By Eddie Gutierrez

Here's an interesting fact to share over the water cooler: In 2005, California legislators pushed the "aye" button 1,079 times in support of LGBT equality when they voted on the floor of the Assembly or Senate. In all, the Legislature passed five Equality California-sponsored LGBT rights bills and a resolution, marking another landmark year for our community.

Another great conversation starter is Equality California's legislative report card, noting that those they graded passed five EQCA-sponsored bills and a resolution. In 2005, 21 state senators -- better than half -- earned a perfect or near-perfect rating. In the Assembly, 44 members also earned a perfect or nearly perfect score, representing more than half of that body's membership. And 62 legislators from the Assembly and Senate voted for this year's flagship LGBT legislation -- the marriage equality bill. Not bad for a community under attack here and around the country.

Still, there is work to be done. Overall, 16 state senators and 29 assemblymembers voted against LGBT equality every time. Some of the worst offenders include Assemblymember Bonnie Garcia (R-Indio/Palm Springs) and Assemblymember Shirley Horton (R-San Diego/Chula Vista) who received an unflattering zero percent rating and have notably large LGBT constituencies.

Gov. Schwarzenegger also did not fair well this year. After becoming the first governor in the country to veto marriage equality legislation, he received a failing 60 percent rating, compared to his 100 percent rating in 2004 when he signed every LGBT rights bill. But, with his low approval ratings and failed partisan strategy, he is cleaning house. First came openly gay Susan Kennedy as his new chief of staff and then Adam Mendelsohn, a Republication public relations strategist, replaced anti-gay Rob Stutzman as communications director. We'll have to wait and see if these changes are just cosmetic.

Schwarzenegger and the 45 legislators who earned unsatisfactory marks will have a chance to make amends in January when the legislative process kicks into high gear with several key LGBT bills, including proposals to create safer schools, eliminate the "panic defense" as an excuse to commit hate crimes, and discourage gay baiting in political campaigns. But even as legislation for the LGBT community will likely continue to be enacted at the record pace it has been for the past decade, we are anticipating the most expensive anti-gay campaign in U.S. history. We will also be looking to our elected officials for their unequivocal opposition to the proposed anti-gay initiatives to eliminate domestic partnership rights and slam the door on marriage equality.

With greater visibility and political strength of our community -- from what we see at the movie screen with Transamerica and Brokeback Mountain, to the historic successes California had as the first state to pass health-care access for transgender people, marriage equality legislation, and a demand for the federal government to overturn the military's “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” policy -- there is every expectation that we will be ready to face any foe.

-- Eddie Gutierrez is Communications Director for Equality California.