his inauguration to start acting as mayor. He kicked into overdrive the day after his victory over incumbent Jim Hahn last June and his already-legendary roadrunner 18-hour-plus days have left veteran reporters clamoring to catch up.

From the swirling heights of noble oratory during his inauguration speech, to diving into the mix to settle a union or school racial disagreement, to initiating a new ethics code, to visiting almost every neighborhood in the city and attending almost every event to which he is invited (he was the first L.A. mayor to attend Outfest), to holding a news conference about fixing potholes, Villaraigosa seems to be everywhere, hugging enthusiastic Latino kids, listening to someone who has grabbed his arm on the street, and boundlessly sharing his exuberant love for the city of Los Angeles.

For LGBT people, Villaraigosa is like the man with the torch who knows the way out of a dark, forsaken cave. "I haven't been this inspired since Bobby Kennedy," Torie Osborn, executive director of Liberty Hill Foundation told IN, recalling the late senator and presidential candidate slain in Los Angeles in 1968.

Unlike Kennedy, who was born into a wealthy family and learned late in life (though well) the importance of the civil rights movement, Villaraigosa grew up without a father in a working-class Eastside neighborhood that inculcated him with progressive politics early on. His openly gay cousin John Perez told IN that Villaraigosa taught him about gay politics when Perez was only 14.

"A gay friend of Antonio's had shown him a video of The Times of Harvey Milk and apparently he thought it was an important message," Perez told IN. "That was 21 years ago, and he had no interest in running for office. It was just a reflection of who our mothers were and the values they brought to the table. His mother always had gay friends -- that's how we grew up."

Villaraigosa's commitment to the LGBT community is long and well documented, earning him the appellation by gay leaders of "honorary gay." But too often the community has been disappointed when an ardent supporter takes office and suddenly changes their positions to suit the situation. Not so in Villaraigosa's first 100 days.

Perhaps the first and most important signal that Villaraigosa would continue his longtime commitment was appointing four openly gay people, including Osborn, to his sizable transition team. The next step was referencing gays and sexual orientation in his Inauguration address, albeit at the end, forcing a number of people to wait to exhale.

The next day Villaraigosa was a featured speaker at newly elected, openly gay Bill Rosendahl's swearing-in ceremony in Venice Beach, where mutual admiration and enthusiasm prompted the two to beam and hug continuously.

On July 14, Villaraigosa named open lesbian Shelly Freeman, president of Wells Fargo's Los Angeles Metro Community Bank, to the Police Commission. It had been a demand made of the candidates, since Hahn had eliminated the "gay seat," to which Villaraigosa quickly committed. "I always keep my promises," he told IN after the news conference announcement. That he is also proud of his choice was evidenced by his talking about Freeman's sexual orientation and commitment to LGBT civil rights at a Sept. 30 urban issues forum at the African American Museum.

Villaraigosa has also named other openly gay people to significant posts: Nancy Suttley as deputy mayor, USC School of Law Associate Dean Robert M. Saltzman to the Ethics Commission, Dr. Mark Schuster appointed to L.A. Commission for Children, Youth and Families, labor leader John Perez to the Community Redevelopment Agency, with more appointments expected to ensure that his administration reflects the city's diversity. During an ANGLE candidate's debate last year he scoffed at Hahn's 10 gay appointments out of 364 slots. "That's offensive," Villaraigosa said.

During a quick interview on Sept. 30, Villaraigosa told IN that in the near future he intends to hold a summit for youth to attempt to resolve differences and education issues. Asked if LGBT youth would be involved, he said, "Absolutely."

Expressing "disappointment" over the governor's veto of the gay marriage bill, LGBT activists can also expect Villaraigosa's backing next year.