California Elects Four Lesbians to Assembly
![State legislators (left to right) Christine Kehoe, Carole Migden, Sheila James Kuehl, and Jackie Goldberg.](https://assets-global.website-files.com/606b90b535dd7b153dcbef25/608afcd922c02f1055e6b07a_CAlegislators.png)
By 2000, California saw the election of its first four out members of the Assembly. Jackie Goldberg, who was previously a two-term member of the Los Angeles City Council, won election in 2000 as did Chris Kehoe, who had been a San Diego City Council member.
First elected in 1994, Sheila Kuehl was the first out LGBTQ+ member of the Assembly, and was joined by Assemblywoman and future state Senator Carole Migden in 1996.
The four women – featured in the 2016 documentary Political Animals – were successful in transforming then-Republican-leaning California into a national leader on LGBTQ+ rights. Bills authored by the four legislators led to the legal recognition of same-sex parents, the creation of domestic partnerships and expanded access to HIV medication.
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