Lambda Endorses Braude
By Denise Penn
When Long Beach City Council Member Bonnie Lowenthal was elected to the State Assembly in November, the LGBT community celebrated. But at the same time, they wondered who could fill the city council seat vacated by their long-time supporter and friend. A special election is scheduled for April 7 to decide, with six candidates vying for the Council seat.
The Long Beach Lambda Democratic Club has endorsed Evan Anderson Braude. The endorsement was made with over 60 % of the vote at the general membership meeting Wednesday, February 25, 2009.
“I am very honored to receive the Lambda Democratic Club endorsement,” Braude told the crowd.
In order to make an endorsement, Lambda’s Political Action Committee reviewed the candidate’s completed questionnaires, and interviewed the four candidates who had responded with interest in pursuing the endorsement: Attorney and former Councilmember Evan Braude; Misi Tagaloa, Pastor of the Second Samoan Congregational Church; Robert Garcia, Dean of Student Affairs at Long Beach City College; and Policy Analyst Bill Grisolia.
Based on the questionnaires and interviews, the committee recommended endorsing Braude to the general membership. This was affirmed at the meeting.
Although Braude served on the City Council from 1986 to 1994, he can legally serve out the remainder of Lowenthal’s term and serve one more, because he was in his second term when term-limits were established.
Braude has a long history of supporting LGBT rights. During his eight years as a member of the Long Beach City Council, he authored, fought for, and passed both the landmark AIDS Anti-Discrimination Ordinance and the equally landmark Employer Anti-Discrimination Ordinance, which outlawed discrimination based on sexual orientation. Those two pieces of legislation paved the way for anti-discrimination laws which are now in effect statewide.
In addition, Braude was the first non-LGBT elected official ever to accept an invitation to ride or walk in the Long Beach Pride Parade and has participated in the parade ever since.
“Lambda knows my record,” Braude said. “They can count on me to fight for the issues their members care about: reversing Long Beach’s budget mess, protecting the rights of ALL citizens, supporting environmentally friendly business development, and attracting green jobs to the city. I’m asking all my friends in the LGBT community to help me get out the vote on April 7th so we can get to work and get Long Beach back on track.”
Braude was honored by the Lambda Democratic Club with the Rob Kramme Memorial Award in 1987 and again in 1989. This year, he was chosen to present that same award to Camrin Pitts and his mother, Kathleen Pitts of “Little Red Pictures.”
Long Beach Lambda Democratic Club has played and active role in Long Beach politics since the 1970’s. Over the past decades, Lambda has endorsed in local, statewide and national races and has contributed to local campaigns. Long Beach Lambda Democratic Club is the largest LGBT political organization in the city and hosts an annual Human Rights Awards Banquet every year.