Antonio Villaraigosa on Civil Rights | |
A diversity program in place since 2001 has had little impact because it's rarely enforced, according to critics and city officials. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, elected in 2005, has called it "absolutely insufficient." A compliance scorecard for 2012 detailed how the second-most populous U.S. city fell short of its own goals for bringing female and minority contractors to 22 percent.
The struggle to shake up the status quo in Los Angeles--which has the second-highest share of minority residents of the 10 largest cities, at about 71%--underscores the power of prohibitions against preferences for women and traditional minority groups.
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings is still refusing to sign onto the pledge, despite a petition with 253 signatures and promises of protests at his upcoming public events.
The group has also added two new co-chairs, San Diego's Jerry Sanders and Boston's Thomas Menino; with New York's Michael
Bloomberg, L.A.'s Antonio Villaraigosa and Houston's own Annise Parker. The five-co-chairs issued the following statement: I am confident that the 9th Circuit
Court will affirm marriage equality and right the damage Prop. 8 has done to our fellow Californians and their families. I look forward to the day when all Americans enjoy the freedom to marry.
It is about time that all the heroic men and women in uniform have the same exact rights that they so selflessly fight to preserve everyday at home and abroad.
The recent California Supreme Court ruling is the latest step in guaranteeing that all gay and lesbian Americans have the fundamental right to marry the person they love.
Today's California Supreme Court ruling is the latest step in guaranteeing that gay and lesbian Americans have the right to marry the person they love. The Court's ruling that proponents of Proposition 8 may defend the initiative before the
Court of Appeals gives the federal court the opportunity to right this injustice. I am confident that the 9th Circuit Court will affirm marriage equality. I look forward to the day when all Americans enjoy the freedom to marry.
Today is a critical milestone for both equal rights and our national security. Effective today, no perfectly eligible candidate to serve our country will be turned away due to arbitrary, prejudicial causes allowing our military to be able to actively
recruit and retain our best and brightest officers.
Los Angeles has long been a staging ground for many significant firsts in the history of the LGBT equality movement, and I am proud that today we finally acknowledge and celebrate this history and the important contributions of the
LGBT community, The LGBT struggle for equality is an ongoing one and I know the City of Los Angeles will continue to stand at the forefront and pave the way for future generations.
Page last updated: Aug 17, 2018