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Candidates from almost every local race spoke in front of a packed house at the East Bay Lesbian/Gay Democratic Club’s endorsement meeting Thursday night at the the North Berkeley Senior Center. 

“It used to be if a candidate showed up at our meetings we were like, ‘wow, we love you.’ Now people are fighting to get our support,” said openly gay City Councilmember Kriss Worthington. 

For the first time in its 18–year history, the lesbian/gay political group and the Metro Greater Oakland Democratic Club joined together to hear East Bay politicos on the November ballot. The two clubs, however, voted separately on endorsements. 

The lesbian/gay members were on a first name basis with many of the candidates who showed up. As in previous years, they endorsed incumbents Margaret Breland (District 2), Maudelle Shirek (District 3), and Betty Olds (District 6). They also threw their support behind Miriam Hawley (District 5). 

Joaquin Rivera, president of the school board and a member of the lesbian/gay Democratic club, handily won support for another four years on the board.  

Darryl Moore, the first openly gay African American man to seek office in the Bay Area, according to Worthington, had no problems convincing the club to endorse him for the Peralta Community College board. 

Moore said, however, that his sexual orientation is not part of his campaign platform, although it is “an important factor” for bringing diversity to the board. “As a gay black man, I can bring an insight there that may not be present,” he said. But he said he is most interested in “closing the achievement gap by giving young Latinos and blacks the chance to go to community college and open the door to a school like Cal.” 

The clubs heard from a rapid succession of candidates, who had no more than two minutes to sell themselves. While several members grilled candidates about their views on equal benefits for domestic partners, there was no one hot–button issue for the club this year. 

“The gay community is not as active as in the past because things are so comfortable here,” said Cole Powell, the group’s political action  

chairperson. He said that problems that used to galvanize gays and lesbians in the East Bay – hate crimes, job discrimination, lack of partner benefits – are no longer as widespread as they were 10 years ago. “People don’t come out to political meetings as much because they’re going to their kids’ soccer games. That is something we have to work on,” he said. 

On Thursday, however, the room was brimming with some 100 members from both clubs. 

“This is really good for our members to hear this,” said Judy Belcher, president of the Metro club. “Whenever you have a group of politically active gay and lesbian people you get a lot of sophisticated questions.” 

Worthington said that the lesbian/gay group hasn’t always attracted such a high turnout. 

The club, founded in 1982, has developed a strong political  

footing in the East Bay. “In the past we were praying they would say they wouldn’t do anything to hurt us,” Worthington said. “Nowadays we expect them not just to tolerate us, but to be active on our behalf.” 

Brenda Crawford, the club’s president, said that the lesbian/gay endorsement is an increasingly coveted one for hopeful politicians in the Bay Area. 

“Our community is growing by leaps and bounds in the East Bay,” Crawford said. “We’re really interested in voting for candidates who will fight for our needs.” 

The club also endorsed Max Anderson and Paul Hogarth for rent board, Joe Wallace for AC Transit, Wilma Chan for the Oakland-Piedmont assembly seat now occupied by Independent Audie Bock, and David Krashna for Alameda County Superior Court judge. 

In order to get the club’s endorsement, candidates had to be present and they had to be registered Democrats. 

The club gave its nod to all the Berkeley measures.