California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus Announces New Leadership for 2027-2028 Legislative Session, Making History with First-Ever Latino Leadership Team

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus Announces New Leadership for 2027-2028 Legislative Session, Making History with First-Ever Latino Leadership Team

SACRAMENTO, CA — The California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus elected Senator Sabrina Cervantes (D- Riverside) as Chair and Assemblymember José Luis Solache (D- Lynwood) as Vice Chair. Their leadership will mark the first time in the Caucus’s history that both the Chair and Vice Chair are Latino legislators. The new leadership will transition this Fall 2026 Interim Recess. 

“I am incredibly honored to have served as Chair of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus and deeply grateful to my colleagues, community partners, and advocates who entrusted me with this responsibility,” said Assemblymember Chris Ward (D- San Diego), outgoing Chair of the Legislative LGBTQ Caucus. “I began my Chairship at a pivotal moment for our community, and over these past two years, we have navigated a Trump Administration determined on rolling back LGBTQ+ rights and targeting our most vulnerable community members, especially transgender people. In the face of these attacks, our Caucus did more than hold the line – we continued to protect our LGBTQ+ Californians while advancing our progress and addressing everyday challenges. I am proud that, during one of the most challenging periods our community has faced in generations, we chose not to retreat. We stood together, protected the progress we have made, and continued building toward a more equitable future. I am confident that Senator Sabrina Cervantes and Assemblymember José Luis Solache will build on this foundation and continue California’s legacy of leading the nation in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality.” 

During Assemblymember Ward’s two-year tenure as Chair of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, he helped secure and preserve hundreds of millions of dollars in state funding to support the health, safety, education, and family-building needs of LGBTQ+ Californians, including the largest state investment in gender-affirming care, the historic HIV Free Future Plan, funding for LGBTQ+ community centers across California, renewed funding for LGBTQ+ resource centers at California Community Colleges, and support for transgender service members discharged because of the Trump Administration’s Executive Order 14183. Assemblymember Ward also led efforts to advance legislation protecting LGBTQ+ Californians, including authoring the SAFETY Act (AB 1955) to prevent schools from forcibly outing LGBTQ+ students, as well as legislation to protect the privacy of minors seeking name and gender marker changes (AB 223), strengthen health privacy protections (AB 82), protect community members from doxing (AB 1979), and support transgender service members (AB 1775). Under his leadership, the Caucus also expanded its reach and strengthened its organizational infrastructure, continuing the Rural Tour initiative with visits to the Coachella Valley, Imperial Valley, Salinas, Inland Empire, and several tribal nations; spearheading the launch of the first-ever National Equality Caucus of State Legislators; establishing the first-ever LGBTQ Caucus-sponsored Capitol LGBTQ Association Summer Legislative Fellowship; and awarding $160,000 in scholarships to 30 LGBTQ+ Californians. 

Taking over as Chair is Senator Sabrina Cervantes, who was first elected in 2016, making history as the youngest lawmaker elected at the time and ushering a new generation of leadership for the Inland Empire. In 2024, Senator Cervantes was elected to serve the 31^st Senate District, serving communities across Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Senator Cervantes currently serves as the Chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, one of the Legislature’s most influential fiscal leadership positions. She focuses her legislative efforts on advancing voter protections, safeguarding privacy rights, improving access to maternal mental health services, reducing barriers to student financial aid, protecting survivors of sexual assault, and fostering a more inclusive economy. Through her advocacy in the State Budget process, she has secured over $650 million in investments benefiting working families, children, veterans, and students in the region. Senator Cervantes is a mother of triplets, lifelong resident of Riverside County.

“I want to express my deep appreciation to Assemblymember Ward for his steadfast leadership these past two years. This has been pivotal time for our community and there is no doubt that Assemblymember Ward has been a consequential Chair,” said Senator Sabrina Cervantes, incoming Chair of the Legislative LGBTQ Caucus. “Thank you to my colleagues for the trust they placed in me to lead this Caucus during a pivotal moment in our history. Today, LGBTQ+ Californians, especially our transgender youth, are facing unprecedented attacks on their rights, dignity and safety. These attacks have real consequences for our community. The challenges before us are significant, but so is our resolve. Together with Vice Chair José Luis Solache and my colleagues in the Caucus, I am committed to meeting this moment with bold leadership, thoughtful policy, and an unwavering determination to defend the progress we have made while continuing to advance equality for every LGBTQ+ Californian.” 

Serving alongside Senator Cervantes as Vice Chair will be Assemblymember José Luis Solache, who was elected in 2024 to represent the 62^nd Assembly District, including Lynwood, South Gate, Paramount, and Bellflower. Assemblymember Solache brings a deep commitment to education, working families, immigrant communities, and LGBTQ+ equality to his new leadership role. He has championed efforts to ensure all students have access to an inclusive and equitable education, including serving as the lead author of AB 908, the LIFT Act, to strengthen the implementation of California’s requirements for inclusive instructional materials and ensures that these protections are meaningfully reflected in classroom curricula. Assemblymember Solache has also been a strong advocate underserved communities throughout his career, drawing on his experience as the first openly gay School Board Member and Mayor, respectively, in Lynwood. 

“Thankful, proud, and humbled by the opportunity to serve our California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus and community members. I am excited to follow in the footsteps of Chair Ward and other Caucus leaders throughout history. Having served in local office in South East Los Angeles, I understand how representation from diverse communities truly matters,” said Assemblymember José Luis Solache, incoming Vice Chair of the Legislative LGBTQ Caucus. “I look forward to serving alongside incoming Chair Cervantes, our fellow Caucus members, organizational partners, and advocates to ensure public policy embraces equality and community members can safely live their truths. As the LGBTQ Caucus continues to grow and be a meaningful voice for California, I am excited to dedicate my energy and collaborative working style contributing to current Caucus goals and building our future.”

As the 2025-2026 legislative session comes to a close, the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus reflects on two years of advancing equity, protecting LGBTQ+ Californians against unprecedented attacks, and strengthening the infrastructure and leadership of our equality movement. Looking ahead to the 2027-2028 legislative session, the Caucus will continue building on this progress by securing and preserving investments that support the health, safety, visibility, and well-being of LGBTQ+ Californians; advancing rights and protections across health, housing, education, civil rights, and privacy protections; strengthening representation and leadership within the LGBTQ+ community; and expanding opportunities for LGBTQ+ Californians through advocacy, scholarships, fellowships, and statewide programming. Under the incoming leadership of Senator Sabrina Cervantes and Assemblymember José Luis Solache, the Caucus remains committed to ensuring California continues to be a national leader in protecting and advancing LGBTQ+ equality.

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About the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus

California’s Legislative LGBTQ Caucus was formed in 2002 to create a forum for California Legislators to discuss issues that affect LGBTQ Californians and to further the goal of equality and justice for all Californians. California became the first state in the United States to officially form a caucus of openly-LGBTQ state legislators and continues to be a leader of progress for all Americans. In 2023, our membership hit a new milestone of 12 members, becoming one of the largest LGBTQ Caucus in the Nation, and continues to remain strong. Despite tremendous progress and an unprecedented swell of support for the LGBTQ community worldwide, there is still much work to do to protect and uplift the most vulnerable in our community. The LGBTQ Caucus strives to advocate for diversity and inclusion of all people, including differently abled bodies. Our Caucus is working diligently to support LGBTQ leaders that represent our community at the local, state, and federal levels.

For more information on the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, please visit https://lgbtqcaucus.legislature.ca.gov/ 

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