Category Archives: LGBTQ+

Benicia City Council, Benicia elections, Christina Gilpin-Hayes, LGBTQ+

Christina Gilpin-Hayes vies to be first out Benicia council member

Christina Gilpin-Hayes. | Campaign photo.

Bay Area Reporter, by Matthew S. Bajko, September 25, 2024

In the Solano County city of Benicia, Christina Gilpin-Hayes is vying to become its first known LGBTQ city councilmember. She is one of four candidates running for two council seats on the November 5 ballot.

It would be just the latest civic role she has taken on since moving to Benicia in 2021 from Oakland with her wife, Donna. The couple, who identify as both lesbian and queer, founded the Benicia LGBTQIA Network in 2022 to foster connections and host gatherings for the local LGBTQ community.

Gilpin-Hayes, 54, co-administers the local Buy Nothing Benicia group, aimed at reducing waste and helping its more than 1,300 members share resources with a “give where you live” motto. This month, she was given a mayoral appointment to the planning commission for the city of roughly 27,000 people.

Christina Gilpin-Hayes. | Campaign photo.

“Politics was never my goal. I always have been politically active, but I never planned on running for office. That was never my life’s goal,” said Gilpin-Hayes, a former paralegal who now works remotely as the operations manager of the Innovations Department at international law firm Wilson Sonsini.

Growing up she was a fan of the political drama “The West Wing” and, in her early 20s, was often on the local news being interviewed as the spokesperson for the Sacramento Area Coalition for Reproductive Rights. She also helped voters having issues casting ballots as part of the Legal Election Protection team for Democratic former U.S. senators John Kerry in 2004 and Barack Obama in 2008.

“It was a fun way to volunteer,” recalled Gilpin-Hayes. “A lot of times only lawyers volunteer for those teams, but you don’t have to be a lawyer. It just helped I had some legal background.”

She decided to enter her town’s council race this year when it appeared only two people would be running for the two seats on the ballot. It didn’t feel right that there wouldn’t be a contested race, Gilpin-Hayes told the Bay Area Reporter during a phone interview about her candidacy.

“I don’t feel people should win an election because no one else is willing to challenge them,” said Gilpin-Hayes, who received encouragement from her neighbors to pull papers. “As far as I know, I am the first out candidate and definitely, if elected, will be the first out queer person on council or even in any city government position, as far as I know.”

City Councilmember Trevor Macenski is running for a second four-year term, while former councilmember Lionel Largaespada is vying for a seat after losing reelection in 2022. Also on the ballot is Franz Rosenthal, a former engineer with the Valero Energy Corporation who now works for Genentech.

Retiring Benicia Council Member Tom Campbell has endorsed Gilpin-Hayes for City Council, along with Mayor Steve Young, Vice Mayor Terry Scott, and Council Member Kari Birdseye. | City of Benicia.

Councilmember Tom Campbell is stepping down after first winning election in 1999. He has endorsed Gilpin-Hayes, as have Councilmembers Terry Scott and Kari Birdseye, and Benicia Mayor Steve Young, who is running for reelection this fall.

Gay former West Sacramento mayor Christopher Cabaldon also endorsed Gilpin-Hayes in the council race and is backing Young in the mayoral race. He is expected to be elected November 5 to represent the sprawling state Senate District 3, which includes Benicia.

“Christina is a very fresh candidate who is focused on the basics in the city,” said Cabaldon, who would be the first out legislator to represent Solano County. “We got to fix the roads and get the city’s fiscal house strong. That’s exactly what Benicia needs right now.”

He told the B.A.R. he first met Gilpin-Hayes over the summer at a community event and was immediately impressed by her and the impact she has been able to make in her new hometown in such a short period of time. With her candidacy having the potential to bring much needed LGBTQ elected representation to her city and to Solano County, Cabaldon said he decided to support her council bid, something he hasn’t done for every city council contest in the legislative district this year.

“Even though she is a transplant that is true for a lot of Benicians,” said Cabaldon, who described Gilpin-Hayes as having “the utmost integrity and character.”

He added, “She also brings a sharp mind and a humility around her; she doesn’t pretend to have all the answers but she knows how to get them.”

State Senate District 3 Candidate and former West Sacramento mayor Chris Cabaldon has endorsed Gilpin-Hayes.  | Sacramento State / Andrea Price.

Gilpin-Hayes was born in Baltimore, Maryland and moved at age 3 with her family to Citrus Heights, California, outside of Sacramento. She first met her wife in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania roughly two decades ago.

She had moved there in 1998 after landing a job and two years later enrolled in Duquesne University, graduating in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in business communication and organizational behavior. She relocated to Chicago and then to Oakland in 2007.

Seven years ago, she reconnected with Donna, an operations supervisor at FedEx, and they began a long-distance relationship. Their marriage on Leap Day in 2020 was featured in Pittsburgh Magazine.

With their home in Oakland a bit small for two people, not to mention the rescue dogs Gilpin-Hayes fosters via West Coast Boxer Rescue, the women looked at buying a bigger place a bit farther away where they could afford to purchase a home with more square footage. By chance they happened to see a home for sale in Benicia, and although outbid for it, they fell in love with the town and its artsy downtown.

“We looked at this house and drove around downtown. Benicia is an adorable Hallmark town,” noted Gilpin-Hayes.

They ended up buying a split-level house built in the 1970s with French doors and enough yard space to add chickens to their brood.

“It is super cute, and we love it here,” said Gilpin-Hayes, who has fostered more than 100 dogs and, after having lost this summer her nearly 12-year-old Gemma, who was deaf and blind in one eye, is holding off on getting a new dog until after the election.

She began following the City Council meetings and getting to know her neighbors. She also saw how local politics were influenced by Valero, as it operates the Benicia Refinery and financially supports the campaigns of its preferred council candidates.

“My stated position is they are our neighbor and contribute a large amount to our tax base here. Could they be better neighbors? Of course. Could we do a better job communicating to them? Yes,” said Gilpin-Hayes. “The current mayor has done a good job on that, and I want to expand on that.”

Her sense is there is a desire to elect new leadership to the council and is optimistic about winning a seat.

“I do feel there is an opportunity here for a new voice and a fresh perspective. I feel the community is open to that,” said Gilpin-Hayes. “We are having some budget issues here in Benicia, and I do feel the community is looking for something different.”

It would mean a very brief tenure for her being a Benicia planning commissioner.

“If I win the election, I will have to resign. If I don’t win then I will be on the planning commission. Either way I am going to be involved in city politics,” noted Gilpin-Hayes. “But I am hoping I win and get to resign.”

To learn more about Gilpin-Hayes’s candidacy, visit her campaign website at christinaforbenicia.com.

[Note from BenIndy: The BenIndy added photos to this article to improve readability. Only the top feature image is original to the original article.]

LGBTQ+, Vacaville CA

Vacaville mayor refuses to sign Pride Month declaration

[From BenIndy: For what it’s worth, Mayor Steve Young of the City of Benicia issued (and signed!) a proclamation for Pride Month at its May 21 City Council meeting – a proclamation that declares that Stonewall was a riot, references support for transgender individuals specifically, and cheerfully namedrops the LGBTQ+ community about six times (reasonably, as they are the subject of the proclamation); on top of that, Benicia raised its Pride flag yesterday, to fly through June. These proclamations and flag raisings are among the easiest ways cities can demonstrate the most basic level of support for inclusivity and representation for our queer friends and family, to the point of becoming fairly standard in CA. It’s shocking to see a Bay Area politician throw off his obligation to serve the vulnerable and marginalized in his community and instead attempt to actively perpetuate their ongoing marginalization.]

Graphic by Solano NewsNet.

Solano NewsNet, by Matthew Keys, June 4, 2024

Vacaville Mayor John Carli declined to sign a Pride Month declaration that was recommended by LGBTQ community advocates, opting instead to have the city’s vice mayor affirm an amended endorsement that he wrote under a little-known policy enacted earlier this year.

The matter dates back to mid-April, when executive leaders at the Solano Pride Center sent a draft proclamation to Mayor Carli’s office that declared June as “Pride Month” and contained numerous references to landmark LGBTQ events.

Those events included the police raid at the Stonewall Inn in 1969, which is seen as the catalyst for the modern Gay Rights movement, as well as the Supreme Court’s decision in 2015 that cleared the way for same-sex marriage across the country. It also referenced a mass shooting at a gay nightclub in 2016, during which 49 people were murdered.

“Despite this extraordinary progress, LGBTQ Americans still face discrimination simply for being who they are, and there remains much work to do to extend the promise of our country to every American,” the draft proclamation read, according to a copy obtained by Solano NewsNet.

“The city of Vacaville proudly stands with the LGBTQ community of Solano County, and with all communities who struggle for human rights, acceptance, visibility, safety, and in the quest for full equality under law,” the draft concluded, with an affirmation that June 2024 be recognized as LGBTQ Pride Month “to remind everyone to work together to advance the principles upon great nation was founded and to celebrate the great diversity of Vacaville.”

The Solano Pride Center circulated their draft proclamation to Carli and other members of the Vacaville City Council earlier this spring. Despite the outreach attempts, no one from the mayor’s office communicated directly with the Solano Pride Center, Executive Director Will McGarvey said in an email to Solano NewsNet.

Instead, the Solano Pride Center has worked with other city council members on the matter leading up to June. McGarvey said some council members affirmed a willingness to support some kind of Pride Month proclamation, though he didn’t say which.

Carli has not responded to an email seeking comment on the matter. In an interview with The Reporter newspaper, he affirmed writing a declaration of his own, which he then delegated to Vice Mayor Greg Ritchie to sign.

The amended declaration is broader than the proposed proclamation offered by the Solano Pride Center, affirming “equality of opportunity and freedom from discrimination” for “every person,” and noting that “our nation was founded upon and is guided by a set of principles that includes the provision that every person has been created equal, that each has rights to their life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, and that each shall be accorded the full recognition and protection of the law.”

“The City of Vacaville has welcomed people for centuries, and has always celebrated both our interconnectedness as well as our differences,” the proclamation reads.

The document does not reference the LGBTQ community until the final line, saying the City of Vacaville recognizes the need to “support, include and safeguard” members of said community. Solano NewsNet is publishing the document for the first time.

In the newspaper interview, Carli said gay people were “welcome in Vacaville,” but did not explain why he delegated the endorsement of the declaration to the city’s vice mayor. A community advocate who spoke with Solano NewsNeton Tuesday said the move made it seem as if LGBTQ protections and inclusiveness were not a priority for the City or its mayor.

Carli has clashed with the Solano Pride Center on more than one occasion. Last year, Carli declined to sign a similar proclamation recognizing June as Pride Month, and affirmed his decision to not have the Pride Flag fly on a flagpole installed on city property.

At that time, Carli said the City needed to enact a definitive policy regarding flags flown on city-owned land. The City Council acknowledged his request and crafted a policy that would open the door for non-government flags to be flown by incorporating those flags as “government speech.” The policy allows local government leaders to decide which flags should be flown, and when.

Carli was one of two to vote against the measure last November. The other was Vacaville City Council Member Roy Stockton. Both men are long-time law enforcement professionals: Carli served as Vacaville’s police chief for more than three decades before retiring in 2021. Stockton has been a member of Vacaville’s city council since 2020, and is still active with the Solano County Sheriff’s Office.

Both Carli and Stockton similarly voted against a measure earlier this year that would include the Pride Flag in its flags and proclamation policy. The amendment, which passed despite Carli and Stockton’s objections, also incorporated the Juneteenth flag and the flags of each military branch.

Carli did not provide much insight into his objections. But in the newspaper interview this week, he suggested his own personal beliefs, and certain others that he agrees with, were guiding his decision-making process.

Specifically, Carli said he had reservations about certain events held at the Solano Pride Center, as well as gender-affirming care for Transgender youth. The draft proclamation circulated by the Solano Pride Center earlier this year made no reference to gender-affirming care for any Transgender individuals. Still, Carli found it an issue worth mentioning.

“It is OK to say I pause to allow for science and medicine and psychology to speak for itself,” Carli affirmed. He continued: “A lot of this is about people’s individual beliefs, and my career has been focused on making sure people’s beliefs and values systems are protected.”

Community advocates believe Carli is prioritizing certain beliefs over the protections and recognition of a historically-marginalized community.

“It makes a difference when an elected official who has taken an oath of office has chosen to turn their back on a community like ours and views this through a religious lens rather than civil rights lens,” McGarvey said.

LGBTQ+

Power Up for Pride: Donate All May for Give Out Day, Help Solano Pride Center Reach New Heights

BenIndy Editorial, May 13, 2024

Solano Pride Center is a part of the LGBTQ+ Community’s Give Out Day! They need your help in raising funds this whole month, and to compete with other LGBTQ+ Centers around the country to receive even more.

Through now until May 30th, contributions in support of Solano’s LGBTQ+ community can be directed through its Give Out Day fundraising page. Your donations will significantly benefit its life-affirming work in our county, which empowers and advocates for the LGBTQ+ community in Solano. Since its inception in 2013, Horizon Foundation’s Give Out Day has rallied donations for hundreds of LGBTQ+-serving nonprofits and it’s time to show our support.

Solano Pride Center has a goal of raising $12,000 before May 30. Your donations through May would not only provide direct financial support, but also help these organizations compete for additional Leaderboard prizes, multiplying the impact of every dollar contributed​ (Give Out Day)​.

Solano Pride Center’s mission to create safe and nurturing environments for LGBTQ+ individuals through a variety of programs, including advocacy, education, and support services, impacts not just queer individuals and communities, but the broader Solano community.  Every donation made to Solano Pride Center through Give Out Day helps sustain and expand its vital initiatives, enabling it to reach even more individuals.

Don’t miss the opportunity to contribute during this essential giving event; your generosity can change lives​.

Pride Month is almost here! What can you give this month to help Solano Pride Center reach its goal?  Who can you invite to join us all in giving to help it receive more in the “co-opetition” with other centers around the country?

Clicking the “Donate” button above will redirect you to Solano Pride Center’s Give Out Day page, where you can make a donation. Spread the word!

The Solano Pride Center’s website is under construction but you can visit the page and scroll down to view e-blasts and other helpful information about upcoming events, including Suisun City’s PRIDE EVENT on June 2, from 12 to 5pm, in Harbor Plaza (downtown Suisun).

Disclaimer: The Benicia Independent is not affiliated with Solano Pride Center nor was it asked to promote this giving event. We simply think they are doing really cool stuff and deserve local support. 

Benicia CA, Benicia City Council, LGBTQ+

City of Benicia kicks off Pride month with flag-raising

Elected officials, city staff, community members and local organizations celebrate start of Pride Month in Benicia

Amidst a flurry of legislative attacks, hateful rhetoric and violent threats targeting the LGBTQ+ community, Benicia City leaders raised the Pride flag over City Hall and showed us that bigotry has no home in our Be-Kind City. Attendees included Mayor Steve Young, Vice-Mayor Terry Scott, Council Members Tom Campbell and Trevor Macenski and Interim City Manager Mario Giuliani. | Image shared from the City of Benicia Facebook post.

From the City of Benicia Facebook Account, June 2, 2023:

Today, City of Benicia elected officials, staff, community members, representatives from local organizations, and a new friend Benji, participated in raising the Pride Flag in front of City Hall for Pride Month!

[Note from BenIndy Contributor Nathalie Christian: You can click through to the Facebook post to learn who Benji is, but read this first: according to the Human Rights Campaign, more than 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced across the country in 2023 alone, with 29 bills targeting transgender rights passing in 14 states and more on the way. While many of us probably believe that these challenges are a ‘Red State problem,’ Solano County is not immune – LGBTQ activists recently alleged that Vacaville’s mayor has refused to recognize Pride Month. With corporations like Target and cities as close as Vacaville apparently caving to far-right backlash, NOW is the time to stand up for our LGBTQ+ friends and family. A City flag-raising for Pride Month shouldn’t be a radical act of defiance, but it is swiftly becoming exactly that.]