By Geoffrey Kors
photo by Joseph S. Amster

Gov. Arnold Schwarzen-egger, fulfilling the gubernatorial tradition of delivering a State of the State address on Jan. 5, spoke eloquently of how we all yearn to achieve the California dream.

LGBT Californians, too, yearn for the California dream. And as suggested by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez, that dream includes equality. In the wake of the governor's remarks, this is a timely moment to assess how close we are to that goal.

The state of LGBT California is strong -- indeed, it is stronger than ever.

LGBT people have a formidable presence in California -- one that is reflected in this state's culture, politics, body of law and opportunities for personal and professional growth. And in recent years, LGBT Californians have made remarkable strides.

2006 brings in significant new legal protections for LGBT people in California. Under new laws that took effect on Jan. 1, LGBT Californians are now protected from discrimination by businesses, transgender individuals cannot be denied health insurance based on their gender identity, domestic partners have greater protections, and following the approval of a marriage equality bill by 62 legislators and a trial court victory, LGBT Californians are closer than ever before to achieving marriage equality.

This year, we have the opportunity to move our community forward and advance our rights even further. EQCA's 2006 legislative agenda -- which will be unveiled in the coming weeks -- includes bills to make our schools safe for LGBT youth, limit the use of the so-called "panic defense," add sexual orientation and gender to California's Fair Political Practice Act, and provide resources to combat same-sex domestic violence.

While we hope that the governor will reconsider his 2005 position on marriage equality legislation, just as he has reconsidered his positions on other bills he vetoed in 2005, the extreme right is doing everything they can to harm us and our families. Not only do these enemies seek to halt our movement toward full equality, they also intend to roll back the progress that we have already achieved. While proposals to amend the California Constitution to block equality and repeal existing protections will not be on the June ballot, there is a strong possibility they will be on the November 2006 ballot. And even if they are not, they will continue to lurk as active threats for the foreseeable future. Make no mistake: Those who seek to deny us equality will put our rights up for a vote. This is a very real threat to our security, and to the security of LGBT people nationwide.

In closing, the state of LGBT California is strong, but it is a strength that we are required to earn anew -- day-by-day, month-by-month, and year-by-year.

Those in the past who fought for our rights and who are no longer among us would marvel at the state of the LGBT state in 2006. Those in the future who will benefit from our successes will thank us for staying the course.

Geoffrey Kors is executive director of Equality California. Founded in 1998, Equality California is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots-based, statewide advocacy organization whose mission is to ensure the dignity, safety, equality, and civil rights of all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Californians. For more information, go to www.eqca.org.