From National Stonewall Democrats:
Washington, DC – Today, the Stonewall Democrats congratulated Laura Calvo upon her election as Treasurer of the Democratic Party of Oregon. Calvo, a seasoned Democratic operative, becomes the first openly-transgender officer of a state Democratic party. A member of the Board of Directors for National Stonewall Democrats, Calvo also serves as Chair of the Oregon Stonewall Democrats and as Treasurer of the Multnomah County Democrats. Multnomah County, which includes the city of Portland, is the largest county in the state of Oregon.
“Laura is a tremendous asset to the Democratic Party, and her election as Treasurer will only grow our Democratic gains as we move into the 2010 election cycle,” said Jon Hoadley, Executive Director. “I’ve known Laura as both an advocate and as a friend. Like so many of our Stonewall Democrats members, she knows that the relationships we build on the local level enable us to create national change. The benefits that we will see from a Democratic Congress will be largely due to the substantial success of Democratic advocates like Laura Calvo.”
Calvo maintains a long history of activism on behalf of the Democratic Party and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. In 2008, Calvo served on the national LGBT Steering Committee for the Obama/Biden presidential campaign and as an elected delegate for Hillary Clinton to the 2008 Democratic National Convention. That year, Calvo also served as a policy advisor to the campaign of Senator Jeff Merkley, who defeated Republican incumbent Gordon Smith in one of the most substantial upset victories of the senatorial election cycle.
“I’ve counted Senator Merkley as a friend since the time that we both served together in local Democratic politics,” said Calvo, referring to freshman United States Senator Jeff Merkley. “I tell friends that the most effective way to pass legislation on the national level is to have elected officials who first know us as friends back home. That’s why our community was so passionate about electing Senator Merkley. Our friendships and activism in Oregon helped to shape his elected service on the state level, and those relationships continue after he has moved into the halls of Congress. Stonewall Democrats has built those types of relationship across the country. Democratic activism is a way of shaping the direction of pro-equality issues and as Treasurer of the Democratic Party of Oregon, I not only get to shape the direction of pro-equality issues, but the direction of my state party as well.”
Calvo now joins Democratic Party of Oregon Vice Chair Frank Dixon as the second openly-LGBT party officer currently serving that state party. Calvo previously served the state party in various fuctions, including as the secretary for the Democratic Party of Oregon’s convention. Thanks to her work and that of other Oregon Stonewall Democrats, the state party platform mandates strong support for issues of equality, including the freedom to marry.
To congratulate Laura Calvo upon her election as Treasurer, Stonewall Democrats is encouraging its members to donate directly to the Democratic Party of Orgeon on Calvo’s behalf. Donations made this week (through Friday) on the party’s LGBT caucus page will be credited as being raised by Laura Calvo.
To congratulate Calvo, and to donate directly to the Democratic Party of Oregon, visit:
https://secure.dpo.org/dpo/glbt