California Advocates Team Up to Hold Congressman Ken Calvert Accountable For Siding With Extremism

Valley Families Unite and Equality California will highlight Congressman Calvert’s Voting Record on Healthcare and LGBTQ+ issues during Palm Spring Pride Festival

Today, Valley Families Unite and Equality California announced the launch of a digital mobile billboard during this weekend’s Palm Springs Pride Festival aimed at holding Congressman Ken Calvert accountable for his vote to make healthcare more expensive for California working families, and his support of far-right extremist and anti-LGBTQ Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who co-sponsored a bill that would ban gender-affirming care.

Valley Families Unite coalition member and Courage California Executive Director Irene Kao commented:

"Speaker Johnson‘s reputation as an extremist should give every American cause for concern. It is deeply disheartening that Representative Calvert chose to vote in favor of such a radical Speaker, seemingly disregarding the desires of his constituents. Now, it is critical he work to protect the rights of the LGBTQ families in his district, particularly ensuring that LGBTQ+ families have access to quality and affordable health care and gender affirming care. Congressman Calvert must unequivocally reject Speaker Johnson's extremist agenda that puts LGBTQ+ families’ access to care at risk. Valley Family Unites is dedicated to steadfastly reminding our representatives of their duty to uphold the core values of our communities and advocating for access to quality and affordable health care for working families.”

Prior to joining Congress, Johnson served as a spokesperson for the Alliance Defending Freedom, which is one of the foremost anti-LGBTQ+ extremist groups in the United States and has been designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, where he described the LGBTQ+ community, as “sinful” and “destructive,” and disseminated misinformation about the community. His track record in Congress has been marked by the introduction of regressive, anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, such as a proposed national “Don’t Say Gay or Trans’’ bill, and his co-sponsorship of a national ban on gender-affirming care. Johnson has also repeatedly voted against lowering health care costs, against the interests of working families and LGBTQ+ Californians who work diligently to make ends meet and need access to affordable care.

Equality California Executive Director Director, Tony Hoang issued the following statement:

"Mike Johnson is a far-right extremist and one of the most virulently anti-LGBTQ+ members of Congress. His efforts to block access to essential healthcare like gender-affirming care and abortion care are dangerous and wildly out of step with the values of most Californians. Shame on Ken Calvert for yet again siding with extremists and turning his back on his LGBTQ+ constituents." 

For media inquiries, please contact Mario Vasquez Zuniga at 661-483-4927 or mario@valleyfamiliesunite.org.

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Valley Families Unite represents a shared vision of economic prosperity for working families and accountable leadership in California. With the collective strength of Courage California, Inland Empire United, Communities for a New California Action Fund and Lower Costs California, we are eager to hold our elected officials accountable for fighting for the economic well-being of California families.

Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization. We bring the voices of LGBTQ people and allies to institutions of power in California and across the United States, striving to create a world that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ people. We advance civil rights and social justice by inspiring, advocating and mobilizing through an inclusive movement that works tirelessly on behalf of those we serve.