Geoff Kors, the founding executive
director of Equality California (EQCA), has signed off on his last
email.
In the email released Thursday, Kors
said he was honored to helm the organization for nine years.
“Allowing me to share the victories
and setbacks, breaking news, calls to action, legislative and legal
updates and the joys and heartbreaks of our collective fight for full
equality has been a true honor and privilege,” Kors wrote.
EQCA led the fight against Proposition
8, California's gay marriage ban. The group was severely criticized
for the loss.
In building the state's largest gay
rights group, Kors gained the reputation of being a hard worker who
was hard to work with.
“Equality California never really
convinced legislators on their own [to pass a bill], but inevitably
something would pass – and they'd send out a press release taking
all the credit,” former California state Senator Sheila Kuehl told
alternative paper LA Weekly. “I never thought they were
team players.”
In signing off, Kors said he continued
to believe in the group's mission.
“Together, we are creating the kind
of nation where all young people can grow up feeling loved and
cherished for who they are. We are creating the kind of nation where
people can reach their full potential. We are creating the kind of
nation where two people in love can get married, raise their family
and share in the joys of life, without having to deal with the pain
and hardship of government-sanctioned discrimination.” (Kors'
farewell video message is embedded in the right panel of this page.)
Kors has not said what he'll do for his
second act.