Schwarzenegger invited to meet with gay leaders

Lorri L. Jean, chief executive officer of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, on Wednesday invited California governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger to meet at the center with the state's gay and lesbian leaders. "One of the quickest ways for the governor-elect to show that he is not playing 'politics as usual' is to meet with this core component of California's constituency," Jean said. The center has not yet received a reply from Schwarzenegger's office. "At this point, all we really know about our new governor is from his movies," Jean said. "He was not specific during the campaign about how he will govern and where he stands on the issues we care about--access to quality health care for everyone, especially those with HIV/AIDS, equal standing for our relationships, security for our families, freedom from discrimination in housing and employment. Our community is an important and politically powerful segment of the California population, and we need to have this conversation as soon as possible. As Arnold tries to terminate the deficit and our state's economic woes, he also should work to terminate discrimination!"