Equality California Executive Director to Depart

Equality California executive director Geoff Kors, who has led the state's largest gay rights organization since 2002, will leave his position next year.

In a Friday release, Kors said he will depart from the organization March 31 and has not yet announced what he plans to do next. Equality California's board of directors will meet this weekend to begin the process of selecting a new executive director, the group announced.

"We have made unprecedented progress over the past nine years. Yet, there is still much work ahead in order to achieve full equality for our community," Kors said in a statement.

"I'm glad that Equality California is on solid financial footing as I prepare to depart and that we are adding additional staff in Sacramento to take advantage of the expanded opportunities the new administration presents us," Kors said, referring to the election of Democrat Jerry Brown to replace outgoing governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in Janaury.

Though criticized along with other California gay groups for a failed campaign to defeat Proposition 8 in 2008, Equality California lobbied extensively for several pro-LGBT candidates in the November election -- all who won, including Governor-elect Brown and Attorney General Kamala Harris, who has said she would not defend Proposition 8 in federal court.