Who is Gavin Newsom? Where does he stand on LGBTQ rights?

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has long been known as an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. On the left, he has been considered a possible presidential candidate for president. On the right, he symbolizes “woke” cultural policies that Republicans blame for ruining the country.

Gavin Newsom At a Glance

• Location: Fair Oaks, California
• Party Affiliation: Democrat
• Race/Ethnicity: White
• Gender Identity: Male
• Sexual Orientation: Straight
• Pronouns: He/Him
• LGBTQ+ Ally: Yes

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• Facebook: Gavin Newsom
• Twitter: @GavinNewsom
• Instagram: @GavinNewsom
• YouTube: @CAgovernor
• TikTok: Gavin Newsom
• Website: GavinNewsom.com

Related:

LGBTQ Californians can’t risk losing all the progress we’ve made by recalling Gavin Newsom

Newsom put his entire political future on the line to support the LGBTQ community.

Biography

Born in San Francisco, Newsom struggled with dyslexia in school and worked several jobs during high school to support his family. In 1991, he and several co-investors began the PlumpJack Winery, a business that would eventually expand and earn millions.

San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown appointed Newsom to the Parking and Traffic Commission in 1996 and the city board of supervisors in 1997, making him its youngest member in history. He won re-election to the board every year until he became San Francisco mayor in 2004.

Democratic luminaries like Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and Jesse Jackson campaigned for Newsom’s mayoral bid. During his mayorship, he made national headlines by directing the city-county clerk to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. He also helped develop universal healthcare for city residents while also strengthening the city’s public transport systems and homelessness outreach.

Newsom ran to become his state’s lieutenant governor in 2010 and was re-elected to the position in 2014. He ran a successful campaign to become California’s governor in 2018 and has served in the office ever since.

Newsom’s stance on LGBTQ+ issues

While Newsom is perhaps best known for his support of same-sex marriage, he has proven himself an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights of all sorts.

Same-sex marriage

In 2004, then-Mayor Newsom directed the San Francisco city-county clerk to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Though the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated the marriages, his actions brought national attention to the issue. His public comments stating that legalization of same-sex marriage is “going to happen, whether you like it or not,” was replayed by anti-LGBTQ+ activists in numerous ads against same-sex marriage.

In 2008, Newsom opposed Proposition 8, a largely Mormon- and Catholic-funded statewide ballot initiative to ban same-sex marriage in the state’s constitution. Though voters approved of it, courts repeatedly ruled against it. By 2013, California was allowed to continue issuing same-sex marriage licenses.

After the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide in 2015, Newsom noted, “There is a long list of other rights that must be guaranteed before the LGBT community achieves full equality,” and listed other adoption and non-discrimination rights as key among them.

Same-sex couples’ right to adopt

Following the legalization of same-sex marriage nationwide in 2015, Newsome wrote, “The patchwork of same-sex adoption laws across the states continues to be a source of great confusion and frustration for many prospective parents.”

In 2019, Newsom signed a law automatically recognizing non-genetic, non-gestational partners as legal parents to children born via semen/egg cell donors or gestational surrogates, even if the people identifying as the child’s legal parents aren’t married or in a domestic partnership.

Trans children in sports

In 2021, when the failed gubernatorial candidate and trans celebrity Caitlyn Jenner publicly opposed trans female athletes competing in women’s sports teams, Newsom’s office released a statement noting that California law already allows trans students to “participate in activities consistent with their gender identity” and said that Newsom “isn’t going backwards on these issues.”

Don’t say gay/LGBTQ+ discussions in schools

After Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill — which bans instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades — Newsom criticized the law for “restricting speech in classrooms” and compared the law to an unsuccessful 1978 California ballot measure seeking to ban out gay educators for teaching in public schools. He also criticized DeSantis’s press secretary, Christina Pushaw, for calling the opponents of the law “groomers,” an anti-LGBTQ+ slur for pedophiles.

In an ad against the law, Newsom said, “I urge all of you live in Florida to join the fight, or join us in California, where we still believe in freedom, freedom of speech, freedom to choose, freedom from hate, and the freedom to love. Don’t let them take your freedom.”

Newsom has opposed efforts of local school boards to ban LGBTQ+- and racially-inclusive content from classrooms. He also signed a June 2023 letter warning school superintendents to oppose anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-Black book bans.

We’re about to celebrate Independence Day — but Freedom is under attack by Republican leaders in states like Florida.

Banning books.
Restricting speech.
Making it harder to vote.
Criminalizing women and doctors.
 
It’s time to stand up. Don’t let them take your freedom. pic.twitter.com/cFI5UzgZzX

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 3, 2022

Transgender access to public bathrooms

In 2022, Newsom signed a law allowing local governments to require that public restrooms be designed as all-gender multi-stall restrooms to serve all residents and visitors so that they may be legally used by trans and nonbinary users.

His office has also said that Newsom wants to ensure “trans Californians are fully acknowledged in accordance with their gender identity while interacting with public services,” including bathrooms.

Discrimination protections

Newsom has fought for greater protections for trans and non-binary individuals. He signed a law allowing non-binary individuals In June 2021, he signed two bills allowing an “X” gender marker on nonbinary individuals’ death certificates and recognizing gender-neutral pronouns for California government employees and office title holders.

In October 2021, he signed a law making it easier for trans Californians to change the gender listed on their government documents. In September 2021, he signed a law requiring trans prisoners to be housed in facilities matching their gender identity rather than the gender they were assigned at birth.

In July 2022, he also signed a repeal of a loitering law that was used to harass trans and gender-non-conforming individuals. In September 2022, he signed a bill protecting trans youth and their families fleeing prosecution from states that criminalize gender-affirming care.

Newsom’s career

• Co-investor in the PlumpJack Winery
• Appointed to San Francisco Parking and Traffic Commission in 1996
• Appointed to San Francisco board of supervisors in 1997; re-elected in 1998, 2000, and 2002
• Elected as San Francisco’s mayor in 2004; re-elected in 2008
• Elected as California’s lieutenant governor in 2010; re-elected in 2014
• Elected as California’s governor in 2018; re-elected in 2022

In conclusion

Newsom’s LGBTQ+ advocacy has made him a strong and dependable ally for queer civil rights and dignity, both in his home state and nationwide.

Stay informed about his career by subscribing to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter.

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