The first action taken by the new Board of Supervisors with Laura Capps as chair was a resolution of support for members of the LGBTQ+ community against threats, violence, or any form of discrimination.
Capps and new supervisor Roy Lee sponsored the measure, which stated “that recent and potential threats to the rights and protections of LGBTQ+ individuals demand unequivocal and proactive reaffirmation of our values of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all.” It marked the first action taken by Supervisor Lee upon being sworn in. The resolution added that “hateful discriminatory language when perpetrated by political leaders of individuals in positions of influence must be condemned, as silence only enables harm and marginalization.”
While representatives of Pacific Pride Foundation, Planned Parenthood, and Santa Barbara Transgender Advocacy Network spoke forcefully in favor of the measure, it was District Attorney John Savrnoch who provided the most personally dramatic testimony. Savrnoch recalled driving alone to Wisconsin in 1990 to visit a brother then dying of AIDS. His brother, he said, was “emaciated beyond recognition” by the time he arrived.