Get Used to It: Ep. 170, "Voices of Our Lives: Ricardo Lara"

(keyboard clicking) (upbeat music) - Hi, welcome to "Get Used To It". I'm Sheila Kuehl, and as usual, I'm going to be your fabulous hostess for this hour of interesting interview and discussion. Today it's my great pleasure to have on the series that we call "Voices of Our Lives", California assembly member, Ricardo Lara, who represents the 50th assembly district in Southern California, in the Southeast portion of LA county. He's a boy who grew up there, and a man who is representing them now. Welcome Ricardo. - Thank you, thank you. - [Sheila] I'm really glad to have you here. - Oh, it's great to be here. It's great. - So, generally this kind of series that I do with one on ones, I like to kind of start at the beginning and let my viewers know kind of who you are and where you came from. So, talk a little about where you grew up and your family. - Absolutely, I grew up in East Los Angeles, California, and my parents are both immigrants from Mexico, raised five of us in East LA. And so we've lived around the east side of LA for, our entire lives. And my mother's a seamstress, my dad's a factory worker, and I'm very proud of them. They've done a great job in not only raising us, but contributing to the fabric of this country. - And you have siblings, you said five kids. - Yes, I have two older sisters and two younger brothers. - So what was it like growing up in East LA? - I mean, I loved it. It's such an amazing place full of history and unfortunately it took for me to go to college to really understand the dynamics and the history, in terms of civil rights movements in California and in the United States. I learned in college about the student walkouts of the '60s. I learned about, the Chicano moratorium where Latinos and Mexican Americans were fighting for their rightful place in this country, and so, I'm very proud to be from East LA it's a great place full of culture and tradition, and I love it, it's beautiful. - So, did you go to public schools there? - Yes, I did. I went to public schools, along with my brothers and sisters, our entire life, and I graduated from Garfield High School in East LA. - And so what were your interests in school? What was it like for you as a kid? - For me as a kid, my parents did a very good job of, supporting anything we wanted to do. They might not have understood what we were getting involved in, as immigrants and then, them struggling with the language, but they were always there for us. I was involved in leadership, I was involved in band, I played the clarinet, and eventually became the drum major and eventually ended up leading the LAUSD honor band in the Rose bowl in Pasadena in 1993. That was a great, great moment for me. And so I'm a big supporter of the arts in our high schools, ensuring that we keep those resources for our kids. And, you know, I was one of those fun kids that just wanted to take advantage of everything that high school had to offer. - Well, one of the things I think about art, the arts in high school and in junior high too. I've heard a lot of stories from men and women in our community, who now realize that they were gay or lesbian, who felt like the arts were kind of a, a place where they could fit in and be different all at the same time. Was that the same for you? You were in leadership too. - I was in leadership, I was involved in-- - That's usually kind of a conformity thing. - Right, exactly, right? (laughing) Well, I was giving you a little bit of both, how's that? I guess you're absolutely right. I mean, I wanted to express myself creatively, and I've played an instrument since I was in elementary school. And again, my parents were supportive of that as well, and so, I learned to understand and appreciate music at a whole different level, and I wanted to continue that. And then it wasn't until I got to junior high where I got involved in my journalism course, and ironically enough, it was a lesbian professor, of my journalism course, who was amazing. She taught me, I mean, I fell in love with journalism in junior high, in eighth grade, and she really helped me, not only in my writing skills, but photography and, how do you compile a story, and how do you construct a story that makes sense, and that has the facts and so, I since that day, I realized I wanna major in journalism. And so I never changed majors, I kept on, I added majors, but I always knew I wanted to major in journalism and, quite honestly I wasn't that good at math either. So I was like, this something that I-- - You really understand. - That I could do. - So did the kids know that this teacher was a lesbian? - You know what, no, I don't think so. In retrospect, and thinking back now, and, I think about Miss Humphreys and I'm like, wow, that was amazing. - So when did it occur to you, well, there's gonna be a couple questions about this stuff. When did it occur to you or did you come to the conclusion that this woman must have been a lesbian? Well, in high school, when I went back, I was recruiting for our high school band and I was back at my junior high, and I actually just had the conversation with her. I asked her. And, she was a little, you know, she was very proper, and so I asked her and she was like, "Yeah, you know, I'm a lesbian." And I wanted to tell her that, I was gay as well. And the impact that she made in my life was tremendous. And it wasn't even at that level, it wasn't talking about her sexuality, but it was about more her teaching and her pushing me to be a better student. - Well, that's what we were thinking when we first instituted National Coming Out Day. I mean, the notion was, if you just knew how many of these people who had been important to you, in your life, the nurse in the hospital or your third grade teacher or whatever, you would feel differently about the community. What about your own personal story? Did you begin to sense that you might be gay, like really young? - I knew I was different when I was probably in third or fourth grade. And I mean, I just knew, I don't know what it was, I don't know what to call it, but I knew I was just different. And you know, it's interesting because in retrospect, thinking about, you know, okay, I have these different feelings, I'm not kind of going along with the group. I grew up, with 10 guys in our neighborhood, and we were very, we're very close still, and I was just isn't interested in some of the things they were doing or talking about, and I was just like, you know, I'm different. I don't know what that means and it wasn't until I got, I think to junior high, when I really understood. I'm like, oh, I'm gay, and of course starting to deal with that in a Latino community, and a predominantly Latino school system, in the east side of LA, you're kind of thinking back of your head, no, I don't know. You know, just kind of, you go through the, I guess what would be your normal-- - Well, and you probably don't wanna be, I mean, at first, you'd have to think that it was kind of scary or-- - It was, it was, it was very scary. And for me in the religious sense of it, you know, we're a Catholic family. And so, I just remember, just understanding that, people like me are gonna go to hell, and I never quite understood that. And so I-- - [Sheila] Did you ever confess? - [Ricardo] No, I never confessed. - Okay, I was raised Catholic, I know, I mean, you know. - I mean, we would go to confession, but I never, you know, I mean, are you kidding me? There was no way. - This is just something you can't talk about. - Right, exactly. And there's always that fear, and for me, it was just, you know, I was like, why? Why am I gonna go to hell? Why am I gonna be treated different? And so, the earlier parts of my childhood, I was a insomniac, I wouldn't sleep 'cause I wanted to, I wanted to understand and I kept on, always questioning myself. Like why me? Why am I different? Why am I gay? Why did God make me this way? And then I guess, as in terms of a self coping mechanism, I was like well, I wouldn't be like this if I couldn't handle it, right? I was like, if God wanted me to be this way, then there's a reason for it. And so, I kind of reverted to that notion and that's kind of what I hung onto growing up I was like yeah, I'm different, and I'm meant to do something, I'm meant to be somebody or help somebody because I'm different. - And did you talk to anybody about it or tell a friend or. - I didn't tell a friend until high school. And so, the importance of having mentors and people to talk about at an early age, is essential, because I could have avoided, so much heartache, and so much stress. A kid in elementary and junior high, should not be going through the amount of stress in terms of figuring out who you are and figuring out how to love yourself and that you're gonna be okay. And in high school, it's when I kind of just rebelled and was like, I'm gay, and I don't know what this means yet, I don't know if I accepted myself, but this is who I am, and I'm gonna have to figure out a way to be okay with it. And you know, I had a girlfriend in high school, 'cause I wanted to make sure, you always wanna make sure. - Just in case. - Right, just in case. - [Sheila] Just in case I don't have to go through all of this. - Exactly, you know. - I know. - And, it's so funny 'cause, my girlfriend or ex-girlfriend I should say, were friends, and she's like, "Was it me? Was it me?" And that's funny, how straight people always make it about themselves, right? "Oh, I always knew." Or, "Why didn't you tell me?" I'm like, wait, it's not about you, it's about me trying to tell you who I really am, right? So yeah, she was just like, "You know I kinda knew you were different but." And so for me, I was like, I just thanked her, I'm well like, thank you for just helping me find out who I was. And when I finally said, "Okay, Ricardo, you're gay. "Clearly you're gay and you're gonna be fine." But it was tough, I mean, high school was a tough place. - But you were also still in leadership too, you were in government in high school? - Yeah, I was involved in student government, I was involved in-- - 'Cause that's a very public thing, you know, at that level. - Yeah and it's funny 'cause I always loved being involved. I love being part of a community, I love being part of activities. And so that was just who I am. I'm a very social person by nature. And so I loved getting involved. I loved going to school. Like high school for me, was one of the best times of my life. I loved it. - So what about college? What came next? - So, college, I went to college in San Diego and further trying to understand myself, and I mean, of course college is college, right? You get to experiment and you get to-- - Right, it's a perfect place to grow. - It was amazing, and to me, I was so grateful because, I was the first to go to college in my family. So I had no idea what to expect. My parents would always say, "Ricardo, you're gonna go to college. "We have no idea how you're gonna do it, we can't help you, "but we'll support you, "but you have to go to college, you have to be the first." And so, this pressure of just getting into college and then graduating, but then, giving myself the space to grow and to develop and to figure out what I wanted to do. And so, I joke with my parents now I said, "Look, "my bachelor's degree is all yours. "I'm gonna get my master's in whatever I want. "Cause that's gonna be for me, "I'm gonna decide what I wanna do." - And you were pretty active in college too. - Yeah, in college, and I promised myself, that in college I wasn't gonna get involved in anything. I was gonna focus on studying and focus on getting outta college in four years. No, that didn't happen. I couldn't help it. The student body president at San Diego State University at the time when I was a freshman, was from Bell, California, which is around my neighborhood. And I felt that was amazing that somebody from my neighborhood, was a student body president of a university. And I kinda saw him as a role model. I got involved heavily in different college organizations. And then in California here, we had prop 209, and that really started getting me involved in terms of fighting for working people, fighting for people of color and ensuring that, we had our place. And so it kinda just drew me back to my roots in East LA and I was thinking about, that so many people sacrificed so much, in the '60s and the '70s, to ensure that male Mexican Americans had their place in higher education. And I felt compelled, I had to do something about it. I had to continue this fight, as a tribute not only to them, but to the kids that are currently going through school now, and that need folks like me, ensuring that we keep the doors of higher education open. And that's why higher education for me is, I love to craft policy around it, I love the subject because, it is the only reason I'm here today. It is the only reason why I got elected to the legislature, because somebody gave me a shot to go to school. - And it was affordable, somewhat. I mean, it keeps getting worse and worse. There's so many of our colleagues in the legislature, mostly on the other side of the aisle, who will not, vote to have higher education funded, even though they themselves, - Are beneficiaries. - Went to public universities and public colleges at the cost reduction et cetera. It's sort of like a combination between dog in the manger and biting the hand that feeds you. - [Ricardo] Exactly. That's exactly what it is. - Yeah. - It's really disheartening to see that we, I mean, we always talk about, our country needing an educated workforce. We always talk about, the fact that we have to compete, at a global scale. But yet we keep on cutting back on higher education, which is the one institution that is supposed to provide this educated workforce that we need for our country. - But you know, it's funny, I don't know if you experienced the same thing, when you're a student you don't really understand what's being done for you. Because you pay some, you know, fees, and you work hard and all of that, but, so you were active in MEChA and a number of Chicano organizations? - I was involved in MEChA, I took several Chicano studies courses, and I loved it. - Plus you said that's where you kind of got the history. - Right. I was sitting in class, when we're watching this movie about the Chicano movement, and seeing, an anti Vietnam rally in East LA, and having the police just brutally attack people, in my community who just wanted peace. And they wanted their peace, and they wanted to participate in a demonstration. And to me that was eye opening. And yet I was thrilled to see that, I came from such a progressive and activist community. And so, I loved it. And I just embraced Chicano studies, I embraced the professors. 'Cause the other thing was, you know in college you don't tend to see, Latino professors, at least when I was there. And so you kinda cling to folks that share your experiences. And to me it was amazing. - Now, were you drawn at all to any gay activism in college? - Yeah, you know, we worked hand in hand with the LGBT groups, African American organizations, women's organizations, and we just created our own rainbow coalition per se. And we actually ran elections for student body and actually got elected student body vice president at San Diego state. - And were you out to friends while you were in college? - Yeah, I was out. I was out, but I wasn't, there was a time of my life where, I didn't wanna be the gay guy. If people would ask me, I would say, yes, I'm gay, I don't know, I guess it's like the second level of, kind of transitioning to being okay with being gay. - It's understandable. I mean really, but you don't wanna put yourself in harm's way. With a race, it's kind of like, I can't hide that. - [Ricardo] Right, exactly. - And you weren't hiding either about sexual orientation, but it's kind of like, well, you know, I don't need any more grief. - Exactly. Well, yeah, you're right. - [Sheila] In a way. - Right, you're absolutely right. I'm like, God, I'm trying to figure out, I was trying to figure out who I was, ethnically and culturally, and my place in this country. You hear, I have friends who can trace their families, back to generations and you know, in this country or in some other part of the world. And I felt that I didn't have that. I felt I had my family in Mexico, but when I would go to Mexico, they would consider me white. And when I would come here, people thought I was Mexican. And so I was, you know, you live in this duality where, you're trying to find out who you really are. You go back home, and they're like, "Oh no, no, you're American, you're white, "you're not like us." And you come here, and the whole country's telling you, oh no, you're Latino, you're foreign, you don't belong here. Even given our centuries of living in the Southwestern part of the United States. - [Sheila] Right, of course. - So, it's that kinda like what I was trying to find myself first. I knew I was gay, I knew I was Latino, but I wanted to know who I was culturally and ethnically and where I belong, and so, when I developed my Chicano identity, I realized that it's that consciousness, a political consciousness, and that you belong to the world, you don't trace it to one specific place. And your job is to fight for the civil rights of everyone. - So what'd you do after college? - After college, I mean, I was hooked in politics. I loved it, I understood that it really mattered, who was making the decisions, in order to distribute resources. And so, I really wanted to, take a taste of working in the legislature. So, I took a job working for an assembly woman at the time out of Ontario, California, the Inland Empire, and loved the job. - You were working in her district office? - I was working in her district office and, did everything from going to events and presenting on her behalf and staffing her at events, and I just saw how people really enjoyed having the assembly woman at their events. How were we really able to help people? And at the time, the state was in much better circumstances that we were giving out money to create community centers and parks. And we really transformed her district. - You know, they call that pork. - [Ricardo] Right. - It's just the most ridiculous thing to me. You get a community center in a neighborhood that doesn't even have a park. And, anyway, I told people when I got a community center in my district, this is pork. So they gave me a little pig angel with wings. - [Ricardo] I love it. I love it. - This is good pork they said. - Yeah, exactly. - Because it's like it doesn't benefit you directly, it's about your community. - Exactly. And you know, God forbid, you work hard in the legislature and try to bring some resources to your community. I mean, that's what it's all about. Representative government. And so, I spent a year working for her in the district. She then runs for the state Senate in a special election, wins her Senate seat. And I told her, you know, I would love to be in Sacramento. I went with her to see her get sworn in, in the state Senate. And she hadn't told me that she was gonna offer me the job until I got over there. And once we had a little break, she called me in, and she says, "Welcome, this is your office." And I'm like, are you kidding me? You didn't, no heads up? But yeah, that was her style. She just wanted to make sure that I was serious about moving. And so, next thing you know, I'm running to the mall and trying to get some suits, 'cause I only had brought one, and I ended up working with her for another year. And then really just once I learned the ins and outs of working in the capital as a staffer, I figured I would really love to represent my community and work for the assembly member, who represents where I grew up. I thought that would be a huge blessing for me, to be in Sacramento, fighting for people like my parents. And so, luckily there was an opening. I think it was just fate. It just worked itself out. I ended up interviewing for the assembly member, who represented the 50th district. And I got the job, and I stayed working with him for over, for his entire term, the six years in the assembly. And he turned out to be an older brother for me. I mean he really cultivated-- - [Sheila] He was an amazing guy. - He was fascinating. - Marco Firebaugh. - Yeah, as a member Firebaugh, is my political hero. - Let me go back to Nell Soto for a minute. And I didn't ask you this question in our interview and just say to me, I wasn't there or I don't know, or I don't wanna answer that. - [Ricardo] Your bill? - Yeah. (laughing) - I was there. - Yeah, there were eight Democrats that didn't vote for the bill to protect kids in school on the basis of sexual orientation. And it failed, actually first before Nell was there, it failed under the Republican regime, and it failed the second session when we just took the place back when Nell was there. And of course I was even more angry at her because she had a gay son. But, I guess my question is, there's nothing you can do to make a member staff can do. I'm not saying Ricardo, why didn't you get her to vote? But, did it affect you in any way that she wouldn't protect us in schools? - You know, it was tough. That day was very tough. 'Cause I knew I can relive that vote and getting her out of the us the capital as soon as possible because I knew you were-- - Because I was gonna kill her. - Because I knew Sheila Kuehl's coming. So, you know, and yeah, she has a gay son, and her top consultant and fundraiser was a gay man, and, I know the conversation they had, with her consultant. And she says, "Look, how am I gonna vote on this?" And her consultant pretty much said, "I didn't work this hard to get you elected "to lose your race over this vote." - Because the people in the Inland Empire, they're not gonna understand. - Right. And you know, for me as a staffer, I was like well, we can make them understand, we can work, and it's gonna take a lot of work, but we have to, I mean, we are elected to represent our communities, but yet we're also obligated to, have these conversations with our communities. - Try to lead the way a little bit. - Exactly. God forbid, we tried to lead a little bit. But you know. - She changed though. - [Ricardo] Oh yeah, she did. - You Know, the Senate makes you feel a little more secure, because you've been elected several times and now you're in the Senate, you only got one more to go. Nell and I got along very well in Senate. - [Ricardo] She's great. - I really loved her and, but boy, you we're right to get her out of the building that day. I was just like. - We had a contingency, we we're like, you're voting, and we're putting you in the car and you're on the way to the airport. Yeah, it was tough. - I bet it was, I bet it was. But working for Marco, what were the issues that Marco focused on that you got to work with him on? - So, with Marco, again, it was, his personal experience. He was one of the first Mexican born legislators in the state legislature. And he really focused on immigrant rights, on ensuring that English language learner kids in our schools, had the tools and resources they need to succeed. And I loved it. 'Cause those were issues, facing our community now. And, the first bill that I worked with him, and I still can't believe we were able to get this bill signed after it was vetoed the year before, by the same governor. It was a bill to allow undocumented students, to pay in-state tuition, at our public colleges and universities. - So these were kids that actually lived in California, grew up in California. - These are kids that have been in this state. - Simply that their parents were undocumented. - Right, that's exactly what this is. - They were making 'em pay out of state. They could go to college, but they were like out of state tuition? - Right, they were paying tuition as they were international students. So it was three, four times the amount. And, these are kids that by no fault of their own, were brought to this country, and no other country as theirs. They for the most part only speak English, and, have never been back to wherever country they're from. And so, and a lot of them, sadly enough, they had no idea they were undocumented. Until it came time to fill out your financial aid application when you were going to college. And how devastating I thought it would be, for somebody who has no idea they're undocumented, and their parents wanted to kind of, you know, shelter them from that so they wouldn't feel stigmatized or feel they were less than anybody, but it was truly a disservice they were doing to their children, not preparing them to ultimately figure out how they were gonna pursue their college education. And these were kids that were pulling, 4.2s, 4.3s, student body presidents, soccer captains, and you know, it just broke my heart because I knew how much a college education gave me. It opened my eyes to the world. Especially coming from East LA where the majority of folks are Latino. I'll tell you the first time, I actually spoke to a white person or an African American, were my two roommates in college. And, to not be able to have, give that student an opportunity that worked so hard, to get there, and have their world just be open, to any possibility, of which a college education gives you, broke my heart. And so, I dialed into that issue, and luckily in 2001, we were able to get that bill signed and to this day, I still get emails from students who are now in law school and med school, or in undergrad saying, "Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity." - So when did you start thinking about running yourself? It must have been, a little bit of a problem just in thinking about it. Because no gay person's been elected in the East LA district. Although we do have a speaker from not very far away, who's a gay Latino, that must have been a leadership, good thing. - Oh, that was great. That was great. - When did you start thinking about running? - You know, I never had it. I never really thought I was gonna run because, as an out, gay, Latino working in the east side of town, I always said to myself, oh, I'm gonna be the behind the scenes guy. I'm gonna help other folks get elected and I'm gonna work on policy issues. I just loved it. And so, I don't know if I kind of subconsciously just decided that, 'cause I knew that was never gonna be an option for me, to run for office. But it wasn't, you know, I was working for speaker Fabian Nunez, and we had been good long time friends, when he was a lobbyist for LAUSD, and he would come into our office and I was the education guy. So he had to come lobby me, on issues when I was a staffer and next you know, he's the speaker of the assembly. I mean he's another guy, I mean, I've been so blessed to have such great political mentors who are straight Latino men. And he tells me Ricardo, it's time for you to run. You have worked in the legislature now. I had worked for the legislature for almost 13 years and I was okay with it. I was fine with the work I was doing, but he told me it's time. "You need to really consider running for office." And I said, oh no, not me, there's no way. And you know, I'm gay and he's like, "I don't care." He says, "Look, I'm gonna," He literally told me, "You have a month, "to just kind of go through the motions "and get yourself together, "and we're gonna open a committee in a month." And I was like, he can't be serious, he is a jokester. I'm like, no, that's not for me. And that month, was life changing. Because there were days that I was like, there's absolutely no way I'm running. I can't, what am I gonna tell people when they ask me, if I'm gay or not, or why am I not married? I don't have a family. I mean, in terms of my own nuclear family, how I'm gonna run against somebody who has the wife. - And had you told your folks even? - No, I hadn't even told my folks that I was running yet. - I don't mean running, I mean about being gay. - Oh yeah, no, my parents knew already. And that was the other thing was, I don't wanna put them through this. - The parents have to come out too once you come out to them, it's kinda like all their friends wanna know. - Right, exactly. And then, when the hit pieces start coming or the slandering happens, my mom would take that so hard and I had to weigh all that in and it wasn't about me, it was about my family. And so, when I decided to do this, I was scared. It was very, very scary for me. And knowing that, there was pioneers like yourself and Tom Ammiano and folks in San Francisco. And I actually had some folks who told me, if you really wanna run for office, you should really move to the west side of LA, move to West Hollywood, move to Silver Lake. And I'm like, what am I gonna do there? - They don't even know me. - They didn't even know me. And I was like, okay, this is gonna be interesting, 'cause I knew I was the best qualified, I knew that I had put in my time, and I know that I was a candidate that would be able to, really work on bringing resources to the community. - So what's the first thing you remember in terms of going and actually talking to a group and saying, "Hi, I'm Ricardo Lara "and I'm running for the state assembly." - Oh my God, I mean, that was-- - It was just the moment where you're thinking-- - [Ricardo] Oh my God, it's-- - I'm gonna give my stump speech and then it's open for questions. - And you have to make people believe, that you have to really feel it and own it and say, yeah, I'm gonna win, and this is why I'm gonna win. And it's so tough. It's so easier said than done to actually, 'cause you're nervous, you're scared. You're putting yourself out there, you have no idea if you're gonna win, let alone if this organization or these group of folks are gonna support you, but you have to act like you're the guy, you're winning. And, that was a balance that I had to find 'cause it wasn't me, it wasn't like I walk around like, oh yeah, I have all the answers, and I'm your guy and I'm gonna get up there. But I had this passion for service and I would commit myself to working on issues, but I didn't wanna come off as that guy. The guy that's just kind of trying to bull dog everybody. - So did you get any help with how to answer the question if it came up? Like why don't you have a girlfriend? - Yes, I, the Victory Fund, in my opinion, has the best campaign training program. And I would recommend it to anybody who's interested in running for office. I flew to DC for their campaign training, specifically to help me address the question of, how was I gonna answer the gay question? I could answer any question on the economy, transportation, education, the budget, any of that stuff, but the one question that was still lingering out there, that I thought is gonna do me in, and this is the trump card that they're gonna pull out and I'm done. I can be the most eloquent speaker or the best prepared, but how am I gonna talk about being gay in the east side of town? And so, I was there for three days, at the Victory Fund in Washington DC. And, first of all, they paired us with, various selected officials throughout the country. I had a state Senator, I think she was from North Carolina and she tells me, "Honey, "you're worried about running openly gay in LA? "Try running in North Carolina "where I have my partner "and I was getting attacked left and right, "and I still won." And I thought about it and I'm like, you know, okay, I could do this. And we really worked on, pivoting to the issues. And so, when we were going through the exercise, I was like a hawk. I was studying, I was practicing, I was in the mirror, I was trying to just prepare myself. And when the time came and we were going through the role playing, I'd nailed it. And I'm like, okay, now, I'm unstoppable. Now, I'm okay. I'm gonna be okay, 'cause I know exactly what I need to do. And so, the first time it came up was in a newspaper interview. One of the local newspaper folks were interviewing me, and it's interesting how they asked me, all about the issues, and I'm on, doing my thing, doing my stump speech and just about when we're gonna wrap up, and I wasn't even expecting it, but this is when the training becomes so critical. He asked me, so you know, this part of town is very conservative and we understand you're openly gay, and do you think that's gonna be a problem for your campaign. And, do you think you're gonna be able to connect with the voters. And so, I did my good old school Victory Fund training, I pivoted, and I said, "Let me tell you what the voters of the 50th care about. "They care about good jobs, they care about the economy, "they care our education and that's when I'm there. "That's what I'm gonna do in Sacramento." - You know the other thing that I found that was very interesting that I had never thought about. 'Cause when I ran, no gay person had ever even won a primary in the state. And so, I'm supremely confident, I always have been, but it was like you say, it's scary. And I'm sitting in a restaurant in I think Santa Monica and some big guy comes barreling over to my table and pounds on the table and he said, "You know what Sheila, I hate all politicians. "I hate them. "They lie, they dissemble, you can't trust them, "they won't tell you the truth, "I hate 'em all except for you." And I said, oh well thank you very much, but why me? And he said, "Well, you've already told us "the worst thing about yourself, "so why would you lie about anything else?" - Oh my God. - And I thought you know, it's true in a way, because coming out it actually does take some courage. And why would you lie about anything else when you've already told the hardest truth that you have, and I was amazed because the voters kind of, it became a plus in a way, that you were honest enough to be out, they thought it was courageous. So, I think that's also something that our candidates don't really understand-- - That's interesting. - People just want somebody that's gonna be honest. Stand up to the bullies and really just tell 'em the truth. - Absolutely. Absolutely, and I think people, you're absolutely right. When I talk to folks they're like, "Look, we're not gonna agree on everything, "but we just know you're gonna be honest, "and you're gonna work hard." And of course that's what I always commit myself to. - And did you get a hit piece about being gay? - It was kinda subtle. It's always subtle, right? And so, I was, this is a hilarious story, you're gonna laugh. So I'm figuring out how are they gonna hit me? Are they gonna be just blatant and put a rainbow flag and put the whole works, right? This is like the hit piece. And of course they were slandering me back and forth on issues, but I was like, okay, when is it coming? When is it coming? I was petrified to go to my mailbox during the campaign. 'Cause I was like, I don't wanna get another mail, another hit piece, right? Or the hit piece, that one that's gonna, you know, really force me to really do this. And I'm walking precincts on a Sunday, it was a Saturday morning, and of course I had volunteers everywhere walking and I get a call, and it said, my friend says, "Oh my God, there's a hit piece with you with a crown on it." I'm like, a crown, are you kidding me? What does it look like? What does it say? I'm like, this is it. This is the hit piece, right? Like they're putting me as like some queen or something. And I was like, okay, here it is. Let me see it. And it was, a King's crown saying how, I was having fundraisers, at the Lakers suite, and I'm walking around like I'm the king. And I was like, man. - Shoot. I was like, I thought they were gonna call me a big queen or something. So, but in that same piece, they did say, Ricardo Lara, he's not on our team. And to me, we're like, okay, this is what they're getting at. And so, I just went into, by that time, a lot of my mentors said, look, you have to develop some hard skin because, when people start attacking, you're gonna take it personal. No matter what everybody tells you, you always take it personal. You're human. And so, by that time I had been, you know, the campaign was getting ugly. We're getting down to the last couple of weeks. And so, I already was used to it. So all I said was, all right, this is a piece they're trying to insinuate. That's fine, just gimme my precinct, I'm gonna go walk. And that's it just focused and staying on your campaign strategy of just meeting voters. 'Cause I knew if I just got to the voter, I can convince them, I can talk to them about the issues and I can talk to 'em about our community. And that's what my strategy was. Before my opponents even hit one precinct walking, I already had walked half the district. So I started way in advance. But you have to work hard. And that was the thing, my mentor said, "We'll help you, we'll help you with some resources, "but at the end of the day, it's your name on the ballot. "You have to walk, you have to raise the money "and you have to connect with the voters." - And that's only the beginning of the job. - [Ricardo] Right. - So then you're elected, you have a victory, and probably winning your primary in those days, we had a primary and then a general, meant you were probably gonna win the general, so you have a little time to prepare. And then you go up the first week in December and you get sworn in. Did your parents go up with you? - Yes. I had family from Mexico that flew up. - [Sheila] They must have been so proud. - Both my parents were there, my nieces, my nephews, I had a, I think she was six months at the time, the newest member of our family was there, sitting with me on the floor of the legislature, in the assembly. I mean, you experienced this. I mean, it's a beautiful feeling to be able to sit in this regal building and this hall of the assembly and think that I'm now part of this state's history. A state that I'm so proud of. I'm so proud to be Californian, I'm so proud to be American. And now that I get to, have a little say, for the time being about the direction of our state. And I always thought of my parents as I had 'em sitting with me, and you know, my dad's, I saw his hands and how beat up they are, and my mom with her legs after working as a seamstress for so many years. I said only in this great country and in this amazing state can a son of a seamstress and a factory worker who came here illegally to this country, to fight for a better life for us. Now, their son is in the state legislature. - It is amazing. I mean, my mother was a seamstress when she was 11 years old because she was an orphan and my dad worked in aircraft plant, but only during the war and then he was kind of like an independent, worker on his own. We grew up over by the Coliseum. So, not too far from UCLA. - Yeah, neighbors. - But it is an amazing thing. You do look around and think how, and it's really public education. Public education especially at the university and college level that gives you that sort of that jump. So you entered the assembly in a pretty bad time. - [Ricardo] Yeah. - Oh my gosh. Because you just started this year, right? - I just started, I'm a freshman member and it is really tough. I mean, some of the tough votes we had to take already on the budget, were to really limit our social services. And, it was a tough vote to take. It's easier said than done. And I can tell you as a staffer, you recommend your boss to vote a certain way or about some issues, but there's nothing like you being there pushing that button and voting to cut these services that a lot of people in my district depend on. And making those tough decisions, is just another, it takes it to a whole new level. I really internalize, my actions in the assembly because I take my job very serious and this is a job, although I'm very grateful to be there, I have to look out for my constituents and I have to ensure, that their kids will still have access to public education, that they still have access to higher education. - Well those cuts that you just made in the legislature and the budget isn't finished yet, because we couldn't get the tax extensions on the ballot for people even to vote on. That's only half of what the cuts will be if we don't get the tax extension, because the other half will be right out of the schools, right out of the public schools. - Again, and it's working people, and poor people that have to pay the price. And you know, the irony about it is, when every time we pass a proposition, every time we go to the vote, we go to the voters for support, working people and poor people are the first to tax themselves again, for parks, for better schools, for better infrastructure. And yet, these communities still remain the same. We still have a 50% dropout rate in some of my high schools, and that's not okay. And by cutting some of these services, we're just telling kids again, you know what, you're gonna have to wait a little longer. Well, you're not as important. - Well, but a lot of people in our districts don't vote. They don't vote even in the unions. Only 40% of union members are even registered to vote in California. I mean, it's kind of outrageous really. - [Ricardo] It's an ongoing struggle. - Yeah. - It's an ongoing struggle to keep people motivated to vote. - But tell me what it is, from the time you were in junior high school, what do you feel it was that kind of motivated you, you said you're devoted to service. And I really understand that. It's almost like a, I can't help myself. I see something's wrong-- - I wanna try to fix it. - Want to fix it. But what was it you think that really motivated you? - You know, I mean, for me, there's no better feeling, than when you're able to really transform a person's life, and to really improve the quality of life through either just assisting them through the process, or creating a policy, to help them help themselves. To have somebody achieve their full realization. And to me, there's no better feeling than that. And in my community, when we help somebody, whether it's just trying to get their license renewed or trying to go through some insurance problem they might have, they are so grateful. People from Latin America, don't go to government for help, they run from it. And to see that there is engaged citizens, new citizens now, and they see a district office, and they see it as a place that can help that government is there to help them, and assist them. And when they come back and you know, recently we have this lady with some issue and she came back with tamales for me. And I told her, oh, you know, we can't accept these, but she was just like so grateful, that somebody just gave her the time of day to help her out. And to me, that's what it's all about. That is why I do what I do. - So you remember the LGBT caucus in Sacramento? - [Ricardo] Yes. - It's a bigger caucus than it's ever been its life. I think when I was there, we had six and now you've got seven. - Seven of us. - So you're the, what? Fourth, fifth or sixth or seventh person, gay or lesbian open person elected. I was the first, and the 62nd woman in the history of California. There's only been about, I think 121 women, all together, through the whole history since the 19th century. And I was the 62nd, it took a little while. - Well, you know, it always takes a while. Nobody gives up power just to give it up. - So, it's a very diverse in its own way, caucus. Do you like that? - I love it. I love it. And let me tell you, I'm a proud member of the Latino caucus as well, and one of the first things we did, was we created a subcommittee in the Latino caucus, to address Latino LGBT issues. - Really? - Yes. And of course-- - Your little honor path. - My own little committee within the Latino caucus. And so, the funny thing is when I was making my pitch, 'cause we were working on developing other subcommittees. I said, I think this is very important, because now that I'm here, and the speaker is also Latino and LGBT, it's time for us to start talking about issues that are important to LGBT Latinos. We care about equality, but we also care about bilingual education, we care about immigration issues, we care about ensuring that, you know, we address the issue of bullying and depression in our community. And how do we start talking about LGBT issues within our own families. And so, I'm very proud of that and I'm very proud to be a member of the LGBT caucus, and I think in a month we're gonna have, a Latino caucus, LGBT caucus, hearing on the status of LGBT Latinos in California. - Excellent, that's really great. Well, it's been interesting to me because in California, the LGBT caucus has been pretty much 100% progressive. People whose politics have always involved, equality for everybody, I'm pretty sure without exception, really in that group. And it's been very helpful to have LGBT people elected because the progressive caucus, as such as it is, it isn't really a caucus, but it just shrinks now. It has shrunk more within the democratic party and we've become more and more of the stalwarts really in terms of progressive legislation. - Our job becomes much more important. - [Sheila] Yeah. - And yeah, you're absolutely right. And we have to be that ongoing voice for progressive politics and ensuring that those important issues are being, still discussed at the state level. - There's a lot of people coming along though. So, but I guess the question is, personally, two things really is, does it feel lonely to you in Sacramento? I mean, you go away from home, you're there all week, you're only home on the weekends. - It is. It's a very, very kind of lonely job. You're surrounded by people all the time, but I have a great group of friends in LA, I have a great family. I miss them terribly when I'm in Sacramento, but I also know, that this opportunity is an amazing one. And I have to ensure that I'm not only enjoying myself, but that I keep, focused on the task at hand. And so, when I'm in Sacramento, I'm going 100 miles per hour and trying to get everything done, and then trying to find some time to just relax and have some fun. - But you're a very gregarious guy. I can see you going on the floor at nine o'clock in the morning or noon or whenever the session starts and just going from desk to desk and saying hi to everybody. It is the kind of guy you are, isn't it? - Yeah, it is, I love it. But I have to get my work done first. - [Sheila] Yeah, I understand. - You can get caught up and the hardest part is to really, try to get some true friends in Sacramento. 'Cause everybody's an acquaintance, everybody now that wants somebody, something from you. And so, you just have to keep that in mind. That some folks are much more transactional, but to really establish and have some good friends, I think makes it all worth it. - Well, I made some of the best friends in my life and it was completely unexpected. It's kinda like going away to college, where you think, oh, I'm leaving all my friends, I'm leaving my family, I'm going to college, and then you meet people there, and it's kind of like for the rest of your life, they've been through that with you. And that's the other thing, is it's a very small group of people, who gets it, what it's like to be on that floor twice a week to be in those kind of meetings. - I've got extremely lucky, our freshman class, there's some extraordinary new members. And so we all always tend to stick together, and keep ourselves, on check per se. Ensuring that how are you doing? Are you okay? Have you gone to the gym? Have you eaten? 'Cause you forget. - You forget I know. - You forget. And sometimes I realize like, wow, I haven't eaten today. Or I haven't even had a chance to just take a break. Because it's so consuming and there's always something important, right? There's always the big issue of the day, there's always something that's going on, and do you choose to engage or do you choose to just let that one go, and let somebody else take the lead and you be okay with that. And so, it's okay, I'll track it, and you know, member so and so will address the issue. Because it's impossible for you to try to be there and be on top of every issue, you'll go nuts. And so, it's important to pick and choose the issues that you care about, really master them, 'cause we're only there for six years, that's if you get reelected. And so, you really wanna hone in and focus on a few issues that are important to you. - So what issues are you thinking you'll focus on, 'cause I don't think people outside of California watching this know, we have term limits, and you get six years in the assembly and then, bye, bye, it's really a short amount of time to get something done. - One of my biggest issues, is something we've been talking today, higher education. Ensuring that every kid has an opportunity to pursue a college education, is one of my top priorities, ensuring that we have the resources and the programs in place, so that our first generation students or first college. If it's your first time in college, that you have the resources you need, so that you can succeed. And you can contribute to the economy at a greater scale, and then you can give back to your community. Higher education, like I said before, is the only reason I'm here. Healthcare is a big issue in my district. We still have hospitals that are closing in rapid numbers, and people in my community, are still traveling to Mexico, to seek medical care. 'Cause of the sheer fact is that, there's a huge language barrier. So ensuring that we fight at the federal level to get the appropriate slots of doctors for our state and that we create programs so that we get doctors that can speak their language, and are working in underserved communities is a priority for me as well. Environmental justice issues. The Southeast part of my district have the tradition of having manufacturing plants. That's how they started. Steel mills, tire factories. Unfortunately, what happens with those type of companies, is there's a lot of environmental justice issues, a lot of contamination and pollution in the land and in the air. I have cancer clusters and asthma clusters, in my district 'cause of the air quality. And so we have to really work to address these issues. - Well, you've got a full plate. So I guess my last question will be, people watching the show, like you probably thought or think, I could never do this. I mean, I can't, once they know that I'm gay or lesbian, I can't do this. What would you say to them? - I would say you're absolutely wrong. And I can't tell you how to get there, but definitely there's a whole host of organizations that will help you like the Victory Fund, like California, that will provide the resources that if you wanna make a difference in your community, if you wanna run for office, if you wanna be on a commission, or a board, absolutely, public service is one of the best things you could do, and I think it's our responsibility as Americans. And I'm living proof that, you can do it, and that there's folks out there that are willing to help you. And there's nothing better than doing what you love. And I get up every day and pinch myself and say, can't believe I'm a legislator in the eighth largest economy in the world, in the state of California, a state that gave my parents this opportunity. And now I have to make sure, that it remains not only the golden state, but remains a state that provides opportunities for everybody who wants to come here. So, you can absolutely do it, and you know, you gotta just work hard. Nothing's easy as you know. It takes a lot of work, and there's no shortcuts. That's also the thing I learned. You have to work hard, you have to put in the hours, and you have to be really committed to doing this. But once you get there, it's beautiful. To be able to be there and be another voice for our community, for our LGBT community ,for my Latino community and say, I'm here, and I'm just like you, and I was just, you know, that little kid that was insecure and that was trying to figure out what, you know, why was I different? And now I realize that, I was given this opportunity, and I'm gay and I'm proud of it because I get to really fight for, for what's right. And that's for our civil rights. - Ricardo, thank you so much for doing this. I really, really appreciate it. I know you came down from Sacramento, you're on your way back to Sacramento. It was really great for you to be here. - Thank you. I felt it was important to share my story. - I'm glad you did. And I'm really glad you were here to share your story and I'm glad you were with us to hear the story, and just remember, live your life fully, let it all, be whoever you are and get used to it. (upbeat music)