California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus Embarks on Rural State Tour to Highlight and Aid Underserved LGBTQ Communities

(SACRAMENTO, CA) — California has historically been a champion for providing safe havens for the LGBTQ+ and TGI communities, while that protection extends to rural parts of the state it does not always mean that it is provided.

To finally begin bringing much-needed resources to LGBTQ+ and TGI individuals in these frequently underserved and overlooked areas, the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus will be embarking on a statewide “Rural Tour” this year to allow caucus members to engage directly with LGBTQ+ leaders and members of these communities and learn of the unique struggles within these areas.

When Senator Susan Talamantes Eggman became chair of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, she announced that the LGBTQ caucus would be focused on rural equity for the next two years. Specifically, working to bring San Francisco services into the Central Valley and beyond.

This ongoing disparity did not arise because a lack of LGBTQ+ and TGI representation in rural areas of California. In fact, it is estimated that roughly 20% of the LGBTQ community live in rural areas, despite a severe lack of resources available to support and elevate minority voices in these communities.

At each stop along the tour, the LGBTQ Caucus will host a town hall event with local members and leaders in the LGBTQ+ community, giving the local community an opportunity to engage in a dialogue directly with the LGBTQ Caucus on the issues prevalent and unique to their area.
Caucus members will also have an opportunity to ask and answer questions from the community about how best to uplift, invest, and protect the LGBTQ+ Community in rural spaces.

This tour will allow LGBTQ+ leaders, individuals, and non-profits to build relationships with state leaders and make clear what they need from legislation to state funds in order to ensure LGBTQ+ people in rural California are able to thrive. Additionally, LGBTQ Caucus members can use these relationships and lessons learned to inform their work in Sacramento working to build rural equity into all the work they do.

This year the LGBTQ Caucus will be visiting a rural community in Northern California, the Central Valley, and Southern California:

Nevada City – May
Riverside – June
Fresno – August

For any questions about the Rural Tour or how to be involved in specific events, please reach out to Jacob Fraker Jacob.Fraker@sen.ca.gov